KEN MAYNARD
I ran across this publication in Sydney. Actually, in the Kings Cross area. Great bookshop with a fine selection of all sorts of reading material. Some of it even suitable for this blog.
Ken Maynard joined the Victorian Police Force around 1950 or so. Many of his cartoons feature rural police. As his fame as a cartoonist grew, he moved into full time cartooning. He eventually became a staple of the Australasian Post. I guess they were famous for their covers. Sadly, neither the magazine nor Ken Maynard is still around.
The Ettamogah Pub cartoons became so famous, (Ettamogah is an aboriginal word meaning “a place of good drink”) that there are now actual Ettamogah Pubs in Australia.
The above photo is used under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License.
I like the detail of the drawings. Note the descriptions of the various headlights on the semi.
I understand that Ken Maynard did not smoke, and he did not like it. So, it is the dogs in the strip who smoke.
As I said earlier, he was a police officer in Victoria, so I thought I would close with this strip, obviously drawn from memory. Enjoy.
I don’t know the status of Ken Maynard cartoons. If you know, or if you come across any of his cartoons floating around the net, I would appreciate knowing where they live.
Ted
visualhumor 
Thanks for posting the truck headlights, they made me laugh in the 70s and after searching, I’ve just found them on your site and sent them to some cyclist friends who are putting half a dozen spotlights on their handlebars 🙂
Glad you enjoyed them.
Got to say, you can spend an hour searching out the details on a Maynard cartoon. And then the next time you look, find one you missed.
Thanks for the comment.
Oh, and are they going to be halogen, led, what type of lights?
Ted
Ken live a few doors from me when I grew up as a out of control teenager to a out of control young adult he save my bacon many times . As long as I live I will never forget him .
Terry. W.
Out of curiosity, when and where was that?
Ted
Does anyone know where Ken was buried?
Uniopedia, http://en.unionpedia.org/i/Ken_Maynard_(cartoonist), says he was born Albury NSW 1928, died Gold Coast QLD 29 Sept 1998. Guess he would be buried QLD. Doesn’t narrow it down much, though.
Ken is buried at Allambe Memorial Gardens, Nerang / Broadbeach Rd, Carrara on the Gold Coast. I was close to Ken during his time drawing for Australasian Post and was a pallbearer at his funeral in 1997. He did 2 cartoons with the Portsea SLSC surfboat featured and used my name in both of them. A lot of Ken’s work featured names of the friends he made as a policeman and a good friend.
What a great comment. Thank you, Richard. And for those of us not from Australia, SLSC stands for Surf Life Saving Club. Think Lifeguards on a public beach in the US. Add in a boat and social and fund raising functions, and you would be close. Here is a website for one of the SLSC clubs in Australia. https://www.seacliffslsc.com.au/.
They can also be found in the UK, and other areas of the world.
I have an original cartoon by ken Maynard from 1975 and would like to know more about it
Hi Warwick,
Since I have not seen it, and do not know what it depicts, I don’t think I can help much.
I see that your email is from New Zealand, however, the Australian Cartoon Museum (http://theaustraliancartoonmuseum.com.au/), run by Ian McCall, over in Australia, might be able to help you in your quest.
If you want to scan it, I would be happy to display it in the appropriate post and ask for input.
In any case, good hunting.
Ted
I know his daughter. She is just as amazing and talented as he was
Does she have a strip?
Contact me if possible?
Have a original ken maynard piece titled ,Bill what is the cost of completing your new home ? It appears to have the original pencil drawings under the ink drawings we have had for at least 40 years very precious to us . I believe it would be quite collectable as it appeared in to Australasian post in the early 70s
Hi Kathlyn,
So, how did your family come across the drawing? It sounds like it was inked in, but the pencil lines were never erased. It would be nice to know more of the history.
You might ask the Australian Cartoon Museum about how collectible it might be. There link: info@theaustraliancartoonmuseum.com.au.
If you scan it, I would be happy to share it with other readers of Ken’s work.
Thanks for the comment.
Ted
Are they very common and what are they worth
I wrote an unpublished Sci-Fi story a few years ago. On the promenade of the one space-station, they had an Ettamogah Pub. I thought it would be fun to have the franchise in space.
Great concept. You ever get around to publishing it?
No, it’s just sitting on my bookshelf. Maybe someday.
I hear you. I have several screenplays that get taken out and tweaked every so often. Then back to the box. Fun to write, though.
Thank you 🙂
Anybody know where I can download his cartoon about the hand swinging the propeller on the crop duster aeroplane and not letting go? The title was something like “we’ll have to let Fred go – he doesn’t know when to let go”.
Anyone?
If you find a site, please let me know.
Ted
Hi Ted visual humour
I am a framer and have located lots of Bill Maynards original drawings. They have been brought in to be framed and protected.
I can send you some details if you need to know more.
Kind regards Linda
Hi Linda,
I am glad to see that people appreciate original drawings by Ken Maynard. Where do most of the drawings come from, and what type of customers appreciate these sketches?
Thank you for the comment.
Ted
Trying to find an old print for a T shirt I had yrs ago..Aussie flag support..”it was good enough for them “
I hope you find it.
I got this email, and am posting it here.
Sun 2/4/2024 2:00 AM
Hi Ted , came across your sight and more particularly the
Ken Maynard part .
In the ’60s I learnt to fly at Tyabb airport in Victoria Australia.
The owner of the airport was Bill Vowell and his manager
was Taffy Evans . Ken Maynard and Taffy were mates as
both were in the Victorian Police Force .
I asked if Taffy would take me to obtain my drivers licence
in 1968. He agreed . We went to Mornington ( a country
town in those days ) police station . The sergeant was
Ken Maynard.
Ken and Taffy were talking and laughing non stop.
Ken said , ok , lets go for a drive . We got in the car ,
I said where do you want me to go and Ken said
” just drive”. The two of them just kept talking and
I just kept driving . After about half an hour Ken
said ” back to the station” . We went in and Ken
gave a piece of paper that said temporary licence .
He then said ” it’s about time you got a licence”.
Ken was very aware I had been driving for years
without a licence .
Tyabb airport was also the police flying school base.
Accordingly there was a lot of Ken’s drawings around
depicting Bill Vowell , usually in his Tiger Moth , Taffy
and many others a part of the scenery.
Of course there was usually an element of truth in
Kens drawings . Again , in those days you could do
just about anything in Australia , so what may seem
today not possible was a normal occurrence then and
Ken ” embellished ” a little.
Sooo many stories from those days .
I really miss it !
Regards , John Hayes
Gotta love this comment. Probably why I like the Bony books so much…
Ted