“Sex Issue” City Paper cover by Charlie Herrick
The “Sex Issue” cover of today’s City Paper (shown above), drawn by Charlie Herrick, recalls the infamous 1987 City Fair cartoon (shown below) that promoters published in The Sun and Evening Sun, while reminding us of how times have changed.
The infamous 1987 City Fair cartoon, click for super-sized image.
The City Fair cartoon looked innocent enough when published as a full-page ad, until a closer “Where’s Waldo” inspection revealed a couple coupling on the carousel.
Close-up of coupling carousel couple.
The City Fair ‘toon infuriated city officials and cost Schnably, Evans, McLaughlin, Inc. – the advertising agency responsible for the ad – its account with Baltimore’s Transportation Department (which ran the account because the City Fair took place under the Jones Falls Expressway). The agency agreed that the illustration, drawn by the firm’s own Don Schnably, could be interpreted as “a lewd act” and paid its $22,000 cost.
How innocent that cartoon from almost 30 years ago looks now, compared to the “no holds barred” acts depicted in artist Charlie Herrick’s City Paper cover. And how ironic that Baltimore’s “Free Alternative Weekly” is now owned by the same paper that published the 1987 cartoon.
Related Links:
Carousel Coupling at the City Fair (Baltimore Or Less)
