Main content

Jack Jurden political and editorial cartoons

Notifications

Held at: University of Delaware Library Special Collections [Contact Us]181 South College Avenue, Newark, DE 19717-5267

This is a finding aid. It is a description of archival material held at the University of Delaware Library Special Collections. Unless otherwise noted, the materials described below are physically available in their reading room, and not digitally available through the web.

Overview and metadata sections

Call Number:
GRA 0134
Repository:
University of Delaware Library Special Collections
Extent:
  • 3.5 linear foot (4 boxes)
  • 7 oversize box
Language:
English
Preferred Citation:
GRA 0134, Jack Jurden political and editorial cartoons collection, Special Collections, University of Delaware Library, Newark, Delaware.
Date:
circa 1960-2012 (inclusive)
Creator:
Jurden, Jack
Form:
Editorial cartoons and political cartoons
Abstract:
Jack Jurden was a political and editorial cartoonist who drew national and local politicians over his six-decade long career (1960s-2010s) in Wilmington, Delaware. The Jack Jurden political and editorial cartoon collection contains Jurden's reference files, practice drawings, drafts and completed cartoons.

Jack Jurden was an American political cartoonist with a career spanning over six decades. Born in 1926, Jurden grew up in Allentown, Pennsylvania. He joined the U.S. Army (77th Division in the Pacific) during World War II, where he served from 1944 until the end of the war. Jurden was an expert in photoengraving, a skill he learned in Allentown, where he began his career. He moved to Wilmington, Delaware, in 1952, where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. During the photoengraving phase of his career, Jurden worked for

The Morning News and Evening Journal. Jurden was a self-taught artist. After impressing the editors of the newspapers, Jurden was granted space to run daily editorial cartoons in The News Journal in the early 1960s. Jurden went on to do further freelance work as a commercial artist.

Throughout his career, Jurden remained interested in Delaware politics in particular. His special interest in regional politics made him many friends on the Delaware political scene. Jurden's drawings frequently featured his trademark frog, making his drawings easily identifiable on many politicians' office walls. Amongst his admirers was former president Lyndon Johnson, who featured one of Jurden's political cartoons in his Presidential Library. Jurden has been featured in books, newspapers nationwide, and the United States National Archives in Washington, D.C. He was also an officer of the Association of American Editorial Cartoonists.

"Delaware cartoonist Jack Jurden dies at 88". https://www.delawareonline.com/story/news/local/2015/03/18/renown-del-cartoonist-jack-jurden-dies-age/24997033 (accessed October 2019). "Godspeed Jack Jurden". http://delawareway.blogspot.com/2015/03/godspeed-jack-jurden.html/ (accessed October 2019). "John R. "Jack" Jurden". https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/delawareonline/obituary.aspx?n=john-r-jurden-jack&pid=174429575&fhid=7886/ (accessed October 2019). "Jack Jurden, 1926-2015". https://www.nationalcartoonists.com/2015/03/jack-jurden-1926-2015/ (accessed October 2019). "Jurdy". http://www.jurdy.com/index_files/Page1939.htm/ (accessed October 2019).

Political cartoons were first drawn in England in the 18th century, and have since become a staple of newspapers. In the modern age, many political cartoons are conceived, drafted, colored, and edited on smart tablets or computers. However, for most of the 20th century, political cartoons were drafted using a series of techniques, detailed below.

In the traditional methodology of editorial cartoon drawing, everything begins with reading. Jurden and other prominent political cartoonists from all around the world cite their extensive following of global, national, and local news stories. Through constantly reading the news, cartoonists are able to collate major themes of the day, week, or month – depending on the newspaper or website for which they work.

After settling on an idea, cartoonists go through their existing reference materials or search for new reference materials. These often involve photographs, magazines, advertisements, or even other cartoonists' depictions of people, places, or objects. Reference materials assist the cartoonist in two ways. First, they allow the cartoonist to reference a real-life depiction of whatever they are trying to draw, which improves accuracy. Second, they allow the cartoonist to keep their depictions of a particular person, place, or object consistent through time. For example, the Jurden collection features numerous cartoons relating to former vice president Joe Biden (D) throughout his career. Jurden drew Biden from the 1970s through his vice presidency, always in a similar style so that Biden was identifiable over time in all of Jurden's cartoons.

After consulting reference materials, cartoonists will often sketch a first draft on either thin, cheap paper and/or tracing paper. These early sketches are often done in either blue or light grey pencil. This allows the cartoonist to draft the basic forms of the people, work with the subject matter within the physical space of the paper, and test different concepts.

Political cartoons like Jurden's, are created through a unique process. The first draft is then reworked until the cartoonist is happy with the design. This can take a myriad drafts. Once the cartoon's underlying design is complete, the artist will switch to heavier, higher quality paper and a darker, more defining ink. The original draft may be drawn on directly with the darker ink if the artist feels it is appropriate. More commonly, the cartoonist will using tracing paper and a light board to clean up one of the drafts before it is sketched more completely.

Finally, they can add color, which is often done with watercolor. The cartoon is then resized and/or digitized for resizing and final printing.

"The Sketching Process: Learning from a Cartoonist". https://www.viget.com/articles/5-lessons-from-a-cartoonist-applied-to-the-website-creation-process/" (accessed October 2019). "The Cartoon Caveman at Work…". https://cartooncave.blogspot.com/2007/11/cartoon-caveman-at-work.html" (accessed October 2019). "Ask a cartoonist: how do you draw?". https://www.comicskingdom.com/trending/blog/2017/02/22/ask-a-cartoonist-how-do-you-draw" (accessed October 2019). "The Making of an Editorial Cartoon, Patrick Chappatte". https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1rNCO6Zu5I" (accessed October 2019).

The Jack Jurden political and editorial cartoons contains original sketches, reference materials, newspaper clippings, and related artistic material from the long career of Delaware-based cartoonist Jack Jurden. This collection spans nearly the entirety of Jurden's multi-decade career (1960s-2010s). Much of the collection is related to Delaware, although there are some cartoons and reference materials related to national elections and issues. Some of this collection features nudity; notes on which folders contain nudity can be found at the folder level scope and content notes.

  1. Boxes 1, 5 and 8: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center carton
  2. Boxes 2, 6, 7 and 9: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize (18 inches)
  3. Boxes 3 and 10: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize (17 inches)
  4. Box 4: Shelved in SPEC MSS oversize (24 inches)
  5. Box 11: Shelved in SPEC MSS record center carton (6 inches)

Gift of Jan R. Jurden, 2018-2019

Processed and encoded by Sarah A.V. Ellington, December 2019.

Items from the collection appeared in the exhibition "Trail to the Voting Booth: An Exploration of Political Ephemera," lauched online September 2020, University of Delaware – Morris Library. The exhibition can be viewed online at https://exhibitions.lib.udel.edu/trail-to-the-voting-booth.

People
Organization
Subject
Place
Occupation

Publisher
University of Delaware Library Special Collections
Finding Aid Author
University of Delaware Library, Special Collections
Finding Aid Date
2019 December 5
Access Restrictions

This collection is open for research.

Use Restrictions

Use of materials from this collection beyond the exceptions provided for in the Fair Use and Educational Use clauses of the U.S. Copyright Law may violate federal law. Permission to publish or reproduce is required from the copyright holder. Please contact Special Collections Department, University of Delaware Library, https://library.udel.edu/static/purl.php?askspec.

Collection Inventory

Biographical information, 1963.
Box 1 Folder 1
Scope and Contents

This folder contains biographical information relating to Jack Jurden, as published in the

Evening Journal in 1963. This single folder contains a scan of an article on Jurden.

Scope and Contents

Series I contains the reference material (such as magazines, newspapers, other cartoonists' work, and photographs), and tracing paper sketches for Jack Jurden's cartoons. Jurden titled and assembled these folders himself; the original contents and arrangement remains intactuntouched. Series I is ordered alphabetically. Some folder contains an assortment of reference images and tracing paper sketches of items and places that begin with a single letter. The subjects' starting letter is their only unifying factor.

Air Force.
Box 1 Folder 2 Box 2 Folder 1
Animals domestic - dogs.
Box 1 Folder 3 Box 2 Folder 2
Animals domestic - farm .
Box 1 Folder 4 Box 3 Folder 1
Animals domestic - misc. [miscellaneous].
Box 1 Folder 5 Box 3 Folder 2
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference materials and tracing paper sketches of domestic animals that do not fall into the other categories.

Animals wild misc. [miscellaneous].
Box 1 Folder 6 Box 2 Folder 3
Auto.
Box 1 Folder 7-8 Box 2 Folder 9 Box 3 Folder 3
Baseball.
Box 1 Folder 9 Box 2 Folder 5
Birds, assorted.
Box 1 Folder 10-11 Box 3 Folder 4
Scope and Contents

"Birds, assorted" and "Birds" are indistinguishable in terms of content, but Jurden kept them in separate folders, so they remain that way.

Birds.
Box 1 Folder 12 Box 2 Folder 6
Scope and Contents

"Birds, assorted" and "Birds" are indistinguishable in terms of content, but Jurden kept them in separate folders, so they remain that way.

Bridges.
Box 1 Folder 13 Box 3 Folder 5
Buildings.
Box 1 Folder 14 Box 4 Folder 1
Building exteriors.
Box 1 Folder 15 Box 2 Folder 7
Bus/truck.
Box 1 Folder 16 Box 2 Folder 8
Cars.
Box 1 Folder 17 Box 2 Folder 9
Cartoonist Profiles magazine, December 1974.
Box 1 Folder 18
Scope and Contents

This folder is named after the periodical it contains. Jurden does not appear to be featured in the magazine. This folder contains a single copy of the December 1974 issue.

Cartoons.
Box 1 Folder 19
Scope and Contents

This folder contains nudity. This folder has the work of other cartoonists, primarily from adult magazines.

Cats and bears.
Box 1 Folder 20 Box 4 Folder 2
Chickens.
Box 1 Folder 21 Box 3 Folder 6
Christmas.
Box 1 Folder 22 Box 2 Folder 10
Church.
Box 1 Folder 23 Box 3 Folder 7
Crowds.
Box 1 Folder 24 Box 4 Folder 5
"D".
Box 1 Folder 25 Box 3 Folder 8
Desks.
Box 2 Folder 11
Dogs.
Box 1 Folder 26 Box 3 Folder 9
Easter other [Easter].
Box 1 Folder 27 Box 3 Folder 10
Engraving cut.
Box 1 Folder 28 Box 3 Folder 11
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference images of people. The title seems to be loosely related to the content.

Entertainment.
Box 1 Folder 29 Box 4 Folder 6
Exterior.
Box 1 Folder 30 Box 2 Folder 12
"F".
Box 1 Folder 31 Box 2 Folder 13
Faces.
Box 1 Folder 32 Box 2 Folder 14
Scope and Contents

The faces in this folder are largely unidentifiable.

Farming.
Box 1 Folder 33
Feet.
Box 1 Folder 34 Box 3 Folder 12
Figures.
Box 1 Folder 35-37 Box 3 Folder 13-15
Scope and Contents

Jurden's use of "figures" refers to the human figure. This folder contains reference images and tracing paper sketches relating to the human body.

Fish.
Box 1 Folder 38 Box 2 Folder 16
Flags.
Box 1 Folder 39
Flags and seals.
Box 1 Folder 40 Box 2 Folder 17
Football.
Box 1 Folder 41 Box 2 Folder 18
"G".
Box 1 Folder 42 Box 3 Folder 15
Golf.
Box 1 Folder 43 Box 2 Folder 19
Halloween.
Box 5 Folder 1 Box 2 Folder 20
Hands.
Box 5 Folder 2 Box 2 Folder 21
Horses.
Box 5 Folder 3 Box 2 Folder 22
Insects.
Box 5 Folder 4 Box 2 Folder 23
Jack Jurden's "industrial".
Box 5 Folder 5 Box 2 Folder 24
Scope and Contents

Jurden created this folder containing reference images and tracing paper sketches about industrial construction and factory work.

Jack Jurden's "military".
Box 5 Folder 6 Box 6 Folder 4
Scope and Contents

Jurden created this folder for generalized military reference images and some tracing paper sketches. Although this series also contains other folders relating to specific branches, this folder is more general, and has some more Army related materials.

Jack Jurden's "people".
Box 5 Folder 7
Scope and Contents

Jurden created this folder with reference images and tracing paper sketches relating to political and non-political figures. Most of the reference materials are focused on faces.

Justice.
Box 5 Folder 8 Box 6 Folder 1
Scope and Contents

The materials in this folder are related to the broad theme of justice, and include materials related to Lady Justice, the court system, and court rooms.

Kids.
Box 5 Folder 9 Box 6 Folder 2
Interior.
Box 5 Folder 10 Box 2 Folder 25
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference materials and tracing paper sketches relating to the interiors of buildings.

Knights, cowboys, and heroes.
Box 5 Box 11 Box 3 Folder 16
Leg. hall [Legislative Hall].
Box 5 Folder 12
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference materials and tracing paper sketches relating to the Delaware Legislative Hall in Dover, Delaware.

"M".
Box 5 Folder 13 Box 6 Folder 3
Marines.
Box 5 Folder 14 Box 4 Folder 7
Medical doctors.
Box 5 Folder 15 Box 3 Folder 17
Misc. transport [Miscellaneous transport].
Box 5 Folder 16 Box 3 Folder 18
"Miss" [Miscellaneous].
Box 5 Folder 17-18 Box 3 Folder 14
Scope and Contents

This folder (labelled "Miss" but meant as "Misc." for miscellaneous) contains reference images and tracing paper sketches of uncategorized items.

Music.
Box 5 Folder 19 Box 6 Folder 5
Nature.
Box 5 Folder 20 Box 6 Folder 6
Navy.
Box 5 Folder 21 Box 6 Folder 7
Newspaper.
Box 4 Folder 4
Scope and Contents

This folder contains various mounted and loose newspapers of Jurden's work and others' work to use as reference materials.

"P".
Box 5 Folder 22 Box 6 Folder 8
Paintings.
Box 5 Folder 23 Box 4 Folder 8
Scope and Contents

This folder contains pictures (mostly magazine pages) of paintings, not paintings by Jurden.

Patriotic holidays.
Box 5 Folder 24 Box 6 Folder 9
Photography.
Box 5 Folder 25 Box 3 Folder 20
Planes.
Box 5 Folder 26 Box 4 Folder 9
Politics.
Box 5 Folder 27 Box 6 Folder 10
"R".
Box 5 Folder 28 Box 3 Folder 21
Radio-tv hi-fi [televisions and sound systems].
Box 5 Folder 29
"S".
Box 5 Folder 30 Box 6 Folder 11
Safari animals.
Box 5 Folder 31 Box 6 Folder 12
Seasons - spring.
Box 5 Folder 32 Box 3 Folder 22
Skeletons.
Box 5 Folder 33 Box 3 Folder 23
Silverstein.
Box 5 Folder 34
Scope and Contents

This folder contains nudity. This folder contains materials relating to Sheldon Allan "Shel" Silverstein, a writer. The pages are torn from several magazine stories about Silverstein's travels. The magazine stories are primarily from Playboy, where Silverstein was a contributor.

Skiing.
Box 5 Folder 35 Box 3 Folder 24
Space.
Box 5 Folder 36 Box 6 Folder 13
Sports.
Box 5 Folder 37 Box 6 Folder 14
Sports - basketball.
Box 3 Folder 25
Sports - boating.
Box 6 Folder 15
Sports - fishing.
Box 5 Folder 38 Box 3 Folder 26
Sports - hockey .
Box 5 Folder 39 Box 6 Folder 16
Sports - hunting.
Box 5 Folder 40 Box 3 Folder 27
Sports - racing.
Box 5 Folder 41 Box 6 Folder 17
Sports - wrestling.
Box 3 Folder 28
St. Patrick's Day.
Box 3 Folder 29
Stadiums.
Box 6 Folder 18
Statues.
Box 5 Folder 42 Box 4 Folder 3
"T".
Box 5 Folder 43 Box 6 Folder 19
Thanksgiving.
Box 5 Folder 44 Box 6 Folder 20
Time.
Box 5 Folder 45 Box 3 Folder 30
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference materials and tracing paper sketches relating to time - primarily, clocks, watches, and hour glasses.

Trains.
Box 5 Folder 46 Box 6 Folder 21
Transport.
Box 5 Folder 47 Box 6 Folder 22
Wild animals - small.
Box 5 Folder 48 Box 6 Folder 23
Wild big [Wild animals - big].
Box 5 Folder 49 Box 3 Folder 31
Women and girls.
Box 5 Folder 50 Box 6 Folder 24
Scope and Contents

This folder contains nudity.

Xmas [Christmas].
Box 5 Folder 51 Box 3 Folder 32
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference images and tracing paper sketches related to Jurden's famous "Naughty-Nice" lists, in which he would create politically-based, humorous "evaluations" for local Delaware politicians every Christmas. The Christmas lists were highly anticipated and were some of Jurden's most well-loved works.

Xmas list [Christmas list].
Box 5 Folder 52
Scope and Contents

This folder contains reference images and tracing paper sketches related to Jurden's famous "Naughty-Nice" lists, in which he would create politically-based, humorous "evaluations" for local Delaware politicians every Christmas. The Christmas lists were highly anticipated and were some of Jurden's most well-loved works.

Portfolio.
Box 7
Scope and Contents

This portfolio is made up of tracing paper loosely bound in a black cover with "xmas" painted on the cover. Although the cover says "Xmas," most of the sketches are not actually related to Christmas. The portfolio contains sketches related to a number of topics, including military weaponry, people and figures, politics, animals, and other holidays.

Scope and Contents

Series II contains the completed and mostly completed cartoons from this collection. Jurden did not sort these cartoons in the same way that he organized the reference materials from Series I, so the processor created thematic titles meant to mirror Series I's organization. Series II is organized thematically.

National domestic policy cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 1 Box 9 Folder 1
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to American domestic politics from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. These cartoons cover topics including the contentious 2000 election, American space policy, national domestic budgeting, Supreme Court nominations, and inner-party politics. There are many cartoons relating to the Clinton administration (1992-2000), although many administrations are covered.

Lyndon B. Johnson cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 2 Box 10 Folder 1
Scope and Contents

One of these folders (Box 8) contains a single complete and matted cartoon of former President Lyndon B. Johnson (D). It was printed in the News Journal of Wilmington. The cartoon is colorized. Some erased pencil sketch lines are visible. The other folder (Box 10) contains a single complete and matted cartoon of Johnson in black and white.

United States foreign policy cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 3 Box 10 Folder 2
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to American foreign politics and policy from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons are the Bosnian genocide, the death of Princess Diana of the United Kingdom, the Iran-Contra Affair, and Soviet leadership. These cartoons are concentrated in the 1980s and 1990s.

Delaware elections cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 4 Box 10 Folder 3
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to elections in Delaware, as well as Delaware's role in national elections, from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include Return Day, voting in Delaware, and the insular nature of politics in small states.

Delaware General Assembly cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 5 Box 10 Folder 4
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Delaware's General Assembly from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons are related to specific members of the General Assembly, the revolving door of politics in Delaware, the dog ordinances, and several specific bills from either the Delaware State House or the Delaware State Senate. Much of this folder is focused on sketches of faces of particular members of the General Assembly. Many, although not all, are identified by the name of the member.

New Castle County cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 6 Box 10 Folder 5
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to politics and policy from New Castle County, Delaware, from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include county budgets, local school districts, school redistricting, school desegregation, and University of Delaware coaching staff.

Wilmington politics cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 7 Box 10 Folder 6
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to politics and policy from Wilmington, Delaware, from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include crime in the city, parking in the city, budgeting, and bureaucracy.

Kent County cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 8 Box 10 Folder 5
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to politics and policy from Kent County, Delaware, from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include Smyrna Prison, town council politics, and utility costs in the county.

Sussex County cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 9 Box 10 Folder 5
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to politics and policy from Sussex County, Delaware, from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include beach travel, Return Day, and the uniqueness of southern Delaware.

Delaware governors and lieutenant governors cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 10 Box 10 Folder 7
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to former governors and lieutenant governors of Delaware. from approximately 1960 through the mid 2000s. These politicians are mostly identified by name and office. This folder excludes cartoons related to former Governor Ruth Ann Minner, who had enough cartoons about her to warrant her own folder. Some of the topics covered in these cartoons include state budgeting and internal state politics. Some of the other prominent, non-governor people in these cartoons are Chris Coons (D) and James Baker (D). Many of the cartoons are concentrated on former Governors Jack Markell (D), Michael Castle (R), and Thomas Carper (D).

Ruth Ann Minner cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 11 Box 9 Folder 2
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Ruth Ann Minner (D), the former governor of Delaware. Minner served as the first female governor of Delaware from 2001-2009, and as lieutenant governor under Thomas Carper (D) from 1993-2001. Jurden was critical of many of Minner's decisions, and this is reflected in his cartoons. Often, other Delaware politicians appear in these cartoons also.

Thomas Carper cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 12 Box 10 Folder 8
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Thomas Carper (D), the former at-large House Representative for Delaware (1983-1993), former governor of Delaware (1993-2001), and United States Senator from Delaware (2001-present [2020]). Carper began his political career as the treasurer for the state of Delaware. He then went on to serve as the at-large representative for Delaware in the United States House of Representatives, the governor of Delaware, and the senator for Delaware, successively. Jurden followed Carper throughout his career, and his cartoons span all of Carper's offices.

The Biden family cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 13-15 Box 10 Folder 9
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Joe Biden (D), the former vice president and senator from Delaware, and Biden's family. Biden has been active in Delaware politics since 1970, and held federal office as either senator (1972-2009) or vice president (2009-2017) for most of his life. Biden's family (in particular, his sons Beau and Hunter) are also featured in many of Jurden's cartoons for their involvement in local and state politics. These cartoons display mixed messages about Biden, some drawn in support of his politics and some with a more critical lens.

Jack Jurden's "Biden" cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 16
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Joe Biden (D), the former vice president and senator from Delaware, and Biden's family. Biden has been active in Delaware politics since 1970, and held federal office as either senator or vice president from 1972-2016. Biden's family (in particular, his sons Beau and Hunter) are also featured in many of Jurden's cartoons for their involvement in local and state politics. Jurden assembled this folder himself, and all of the content in it is original to Jurden's organization.

Delaware health cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 17 Box 10 Folder 10
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to health concerns and issues in Delaware. Some of the cartoons in this folder are related to waste disposal, poultry issues, chemical dumping in the Delaware River and the ocean by some of the major Delaware-based chemical companies (e.g., DuPont), and healthcare.

Delaware state budget cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 18 Box 9 Folder 3
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to the state budget in Delaware. The cartoons in this folder cover topics including changes in industry in Delaware (e.g., revenue from mining or car manufacture), lack of care for the homeless population in Delaware, tax laws, the effects of stimulus packages, and the investment climate in Delaware.

Development projects in Delaware cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 19 Box 10 Folder 11
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to the physical development of Delaware. Some of the cartoons in this folder are related to how new buildings will affect the environment, travel time, quality of life, and the appeal of living in Delaware. Jurden was critical of introducing too much development into Delaware.

DelDOT and transportation cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 20 Box 9 Folder 4
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Delaware's Department of Transportation and travelling in Delaware. Delaware is known for its congested roads and Jurden both expressed frustration with and poked fun at the traffic situation in the state.

Delaware environment and weather.
Box 8 Folder 21-22 Box 9 Folder 5
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to the environment and weather in Delaware. Many of these cartoons are focused on the environmental degredation that Delaware experienced from the presence of chemical companies, as well as climate change. This folder also contains cartoons about natural disasters, changes in season, and pollution.

Delaware crime.
Box 8 Folder 23 Box 9 Folder 6
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to crime in Delaware. Many of the cartoons are focused on crime in Wilmington, Delaware. Jurden references Wilmington's high murder rates, and high rates of drug abuse.

Miscellaneous Delaware cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 24 Box 10 Folder 12 Box 9 Folder 9
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Delaware that otherwise do not fit with a particular theme, but are still somehow connected to Delaware. Some of the cartoons in this folder cover topics such as policing in Delaware, the DuPont family, some Delaware politicians, the Delaware prison system, and campaign laws in Delaware.

Delaware.
Box 8 Folder 25
Scope and Contents

This folder, created by Jurden, contains a series of cartoon copies pasted onto notebook paper that are all related to Delaware. Most of the cartoons in this folder feature the state outline of Delaware in some capacity.

Holiday cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 26-28 Box 9 Folder 7
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons about holidays. Jurden was renowned for his holiday cartoons -- especially his Christmas "nice and naughty" lists, in which he would create politically-based, humorous "evaluations" for local Delaware politicians every Christmas. Jurden produced similar cartoons for St. Patrick's Day, and general holiday cartoons for New Year's Day, Valentine's Day, Easter, Halloween, and Thanksgiving. Some of Jurden's holiday cartoons were not political, but instead merely celebratory. However, many still had political elements.

Scottish Games cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 29 Box 9 Folder 8
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to the Scottish Games. The Scottish Games are reminiscent of the Highland Games in Scotland. They are held in Fair Hill, Maryland, annually and feature athletic competitions, traditional foods, and a cultural celebration for the area's large Scottish population.

Personal cartoons.
Box 8 Folder 30
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons that Jurden drew for people in his life -- i.e., these cartoons were not meant to be published in any newspapers. These cartoons were likely drawn as gifts or were meant for well-wishing. Most of the cartoons use only first names, and are therefore unable to be identified.

Life as a cartoonist .
Box 8 Folder 31 Box 10 Folder 14
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons related to Jurden's life as a cartoonist. They reference his specific experiences working as a cartoonist in the Delaware area.

Frogs.
Box 8 Folder 32 Box 10 Folder 15
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons of Jurden's famous frog, which features in nearly all of his cartoons. The frog is said to be a self-insertion; that is, the frog speaks whatever Jurden's commentary would be. Jurden's frog is omnipresent in his work throughout his career.

Faces.
Box 8 Folder 33 Box 10 Folder 16
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons of mostly unidentified faces. Jurden sketched hundreds of faces from reference materials, but many remain unlabeled, and are therefore difficult to identify. This folder is primarily made up of tracing paper.

Miscellaneous.
Box 8 Folder 34
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons on topics that are not thematically related to the rest of this collection or each other. Some of the topics cannot be discerned.

Newspaper clippings - Biden.
Box 8 Folder 35
Scope and Contents

This folder contains newspaper clippings of Jurden's cartoons related to Joe Biden (D) and his family from 2005-2009, during his tenure as one of Delaware's senators (served 1972-2009) and the beginning of his vice presidency (served 2009-2017).

Newspaper clippings, 1998-2012.
Box 8 Folder 36
Scope and Contents

This folder contains assorted newspaper clippings of Jurden's cartoons, primarily from the News Journal from approximately 1998-2012. They are sorted chronologically. Some of these cartoons appear in unfinished forms in other folders in this collection.

Caricature binder.
Box 8 Folder 37-38
Scope and Contents

These folders were originally a binder that Jurden assembled and organized that contains many of his drawings of faces or of cartoons that prominently feature one face. The title, "Caricatures," is also from Jurden. Some of the faces in these drawings can be identified, but many remain unlabeled. This folder contains pieces of hole-punched paper with two half-page cartoons pasted horizontally on each side. There does not appear to be a chronological or thematic order to these pages, but they are in the order that Jurden kept them in the binder originally.

"Good stuff" binder.
Box 8 Folder 39
Scope and Contents

This binder, titled "Good Stuff" by Jurden, contains an assortment of pieces of hole-punched paper with two half-page cartoons pasted horizontally on each side. There does not appear to be a chronological or thematic order to these pages, but they are in the order that Jurden kept them in the binder originally.

Compilations - binder.
Box 8 Folder 40
Scope and Contents

This folder contains pieces of hole-punched paper with two half-page cartoons pasted horizontally on each side. There does not appear to be a chronological or thematic order to these pages, but they are in the order that Jurden kept them in the binder originally. Unlike the other two binders in this series, this binder was unnamed by Jurden. However, the order is original to the creator. This folder contains cartoons relating to former president Bill Clinton and some local Delaware politicians.

Compilations.
Box 8 Folder 41-42 Box 11 Folder 1-6
Scope and Contents

These folders contains pieces of hole-punched paper with two, half-page cartoons pasted horizontally on each side. There does not appear to be a chronological or thematic order to these pages, and these were not ordered by Jurden. There are a variety of themes at the local, state, and national level throughout these pages. Some of these cartoons exist in other forms in other folders in Series II.

Roamin' the Games with Jack Mac Jurden.
Box 11 Folder 7
Scope and Contents

This folder contains a booklet,

Roamin' the Games with Jack Mac Jurden, which is a compilation of Jurden's cartoons about the Scottish Games. There is a biography of Jurden on the back of the booklet.
Jack Jurden Draws Delaware.
Box 11 Folder 8
Scope and Contents

This book is a published compilation of some of Jurden's most famous Delaware-related cartoons. Some of the cartoons featured in this book exist in some other stage of completion in this collection.

Tobacco cartoons.
Box 10 Folder 13
Scope and Contents

This folder contains mostly complete tracing paper sketches, draft paper sketches, and completed cartoons that double as warnings about tobacco and alcohol usage.

Ink drawings - Jurden created.
Box 9 Folder 10
Scope and Contents

This folder, ordered and organized by Jurden, contains single, oversized prints of various themes. They are primarily done in ink and are original drawings. Most of them are nature related, and contain some sort of visual and pun for a title.

Print, Suggest