Wednesday, July 18, 2012

Drawing the Marx Brothers

The Marx Brothers/1935
Over the years I've drawn the funny and brilliant Marx brothers (and specifically Groucho Marx, who I had the pleasure of meeting on three separate occasions in my teenage years) a number of times. This portrait is my latest limited edition print, the three Marx brothers at the time they were filming "A Night at the Opera" at MGM in 1935. 

The imaged was commissioned for the book "The Art of the Marx Brothers", to be published by Fantagraphics books in 2014, edited by Daniel Kinske, and will include hundreds of illustrations and cartoons of the Marx's, including many by the legendary Al Hirschfeld.

The Swedish wrestler/actor Tor Johnson appeared on "You Bet Your Life" in 1960. I transcribed the interview in 1982 and created this illustration to appear with it for STOP! magazine

/www.youtube.com/watch?v=QcjwdRn_n-M
Groucho Marx in 1975 celebrating his 85th birthday. Drawn in 1985, unpublished till now.
Robin Williams, Ellen DeGeneres and Chris Rock channeling the Marx Brothers famous "Stateroom Scene" from "A Night at the Opera". Drawn in charcoal pencil for Entertainment Weekly, 1998
Created in 2006 for my book of portraits "Old Jewish Comedians",  L To R: Groucho, Chico and Harpo

"More Old Jewish Comedians" (2007) Zeppo & Gummo Marx
From the NY Observer/2005, Groucho appears with T.S. Eliot in panel #2
Cover art created for the autobiography of comedy writer ("At the Circus", "Go West") and close friend of Groucho's,  Irvng Brecher, "The Wicked Wit of the West" (a phrase coined by Groucho )
"You Bet Your Life" starring Groucho Marx. This image was created as a limited edition print and features Groucho in 1960 at age 70.
http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/groucho.html
Groucho Marx posed with his Captain Spaulding pith helmet circa 1972. Image created for the cover of the memoir "Raised Eyebrows" by Steve Stoliar (Bear Manor Media)

cover designed by Monte Beauchamp

6 comments:

  1. Great to see all this Friedman/Marx goodness all in one place. Thanks, Drew!

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  2. Brilliant artwork, of a deserving subject. I'm the only Marx Brothers fan in my office (at Warner Bros., Burbank.) How times have changed - and not for the better.

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  3. I love all the loving attention and detail to the eye bags! :D

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