Current Work around: Log out and log in, fixes the issue for the session.
The Issue started when I did on update in October of 2018. Here is the list of all packages updated. The cause should be in this list, but the only suspects for the bug are imagemagick and system library updates. I suspect it is boot order related, because logging out fixes it until reboot. In the event this is not solved, I won't be too upset. I have a simple fast work around right now. This is more to document that this bug exists and what is a possible cause. And also to highlight the simple work around for anyone else experiencing it now.
System info: (an old dell laptop)Start-Date: 2018-10-17 11:23:43
Commandline: /usr/sbin/synaptic --hide-main-window --non-interactive --parent-window-id 90177555 -o Synaptic::closeZvt=true --progress-str Please wait, this can take some time --finish-str Update is complete --set-selections-file /tmp/tmp7b5fqgd7
Requested-By: owner (1000)
Upgrade: libservlet3.1-java:amd64 (8.0.32-1ubuntu1.7, 8.0.32-1ubuntu1.8), python-samba:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), linux-libc-dev:amd64 (4.4.0-134.160, 4.4.0-137.163), imagemagick:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.12, 8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.13), libwbclient0:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), liblouis9:amd64 (2.6.4-2ubuntu0.3, 2.6.4-2ubuntu0.4), libgs9:amd64 (9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.9, 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1), libmagickwand-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.12, 8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.13), libsnmp-base:amd64 (5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.1, 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.2), python3-louis:amd64 (2.6.4-2ubuntu0.3, 2.6.4-2ubuntu0.4), initramfs-tools-bin:amd64 (0.122ubuntu8.12, 0.122ubuntu8.13), vivaldi-stable:amd64 (2.0.1309.29-2, 2.0.1309.37-2), python3-requests:amd64 (2.9.1-3, 2.9.1-3ubuntu0.1), libapparmor1:amd64 (2.10.95-0ubuntu2.9, 2.10.95-0ubuntu2.10), adobe-flashplugin:amd64 (1:20180911.1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, 1:20181009.1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1), libxkbcommon-x11-0:amd64 (0.5.0-1ubuntu2, 0.5.0-1ubuntu2.1), thunderbird-gnome-support:amd64 (1:52.9.1+build3-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, 1:60.2.1+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.4), samba-libs:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), imagemagick-6.q16:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.12, 8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.13), libsnmp30:amd64 (5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.1, 5.7.3+dfsg-1ubuntu4.2), libapparmor-perl:amd64 (2.10.95-0ubuntu2.9, 2.10.95-0ubuntu2.10), thunderbird-locale-en-us:amd64 (1:52.9.1+build3-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, 1:60.2.1+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.4), samba-common:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), firefox-locale-en:amd64 (62.0+linuxmint4+sylvia, 62.0.3+linuxmint1+sylvia), ghostscript:amd64 (9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.9, 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1), ghostscript-x:amd64 (9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.9, 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1), libsmbclient:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), smbclient:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), samba-common-bin:amd64 (2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.16, 2:4.3.11+dfsg-0ubuntu0.16.04.17), libmagickcore-6.q16-2:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.12, 8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.13), libgs9-common:amd64 (9.18~dfsg~0-0ubuntu2.9, 9.25~dfsg+1-0ubuntu0.16.04.1), thunderbird:amd64 (1:52.9.1+build3-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, 1:60.2.1+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.4), liblouis-data:amd64 (2.6.4-2ubuntu0.3, 2.6.4-2ubuntu0.4), firefox:amd64 (62.0+linuxmint4+sylvia, 62.0.3+linuxmint1+sylvia), apparmor:amd64 (2.10.95-0ubuntu2.9, 2.10.95-0ubuntu2.10), imagemagick-common:amd64 (8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.12, 8:6.8.9.9-7ubuntu5.13), libxkbcommon0:amd64 (0.5.0-1ubuntu2, 0.5.0-1ubuntu2.1), thunderbird-locale-en:amd64 (1:52.9.1+build3-0ubuntu0.16.04.1, 1:60.2.1+build1-0ubuntu0.16.04.4), initramfs-tools-core:amd64 (0.122ubuntu8.12, 0.122ubuntu8.13), initramfs-tools:amd64 (0.122ubuntu8.12, 0.122ubuntu8.13), tzdata:amd64 (2017c-0ubuntu0.16.04, 2018e-0ubuntu0.16.04), libkpathsea6:amd64 (2015.20160222.37495-1, 2015.20160222.37495-1ubuntu0.1)
End-Date: 2018-10-17 11:25:54
OS: Linux Mint 18.2 Cinnamon 64bit
Cinnamon: 3.4.6
Kernel: 4.15.0-33-generic
Processor: Intel Core i7-2670QM CPU @ 2.20 GHz x 4
Graphics Card: Intel Corp. 2nd gen Core Processor Family Integrated Graphics Controller
Graphics Card: NVIDIA Corporation GF108M [ GeForce GT 525M ]
Active Graphics Driver: (Nvidia Linux-x86_64) 384.130-0ubuntu0.16.04.1