Booby Trap
- Artist: Dr. Seuss
- Medium: Hand Pulled Serigraph on Canvas
- Size: 17" W × 17" H
- Opening Price: Please Inquire
Dear Dr. Seuss Dealers and Collectors,
Between 1943 and 1945, twenty-six “Private Snafu” (Situation Normal, All Fouled Up) films were produced by Frank Capra’s U.S. Army Signal Corps and Warner Brothers, explicitly to train and boost the morale of the decidedly younger military recruits who enlisted toward the end of World War II. It was Ted Geisel who helped create the series and contributed the often-rhyming dialogue to a number of the cartoons.
In 1944 one such episode was titled “Booby Traps.” When you view the cartoon, you’ll see an Elmer Fudd look-a-like, given voice by the famous Mel Blanc, encountering not only an amply-endowed female nemesis, but also a larger than life mousetrap, not unlike the one featured in the newest Dr. Seuss print titled, “Booby Trap.”
Google “Booby Traps Snafu” to watch the vintage 1940s cartoon.
During 1943, Chuck Jones was developing into one of the most interesting directors in the Warner Brothers Cartoon Unit, gathering around him an increasingly adventurous and sympathetic group of animators, layout artists, background designers and writers. As such, the Private Snafu films saw the first collaboration between Chuck Jones and Ted Geisel, who had enlisted in the Signal Corps. Geisel and Jones can be seen as an almost ideal pairing, the somewhat esoteric and gently playful nature of the writer's language matching the subtlety of Jones' gestural animation.
Our theory that these two works influenced one another can’t be confirmed without Ted himself. However, “Booby Traps” the cartoon and “Booby Trap” the print share key visual and comedic elements that give rise to a speculation the original works were created during the same time period. Additionally, the borrowed print title, “Booby Trap,” suggests the adult humor Ted is so often credited with throughout his personal and professional life.
We look forward to speaking with you about this historic addition to the Dr. Seuss Collection.
Best regards,
Bill Dreyer
Curator, Art of Dr. Seuss Collection
