CARtoons Magazine

CARtoons Magazine is an American publication built around automotive humor, hot-rod culture, cartooning, and enthusiast artwork. It originated in 1959 through the work of Carl Kohler and drag-racing artist Pete Millar and was initially published by the Robert E. Petersen Publishing Company. The first issue was produced at the Kohler family home in Burbank, California, and established the magazine's characteristic combination of automotive jokes, illustrated features, comic strips, technical material, and drawing instruction. The original magazine was designed for readers interested in hot rods, custom cars, drag racing, and the visual culture surrounding American car enthusiasm. Rather than functioning as a conventional road-test or news magazine, it used satire, caricature, sequential art, and stylized automotive illustration as its principal editorial language. Its contents included comic strips, automotive humor, step-by-step drawing pages, feature articles, and artwork suitable for posters and other fan-oriented products. CARtoons began as a quarterly publication and became bimonthly in 1962. During parts of the 1970s and 1980s, it expanded to as many as eight issues per year. The magazine developed a recognizable stable of cartoonists and illustrators, including Alex Toth, Tom Medley, Mike Arens, Jim Willoughby, Russ Manning, Willie Ito, Dale Hale, George Trosley, John Kovalic, Shawn Kerri, Duane Bibby, Steve Austin, Dave Deal, Joe Borer, Nelson Dewey, Bob Hardin, John Larter, Robert Williams, William Stout, Quentin Miller, Jim Grube, Errol McCarthy, and Dennis Ellefson. Recurring material helped define the publication. The first issue included Pete Millar's comic strip "Rumpsville: The Saga of Rumpville." From the 1960s through 1975, the magazine also carried "Unk and them Varmints," associated with Mike Arens and Willie Ito. The character Unk was linked to Carl Kohler, whose nickname was incorporated into the strip's concept. The magazine's editorial and artistic identity was further shaped by editors including Kohler, Dick Day, Jack Bonestell, and Dennis Ellefson. The publication went through a major redesign in 1975, introducing a new logo, new artists, and new features. In the late 1970s and early 1980s, some issues included iron-on transfers; after that feature ended in 1983, a center poster commonly took its place, often reproducing or extending the cover artwork. Related Peterson titles included CYCLEtoons, SURFtoons, Hot Rod Cartoons, and a short-lived Choppertoons project. The original run ended with the August 1991 issue. The CARtoons trademark was later obtained by Ontario-based artist Marc Methot after an abandonment filing in 2015. Under that new trademark ownership, publication resumed in January 2016. The revived magazine is described in the available reference material as continuing on a bimonthly schedule. Its brand proposition remains rooted in the preservation and continuation of classic automotive cartooning and hot-rod illustration rather than in mainstream automotive journalism.

CARtoons Magazine emerged in 1959 during the expansion of American hot-rod and drag-racing culture. Its founding figures were Carl Kohler and Pete Millar, a drag-racing artist whose work helped establish the publication's visual direction. The first issue was made at the Kohler family home in Burbank, California, and was published by the Robert E. Petersen Publishing Company. From the outset, CARtoons distinguished itself from mainstream automotive magazines by treating cars as subjects for comedy, caricature, fantasy, and illustration as much as for mechanical or performance coverage. The magazine's initial format combined humorous articles, comic strips, instructional drawing pages, and automotive artwork. Its debut included Millar's "Rumpsville: The Saga of Rumpville," while later recurring material included "Unk and them Varmints," associated with Mike Arens and Willie Ito and published from the 1960s through 1975. The Unk character drew on Carl Kohler's identity and nickname, connecting the magazine's fictional world to one of its founding creators. CARtoons started as a quarterly but moved to a bimonthly schedule in 1962. At points during the 1970s and 1980s, it produced eight issues per year. The publication's editorial stewardship changed over time, with Carl Kohler, Dick Day, Jack Bonestell, and Dennis Ellefson among the editors identified with its history. Its contributor base became one of its principal assets. The magazine featured work by prominent and influential cartoonists and illustrators including Alex Toth, Tom Medley, Mike Arens, Jim Willoughby, Russ Manning, Willie Ito, Dale Hale, George Trosley, John Kovalic, Shawn Kerri, Duane Bibby, Steve Austin, Dave Deal, Joe Borer, Nelson Dewey, Bob Hardin, John Larter, Robert Williams, William Stout, Quentin Miller, Jim Grube, Errol McCarthy, and others. The title was substantially refreshed in 1975. The redesign included a new logo, new artists, and new features, reflecting an effort to keep the magazine visually relevant while preserving its humor-oriented identity. Its reader experience also included collectible or interactive elements. Iron-on transfers appeared in issues during the late 1970s and early 1980s, ending in 1983. Center posters subsequently became a recurring feature, often using larger versions of cover artwork. CARtoons existed within a broader group of enthusiast-oriented cartoon publications. Related titles included CYCLEtoons, SURFtoons, and Hot Rod Cartoons. Peterson also issued three editions of Choppertoons, although the available material provides little detail about that title. These related publications demonstrate the broader effort to apply the CARtoons format—humor, caricature, and specialty artwork—to adjacent enthusiast communities. The original CARtoons run ended with the August 1991 issue. After the title ceased publication, the trademark was later treated as abandoned. In 2015, Ontario artist Marc Methot successfully filed for the CARtoons trademark. This enabled a revival, and the magazine returned in January 2016. The revived publication is described as continuing on a bimonthly basis under the new trademark ownership. The available sources do not identify a current corporate parent, headquarters, circulation, financial performance, or detailed present-day executive structure. The brand's historical significance rests primarily on its long association with automotive cartooning, hot-rod art, and the preservation of a distinctive enthusiast print culture.

1. 2016Publication is revived

   The magazine resumes publication in January and is described as bimonthly.

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2. 2015Trademark is reclaimed

   Marc Methot successfully files for the abandoned CARtoons trademark.

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3. 1991Original publication run concludes

   The original magazine folds with its August 1991 issue.

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4. 1983Iron-on feature ends

   The iron-on transfers used in some late-1970s and early-1980s issues are discontinued and later replaced by center posters.

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5. 1975Major redesign

   CARtoons introduces a new logo, new artists, and new editorial features.

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6. 1962Publication frequency increases

   The magazine changes from a quarterly schedule to bimonthly publication.

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7. 1959CARtoons is founded

   Carl Kohler and Pete Millar originate the magazine, which is published by the Robert E. Petersen Publishing Company.

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A specialist enthusiast publication positioned at the intersection of hot-rod culture, automotive humor, comic art, and collectible illustration. The brand emphasizes personality, satire, and artwork over conventional automotive reporting.

• CARtoons MagazineAutomotive humor and enthusiast magazine1959

  The core print publication combines automotive jokes, hot-rod artwork, comic strips, illustrated features, and practical drawing instruction. Its editorial approach treats custom cars, drag racing, and related enthusiast subjects as material for visual comedy and imaginative illustration. The title ran under the original publishing arrangement from 1959 until 1991 and was relaunched in 2016 under new trademark ownership.

• CARtoons cover and poster artworkAutomotive illustration

  Cover illustrations and center posters form an important part of the brand's collectible appeal. During the original run, center posters replaced iron-on transfers as a recurring reader feature after 1983, often presenting enlarged versions of cover art or related automotive illustrations.

• CARtoons comic stripsComic strips1959

  The magazine's comic-strip material includes the debut feature "Rumpsville: The Saga of Rumpville" by Pete Millar and the recurring "Unk and them Varmints" strip associated with Mike Arens and Willie Ito. These strips helped give the title a recurring cast and a distinctive humor-driven editorial identity.

• 2016Resume publication under new trademark ownershipStrategy

  Following the end of the original run in 1991, the CARtoons trademark was later successfully claimed by Marc Methot in 2015.

  What changed. A new edition of CARtoons began publication in January 2016 and was described as bimonthly.

  Aftermath. The brand returned to the automotive-art and hot-rod publication market. Current ownership and operating details are not specified in the available reference material.

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• 1983Replace iron-on transfers with center postersOther

  Iron-on transfers had appeared in selected issues during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

  What changed. The iron-on feature ended and was replaced by a center poster, often based on the cover illustration.

  Aftermath. Poster artwork became a recurring physical feature associated with the magazine's collectible format.

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• 1975Undertake a complete magazine overhaulStrategy

  The title refreshed its visual and editorial identity during the 1970s.

  What changed. CARtoons introduced a new logo, new artists, and new features.

  Aftermath. The redesign became a notable stage in the evolution of the original publication.

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• 1962Increase publication frequencyStrategy

  CARtoons began as a quarterly magazine and adjusted its schedule as the title developed within the growing hot-rod and automotive enthusiast market.

  What changed. The publication moved to a bimonthly schedule, with some later periods reaching eight issues per year.

  Aftermath. The change established a more frequent publishing rhythm for the original run.

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• 2016CARtoons publication resumes

  A revived version of the magazine began publication in January under the new trademark ownership and was described as bimonthly.

  Product launch
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• 2015CARtoons trademark is obtained for revival

  Ontario artist Marc Methot successfully filed for the abandoned CARtoons trademark, creating the basis for a new publication run.

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• 1991Original CARtoons run ends

  The first publication era concluded with the August 1991 issue.

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• 1975CARtoons receives a major editorial and visual redesign

  The magazine introduced a new logo, new artists, and new features in a substantial overhaul of its presentation and editorial format.

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• 1962CARtoons changes from quarterly to bimonthly publication

  The publication increased its issue frequency as its automotive cartoon and hot-rod audience developed.

  Other
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• 1959CARtoons begins publication as an automotive humor quarterly

  The original CARtoons magazine was launched by Carl Kohler and Pete Millar and published through the Robert E. Petersen Publishing Company.

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1. CARtoons Magazine
2. CARtoons Magazine official website