We were deeply saddened to learn of the death of cartoon legend Buck Brown. Buck passed away last week from complications of a stroke. Robert “Buck” Brown’s relationship with Playboy began in 1961 when he stopped by the office in Chicago to drop off a batch of ideas. Hef immediately liked his work and bought several of his cartoons. That day launched Buck’s career with Playboy that spanned four decades. He chronicled American culture in his cartoons using acrylics in glorious color and bold black-and-white wash.
Buck’s cartoons ranged widely in subject matter from the sexual revolution, golfing and westerns to parodies of figures from history and literature. His cartoons depicting relations between black and white Americans are perhaps the most poignant. As an African-American, his insight and humor were an important contribution to the magazine during and after the American civil rights movement. Playboy’s longtime cartoon editor, Michelle Urry, worked closely with Buck throughout his career until her death in October. She has said of his work, “Buck rendered the most incisive comments on race relations in America in his tour-de-force painterly style.”
Buck’s first cartoon was published in March 1962 and the latest in the August 2007 issue. He was one of our most prolific contributors with nearly 600 cartoons published to date, most of them in full-page color.
A character very popular with Playboy readers is the lovable little horny old lady, Granny. Her outrageous antics were depicted in numerous cartoons. Hef liked her so much that he made her a centerfold in our September 1980 issue.
As long as I knew Buck, his passion and fervor for creating never waned. I spoke to him at length on the phone in May and it seemed that no matter what obstacle he faced, he was always thinking of new ideas to bring humor into the world.
This post received some wonderful comments, including Buck's family:
07.09.07 6:09 AM CDT by Wil
Those who missed out on meeting Buck Brown in his too-infrequent public appearances but who do belong to the Playboy Cyber Club will want to check out the transcript of his on-line chat there. He was a very talented humorist, and he was a gentleman. Playboy used to run an ad campaign asking, "What sort of man reads Playboy?" If one were to ask instead, "What sort of man **writes** Playboy?", for four decades PEI has been able to reply with much pride, "Buck Brown". We have all suffered a great loss.
07.09.07 11:26 PM CDT by Super Amanda
Dear Playboy: Buck Brown's illustrations were some of the first things you saw when you sneaked a copy of Playboy as a little girl hoping to know what you might look like as a teenager. For me he was a huge part of my childhood. You men know how it is? You always end up on a page with print at first? Well luckily Playboy invariably had those wonderful cartoons on most of the article pages as still does today. I love Vargas, Al Capp etc but nobody could draw a pair like Buck and he gave every type a shot-just look at Granny! Buck Brown's illustrations still flicker subliminally in all the minds that are tantalized by the nearly vanished duality of the naughty and the wholesome that is Playboy humor. In fact you weigh Playboy's ability to leap other magazines in diversity of thought, culture and staff with folks like Buck Brown in it's nuclear family, it doesn't seem like the coolest magazine, it seems like the only one. My deepest condolences to Mr. Hefner and the entire staff at Playboy.
--Amanda Casabianca
07.10.07 4:52 PM CDT by Saundra Bishop
Buck played poker every week for more than 40 years with my husband and 3 or 4 other men. They called themselves the Mystic Knights of the Sea, Lodge # 2. He even named characters in cartoons after them. All of the guys would ocassionally use the game to blow off steam. Buck was no exception but he never stayed mad. My experience over the years was that he always seemed glad to see me and that made me feel good. He always complimented my cooking (however hastily thrown together or mundane it was). He was always telling jokes, the kind you would chuckle about later. In fact, there was almost a weekly "Buck Joke" that the guys retold their wives. He never missed a party and is still talking appreciatively 25 years later about my mother fixing pigfeet especially for him at a party. Upon reading this blog and his obituary, I realized that we largely forgot that he was famous. There was no pretense about him. It seems kind of trite to say it, but I mean it with all sincerity; he was a one of a kind and we will miss him greatly.
07.10.07 8:51 PM CDT by Robert Brown
It is great to see all of the kind words in this blog. A family friend, Saundra Bishop, informed my mother that this blog existed. The past two weeks have been very difficult for my family. The man the world knew as 'Buck Brown', we called Dad. He was a wonderful man, husband and father and I miss him dearly. My sister has done a wonderful job telling his story to the press. He thought the world of Playboy and was very proud of his relationship with the magazine. Mr. Heffner, I would like to personally thank you for the handwritten card you sent to my mother. It means a lot to know that you care.
Sincerely,
Robert 'Bobby' Brown
07.15.07 10:52 AM CDT by Ryan Solovjovs
We seem to be losing a lot of good cartoonists lately. Shame.
07.19.07 10:02 PM CDT by Tracy Hill
Dad if you didn't know it before, you know it now. The world loves you. You will live on through your art, your grandchildren's hearts, and our incredible memories. You were simply the best, in every way. We love and miss you.
Your biggest fan,
your daughter.
Tracy Hill
07.20.07 9:10 PM CDT by Sharon Wofford
Buck Brown was my uncle. I cannot tell you how "cool" it was in the 70's to have an uncle who cartooned for Playboy. I will always remember when I would go for a visit to my uncle's house. He would have limited time to spend with us and then he would always have to go draw again to meet his deadline. Sometimes he would let me sneak in and see some of his paintings. I usually didn't get the joke and he would laugh and tell me he would explain it to me when I got a little older. His legacy will continue to live on through our wonderful family. Thank you Playboy, for sharing my Uncle Buck with the world.
08.04.07 10:58 AM CDT by Chuck Cobleigh
Playboy cartoonists were the true leaders of the field and Buck Brown's work stood out and stayed with me for forty-plus years. I can still see the highwayman admonishing Granny, "Put your clothes back on, Ma'am. You're scaring the horses." To have been privileged to receive that sort of wit month after month was surely a blessing. The warmth and humanity of his humor makes his loss seem personal, even though I knew him only through ink and glossy paper.
09.13.07 12:50 PM CDT by Andrew J. Sordoni
More than 25 years ago I wrote a fan letter to Playboy cartoonist Buck Brown and received a rather formal and sober response. Ten years later I wrote again, made telephone contact and visited with Buck at his home. Subsequently we collaborated in an exhibition of his art (legit paintings in the soul genre) and humor (cartoons in black/white and color). The show was mounted at the New York Friars Club in the fall of 1995 and the festivities included remarks by comedian Freddie Roman and noted artist LeRoy Neiman. Following the Friars show, Buck and I made several jazz cruises together where he sketched the musical celebrities, created album covers for CHIAROSCURO Records and held forth with ribaled stories on a daily basis. For his talent, his humanity and his uniqueness, I loved him and will spend the rest of my life honoring his memory.
05.26.08 11:23 AM CDT by Joyce Owens
I met Buck Brown years ago, trying to remember where and when. I was not a Playboy reader. My husband is a noted journalist, who at one time worked at Ebony Magazine and I think Monroe met him there. My husband was surprised that the originator of Granny character was a black artist! I am a visual artist and I met Buck at various art events. We could have met, for the first time, at the annual South Side Community Art Center years ago. Any time I saw him he was always personable, friendly, funny and understated. I was planning to show his work at Chicago State University and had even asked him about it. He said he was retired and I would need to speak to his wife. We do have one of his paintings in our collection that I have shown alongside other artists of stature in the collection. He deserves a retrospective of his work with a catalog raisonne. The Granny art could be shown in a museum, maybe the MCA or the Museum of Modern Art in NYC. Playboy could host a show within their building. A university would probably be limited to his paintings.
I sure would love to do it!
07.21.08 12:06 AM CDT by Douglas Lewis
Mr. Buck Brown was in my mind the greatest cartoonist for Playboy... I'm looking for one of his cartoons of Granny in bed with her raising the sheet up and saying to her man, didn't you leave any for retirement? I would like very much to be able to locate the cartoon and hang it on my wall. Do U know where I can find it? Thank you. Doug
12.21.08 11:05 AM CST by Phillip Smithson
I grew up sneaking a look at my dad's playboys. He and my mom always got a great kick out of Buck Brown's Granny. My mom is alone now & fondly remembers those cartoons. I'd like to get her a collection of them, but so far unsuccessful. Was anything like that ever published?
12.22.08 12:05 PM CST by Jennifer
In 1981 Playboy published a collection of more than 200 of Buck’s cartoons in a paperback called “Playboy’s Buck Brown.” Unfortunately it’s out of print, but you might have some luck on eBay. Many of his cartoons also appear in the book published in 2004 called “Playboy: 50 Years The Cartoons” which is widely available.
