J. B. Handelsman

J.B. Handelsman (February 5, 1922 – June 20, 2007) was a New York-born cartoonist and illustrator whose work appeared for decades in The New Yorker, Punch, Playboy, and other United States and British publications. His sister was American writer Edith Anderson.

Life Bernard Handelsman was born in the Bronx on February 5, 1922. In adulthood, he adopted John as his first name. He was known professionally as J. B. Handelsman and informally as Bud. Handelsman studied at the Art Students League and New York University. In 1963, Handelsman moved to England, where he began drawing for Punch. For eleven years, he wrote and illustrated a weekly feature called "Freaky Fables" for the magazine. His work also appeared regularly in Playboy and the British humorous magazine Punch. He illustrated many books, including Families and How to Survive Them and Life and How to Survive It, both by Monty Python star John Cleese and psychotherapist Robin Skynner, and The Mid-Atlantic Companion by David Frost and Michael Shea, plus a number of books for children. Handelsman also devised a 10-minute animated film for the BBC called In the Beginning, based on the Biblical story of the Creation.

Personal life Handelsman was married to Gertrude Peck, a harpist from Michigan, in 1950. They had three children, Jonathan Handelsman, Peter Handelsman, and Constance Handelsman Bennett.