Her new Twist line…
Her “very bad attitude”…
Renovating a 1783 house…
And: Enter by Friday to win a $25 giveaway
Anne Taintor - Self Portrait
Anne Taintor – inventor-queen of sassy captioned retro art – has just introduced an all-new line of novelty products, “Taintor with a Twist.” 
This new line – which includes refrigerator magnets, luggage tags and more – moves beyond her famed 1930s, 40s and 50s illustrations to introduce “a new design and a new generation of smart, impertinent ladies who have stepped out of the kitchen into the bold and glamorous world of the 1960s.” The new products feature classic art from The Saturday Evening Post — stunning illustrations that were created by the Cooper Agency, a Madison Avenue firm that produced much of the magazine’s original art.
The new 'twist' line features original 1960s art from The Saturday Evening Post. These illustrations were created by The Cooper Agency, a Madison Avenue firm.
I am Anne’s biggest fan. So I jumped quick and asked if she would do an interview for Retro Renovation, and she quickly agreed. You’re gonna love it, I promise –>
Q. Anne, how long have you been using the 30s/40s/50s art – and why did you decide to move into the 60s?
I’ve been using mid-century art and pairing it with irreverent captions for twenty-six years. I’ve been working in collage since I was in college, and I am constantly on the lookout for new paper to cut and paste. When I found a stack of old Ladies’ Home Journals at a yard sale in 1985 I knew I’d discovered something quite wonderful.
Fans have asked me over the years to expand my line with a more updated look. It had been a stumbling block for me that a lot of advertising art from the 60s was not in the public domain, which is what I’d been relying on for my “classic” line. I found the collection of images I use in taintor… with a twist at a licensing show, and they opened up a whole new look to me.
Q. How would you describe “the look” of the new products versus “the look” of the original line? Is the message of the captions markedly different and if so, why?
What attracted me to the women in my original line was their ingenuousness, their very lack of sophistication. I simply could not resist putting my subversive captions into their compliant mouths!
The women in my twist collection are a heck of a lot more sophisticated, from the clothes they wear to the attitudes they strike and the places they spend their time. They lounge on couches in violet linen suits; they drape themselves across chairs in pumpkin-colored knits. They are not spending time in the kitchen, nor do any of them even know what an apron is! Their very sophistication makes it a bit more challenging to write for them. Also, these women (and men) were created by Madison Avenue advertising artists “on loan” to Saturday Evening Post to illustrate fiction. For that very reason, there’s already a lot of “back story” in the images. I have to sit with them for a long time and just ask myself “what is going on here???” It turns out these twist women are a lot more cynical than I ever dreamed they would be.
Q. Where do you get the inspiration for all your sassy and ironic captions? Honey, do you have a little warped goin’ on? Not that that’s a bad thing – no not at all!
I have a very bad attitude. Very bad. I have a tendency to overreact to perceived slights to my gender, and somehow I seem to have turned a personality defect into a career.
I also have been blessed in recent years with a team of terrific writers, most of whom I’ve never even met… though I love them like sisters (and a few brothers).
Q. Can you tell us more about your background – and why you started your company? How are you holding up in this economy?
I grew up in Maine in a fairly conventional middle-class family. My Dad was an attorney, and my Mom, though a Yale-educated attorney herself, never practiced law. Instead she did the 50s housewife thing that was expected of her, and she did it to perfection. And I went to Catholic school. So the only women I knew were housewives and nuns, and I was pretty terrified of growing up and having to become one or the other.
Eventually, though, I hit on the “plan” of becoming an artist. When at age 32 I suddenly found myself a single mother with no child support, I realized I needed a Plan B. I went to a career counselor. She asked me what I could do. I said “make collages.” Et voila!
I have been extremely fortunate in that the economy has not really been hard on my business. I might have seen more growth if the economy had been better, but all my products are very affordable, and they make people laugh; that turns out to be a winning combination in tough times.
Anne's new-old house
Q. I understand you are a new owner of your own “retro” house – retro as in 1783, crikey! Can you tell us more about the house, why you bought it, and your project list?
I never thought I’d move back to Maine in a million years, but granddaughters can have a curious effect on you. And when I did decide to move back I certainly was not looking for an 18th century house. I told one friend that I liked old houses… but not this old. She said “Anne, your house isn’t old… it’s antique.” In 1783 they had apparently not yet invented closets… or light fixtures. But our house has the most glorious yard, long and narrow and ending in a river with geese and ducks and herons and dozens of other birds. The river is a bit mucky on the bottom, but, as I discovered when it was a hundred degrees and 100% humidity for three days, it’s lovely to swim in. We can put our kayaks in the river from the back yard! Plus the house has a large room that’s the perfect size for my studio and a little bonus room which I like to call my “playroom,” where I can spread out and make collages that have nothing to do with magnets and flasks and coin purses.
My old house project list is limited only by my budget! This fall we are fixing the gutters and downspouts, insulating the attic, replacing the boiler, and bringing heat to my office, studio, and bedroom (there is currently no heat on the second floor). A few other little projects as well, but those are the high points. Nothing as exciting as installing an authentic 1783 kitchen… though I’m not sure I’d want one of those anyway.
Q. What’s next for my favorite entrepreneur (that’s you, Anne)?
Thank you, Pam!
I’ve just about wrapped up my new designs for January 2012. Next on the agenda is bringing some order to the chaos that is my studio, so I can start writing again. I truly love this time of year when the franticness of completing a line is past and I get to start all over again!
Thank you, Anne! It’s so much fun to get to know you better.
Enter to win a celebration giveaway
My favorite Taintorism of all time?: “She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right.”
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Readers – What’s your favorite Taintor caption — check them all out, right here. Leave a comment letting us know – and you are automatically entered to win a $25 prize package from Anne Taintor. We’ll pick a winner via random number generator Friday at 5 p.m. eastern.
Update: We have a winner, who is being notified. More info to come once she is confirmed.
Interview copyright RetroRenovation.com 2011. Images used with permission from Anne Taintor, Inc.
Disclosure: Anne Taintor, Inc. recently signed on as an advertiser; this story isn’t part of the deal or anything, though.
Hands down my favorite!
if looks could kill women wouldn’t need frying pans
But every one of them leaves me laughing! And what a great interview, Pam – thanks!!
Kate
Oh, this one is GREAT!!
“She could never remember which was better….safe?….or sorry?”
They are all so funny though!
robin
When I read this one I thought – yes, this is my fairy-tale ending.
“…and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End. ”
Cheers!
I love them all but 2 of my favorites are: “male refrigerator blindness claims another victim” and “the secret ingredient is resentment”.
No, Pam — you are not Anne’s biggest fan. Because I am!!!!!!
Her calendar is one of my favorite annual Christmas gifts!
One of my sons started reading with great fluency at age 3 (he’s just got a brain for words.) Having a 3 year old walk by and read captions aloud is beyond hilarious!!!!
Oh yeah — favorite caption entry:
How can I possibly choose????
But if I had to, I’d say it’s:
“and then the children cleaned their rooms, got Mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End.”
and “as promised, she served him his balls on a tray!” (Screaming with laughter!)
Have to go with this one, because I have bought items with this caption. It all started with a comment by a friend’s husband.
“high maintenance” doesn’t even begin to cover it
Loved the interview, thanks…
Great interview! I’ve long admired her work.
My current favorite caption (because I’ve been known to buy items with varying captions!) is “Can someone call the Coast Guard? I believe I’ve dropped my Mai Tai.” Love it!
Whenever I visit her website, I always think, “I want ALL THE THINGS”.
My favorite quote (today; tomorrow’s may well be different) is:
I don’t suffer fools gladly… but I do gladly make fools suffer.
OMG – these are all so hillarious – she is so very talented! Laughter is of major importance in life. I can hardly chose one, but the first one that made me LOL was…
“honey, I’m already at my crusing altitude”
and I think that goes well with the upcoming Pan Am premier on tv. Is anyone as excited as me? Set in the 60s yes please!!
Yes, I’m excited as well. I’ve got the TV all set to record. It’s also the season 2 start of Boardwalk Empire.
i have to go with the one currently hanging in my kitchen:
why, i’d be delighted to put my needs last again!
What’s a nice girl like me doing without a drink in her hand.
I’m kind of partial to: A real friend will help you hide the body.
oh, i love these! i think my favorite is “if i had wanted to be ignored, i would have bought a cat.” they are all hilarious, though!
Definitely going with “A penny saved, if you ask me, is just plain stupid” Just getting home after blowing a bunch of money at Target on Missoni stuff, that one totally made me laugh out loud!
So Fun! One of my favorites is “her proudest achievement was staying blonde.” As a natural brunette who dyed my hair blonde for years I feel a strong connection to this woman! : )
This is my fav…honey, I’m already at my cruising altitude! Hope to win the prize pack!
Hard to beat “make your own damn dinner” around here!
“did we forget the children at the baggage claim… again?”
Love it!
Have always loved retro anything and when I stumbled on Anne’s line I just feel in love!
My favorite caption would have to be “I just love NOT camping” my poor husband loves to camp and I’ll go but only in an RV.
Thanks for the great article, so great to know Anne better!
Who says children need to eat every day?
“remember when stalkers called themselves “secret admirers”?
Yes, those were the good ol’ days!
I’ve always loved these, but one of my favorites is “the oven isn’t the only thing I left turned on”.
old enough to know better… too young to give a rat’s ass. It sums things up nicely!
She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right.
Good lord, how is anyone supposed to pick a favorite? I love my big “Make your own damn dinner” shopping tote (and it ALWAYS gets commented on by the checkout girls) but I think my new favorite is “When I said ‘for poorer’ you can’t think I was serious.” At least for today it is.
Great interview, Pam! Two wonderful and talented women to inspire the rest of us!
Anne Taintor ranks right up there with Dorothy Parker in my book! My favorite, “everyone needs a hobby, dear…mine is cocktails”
My favorite is “Honey this asks for your occupation… Should I just write Ball Buster?”
I absolutely LOVE her captions, its funny I had several of her magnets on my refrigerator and after finding her website tied the two together. Its fun to know the lady behind the “sass”
I love:
” walk faster… the children are catching up”
ROFL…ahhh good times.
My favourite one… Difficult, theyre all hilarious. But I love
WOW! I get to give birth AND change diapers!
Although this one just cracked me up: I think you heard me the first time
Love love love Anne Taintor!
Cornelia
“Inner beauty is for amateurs.”
I turned pro and never looked back.
My favorite is from the last caption contest,”Funny, he took up more room on the couch”.
“Oh, sweetie….I blew far more than just the budget.” Wish it came on more items!!!
“Oops, I spent the grocery money on shoes again!”
as promised, she served him his balls on a tray
because i once lost a job because i told someone my boss’s wife had his balls in a baggy in the bottom of her purse…
I love so many of Anne’s captions, but my favorite is the one on my coffee mug, “She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right.” My mother-in-law got a big kick out of that one!
My favorite was not on this list, but is on a card: “The real mystery is why she married his fat ass in the first place.”
“I love not camping” … oh, so is my life. I love this one and own it on a luggage tag. It travels everywhere with me!
As a mother of a toddler & as a wife who’s husband is out of town I would have to say this is my current favorite- “…and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End.” I love that story.
I love this one: “good girls go to heaven… just take me to a five-star hotel”
So true!
i didnt even have to look at the captions list to refresh my waning memory cuz i love love love annes naughtiness!! it touches a part in me that no one touches!! (thats a lie!!) and ps… i couldnt pick just one… (im a gemini… dont judge me!!)
“golly! that was fun!” (and oh so true!)
“she hadnt yet decided to use her powers for good or evil!” (i vacillate as well!)
“another day in paradise” (cuz i use this line at least five times a day to keep myself quai-sane!)
“the secret ingredient is resentment” (honestly… this is probably the only thing that got me through my divorce and kept me even slightly humored with life!)
oh! enough!! i could go on and on… but then id just be quoting every little thing thats ever been written…
although my newest favorite that had me on the floor… and made me wish i was that clever and fabulous is…
“funny… he took up so much more space on the sofa” (a caption contest winner!! and SO worthy!!)
i am so excited to spend more time and money with the new “twisted” line! my life has never been richer or more complete!!
thank you so being a better extension of my snarkiness than i will ever hope to be!!
This post is perfect timing! This past weekend a friend and I were browsing thru a store when we came across a display of these cocktail napkins. We were laughing hysterically at each one! But the one that made us laugh the hardest is “She could never remember which was better … safe? … or sorry?”
There are soo many good ones, but my current fave is “Why yes, I am overqualified.” Ah, so true!
THE best: “Old enough to know better, too young to give a rat’s ass” I have the flask and it cracks me up every time! <3 it!! xo
I have “you’ll eat it … you’ll eat it and *like* it” on a fridge magnet. My kids still haven’t caught on.
I’ve loved her stuff for years, and have so many faves. Right now, my favorite, because it’s oh-so-timely when my step MIL comes to visit:
“Funny, I don’t recall asking for your opinion”.
Nuff said? Yep!
“Can I retire” now says it all!!!
although i do like the quote example on this blog that says “am i simply just too attractive?” reminds me of mad men… =)
I love them all but this one is probably my favorite……and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End.
My current fave: “It’s so INVOLVED being me…”
LOL! Loves it!!
“high maintenance” doesn’t even begin to cover it, but they all make me giggle. I love Anne’s style!
So many gems, but I’m going to say this one:
“The secret ingredient is resentment”
My all-time favorite is “She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right.” I love them all, though. Thanks for this feature!
I always get the Christmas cards – my favorite one (and also one loved by everyone to whom I sent it) was a depiction of a guy in a reindeer sweater with the caption: “Gay apparel didn’t begin to describe it.”
HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!!!!!!!!!!!!
I LOVE A. Taintor. “She was one cocktail away from proving his mother right” has to be the final word.
I’ve always been partial to “She had not yet decided whether to use her power for good… or for evil.”
“She had not yet decided whether to use her power for good or for evil…”
“Male refrigerator blindness claims another victim” – oh, how often I have to deal with that! There are so many more that I could pick……!
I love several, but my very favorite is “The day was in dire need of a Ctrl + Alt + Delete”
“Male refrigerator blindness claims another victim”….but there are so many I like!
You say tomato. I say Bloody Mary.
I have two favorites:
“he was a blues song waiting to happen”
“she liked imaginary men best of all”
those are the magnets I have on my cubicle at work
“A real friend will help you bury the body.”
This made me laugh and think of my best friend, Becky. She once told me that I’d do anything for her. This sounds like something she’d say to be funny.
why, I’d be delighted to put my needs last again
My co-workers and I used to quote this one all the time!
“I believe we have an opportunity to make some extremely poor choices”
Standing in front of the dishwasher: “Et Voila–Margaritas for everyone!”
That just cracks me up.
there was nothing passive about her aggression
So many wonderful captions-but this one is classic: I don’t suffer fools gladly, but I’ll gladly make fools suffer.
The new ones with men are great, too- Now THAT’S how you throw a Frisbee! My son all over!
“I dreamed my whole house was clean”
and then I wake up.
Best gifts ever!
Have loved her art for years! My fav for my MCM cottage on the lake is “I love not camping.”
Goodness, choosing one favorite Ann quote is like trying to chose my favorite child ~ so not fair! But if I must, “Can someone call the Coast Guard? I believe I’ve dropped my Mai Tai.” always makes me giggle:)
Great interview. And thanks for the giveaway ~ awesome!
~Cindy
“A real friend will help you hide the body”! Ha hahahahah!!! That’s my favorite!
“Good girls go to heaven…I just want to go shopping”
The one of the bride that says, “She was blissfully unaware of her peril.” I’m getting married next year and it cracks me up every time. I only have one postcard, though I wish I had them as a part of my stationery.
The magnet on my fridge says, “I dreamed my whole house was clean…” The one I’ve been meaning to buy is “…and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End.” I had a weekly desk calendar with many of these when I was working in a very dysfunctional office and Anne’s wit and attitude got me through many lousy days there. Thanks, Anne!
My favorite caption is: Surely it must be five o’clock somewhere. (I was just sort of thinking this a moment ago.)
Great stuff, Anne and Pam!
“As promised, she served him his balls on a tray”
LOL this is my favorite and boy can I relate to it LOL
I always get a giggle out of the caption, Can someone call the Coast Guard? I believe I’ve dropped my Mai Tai. It’s a perfect blend of sweetness and sauciness.
One of my favorites, is “…do I ever question your lifestyle?”
Great interview with Anne…
I’ll have to say “true, there were side effects” is my favorite. The fridge magnet was given to my by a dear friend, thereby introducing me to Anne T.’s wonderful world of atomic Wonder Bread.
Great interview, Pam! Thanks so much to the both of you.
“Can someone call the Coast Guard? I believe I’ve dropped my Mai Tai.”
and, because i am hopelessly indecisive, my runners-up:
“laundry! grocery shopping! carpool! and it’s not even my birthday!”
“whoever said laughter is the best medicine had clearly never tasted scotch”
Love her stuff! I like the “flattery will get you nowhere… a Mercedes, on the other hand…” quote
when I said “for poorer” you can’t think I was serious.
“She liked imaginary men best of all.”
“My garden kicks ass”
‘domestically disabled’
“Cocktail hour did absolute wonders for office morale.”
Tough choice to pick a favorite!
My favorite is “Guess Where I’m Tattooed” but I truly love them all! I always give these products as a little something extra with every gift, everyone loves them!
I love them all….my absolute favorite is ” Frugal is such an ugly word”
“Why yes, I am that kind of girl” cracks me up every time.
“I love not camping” had me hooked the first time I saw it! Love Anne’s work!
My favorite Anne Taintor-isms: “I’m happy, don’t ruin it,” “because chocolate can’t get you pregnant,” and my favorite…”tact is for people who aren’t witty enough to be sarcastic.”
I have been a fan for years and it’s really hard for me to narrow it down. But my mother, in appreciation of my efforts on behalf of my children and my husband, bought me this magnet:
“why, I’d be delighted to put my needs last again”
And frankly, it’s probably a little more fitting than I would like to admit. I’m terrible about putting myself first. And it just makes me laugh to see that magnet each morning and night right smack dab in the middle of the fridge. LOL!
as the mom of 5 I can’t pick between “…and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End ” & “WOW! I get to give birth AND change diapers!” I have several items with both captions
Favorite caption: (even though I love them all!) Twinkle Twinkle Little Cup…how’d my life get so f***ed up.
Am loving the new Man Man era products and can’t wait to immerse myself in them!
I’m a guy, but if I bought anything for my wife, it would have to be something with: “I love not camping”.
“I love not camping” is by far my favorite.
I dreamed my whole house was clean…
I get the Anne Taintor calendars every year, save my favorite months and then hang them in my retro-renovated kitchen. I switch them out annually—they fit perfectly in those square record-cover frames that you can get at Christmas Tree Shoppes for $4.99. They look best in the silver frame to match my chrome counter edging! But enough about me…
I love so many quotes, but my favorite has got to be “Damn right I keep score!” And…damn right I do!
There is just way too many to choose from but I laughed at the “Guess where I’m tattooed” one….haha….:)
“I believe we have an opportunity to make some very poor choices” HAS to be my favorite!! Reminds me of myself and my bf, lol
It’s near impossible to narrow it down to just one fave caption, like picking out the cutest puppy in a litter! But here goes:
“Can someone call the Coast Guard? I believe I’ve dropped my Mai Tai.”
“I believe we have an opportunity to make some extremely poor choices”
you’re never too old… to try something stupid
…and then the children cleaned their rooms, got mommy her drink, and went straight to bed. The End.
The grill wasn’t the only thing that was flaming.
I like work. It fascinates me. I can sit and look at it for hours.
I believe we have an opportunity to make some extremely poor choices…..story of my life
I’m so happy it’s happy hour
“fortunately for him, she had just that minute lowered the bar”
awesome.
I love so many, but I’m feeling “Say it with carbohydrates” a lot lately…
“she liked imaginary men best of all”
All of these are so great!!!! But for today….you know Friday after dealing with my “lovely” co-workers all week I’ll pick, “ever wish you could shoot some people with more than just a camera?”
Oh c’mon we’ve all been there!
Too many to choose from, but for now we’ll go with “martinis… they’re not just for breakfast anymore”.
you say lazy like it’s a bad thing