Cartoons like all mass entertainment are both a reflection of the society in which they are created and a creative force with an impact on that society. Jews, as the exhibition well demonstrates, have been major contributors to American cartoon arts from early in this century to the present day. They brought their own unique outlooks, influenced by immigration and assimilation, to their craft. One can trace the tide of American life through Jewish eyes in their work, and at the same time one can point out the paths by which they have influence the way all American see themselves.

The drawing of Paul Palnik have always been, for me, a gentle art, the work of an artist who understand the power of faith and love. The format he has chosen is the common cartoon image presented in a poster. It is a form appropriate to his generation, raised on the animated cartoons of film and television, and to his subject matter, the human comedy.

This is a special exhibition featuring the work of editorial cartoonist Bill Crawford. The library will host a formal opening of Bill Crawford: A Retrospective Exhibition on Sunday, September 26, from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. Harry Devlin, honorary chairman of the National Cartoonists Society, will present  “Bill Crawford: An Ohioan’s Odyssey” at 4 p.m. The exhibit and speech are free and open to the public.

No cartoonist was more honored during his lifetime than Milton Caniff. His peers, his alma mater, his fraternity, the Boy Scouts, the Air Force, and numerous other groups recognized his contributions during a professional career which lasted more than sixty years. This exhibition of Milton Caniff’s work, the first since his death in 1988, affirms his place in the history of American cartooning. Space limitations restrict the number of pieces in the exhibition, but the samples shown suffice to document Caniff’s many talents.