Logsquire (John Leyerle) - United States Naval Academy - April 1, 1949 (48 pages)

To the credit of editor John Leyerle, this parody of Esquire magazine looks like the original.  The cover drawing by Whoob Whitley is very good, showing Esky in a nautical uniform viewing female stockings hanging outside of the porthole.  The magazine has a good look but the humor is non-existent and one of the stories ("Raymond the Dependable" by Bill Taylor) is quite offensive. 

Raymond is described as a "carefully briefed darkie" who refers to himself and his kind as "cullud folks", and is quoted as saying: "I'se a good li'l boy, an' ah doan fight nobody."  The story explains how incompetent Raymond was regarding simple servile assignments.  The attitude of writer Taylor toward African-Americans is one that many of us have worked 60 years to correct.  When such representations appear in an official U.S. Naval Academy publication, it is no wonder that race relations have been tense in this country for so many years.

There are 15 Esquire-style "hilarious cartoons" (Logsquire editor's opinion) in the issue.  The artwork is good but the humor is weak.  Perhaps in 1949, it was really funny to think that barefoot-hillbillies would use DDT on themselves instead of changing clothes.  Har-de-har-har. 

There was also a reference to marijuana in the section on intoxicating beverages.

Other than the front cover, the most interesting part of the magazine is the back-cover photograph of Joan Crawford smoking a Chesterfield.  Joan says: "I like Chesterfield's milder, better taste."  There is also a quote from tobacco farmer L.E. Thomason ("I've tried other brands but always come back to Chesterfield.") "from a series of statements by prominent tobacco farmers."  It must be true if a tobacco farmer said it. [JAM 8/11/2009]

Front Cover - Admiral Esky (painting by Whoob Whitley)
Inside Front Cover - Camel cigarettes (real ad)
2  Backstage with Logsquire
3  Contents
4  The Sound and the Fury (letters)
6  Going Places with Logsquire by S. Sam
8  Talking Shop with Logsquire by Ranger
10 Navy Black and Blue by John Leyerle
11 Navy cartoon by Beau Glass
12 The Case of the Isosceles Triangle by Stew Hughes (drawings by Gordon)
14 Ploobsky: On Music
16 Blind Man's Buff by Dick Seymour; cartoon by Ned Hilton
17 Harem cartoon by D.B. Gordon
18 No Game for Sinkers by Bill Nelson
20 Pause a Moment (pictorial)
22 Raymond the Dependable by Bill Taylor; psychiatry cartoon by Angelo
23 Navy cartoon by Shap
24 The Weekender Look: Annapolis Panorama
25 You're in the Drink
26 DDT cartoon by D Kahn
27 Going Up! by R.J. Gilbert; nailboard cartoon by Barnes
28 I Quit! by C.F. Rushing; forest cartoon by Eric Ericson
29 La Diable (drawing by Fritz)
30 The Blue and Bold Look by B.T. Prior; painting cartoon by Angelo
31 The Eyes Have It (pictorial)
32 Navy at the Bat by Chuck Kessing; Drew Pearson cartoon
33 Secretary cartoon by D Kahn
34 Face of Achievement: A Portrait of Jack Peters by Bill Harris
36 Statue cartoon by Fred Lundy
42 Suicide cartoon by Bill Pardee
43 Restaurant cartoon by Serrille
44 Running cartoon by Angelo
48 Menu; woman (drawing by Bill Pardee)
Back Cover - Chesterfield cigarettes (real ad)