Button 040: Famous Cartoonist Bill Sanders (Milwaukee Journal)

Famous Cartoonist Button 40

Bill Sanders. Sanders is the only political cartoonist represented in the Famous Cartoonist Button Series. Working out of his home base at the Milwaukee Journal, Sanders' acerbic cartoons were widely syndicated to other newspapers till his retirement around 1990. In his only foray into the comic book world, Sanders created politically oriented pages for the Marvel experiment Comix Book in 1973-74.

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.