HALLIE EPHRON: As most of you who've hung around this blog any amount of time know, my sweet husband, Jerry Touger, was a brilliant cartoonist.
He was never without a pencil or his weapon of choice: a BIC pen. And in a life filled with boring academic meetings, after completing the day's crossword puzzles in record (and recorded) time, he had ample opportunity to doodle.
As far as I can tell, he never threw any of his doodles away. I love them all, and this leaves me with the onerous task of trying to figure out what to do with all of them.
I've scanned ALL the Christmas, New Years, Thanksgiving, birthday, Valentines Day, and Mother's Day cards he made for me and copied them onto flash drives for my daughters.
Add to that a gazillion printed meeting agendas with doodles all around the edges, some are recognizable colleagues.
My favorites are the many miscellaneous drawings of highly opinionated rats.
Why rats, you ask. Beats me.
Today I'll share some of them with you... Largely his rats were dyspeptic, as this pair...
But they could also be graceful.
(One of his pet names for me was SMEDLEY. Why? Again I have no idea.)
He even illustrated his INTRODUCTORY PHYSICS text with cartoon rats
Do you doodle? Have a loved one who does? I'm sure you agree those drawings are not only a precious legacy but a window to the soul.
Jerry's was a goofy, sweet place.
Thank you for sharing your precious drawings with us, Hallie . . . .
ReplyDeleteI'm not much of a doodler . . . art/drawing does not seem to be a talent I possess. But I do enjoy seeing other peoples' doodles . . . .
I don't draw at all. But my grandkids do!
DeleteI've always loved the drawings of his that you've shared here, Hallie, and I love that he even illustrated his physics textbook with them. I don't doodle much anymore, but I did back in the day job when I had boring meetings to sit through. Mine ran more to stick figures, though.
ReplyDeleteStick figures! Well, why not!
DeleteWhat wonderful memories your husband’s drawings hold for you!
ReplyDeleteWhen I doodle it is usually just some sort of geometric patterns. When I am feeling fancy I draw flowers. No cartoons and nothing that would ever be worth saving.
I don't doodle/draw either. Used to crochet, which I think occupies the same corner of the brain as drawing.
DeleteThe first one reminds me of an employee review meeting I was once subjected to. The second resembles Marco Rubio and JD Vance when they are acknowledged in a cabinet meeting. The third is just sweet and lovely. And could the fourth be Donald Trump on his last day in office when it all comes tumbling down? (For the past fifteen months or so, I bleakly see politics in just about everything.. A major character defect, I'm sure.)
ReplyDeleteRather than goofy -- although I'm sure he could be that -- I see him as a keen-eyed observer of all that surrounded him. A man of great talent, compassion, and integrity. You were lucky to/ have him.
DT as a rat.... now there's food for thought. Inspiration, even!
DeleteHallie, you know I adore Jerry's rats! So glad you got them saved for the kids. Now to write your graphic novel!!
ReplyDeleteI might just do that...
DeleteI do love the dancing rats! They make me happy this gray morning in Maine. I started serious doodling during covid zoom meetings to stay awake ... it works, no one could "catch" me, and I will never be an artist.
ReplyDeleteStaying awake during Zoom meetings is a person time to doodle.
DeleteThanks, Hallie! Like everyone else, I am in awe of Jerry's talent. It's wonderful that you have so many cards and love notes with his drawings. Perhaps you can save the random drawings by scanning them in a separate file. Your daughters or even you grandchildren might want to visit them from time to time and they may want to use them in some future endeavor.
ReplyDeleteJudy, I've done just that. Jerry had the forethought to date all the cards he gave me so I've got them scanned and named so they come up in chronological order in FINDER.
DeleteThank you so much for sharing these with us, Hallie! I agree with you and Jerry House, these give a lot of insights into the keen workings of your Jerry's mind and soul. What a treat it must have been to share a life with that.
ReplyDeletePersonally, I am not a doodler. I hardly ever do so, and on the rare occasion I do, like Brenda, it is just a geometric pattern. I wish I had at least a tiny bit of talent for visual arts but alas, that is not part of my makeup.
You're more like me.
DeleteThanks for sharing Jerry's art with us! So talented!
ReplyDeleteI doodle when I'm slightly bored, but still listening at meetings. I mostly draw flowers. When I was a child, I drew horses--just the heads because the bodies were too hard. I have friends who are very artistic and I admire them greatly.
What is it about horses and 9-year-old girls? I went through that phase, too.
DeleteThese are great —and so full of sass and verve! Being on phones and computer so much may have supplanted doodling… That’s so distressing. I don’t doodle anymore, I guess there’s no time to do so. Or place. I used to draw stairsteps, I remember.
ReplyDeleteBut Jerryi had a special talent, that’s for sure!
Hank you'll have to post one of your stairstep drawings. Just stairsteps? No words???
DeleteReminds me that I like to draw two boxes near to each other and connect them with lines from corner to corner to make a 3 D effect.
DeleteLove all the cartoons, Hallie. I can't draw a straight line with a ruler, as the saying goes, so no doodling for me.
ReplyDeleteHallie, just looking at Jerry's drawings makes me smile. What to do with them? You have editors, writer friends, agents ... can you brainstorm and get them published with some theme? Seriously I would love to have such a book and I am sure others would too.
ReplyDeleteBelieve me, it's occurred to me, too. Maybe..
DeleteFingers crossed Hallie!
DeleteAlways fun to see Jerry's doodles!
ReplyDeleteJerry's drawings reveal a whimsical personality, which must have been so appealing. How lovely that you have all these sweet and hilarious memories, Hallie.
ReplyDeleteIt strikes me that grouping them in themes would lend itself to creating fabric, via a site like Spoonflower. They would make awesome canvas bags, pillows/cushions, etc. Calendars, notepapers, etc. Jerry left an impressive body of work. Maybe in conjunction with a book of your collection?
I used to doodle, and for some reason stopped. But I do enjoy drawing purposely, when I think of it.
Karen, what a great idea--I can see these being very popular!
DeleteWith Jerry's brain and creativity, I see doodling just cascading from his fingertips as an outlet for his non-stop observation of the world around him. Like a kinetic release of energy and thought. Absolutely amazing! I love it when you share some of these with us--there's an exuberance that can't help but lift one's spirits, plus those sweet ones reveal the heart of soul of the man he was. And whatever form you choose, a book would be a welcome respite in these trying times.
ReplyDeleteOlder nephew used to doodle these droll snails wearing French berets--and youngest nephew doodled a goldfish family--father, mother, child in their bowl. Put me in the group who can doodle geometric shapes and rudimentary flowers.
Thank you, Hallie, for keeping these and showing them to us. Love it, Elisabeth
ReplyDeleteHallie, I was thinking about Jerry just last night and telling myself that I should touch base with you more often. I never met him but like most here, I feel I knew him, even for only the last few days of his life. Thank you for that privilege.
ReplyDeleteI can’t draw or sketch or paint of knit or sing but oh can I doodle! And I have the “do betters” in every file every place I ever worked to show for it. However recent research shows that doodling in meeting has a very positive effect on one’s concentration and understanding.
So there.
Much love to you and your girls as another year rolls around
They are so precious, I would scan them and create some commemorative books that photo online stores offer. They may only offer color options, but maybe other stores offer similar books? You could have books by category or a few chronological books? Something to display, but also to have scanned copies too. :-) —Missy
ReplyDeleteTrees, just trunks and branches, no leaves. Flowers usually roses or tulips
ReplyDeleteThree dimensional boxes, letters.
Occasionally g clefs. Haven’t had occasions to do any of them for quite a while.
The trees still appear at times when I am at a meeting listening to someone or various people talking.
Perhaps during those interminable telephone on hold times when I am waiting for a human to pick up the phone.
You should definitely do something in the publishing vein so other people can enjoy them. How about something with a charitable orientation. Perhaps a way to publicize the rats with a charity receiving the proceeds. Your children or grandchildren could participate and create a next generation family.