Hungry? Jack is eager and full of energy. He makes eye contact, “Bam!” like a TV chef. You just know his cooking is not bland.
Smilin’ Jack’s Munchery
Artist unknown
Date unknown (acquired July 2017)
Paint on canvas
Size 12” x 24″
This unsigned canvas seems like a sign for a restaurant, but it could be a home kitchen decoration. I was unable to Google search any café with this exact name. There is a Smiling Jack Pizza & Wings in San Leandro, California, but that’s a long way from here. Smilin Jacks is a bar in Toronto (also serves wings.) There are Smilin’ Jack’s fishing lures, but their logo wears a cowboy hat.
It is painted, but the artist’s talent is drawing or cartooning. The line is important, and is well done. Maybe the artist was a fair cartoonist making portraits of happy sitters over and over, gaining experience and skill. Look closely, and you can see the lines were doodled quick and easy.
A comic strip called Smilin’ Jack ran in newspapers from 1933-1973. Zack Mosley drew in the style of Dick Tracy. This is more influenced by psychedelic, rainbow lettering.
On the movie screen, “The Adventures of Smilin’ Jack,” was a serial in 1942.
All of these false leads leave us starving for facts. What can we tell from the picture?
Jack’s head is in the stars. The letters above have shining lights in darkness. Moons and stars appear in his eyebrows. Surrounded by planets and a UFO, you might think he’s in outer space, but a terrestrial lightning bolt strikes his frizzy head of hair. A small butterfly is about to land on his knicked knife.
Jack’s right hand holds a ratty fork with tines almost as curly as his pasta hair. He is a macho diner with hairy shoulders and five o’clock shadow. His red sleeveless shirt features a picture of a scared cow with a small white heart dead center in its forehead. Beef for dinner?
Jack’s left hand is wounded. “X” marks the bandage spot. But he lifts a dainty pinkie finger. This green-eyed maniac is ready to munch.
The word at the base is a different style, but echoes the white lights on darkness. These serifs remind me of rockin’ guitar frets. On the border, black lines with white dots echo the theme, and lead to corners full of hearts and crosses.
Hearts anchor the edges and appear thoughout. Find a red heart in the first letter.
Wild hair Jack is smilin’. He’ll cook up something cosmic, and he’ll devour it.
Rumpus Art Panel 