Talburt Political Cartoon Appraisal

"SUNSTROKE!" Original WWII Political Cartoon by Talburt

This is an original World War II era political cartoon illustration titled "SUNSTROKE!" by the American cartoonist Harold Talburt. The artwork is executed in black ink and lithographic crayon (or charcoal) on paper, common for mid-20th-century editorial illustrations. The composition features a satirical and racialized caricature of a Japanese soldier being struck by a large shell labeled "U.S. MARINES." The projectile has snapped a flagpole bearing the Rising Sun flag, which is depicted drooping as stars of impact surround the soldier's head. The soldier is shown falling from a small landmass labeled "SOLOMON," a direct reference to the Solomon Islands campaign (1942–1945). The artist's signature "TALBURT" is visible in the lower-left corner. The piece is professionally matted with a red accent border and housed in a dark wood frame. Condition-wise, the paper shows significant foxing and ambering consistent with age, particularly visible in the upper center and left margins. There are small stains appearing as darker brown spots, likely due to acidic contact or environmental exposure over decades. The hatching and cross-hatching demonstrate high-level illustrative skill typical of Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonists like Talburt, who worked for the Scripps-Howard Newspaper Alliance.