# Al Posen > Mediated Wiki article. Canonical URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Al_Posen > Markdown URL: https://mediated.wiki/source/Al_Posen.md > Source: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Posen > Source revision: 1350829478 > License: Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/) **Alvah Posen** (October 2, 1894 - June 10, 1960) was an American cartoonist on several comic strips, but he is best known for his 1933-1960 comic strip *Sweeney & Son* and as co-producer of the now-lost [Marx Brothers](/source/Marx_Brothers) film, *[Humor Risk](/source/Humor_Risk)* (1921). ## Early life Born in [New York City](/source/New_York_City), Posen served in the Army during [World War I](/source/World_War_I) and worked for a film advertising agency when the war ended. He then travelled in the Orient as a member of a geological and mining expedition, spending a year in Siam and Yunan.[1] ## Comic strips In 1922, with no formal training in art, Posen created the rhyming [daily comic strip](/source/Daily_comic_strip), *Them Days Are Gone Forever* (aka *Them Days Is Gone Forever*). Distributed by United Features Syndicate, it was published in 1000 newspapers within a year, and continued until April 4, 1925.[2] On April 19, 1926, Posen began another daily strip called *Jinglet*, which used several rhymed words in a four-panel gag. (For example: "Pals / Gals / Luck / Stuck".) This ran until March 19, 1927.[3] Posen followed it with another rhyming Sunday strip, the short-lived *Ella and Her Fella*, from May 21 to September 30, 1933.[4] This also featured a revival of *Jinglet* as the topper.[3] *Sweeney & Son* debuted as a Sunday page on October 1, 1933, replacing *Ella and Her Fella*. *Sweeney & Son* continued for more than 25 years, until August 21, 1960.[5] *Jinglet* continued to be the topper strip from 1933 to 1950.[3] In 1949, Posen created a new daily strip, *Rhymin' Time*, which ran from January 17, 1949 to 1950.[6] *Rhymin' Time* was a four-panel strip with lyrics set to "[Turkey in the Straw](/source/Turkey_in_the_Straw)'", such as: - My business is conducting polls - And, gosh, is my face red! - Since last election, everyone - Hurls insults at my head! - They used to think me wonderful. - "Infallible," they said. - Them Days Are Gone Forever.[7] From 1950 to 1953, the daily strip *Rhymin' Time* became the Sunday topper for *Sweeney & Son*, displacing *Jinglet*.[6] *Jinglet* returned in 1953, and ran as the Sunday topper for the rest of the run, ending in 1960.[3] Posen also adapted his rhyming formats into comic strip advertisements for [Bristol-Myers](/source/Bristol-Myers) and companies. As a [National Cartoonists Society](/source/National_Cartoonists_Society) member, he originated the idea of cartoonist shows for American servicemen and became the NCS Director of Overseas Shows. Posen, [Gus Edson](/source/Gus_Edson), [Bob Montana](/source/Bob_Montana) and other cartoonists participated in a USO cartoonists tour in October 1952. Posen was friends with *[Smokey Stover](/source/Smokey_Stover)* cartoonist [Bill Holman](/source/Bill_Holman_(cartoonist)), and the famed nonsense phrase "1506 nix nix" seen in *Smokey Stover* was an inside joke between the two cartoonists. The number 1506 was a reference to a hotel room where Posen stayed. Posen was a bachelor who liked to ski at [Lake Placid, New York](/source/Lake_Placid,_New_York), and vacation at a ranch in Wyoming.[7] ## Awards Posen received the National Cartoonists Society's Silver T-Square Award in 1956. ## References 1. ["printer friendly versionAlvah Posen Papers: An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University"](https://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/p/posen_a.htm). *Syracuse University Special Collections Research Center*. [Syracuse University](/source/Syracuse_University). Retrieved 2020-10-18. 1. Holtz, Allan (2012). *American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide*. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 381. ISBN 9780472117567. 1. Holtz, Allan (2012). *American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide*. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. pp. 214–215. ISBN 9780472117567. 1. Holtz, Allan (2012). *American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide*. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 140. ISBN 9780472117567. 1. Holtz, Allan (2012). *American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide*. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 373. ISBN 9780472117567. 1. Holtz, Allan (2012). *American Newspaper Comics: An Encyclopedic Reference Guide*. Ann Arbor: The University of Michigan Press. p. 331. ISBN 9780472117567. 1. ["Them Days Return", *Editor & Publisher*, January 15,1949.](https://strippersguide.blogspot.com/2009_05_01_archive.html) ## External links - [Lambiek Comiclopedia article.](https://www.lambiek.net/artists/p/posen_al.htm) - [Syracuse University: Alvah Posen Papers](http://library.syr.edu/digital/guides/p/posen_a.htm) --- Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Al Posen](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Posen) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Posen?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.