An advertisement for the 1987 Baltimore City Fair, which ran in The Baltimore Sun, had a cartoon drawing of people having fun at the fair. Aficionados of "Where's Waldo" spotted two people having more fun than usual. Can you find them? If you give up, the answer is revealed here.
According to Baltimore Or Less, the paper and the Fair producers didn't see the couple in flagrante delicto until after the paper was published.
The artist, Don Schnably, who drew the cartoon tried to claim the woman in the photo was actually a lion. From the Associated Press:
Baltimore's Transportation Department, which ran the ad because the fair takes place under the Jones Falls Expressway, said Thursday it has suspended an 18-month account with the advertising agency.
The artist, Don Schnably, told The Sun that the figure thought to be a woman is actually a lion.
"I understand it's supposed to be a suggestive picture there. It's not," he said.
"This is an artist's rendering. You just draw fast lines. I don't want things blown out of proportion. This is ridiculous. This is my livelihood. I'm not about to jeopardize my account."
It's an unusual lion, isn't it? It has human breasts, thumbs, and is on its knees. As for the man standing being the lion with his trousers around his ankles, well, the less said, the better.
Schanbly passed away in 2020. From his obit:
Don was legendary for his intricate illustrations, many hilarious, including the infamous JFX "Merry Go Round" City Fair ad that ran in the Baltimore Sun in 1987, and subsequently was published in publications and broadcast on TV and radio stations around the world, and to this day is remembered with delight by thousands of people. His illustration and creative concept skills were extraordinary and he was dubbed a "creative genius" by many. He was generous to a fault, inordinately charismatic and flamboyant, and had a very special chemistry with all people. As several friends said, "He was one-of-a-kind; everyone fell in love with Don."
