Helen Hokinson
Helen Hokinson was an influential American cartoonist known for her humorous portrayals of middle-aged American matrons in The New Yorker.
Illustrator
June 29, 1893
Cancer
November 01, 1949
56
Mendota, Illinois
Helen Elna Hokinson (June 29, 1893 â November 1, 1949) was a prominent American cartoonist who worked as a staff illustrator for The New Yorker. She gained recognition for her clever and satirical illustrations, which often portrayed wealthy, sophisticated women in uncomfortable social situations. Some of her most renowned works include “The Captious Muse”, “My Best Girls”, and “So You’re Going to Buy a Book!”. Her cartoons frequently depicted plump society women, amusing modern trends, and men perplexed by women.
Hokinson also designed the logo for the Stage Door Canteen, a New York City club for soldiers on leave during World War II, and contributed to war-related projects, such as creating posters for the War Production Board. Her work has been displayed in galleries and museums around the world, and she was posthumously inducted into the Society of Illustrators Hall of Fame in 1973.
