Esquire Cartoons

Esquire Cartoons

Editorial Cartoons from Esquire: the Magazine for Men

Esquire: The Magazine for Men was first established in 1933 and is still publishing magazines today. The first issue of Esquire was published in October of 1933 and the cover featured two men standing on a seaplane that is resting next to a canoe with another two men in it with the words, “Fiction-Sports-Humor-Clothes-Art-Cartoons,” all written below the image. From the very beginning of Esquire’s publication, the magazine featured cartoons that often had some political meaning or popular culture reference. The magazine, marketed specifically for a heterosexual, white, middle-aged, male market, tended to feature cartoons that had specific relevance to the targeted audience. These cartoons often depict different sexist or misogynistic views of women, judged by the standards of today’s society. While these cartoons may have been acceptable during the early years of Esquire’s publication, sexist and hyper-heterosexual cartoons no longer appear in the magazine today. The items in this collection include Esquire cartoons that were published in the 1940’s; these cartoons depict women in demeaning ways.

Chris Mombello

Esquire: the Magazine for Men

Hearst Magazines

May, 1949

English