Laguna Beach Cartoonists

Photo: Phil Interlandi Cartoon from Pete Fulmer 1965 Book
"Frank Interlandi dies at 85; former L.A. Times editorial cartoonist" is the title of the February 10, 2010 Los Angeles Times article by Dennis McLellan (see http://articles.latimes.com/2010/feb/10/local/la-me-frank-interlandi10-2010feb10) "The Laguna Beach artist drew cartoons for the paper from 1962 until 1981."
The article includes "The Interlandi brothers [identical twin brother cartoonist Phil Interlandi of Playboy magazine] were among a gaggle of newspaper and magazine cartoonists in Laguna who began taking midday bar breaks together in the 1950s. Over the years, the group included Virgil (VIP) Partch, John Dempsey, Dick Oldden, Ed Nofziger, Don Tobin and Roger Armstrong."
The Laguna Beach Historical Society just received as a donation the 1965 book by Laguna Beach Post columnist Pete Fulmer "Laguna's My Studio" In it he wrote on page 28:
"There have been a wealth of cartoonists in Laguna Beach as they gravitated to the Community Playhouse putting into words on stage and activities about the theater the talents that they applied to the drawing board.

Phil Interlandi long ago found that the stage complemented the lonely way of life in his studio and in addition to his Post cartoons, Phil's work has been seen at one time or another in all major magazines in the country.

Ed Nofziger, also known for his many stage appearances, has done freelance cartooning for major publications, written children's comics, done many of the Magoo stories for UPA and is currently editorial artist for the Post.

Others who are members of the Playhouse, participating in various departments of the Players' activities, are Frank Interlandi, Phil's identical twin brother, whose Below Olympus cartoons appears daily in the Los Angeles Times.

Don Tobin created "The Little Woman" daily cartoon syndicated in King's Features; Pete Winters, also a Playhouse member, sketched "Toodles," the comic cartoon story. Roger Armstrong, currently director of Laguna Art Gallery Association, was a comic creator for many years and left his drawing board behind for the role of the general in the Playhouse production in 1959 of 'Romanoff and Juliet.'

When Armstrong was sitting at his drawing board, he created the comic strips of Ella Cinders and Napoleon."