Meet the Cartoonist (and Author): Joe Farris
“I heard they were cutting back on the length of stays.”
![from Jul/Aug 2000 – "I heard they were cutting back on the length of stays." from Jul/Aug 2000 – "I heard they were cutting back on the length of stays."](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Hospital1.jpg)
Boy, hospitals aren’t messing around these days. Don’t let the door hit your stitches on the way out. This is from cartoonist and author Joe Farris. His new book, A Soldier’s Sketchbook, is about his experiences as a young soldier in World War II. We’ll show a sneak preview below.
“What a coincidence! I defended myself in court, too!”
![from Nov/Dec 2001 – "What a coincidence! I defended myself in court, too!" from Nov/Dec 2001 – "What a coincidence! I defended myself in court, too!"](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Prison.jpg)
Okay, any second now, this guy will remember the old saying “a man who defends himself in court has a fool for a lawyer.” Joe is an artist and a sculptor who has had many one-man shows and has also appeared in group exhibits.
“August! My gosh, I really overslept!”
![from Jul/Aug 1997 – "August! My gosh, I really overslept!" from Jul/Aug 1997 – "August! My gosh, I really overslept!"](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Bears.jpg)
Gee, is it August already? This appeared in the Post in 1997. Joe is a staff cartoonist and cover artist for The New Yorker. His work appears in many other venues such as Time, Newsweek, and The New York Times.
A Soldier’s Sketchbook
![soldiers_sketchbook_CVR](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/soldiers_sketchbook_CVR.jpg)
Courtesy National Geographic
I’m always pleased to show off another great cartoonist and his work for the Post, but I also get to let you know about Joseph Farris’ new book from National Geographic: A Soldier’s Sketchbook. His close-knit family kept 18-year-old Joe’s letters home, which the author intersperses with his sketches and paintings.
![Soldiers_Sketchbook](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Soldiers_Sketchbook_p82.jpg)
From A Soldier’s Sketchbook
Courtesy National Geographic
Joe describes this sketch: “On board the U.S.S. General W.H. Gordon on the way to Marseilles, France, October, 1944.”
![line of soldiers approaching a fort](https://www.saturdayeveningpost.com/wp-content/uploads/satevepost/Soldiers_Sketchbook_p120.jpg)
from A Soldier’s Sketchbook
Courtesy National Geographic
It’s difficult for me to imagine that the “hardened soldier” participating and sketching these events was still a teenager. The caption says, “The dash to Ft. Freudenberg – Maginot Line. Bitche, France – December 1944.”
We thank the team at the Book Division of the National Geographic Society for the sketches and cover for A Soldier’s Sketchbook, which will be released in November. It’s a always a treat to show off our talented cartoonists—but it’s also an honor to remember a World War II veteran.