Ted Key Papers

An inventory of his papers at Syracuse University

Finding aid created by: DMW
Date: 10 Oct 1979

Revision history:
5 Sep 2007	converted to EAD (MRC)
3 Jun 2008	corrections to bio (MRC)

Biographical History

Ted Key was an American cartoonist. Born Theodore Keyser in 1912, he attended the University of California-Berkeley where he was art editor of the student newspaper and associate editor of the college magazine. After graduating he moved to New York City where he worked as a radio writer for an ad agency, wrote radio plays for networks, and did freelance cartooning. In 1943 he created the long-running comic strip Hazel for The Saturday Evening Post. In 1961 he created Diz and Liz for Jack and Jill magazine and shortly thereafter created the television show Hazel, starring Shirley Booth, which ran for five years. He sold three story ideas to Disney -- The Cat from Outer Space (for which he also wrote the screenplay), Million Dollar Duck, and Gus -- and wrote several books including the children's classic Phyllis. He received the National Cartoonist Society Newspaper Panel Cartoon Award for 1977 for his work on Hazel.

Scope and Contents of the Collection

The Ted Key Papers consist of several accessions, inventoried in two groups, which have not been integrated.

1966 inventory

The set of material inventoried in 1966 consists of correspondence, subject files, manuscripts, published materials, and original cartoons. Correspondence, arranged alphabetically, contains incoming letters and fan mail to Key; one correspondent of note is Betty MacDonald, author of the Mrs Piggle-Wiggle books. Subject files consists of mementos of Key's. Manuscripts, arranged alphabetically by type, includes a negative, no. 258 of a cartoon by Key, and a dummy for a children's book written by Key and illustrated by Frank Owen entitled Me Too (So'm I). Published materials, arranged alphabetically by type, consists of cartoons which appeared in magazines abroad, newspaper clippings about Key, and Hazel tear sheets. Original cartoons, arranged by year and within that numerically by the number on the back, contains original cartoons drawn by Key, mostly on paperboard, of Hazel and other subjects.

1979 inventory

The set of material inventoried in 1979 consists of correspondence, cartoons, writings, and biographical data. Correspondence, arranged chronologically, is mostly fan mail, arranged chronologically. Cartoons, subdivided by magazine in which they appeared, contains original drawings which have been reproduced and run in several leading magazines. Writings, arranged alphabetically by type, contains two movies, The Cat from Outer Space and Mr. Webfoot Waddle, and two books of Hazel cartoons. Biographical data provides a synopsis of Key's career, how it developed and where it has led him.

Arrangement of the Collection

See Scope and content above. Note that since the accessions have not been integrated, box numbers are not unique. When requesting material, please specify the accession and series information as well as the box number to ensure retrieval of the correct container.

Other Related Finding Aids

A detailed list of the original cartoons in the 1966 inventory, giving for each the caption, the publication in which it appeared, and the date of publication, follows the hard copy version of this finding aid. (Distance researchers accessing this finding aid over the internet please contact the repository listed above for more information.)

Restrictions

Access Restrictions: No form of reproduction permitted.

Use Restrictions: Written permission must be obtained from SCRC and all relevant rights holders before publishing quotations, excerpts or images from any materials in this collection.

Related Material

Special Collections Research Center has the papers of a number of cartoonists. Please refer to the SCRC Subject Index for a complete listing.

Subject Headings

Persons

Key, Ted Archives.
Key, Ted. Hazel.

Subjects

American wit and humor, Pictorial.
Caricatures and cartoons, United States.
Cartoonists, United States.
Comic books, strips, etc.
Motion picture plays.
Screenwriters, United States.

Genres and Forms

Cartoons (humorous images).
Clippings.
Correspondence.
Manuscripts for publication.
Memorabilia.
Scripts.

Occupations

Cartoonists.
Screenwriters.

Administrative Information

Preferred Citation

Preferred citation for this material is as follows:

Ted Key Papers
Special Collections Research Center,
Syracuse University Library

Acquisition Information

Gift of Ted Key.

Table of Contents

Correspondence (1966 inventory)

Subject files (1966 inventory)

Manuscripts (1966 inventory)

Published material (1966 inventory)

Original cartoons (1966 inventory)

Correspondence (1979 inventory)

Cartoons (1979 inventory)

Writings (1979 inventory)

Biographical data (1979 inventory)

Inventory