Virgil "VIP" Partch Photo Gallery by Christopher Wheeler at pbase.com

Virgil "VIP" Partch

(1916-1984)

Like Sam Cobean, Sidney Smith, and, more recently, Doug Marlette, Parch died in a car accident. He was fond of drawing people with extra fingers. More than any cartoonist I know of, Partch was liable to include original drawings in his various books.

I had a VERY difficult time locating a photo of the guy. I finally found one in The Cartoonists' Cookbook, of all places. Thank to Ellen Roubos for the image of Ludwig and the photo of Partch that appears in that book.

Virgil Partch	Self-Portrait	Another self-portrait	Yet another self-portrait	one more self-portrait
Still another self-portrait	It's Hot in Here (1944)	Water on Brain (1945)	:: Bottle Fatigue (1950) (inscribed with five full page colored drawings) ::	Here We Go Again (1951)
R.I.P -- The Travelers Book of Street and Highway Accident Data (1951)	:: The Wild, Wild Women (1951) (inscribed with original two-page drawing) ::	:: Man the Beast (1953) (inscribed with original drawing) ::	Funny Cartoons (1954)	:: The Dead Game Sportsman (1954) (inscribed with drawing) ::
Hanging Way Over (1955)	:: VIP Tosses A Party (1959) (inscribed with drawing) ::	Crazy Cartoons (1959)	New Faces on the Barrom Floor (1961)	Here We Go Again and Bottle Fatigue (1963)
Cartoons Out Of My Own Head (1964)	Armed Farces (1969)	:: VIP's Mistake Book (1970) (inscribed with original drawing) ::	Shaggy Fur Face (1971)	Vip Quips (1975)
:: Relations in Strange Locations (1978) (inscribed with drawing) ::	Ludwig The Dog Who Snored Symphonies (1971)	Partch (from Ludwig)	Partch (from VIP's Mistake Book)	The Executive
Todays Revolution in Weather Illustrations by Partch	Todays Revolution in Weather example of cartoon	VIP - for building professionals	VIP - inside front cover	How To Look At Women
From Western Advertising, August 1957	Cockeyed cover	Original drawing inscribed to B. Kliban

comment |

Mister Ron		02-Oct-2018 22:35
Looking for the Vip cartoon of the guys sitting at a restaurant table, with one guy snipping straws with scissors from the other guy's drink. The table is littered with straws, and the third guy calls the waiter and says, "Two more straws please!" or something like that.

Hal		10-Jun-2018 16:21
Hi all. I am trying to find the caption for the following cartoon: Three men are camping in the woods. All are in sleeping bags. Two are awake, one is fast asleep. The sleeping man has his sleeping bag rolled up impossibly short (to his chin). One of the other men is commenting on this to the other. The caption is obviously his comment. What is he saying? Thanks.

Vince Marchese		15-Jun-2017 20:16
Does anyone know which book of cartoons had a man laying down the foul line between home and 3rd base on a baseball diamond making a 2 ft bulge in the line and then continuing? The caption read: We are going to have to let Joe(?) go. He just doesn't know where to draw the line.

Justin Reed		05-Jun-2016 20:54
Does anyone know anything about "Milt Schaffer", His partner at ERA Productions??

Herbert L. Cares, M.D.		13-Feb-2014 18:14
There was a cartoon by VIP featuring 4 teller windows at a racetrack---win, place, show, and lose. It was hilarious and I would love to find that cartoon and pay to have it reproduced for framing. Any advice?

Jane		16-Nov-2013 23:43
To the gentleman interested in the "What's Wild?" cartoon, it appeared in Collier's Magazine on February 3, 1951. There's the original cartoon submission of this on eBay now - full disclosure: I'm the one selling it. Enjoy!

Erin		08-May-2013 00:46
I'd like to edit my comment below... I have a copy of the Louie comic but after sending it to many people, I've heard from some that the one I have is different from the one they recall. I'll send to anyone who is interested and hopefully its the one youre looking for! sorry if anyone is disappointed! :)

j Watson		14-Jan-2013 22:23
Virgil Partch, his wife and their son lived at Robles del Rio in the Carmel Valley in the 40's. They purchsed the home from a Salvation Army couple who had turned the home and the surrounding 1/2 acre into a beautiful estate. Partch let it all go to rack and ruin. They had a huge great dane named A-Jax. Ajax favorite past time was sneaking up on riders on horses until an old timer name 'Ford' gave hima an unforgetable beating. The hearth of the fireplace had dog pelvic bones - some other dogs, not A-Jax.. There were many drunken parties, where thir guests would often wander into other homes. One wonders what became of their son?

Alexander		27-Aug-2012 16:27
Missing from this anthology is at least one cartoon book Vip did for Volkswagen in 1968, making lots of jokes about the compact size of Beetles: peruse occasional eBay listings, as I can't link in this comment....

Erin		10-May-2012 12:40
I have a copy of the "Louie you're a goddam jewel" comic... it's signed by what appears to be Howard Barr or Bair. I'm going to scan a copy for a friend, if anyone wants me to email it, let me know! violet6764@yahoo.com

Guest		08-May-2012 14:12
However, if any of you do find the link, please send it to me. Thanks, Dick Malott DickMalott@DickMalott.com

Guest		08-May-2012 14:11
Those of you looking fore the "You're a goddamned Jewel" drawing, the artist was Herb Gardner, but I can't find the cartoon on line.

Charlie Hickerson		04-Feb-2012 19:46
Anyone remember "The Art of Sharing a Bed," cartoons, I believe were in the Men's True magazine back in the 50's? Would love to get a reprint, as nothing has changed about them over the years.

Patti		26-Apr-2011 01:23
We're trying to find out some info about a VIP Big George original we have. About 12 years ago, a local business was cleaning out the basement of an elderly man. They asked about this drawing and were told they could have it. The subject of the drawing is billiards, and they gave the drawing to my husband, George, who is a billiard instructor. We love it and it's the focal point of our billiard room, other than the pool table. It's big - about 28" by 22". We had it restored by a conservator in Pennsylvania because it was a little dirty. We framed it. It was originally unframed and had a nail hole on the top and bottom for hanging. I posted a picture on my PBase webspace. It's a little darker looking than in real life, because the light in the room is focused on the pool table. We read somewhere on the internet that Virgil Partch did some large cartoons for the Steve Allen show, and were wondering if this might be one of those. We'd love to find out more about it and can't really find an authority on Partch. Can anyone point us in the right direction?

Mary		29-Jan-2011 20:59
I also am looking desperately for the "jewel" cartoon. Except I thought it was "Jake (not Louie)you're a goddam jewel. It features a seedy pot bellied guy carrying a tray with coffee and a rose on it over to a frumpy gal sitting up in bed. I have called my husband "jewel" ever since I saw it. I would happily buy the book if I knew the cartoon was in it. Any help appreciated.

RMP		19-Jan-2011 15:29
Anyone recall the artist / source of this WW II -era editorial cartoon? A somewhat matronly American woman is visiting a hospital filled with wounded soldiers, and as she stands next to one soldier's bed, she inquires "And where were you wounded, Soldier?" He replies "In the Azores, ma'am..." to which she responds, "Well I hope that heals soon" (or something to that effect, that she confuses his anatomy with geography). I remember my parent's collections of Bill Mauldin, H.T Webster and Peter Arno, but I cannot seem to find that cartoon anywhere on the internet. Any recollection or suggestions, I would be very grateful.

Kent S.		08-Jan-2011 12:13
One of my very favorite VIP cartoons was from the 1951 "Here We Go Again" book. It showed army medics with bed pans at inspection arms.

KEN		05-Dec-2010 16:48
ARE, I'LL ASK THE CAPTAIN , OF ANY JEWEL ?

Bill		20-Oct-2010 09:55
Virgil drew a cartoon for a golf shirt for the Village Inn on Balboa Island CA in the mid '70s. It was the logo of a capital "V" with an eyeball in the center on the pocket and Big George being drop-kicked thru the swinging bar room doors, under an exterior canopy by the bar tender on the back. Mine was lost over the years and I would like to find a replacement or the drawings for a duplication. Help?

Dick		17-Sep-2010 16:25
Christne I don't know if you're still out there but I have been looking for the "Louis, you're a Goddamned jewel" cartoon for years having seen it when I was in college in the early '50s. Have you or anyone else out there found it? I would sure appreciate a link or other information regarding how to get a copy. Dick, rasinger@cox.net

Don C.		17-Feb-2010 22:31
I don't remember coffee. My recollection is of an over-sized, awfully rich Wall Street tycoon/sugar-daddy in a night club with a blonde floozy looking at a new diamond ring, and exclaiming the famous phrase.

Sue		10-Jan-2010 05:59
Help. I really would like to find a copy of this V.I.P. cartoon. I think it appeared in the New Yorker circa 1952-54? It showed a rather slovenly dressed women in a bed, cig hanging out of her mouth, with an unshaven gent handing her a tray with a cup of coffee(I think..it's been a long time) also, as I recall, with a cig hanging from his face....tag line "Louie, your're a god damned jewel. That line has kept our marriage together for 53 years.

Bostonian		14-Aug-2009 04:41
Christine - it was in an Esquire magazine in the early 1950s. My father had a copy of the cartoon, and still jokes about it today.

Christine		23-Jul-2009 14:48
Hi, I am trying to find a copy of the cartoon with the caption "Louis, you're a Goddamned jewel" Someone below asked the same question some time ago, but didn't get a response? I have been told it was by the artist Virgil Parch....? If I could find out the magazine it originally appeared in, I'm sure I could find it on-line. Any help would be much appreciated..

Max Shea		19-Dec-2008 08:19
If you think Virgil is a strange guy, check out his Uncle Harry, Harry Partch that is. Harry Partch (1901--1974) is one of my favorite composers. He developed a 43-tone tuning system, created instruments and a scoring system for his microtonal works, and was an enthusiastic hobo in the 1930s. After decades of total obscurity, Harry Partch's music is easily available on CD and plenty of it is on YouTube. I do remember Virgil Partch's "New Yorker" cartoons, though I was quite young. Again, Harry is worth investigating! It's so cool they're related!

Jon		09-Nov-2008 22:30
My dad bought "True" magazine when I was a kid and that was where I first saw VIP cartoons. The most memorable for me was the one with the old cowboy running to the forefront yelling "APACHES!!!". In the background of course were the stylized Apache dancers that appeared on Ed Sullivan and shows of that ilk, they of the berets, striped shirts, tight skirts and smoldering passion/cigarettes. Nobody younger than 50 gets it! He was terrific!

susanedmiston		12-Sep-2008 21:09
Can anyone tell me where the Partch cartoon with the caption, "I sure got that witch doctor told" appeared? The cartoon shows a miniaturized man in a pith helmet standing on a bar in a tropical setting. Any help deeply appreciated. Thanks, Susan

Dale Kenyon		22-Jul-2008 15:54
The one that I remember was a man standing in the bathroom. Next to a row of tooth brushes hanging on the wall was a huge scrub brush. The caption was "Honey, how much longer is your big-mouthed brother going to stay?"

Jack Lander		11-May-2008 19:02
Partch was my favorite. I'm 78, and recall only one of the tens or hundreds that I laughed at. It was of three guys playing cards. One was on the floor with a huge hinge connecting the top to the bottom of his torso. His head and feet were next to each other, and the caption was, "Ed's folded already." Long live the king.

Allan		01-Apr-2008 16:53
Two men in the middle of great desert-like expanse with a keyhole suspended in midair. One man inserts a key in the keyhole and says to the other, "It isn't much, But I call it home." Partch was a genius at turning everyday phrases into hilalrious cartoons.

margot		14-Feb-2008 00:43
Dennis: That "If Looks Could Kill" gag antedates MAD magazine by several years. Perhaps you saw it where I saw it, in a TIME magazine piece on Partch, circa 1948-50. The cartoon accompanied a short profile of the cartoonist. I remember the piece said, "Virgil Partch is nuts. But nuts in a nice way."

Denis		06-Dec-2007 20:28
I'll never forget a couple of cartoons that VIP drew for MAD Magazine. One was about a couple of guys walking along together and had passed an ugly lady walking in the other direction. One of the two guys continued looking straight ahead, not noticing his friend had fallen flat on his face and said something like, "If looks could kill eh, Ed"? The 2nd one was CAPTIONED "Cave Man's Insecticide." It showed insects dropping out of the air after a raunchy Cave Man in an animal skin, was shown wafting the air from his armpit at a nearby swarm.

Al Holter		01-Aug-2007 08:27
As a character animation student at CalArts in 1979-81 our character design teacher, T. Hee, described his friendship with VIP prior to the 1941 strike at Disney. Going over to visit to see how things were going once the Disney thing went bad he was struck by the elderly mother rocking on the front porch repeating "Somethin's gonna happen. Somethin's gonna happen." Inside Vip complained to T. that he'd been sending out lots of cartoons to magazines, who wrote that they liked 'em and seemed to say they'd send some amount of money but never had. "Let me see those letters." VIP kept them all in a big unused waste basket. T. dumped them out to discover the basket filed with checks from publishers. VIP had only seen pay/cash envelopes and didn't know what a check was. "This is like money. You take these down to the bank and they give you money for them." "See, I said somethin' was gonna happen." Apparently his financial situation improved.

Bruce		16-Jun-2007 17:32
One of my favorite single-panel cartoons of all time was by, I think, Virgil Partch. The scene was the interior of a grass hut in the jungle, with a bunch of natives, complete with spears and nose rings, sitting around a table playing cards. One of them asks "What's wild?" I'd love to have a copy or a scan of this. It might have appeared in Colliers in the early 50s, but I'm not at all sure. Help, anyone!!

Mike Taylor		30-May-2007 20:58
The series I liked the best were the ones he did for Air Cal. The only caption was the flight attendent saying "I'll ask the Captain" These were in the gate area at the airports Air Cal flew into.

J. Carey		26-May-2007 00:46
Thom L.: that sounds a lot like a Bill Mauldin cartoon from "Up Front".

John Carey (Freehold)		26-May-2007 00:43
I just bought a 18" x 11" self portrait cartoon by VIP on Ebay! Man Oh Man!

Thomas K. Lauterback		09-May-2007 21:34
I seem to remember a cartoon from the 50's, "You can always tell an ex-officer." Visual: guy on sidewalk knocking down others. Was this done by Virgil Partch? I've looked for it for years, with no luck. Anyone know how one could acquire a copy?

Guest		04-Mar-2007 04:58
Did Partch draw the hilarious cartoon with the caption, "Louie you'r a Goddamn jewel?"

Barry		02-Mar-2007 03:01
I took SCUBA diving lessons in 1973. My dive buddy was a guy by the name of Peter Partch. I had seen VIP/ Big George for years and it was a very easy style to identify. I met VIP one day when I was invited to watch the Newport - Ensenada Race, still unaware of who he was. He had a very bizzarre sense of humor that a 26 year old had difficulty relating to but now I wish I could have at the time. Peter and I were chatting in his bedroom after a dive and I saw a bunch of cartoons on the wall that were originals and were birthday cards with Peter and VIP and his mother. I said that they looked very familiar and Peter told me it was in fact the work of his father....VIP. I lost touch with Peter and with his family and was very saddened when I read about the accident. CORRECTION to the Wiki text: VIP lived in a house on the cliffs of Corona Del Mar (at least in 73) I know because I went there.

mitcheroo		01-Mar-2007 04:57
Anyone remember "The Captain's Gig", VIP's syndicated strip from around the 1970's? I can' find a trace of it anywhere. Was a favorite of mine. Set on a small island.

nancy o.		19-Oct-2006 04:53
Did he do the cartoon Titled "Under the Boardwalk Watching all The Girls Go By" It's a guy with a Big nose and a bigger gleam in his eye,standing under a pier looking up at all the women in dresses.

Christopher Wheeler		26-Dec-2005 22:47
"Did Virgil Partsch do the cartoon in New Yorker, I think --- of a little man in a box, shrinking back in the shadows, saying that "people are no damned good"." No -- that was William Steig. Regards, --chris

Fred Jones		26-Dec-2005 19:28
Did Virgil Partsch do the cartoon in New Yorker, I think --- of a little man in a box, shrinking back in the shadows, saying that "people are no damned good".

J. Carey		16-Nov-2005 20:01
Long Live VIP!

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