1924 Gaar Williams Wotta Life! Cartoon Original Artwork Chicago Tribune

Date: 1924
Artist: Williams, Gaar 
Size (in): 14.675” x 11.25”
Size (cm): 37.3 x 28.6
Condition: B/B-

This is antique original artwork by cartoonist Gaar Williams for his syndicated newspaper cartoon Wotta Life! Wotta Life!.  Williams was born in Richmond, Indiana and, after study at the Cincinnati Art Academy and the Chicago Institute of Art, became a popular newspaper cartoonist working first with the Indianapolis News and later with The Chicago Tribune.   Williams's cartoons tended to depict folksy homespun comical scenes of small town life in America.  This particular piece is from Williams’s cartoon Wotta Life! Wotta Life! and shows a young lad with violin case, probably walking home from school, confronted by a group of raggamuffins with the caption WELL-L-LET’S HERE YUH PLAY IT ONCE.  

The lower right corner shows a 1924 copyright by The Chicago Tribune and the lower margin is inscribed “2 Col Wednesday March 26”.  The cartoon’s title Wotta Life! Wotta Life! is written on the upper margin. 

This antique original cartoon artwork has a single pinhole on both the right and left margin, moderate handling wear and some light dust staining and toning from age.   A light trace of staining shows in the upper margin and a small spot shows in the left margin near lower corner, neither of which really affect the artwork.  Overall condition is very good.