The name Eldon Dedini may not ring a bell, but one glance at the 84-year-old Monterey County native’s iconic cartoons will likely elicit instant recognition and a wry grin from generations of “gentlemen.”

For the past 45 years, Dedini’s cartoons have graced the pages of Playboy magazine, making him one of America’s most beloved cartoonists, if not a household name. And although his trademark wit and distinct style are most closely associated with the legendary men’s publication, Dedini’s work has also been a mainstay in the tamer pages of other major magazines over the years, including The New Yorker and Esquire.

The cosmopolitan cartoonist returned to his Salinas Valley roots in the 1980s, and since then he has designed ad campaigns for the local ag industry. This weekend, an exhibit of Dedini’s work, aptly titled Broccoli and Babes, opens at Sasoonsti Gallery in Salinas.