Single panel cartoon by BOB BARNES, carefully removed from vintage magazine. 

This cartoon came from the December 1952 issue of ARGOSY magazine.

Cartoon shows a man in consultation with his doctor, who cleverly uses an old saying to get his point across: 

"STAY AWAY FROM WINE AND WOMEN -- IT'S O.K. FOR YOU TO SING, THOUGH."

The several red tinted items in the cartoon are accented by a similar color red, custom-cut mat that now surrounds the unique cartoon. 

The cartoon was attached to a 1/8" thick white, acid-free foam board backer, then matted with the custom-cut mat. 

Outside dimensions are 8" wide x 10" high, so it will fit a standard size frame. 

Actual measurement of cartoon panel is 5" x 5 3/8". 

The cartoon panel is in overall good condition, but like many of the magazines of that era, the paper is thin, and there is some minor bleed-through of the lettering, art, etc. from the opposite side of the page from where the cartoon appeared. Please review the photos attached. 

I'll place this matted cartoon inside a plastic sleeve and add a card-stock cover to keep it safe while mailing by USPS First Class in a bubble envelope. 

I'll mail the same day, or next day after payment is received. I've recently listed three of these similar matted cartoons by Mr. Barnes. If interested in more than one, I can mail them together to save you some of the individual mailing costs. Send me a message, tell me what you want, and I'll package them and determine mailing costs. 

Some info on this talented and productive cartoonist:

(1913 - 1970)

Robert Leslie Barnes attended commercial art school in the 1930s, and found early work in trade publications and some advertising in several papers, including The Oregon Journal and Portland Telegram in his native city. He sold gags to magazines like Collier’s, College Humor, Look and  1001 Jokes. Syndication work started in the late 1940s with a panel anthology called “Laff Of The Week” for the small  National Weekly Newspaper Service, lasting until 1951 when the Register and Tribune syndicate took his  new series, “Double Take,” a two-panel, before-and-after type of  gag. He did that from 1951 to 1957, when others took over.

During this period, he came up with another title, with the simplest of premises, a wisecracking middle-aged couple, much like Barnes and his wife Ruth were.

Originally a series in The Saturday Evening Post, THE BETTER HALF was launched by Register & Tribune as a syndicated newspaper feature  in June 1956, and owing to what then passed for a fresh approach, it gathered more than 200 clients. Barnes did the strip until his death in 1970. A few strips appeared after his death, continuing until 1971. His wife collaborated with him on his work, and took over writing The Better Half upon his demise.