Button 030: Famous Cartoonist Jay Lynch (Bijou, Nard 'n Pat)

Famous Cartoonist Button 30

Jay Lynch began his professional career with contributions to Harvey Kurtzman's Help! Lynch co-founded, edited and contrbuted to Bijou Funnies, one of the earliest undeground comix. His most famous characters, "Nard n' Pat" appeared in two solo comix, Bijou and assorted anthologies. Pat [the Cat] can be seen coming out of Lynch's nose in this self-portrait. Lynch wrote the long-running Phoebe & the Pigeon People strip (illustrated by Gary Whitney), collected into three comic books. Lynch is largely responsible for Topp's hugely successful "Wacky Packs" as well as uncredited work on "Bazooka Joe" comics and many other examples of pop culture effluvia.

Pinback Jack issued this "Famous Cartoonist Series" of self-portrait buttons back in 1975. All of the participating cartoonists were alive and created self-portraits specifically for this button set. With very few exceptions, the images have not appeared elsewhere in print. The buttons were distributed by Krupp Comic Works and Phil Seuling. This set was originally announced as 52 buttons, and the alphabetical numbering reflects that. However, two artists (Neal Adams and Rick Meyerowitz) turned in their self-portraits late, after the first 52 had already been designed. They were included in the set, but numbered 53 and 54 respectively, out of alphabetical sequence. Steve Krupp's Curio Shoppe is now the exclusive source of the remaining limited inventory.

All the color buttons in this set are metal with clear celluloid covers, are 2.25 inches in diameter, and have "safety" pinbacks. This button is listed for sale as an individual, but we do offer the complete set as well.