D R E W • F R I E D M A N

John Severin's CRACKED Paperback covers

2012-02-15T10:39:00.005-05:00

1961

The late John Severin was a legendary comic book artist who's work appeared regularly in a wide variety of comics publications for more than half a century.

He was an artist for EC comics in the early fifties, mainly for their war titles such as "Two-Fisted Tales", and was also one of the five original MAD artists (along with Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Wally Wood and Jack Davis), contributing art to nine of the first ten issues, and later he became the main artist for the MAD imitation magazine, the much maligned "Cracked".

When I was a kid in the sixties, I was never much of a fan of Cracked (nor the other MAD imitation magazine "Sick"), realizing the writing was usually weak and unfunny, and the artwork was below par. I vastly preferred (and collected) the essential MAD...

"No one was ever a fan of Cracked. We would buy Mad every month, but about two weeks later we would get anxious for new material. We would tell ourselves, 'OK, we are not going to buy Cracked. Never again!' And we'd hold out for a while, but then as the month dragged on it just became, 'OK, I guess I'll buy Cracked.' Then you'd bring it home, and immediately you'd remember, 'Oh yeah, I hate Cracked!'"

- Dan Clowes, former Cracked artist

"Are you kidding? Was Cracked anyone's first choice?"

- Peter Bagge, former Cracked writer

...But I WAS a fan of John Severin's artwork, so I would pick up an occasional issue of Cracked over the years.

What I DID enjoy the most about Cracked though, and collected, were the sporadic paperbacks that featured beautifully painted covers by Severin, featuring their own Alfred E. Neuman imitation, side-splitting Cracked Mascot, janitor Sylvester P. Smythe:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sylvester_P._Smythe

John Severin did only five of the Cracked paperback covers, all of which I've included here:

1961

1962

1965

1973

1975

Does anyone know if is this by Severin or Basil Gogos who did the later Cracked paperback covers? It's not signed.

JUMPING COMEDIANS!

2012-02-13T12:02:00.005-05:00

Dean Martin & Jerry Lewis

Beginning in the early fifties, renowned LIFE magazine photographer Philippe Halsman would ask his portrait subjects to pose "jumping" for his camera for a series of photographs he called "Jumpology". He managed to amass 178 photos of movies stars, politicians, statesmen, dancers, artists and comedians all posed in the act of defied gravity. The photos were collected in "The Jump Book", published by Simon & Schuster in 1959. The book is long out of print.

Here are the "Jumpology" photos of the comedians/comic actors/comic performers, all captured in mid air:

Original ad for "The Jump Book"

Danny Kaye

Phil Silvers

Milton Berle

Philippe Halsman with Ray Bolger

Jackie Gleason

Bob Hope

Martin & Lewis

Harold Lloyd

Fernandel

Groucho Marx

Shirley MacLaine

Jacques Tati

Jimmy Durante

Peter Ustinov

Donald O'Connor

Lucille Ball

Dennis Day

Liberace

J. Fred Muggs

Richard Nixon

WHAT'S COOKIN'? ( My Cookbook collection)

2012-02-06T13:28:00.005-05:00

Bill Utterback in V.I.P. magazine

2012-01-23T16:02:00.015-05:00

Flip Wilson by Bill Utterback

Bill Utterback (1931-2010) was, beginning in the early nineteen sixties, Playboy magazine's resident caricaturist, and was also considered by many to be the most popular caricaturist living in Chicago. In fact, he was often cited as "The Hirschfeld of the Windy City".

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Utterback

In the seventies, his caricatures of "Second City" comedian/improve cast members graced the lobby bar of the legendary Second City Comedy theatre in Chicago, where many famous comedians first got their start.
http://www.chicagoreader.com/Bleader/archives/2010/02/12/second-city-caricaturist-is-dead

Beginning in the early sixties and lasting into the seventies, Utterback contributed a regular black and white caricature that would appear in Playboy's offshoot magazine "V.I.P., The Playboy Club Magazine":

Playboy published V.I.P. (Very Important Playboys) as a way of keeping members of the Playboy Club informed about all things Playboy. In particular, the magazine let members know which entertainers were due to perform at their various Playboy clubs. Many of the portraits would then hang in the Playboy clubs.

I've long enjoyed these elegant, (and some, very sexy) lush, B&W watercolor caricature portraits of various 'hip" comedians and singers (some still famous, some totally forgotten). Bill Utterback also created (full color) caricatures for the popular annual Playboy features "That Was The Year That Was" and for their "Playboy Jazz/Pop Poll"

Henry Mancini for Playboy

The caricatures he created for V.I.P. magazine have rarely been seen, outside of subscribers to V.I.P.(which no longer exists), and to member's of the Playboy clubs. So, if these fabulous drawings are new to you, enjoy!

Joan Rivers

Jackie Mason

Beverly Saunders

Shelley Berman

Florence Henderson

Donna Theadore

Bobby Sargent

Tony Bennett

Michael Dees

Diahann Carroll

Misty Walker

Vic Damone

Lonnie Shorr

Teri Thornton

Chubby Checker

The Everly Brothers

Mort Sahl

Liza Minnelli

Flip Wilson

Flip Wilson II

Jackie Curtiss

Sammy Davis, Jr.

Sonny & Cher

Ann-Margaret

Tiny Tim

Gabriel Kaplan

FART Magazine

2012-01-20T15:12:00.001-05:00

FART

In the fifties and sixties, there was a Swedish car magazine named “Fart.” “Fart” is a Swedish word meaning “speed.” Although this likely caused no problem in the magazine’s home country, rumors abound that this was quite embarrassing when the writers would travel to international car and racing events.

various FARTS

FART

Jack Rickard's Movie Comedy Posters

2012-01-15T15:40:00.025-05:00

Jack Rickard's first film poster, from 1963

Throughout the sixties and seventies, Jack Rickard was a popular MAD magazine artist as well as one of the most prolific illustrators working in advertising. In fact, whenever the "MAD Men" did a advertising/MADison Ave spoof, Jack was usually they're Go-To guy for the art, satirizing what he knew best and biting the hand that fed him. Among "the usual gang of idiots", his name isn't as famous as say, Don Martin, Mort Drucker, Jack Davis or Al Jaffee among others, but his work was consistently on-target, fun, funny, likeable and always beautifully painted. he's long been one of my MAD favorites.

Long-time MAD editor, and the author of the seminal "The Art of Humorous Illustration" Nick Meglin on Jack Rickard: "My appreciation of Jack Rickard's work was that he could do such terrific work in every medium to give us the special look we needed for each piece--line work here, a funny rendered "Ad" parody there, etc."

MAD writer Frank Jacobs on Jack Rickard: "Jack Rickard was a joy to work with and a talent like no other."

Alfred E. Neuman morphing into MAD publisher William M. Gaines

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jack_Rickard

J.R. also enjoyed a career (beginning in 1963), as one of the most in-demand film comedy poster artists, (at first exclusively with United Artists), lasting through the seventies and into the eighties. It's his film poster work I'll be showcasing here. Along with Jack Davis, Frank Frazetta, Sanford Kossin (all of whose film poster work I've recently blogged about), and to a lesser extent Mort Drucker, J.R. turned out many terrific, fun and innovative movie poster images. Jack's career at MAD lasted only 22 years, beginning in 1962, with his last illustrated piece running in 1984. He died of cancer in 1983 at age 61. At that time, J.R. had become MAD's main cover artist, having taken over from the late, great Norman Mingo.

cover art by Jack Rickard

I hope you enjoy the terrific film poster art (plus a few extra rare items) of the great Jack Rickard. Some of the posters will be familiar and some will hopefully be new to you (many were to me).

larger view

Spanish version of the poster

also from 1963, a long forgotten Italian comedy

a forgotten caper film comedy from 1965 with a fun J.R. poster

from 1966, a Billy Wilder hit, poster art by Jack Rickard

Jerry Lewis/Tony curtis, together for the first and last time! "the big comedy from Nineteen Sexty Sex!" (1966)

from 1967, a great cast, and another " It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" inspired comedy, and J.R.'s most elaborate poster art to date. Produced by Moe Howard's son-in-law!

Trailers from Hell on "Who's Minding the Mint?"

a Bob Hope/Phyllis Diller "comedy" from 1968

Jack was hired in 1969 to do the original poster art for "Bob, Carol, Ted & Alice" which was ultimately not used. But he enjoyed the last laugh when MAD asked him to do their cover parody of the film in 1970.

the original J.R. art

another popular Jack Lemmon comedy (based on the work of James Thurber) from 1972

the newspaper add for the film

from 1974, the sequel to "The Three Musketeers" (like that needed to be explained)

the Yugoslav poster and a closer look at J.R.'s art, and Raquel Welch's boobs

from 1974, a Peter Sellers comedy, original title: "Soft Beds, Hard Battles" (Oy vey)

A second version with additional J.R. caricatures of Peter sellers in various disguises.

J.R. created several versions of poster art for this popular Sidney Poitier comedy with an all-star black cast, also from his busy year of 1974

second version

Jack's poster art for the sequel from 1975. Sanford Kossin also created a poster image for this film (see my blog on Kossin)

larger version

Art by J.R., unclear which film it was commissioned for.

J.R. was hired to create the poster art for another all-star black film comedy, "The Bingo Long Traveling All-Stars and Motor Kings" in 1976 for Motown films, which was ultimately not used

more unused art created for "Bingo Long"

Artwork created for "The Ritz" (1976), for some reason unused

J.R. art done in 1978 for the poster for "Movie Movie" starring George C. Scott, but not used

"From the MADman that started it all"... Not.

from 1980, and a legendary, clueless, godawful film disaster (directed by Robert Downey's dad!). MAD publisher William Gaines hated it so much he had MAD do a vicious satire of it. The film's Star Ron Liebman had his name removed from it. The only reason it was even made was an attempt to cash in on the huge success of "National Lampoon's Animal House" from two years earlier. It backfired and bombed. The only actual connections this film had to MAD was the large statue created of Alfred E. Neuman (Which Gaines acquired and sits to this day in the reception room at the MAD offices) and this poster art created by Jack Rickard.

J.R. poster art created for the 1980 Martin Mull/Tuesday Weld/Tommy Smothers comedy "Serial" (directed by the legendary comedy writer Bill Persky), though finally not used.

Jack Rickard's final poster illustration, a Dudley Moore all-star "Dud", also from 1980.

Thanks to Nick Meglin, Sandy Kossin and Justin Humphreys

The Movie Comedy Poster Art of Frank Frazetta

2012-01-08T14:07:00.026-05:00

Frank Frazetta's first film poster from 1965

The late Frank Frazetta was the reigning king of fantasy, science fiction and horror illustration. In the mid sixties, he was mainly working as a freelance illustrator, creating countless covers for fantasy paperbacks, covers for the Warren horror publications Creepy and Eerie, and occasionally doing work for MAD magazine. One of his MAD illustrations, a portrait of Ringo Starr for a back cover parody ad, caught the attention of an an art director at United Artists who hired him to create the poster art for their new comedy "What's New Pussycat". For FF, a new (and lucrative) career was born. He later mentioned in an interview that he was paid $5000 for the job, "A whole years pay, earned in one afternoon".

Since the great Jack Davis had set the standard creating the "madcap" poster art for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963, the illustrated "mob scene" (people/all-star casts running in mad pursuit for some, or no particular reason) comedy film poster was in vogue, and along with cartoonist/illustrators Davis, Jack Rickard and Sanford Kossin... http://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2011/06/sandy-kossin-realistically-funny.html

...Frank Frazetta joined them (always uncredited) as one of the most prominent practitioners of the art, and along the way rendering the sexiest females. Aside from Jack Davis, FF's film poster work was also clearly influenced by the illustrator Pete Hawley's advertising and film poster work dating back to the thirties (an example from 1963:)

art by Pete Hawley

When I posted my recent Dick Van Dyke film poster blog featuring Frazetta's poster art for "Fitzwilly", I was surprised to hear from more than a few folks who had no idea FF had created film posters, let alone film COMEDY posters. A terrific article by artist William Stout, "The Movie Poster Art of Frank Frazetta" appeared in the Bill Spicer/Mark Evanier edited Fanfare magazine in 1978,

and seeing it is when I first realized FF had created so many fun, wild, action packed film comedy posters (alas, all the posters in Fanfare were printed in B&W). So here are all of the film comedy posters he created between 1965-74, in full color, as well as a few extra rare pieces. By the seventies, FF basically was creating art for himself, not needing or wanting to take on assignments aside from every now and then. FF also created poster images for several seventies fantasy/horror films, and later a Clint Eastwood film ("The Gauntlet") but I'm only including his movie comedy art here.

Oh, and once again, overall, as in so many other cases, the posters are of course FAR better than the actual films.

Leonard Maltin on the Film Comedy Poster art of FF:
http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/frazetta-on-film

back cover parody ad for MAD #90 which led to FF's first film poster assignment. Frazetta didn't do much for MAD (much to publisher Bill Gaines dismay), but what he did was choice.

A second (running) version created by FF

click to enlarge

British poster

also from 1965, FF's second (sexy) film poster, and forgettable film

larger view

the spanish poster with alternate FF artwork

FF art created for the Patty Duke tomboy comedy "Billie" in 1965, not used on the final poster

several version's of FF's wonderful, madcap "After the Fox" poster art, from 1966

detail of FF's art

Trailers from Hell on "After The Fox":
http://trailersfromhell.com/trailers/356

"Hotel Paradiso" also from 1966, forgettable film, great FF poster art

"The Busy Body" from 1967 was horror film producer/director William Castle's attempt to recreate the success of "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" (from a novel by Donald Westlake), even casting one of it's stars, Sid Caesar, in the lead. GREAT cast, but the film still bombed. Still, a great, "Busy" FF poster!

Larger view (click to enlarge)

FF created the cartoon art that runs below the main vampire image (possibly painted by Gray Morrow?) for this 1967 Roman Polanski horror comedy

A Dick Van Dyke caper comedy from 1967 featuring poster art by FF. For some reason, the studio demanded that photos of the actor's heads be pasted on the art, which FF was then asked to retouch. He was not at all happy about that approach.

"Mad Monster Party" from 1967. The screenplay was co-written by Harvey Kurtzman, the characters were designed by Jack Davis, and this poster art is by Frazetta. FF created 2 watercolor sketches as samples, then was surprised to see upon the film's release that one of the sketches was actually used as the poster art. He would be fully compensated.

FF's second watercolor sketch created for Mad Monster Party

also from 1967, Jack Davis created the poster art for the James Coburn comedy "Waterhole #3", but FF's portrait of singer Roger Miller appears on the soundtrack LP.

from 1968, and FF's most elaborate, complex film poster to date. Just before the film's release, co-star Bert Lahr died, and his face (originally the cop is carrying Lahr into the Paddywagon. See below:) was replaced by FF with fellow co-star Norman Wisdom's face.

detail of Bert Lahr (first version)

closer detail of the finished version. Bert Lahr now lays on the ground.

Incidental FF art created for the film's pressbook. This had been incorrectly ID'd as Bert Lahr online, but it clearly isn't (nose too small, no prominent bags under his eyes), perhaps Denholm Elliot?

FF created the poster artwork for this 1968 Lucille Ball/Henry Fonda comedy (which helped spawn... The Brady Bunch)

closer detail...

The Fonda family

The poster for the (believe it or not) Roy Orbison comedy/musical/western "The Fastest Guitar Alive" (1968). Yes, this actually existed and was released. FF's art can be seen in the oval on the bottom...

... and prominently on the soundtrack LP cover

from 1971, and another incredible, elaborate FF painting

closer look

FF's final comedy film poster artwork was created for this forgettable gem from 1974.

My grateful acknowledgement to William Stout for first introducing me to FF's film posters.

Thanks also to Ed Edo Dennis

Dick Van Dyke Movie posters

2012-01-03T12:05:00.038-05:00

"Fitzwilly"

Dick Van Dyke has long been one of my favorite comedians. His classic sitcom, "The Dick Van Dyke Show" (1961-66), created by Carl Reiner, might well be (arguably) the greatest sitcom in TV history.

http://classicsitcoms.com/thedickvandykeshow/DVDsitedocs/blurbs.html

After making a sensation starring in the original Broadway production of "Bye Bye Birdie", followed by an easy transition to television star, it seemed inevitable that Dick Van Dyke would become a movie comedy star, which he did. His film debut came in 1963, when he starred in the film version "Bye Bye Birdie" a box office hit, then co-starred the following year with Julie Andrews in the mega Walt Disney smash "Mary Poppins".

Dick Van Dyke's eventual problem though was that "The Dick Van Dyke Show" had set the bar so high for television comedy, and Rob and Laura Petrie were such familiar and beloved characters in America's homes, that equalling that writing and performing standard in his movies would sadly wind up being a near impossible task, and audiences finally had trouble excepting him as anybody other than Rob Petrie. Van Dyke (or his agents?) also had a knack for picking (mostly) lousy film projects, either coy, silly "sex comedies", which were in abundance in the mid sixties, or watered down Disney family fare, appearing in one critical and box office dud after another, his only other genuine hit being the late sixties family musical "Chitty Chitty Bang Bang". As on TV, Van Dyke was always extremely appealing and likable in his films (His TV wife Mary Tyler Moore would also suffer a similar fate attempting to make the transition to movies), yet his movie career wound up being brief, petering out after only 8 years and 12 films, before he returned to the relatively safer world of television sitcoms, dramas, and live theatre.

I've included all of his starring/co-starring film posters, dating from 1963-71, and one from 1979. As in the case of so many other films, the majority of the posters are far superior to the actual films.

Dick Van Dyke's first film, repeating his stage role as failed songwriter Albert Peterson. Van Dyke disliked the film version, which highlighted (for good reason) new sex kitten starlet Ann-Margret. The director George Sidney was clearly smitten with her, building up her part (which was far smaller in the original show) and repeatedly shooting her in lovingly soft-focus close-ups. After Van Dyke returned from watching a preview, he muttered to his Dick Van Dyke Show co-star Rose Marie "If you're my friend, you will never go see "Bye Bye Birdie".

Yet Bye Bye Birdie is a funny, fun, fast-paced musical comedy, featuring a great cast (overall), especially Van Dyke, Paul Lynde and Ed Sullivan himself, a sexy Ann-Margret, a clever screenplay adaption by legendary comedy writer Irving Brecher, and terrific songs from the original show. It was rightfully a big hit.

Put on a Happy Face

Van Dyke had a small cameo role in this so-so Shirley MacLaine comedy

The original poster for Mary Poppins, which transformed Dick Van Dyke as Burt the chimney sweep (with a faux British accent), into a huge movie star.

Van Dyke's first "sixties sex comedy", featuring Ethel Merman as "Madame Coco"

British poster

the Australian version of the poster. The Aussie's had a knack for never being able to capture an American likeness on a film poster.

Lovely art (by one of the James Bond poster artists), lousy film, though the chimp was funny.

Another version. Yup, the chimp clearly steals the show

and another

and the best yet

This film is actually pretty good, from "Tandem" the new team of Bud Yorkin and Norman Lear, the American answer to "Divorce Italian Style", but a "pointless" poster (who is he pointing at? And why?), aside from the cartoon art, a larger version of which was wisely featured on the cover of the soundtrack album.

A more amusing illustrated poster for the British version

Van Dyke plays a lovable criminal British butler in this likable caper film comedy. Poster art by the one and only Frank Frazetta. The heads of the 4 stars are actually photographs pasted over the artwork that Frazetta was asked by the studio to retouch, an approach Frank was not at all happy with.

Same film, different Frazetta/Fitzwilly pose

"Star of the year" for 1965

... but always a Dull film. A dull, lifeless clinker with a fun poster.

A second poster version

and a third

From the same folks who brought you James Bond, and another hit musical comedy for Dick Van Dyke (not attempting a British accent this time around)

Van Dyke gets the full throttle Jack Davis poster treatment. Another incredibly dopey comedy flop (written and directed by Garson Kanin, attempting late sixties "hipness") about a bank teller who of all things, grows a beard, and the wackiness that ensues. This is rated "Bomb" in Leonard Maltin's movie guide.

"The Comic" was a long planned dream project for Dick Van Dyke and writer/director Carl Reiner, a fictional biography of a troubled, self destructive silent film comedian named Billy Bright, loosely based on Buster Keaton, with a little Stan Laurel, Harry Langdon and Lloyd Hamilton thrown in.

Trailer's from Hell on "The Comic"...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSf_OipjBNo&feature=fvsr

The film premiered in 1969 with barely a notice (I saw it shortly after it opened on second bill with "The Desperado's" starring Vince Edwards... which actually wasn't bad!), but over the years it's become a huge cult favorite. It's heavily flawed, much of the scenes and dialog between Van Dyke and Michelle Lee sound far too similar to Rob and Laura Petrie dialog, actors appear in the 1920's with late sixties sideburns, Billy Bright's erratic behavior is never fully explained, the late sixties color is too garish, etc)...

Yet the film still has some unforgettable sequences recreating vintage silent film comedy, a memorable Steve Allen show sequence and an hilarious Billy Bright TV commercial for "Whitey White", a great, a subtle performance by Mickey Rooney as fellow film comic and pal "Cockeye", and especially Dick Van Dyke, Oscar worthy as Billy Bright, particularly during his sad final days, bald, alone and forgotten in his small Hollywood apartment.

Would some company please finally get this out on DVD! Sheesh!!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Comic

... and once again, the ridiculous Australian version

Dick Van Dyke's final starring film comedy role, from 1971, a wild, darkly funny and hip satire with a terrific cast (including Bob Newhart and Bob & Ray!) about a town going smoke-free for one month. This was the only film directed by Norman Lear just before he created "All in the Family". Still, the box office did poorly and the 46 year old Van Dyke returned to TV to star in "The NEW Dick Van Dyke show"

Great poster art by Sanford Kossin!

Screenwriter Larry Karaszewski's "Trailers from Hell": Cold Turkey

When "Cold Turkey" began to tank at the box office, this second Sanford Kossin poster was created adding a bit more sex appeal.

in 1979, Dick Van Dyke returned to the screen to star in Stanley Kramer's final film, this dreary drama, based on the Broadway play of the same name. It received negative reviews and was a box office failure, and would also be Van Dyke's last starring film role.

Thanks to Leonard Maltin, Jerry Beck, Dan Yaccarino, Stephen Kroninger and Larry Karaszewski

The 2011 Caricaturist's Convention

2011-12-28T15:43:00.018-05:00

My cover to the caricaturist's quarterly (originally the cover art
for "The Wicked Wit of the West" by Irving Brecher)

One of the highlights of my year was appearing as the invited guest speaker at this year's International Caricaturists Convention in early Nov, held at the Tradewinds resort in St. Pete's Beach, Florida. The convention ran for five days, and was attended by hundreds of professional and novice caricaturists from all around the world.

This convention is unique, in that that it's a "working convention", the caricaturists sit in the large pavilion and draw (mainly each other) throughout the duration of the convention, their results finally displayed for competition, the winners announced at the awards banquet on the final night.

http://www.caricature.org/

I provided the keynote visual address for the convention :"Old Jewish Comedians and me", as well as a second visual presentation; "Adventures and misadventures", detailing my career high points and low points, and all points in between (making sure there were no children in attendance). The most enjoyable part of the convention for me (aside from the sun, and the beach, and the pool, and the food, and the...) was getting to meet so many talented artists, watching them work and witnessing their amazing results. My thanks again to everyone at ISCA (International Society of Caricature Artists) for being so kind to my wife and I.

Next years guest speaker, the great John Kascht.

The beautiful Tradewinds resort at St. Pete's Beach (free plug! I expect a room upgrade next time)

some highlights from the ISCA convention via Brent Brown.

the always dapper Brit, Steve Hearn, the president of ISCA (with his gorgeous Florida suntan), me, and artist Brent Brown

Steve Hearn by Court Jones

preparing to begin my keynote presentation. My projected name helped to remind me of exactly who I was.

Part of my keynote PP presentation. Explaining what I liked drawing the most and combining them, Old Jews, and Comedians, I showed this cover image of George W. Bush as a comedian example. I had the honor of being the first artist to draw Bush on the cover of a national magazine, just after he announced his candidacy for presidency in 1999.

my portrait of Old Jewish comedienne, Joan Rivers

After my second presentation, I entertained questions from the ISCA audience. Here are some Highlights. (thanks to Steven Kaufman for transcribing)

Q. (Audience member): When did you decide to be an artist?

A. (DF): When I was a little kid, right off the bat. All I wanted to do was draw, draw faces. I didn’t want to go to school, I didn’t want to go out and play, I didn't want to go to camp, all I wanted to do was draw, read comic books and MAD, and watch TV. I watched Our Gang, The Three Stooges, F-Troop, Popeye cartoons, Superman, Soupy Sales, old horror and comedy movies... That's the only education I was interested in. To me school was a complete waste of time. I knew that then and I still believe it. I still resent being sent to school. And It was always drawing faces, an obsession with ugly faces, to this day. My type of caricature is closer to slight distortion rather than over the top caricature. Sometimes it can be over the top, but I'm more of a 'portrait artist" I suppose. I'm hard to pinpoint. I tend to jump around from caricature, to portraits, to comics, editorial illustration, cartoons...

My dad has made the observation that "Drew always notices the people that nobody else notices", Which is true. Aside from famous and obscure celebrities, I’ve been drawn to draw elevator operators, waiters, bus drivers, cab drivers, gas station attendants, comic shop clerks...

... people no one would think to draw or pay tribute to.

Q. (Tom Richmond): What absolutely amazes me about what you do – you’re an illustrator’s illustrator. A lot of theses guys here love to do faces, but I like how your work has a narrative aspect to it. You bring that in along with the beautiful drawings.

Another thing - most illustrators, when they do work for magazines work 150% to print size or bigger - so it gets nice and tight when it gets shrunk down. It makes you look like you really know what you’re doing. You work at print-size, so what we see printed in a magazine is exactly the size you worked at – with the incredible detail you give it.

A. (DF): I got into that early, when I was doing stipple. The dots, the thousands of dots. With stipple work especially, you had to be just an inch from the page while you're doing it. These days I work the brush. Some color pencil, mostly just water color. All on paper. I don’t work on a computer. I just do it the old-fashioned way like I’ve worked for the last 30 years. But like Tom, I like doing the small details. I love getting into those panels and focusing on the tiny background details that most other artists wouldn't think were important, the "chicken fat" as Harvey Kurtzman called it.

I’ve heard from art directors over the years who’ve said they’ve kind of grown up with my stuff, especially my comic strips. They knew it was just different from the kind of things they were seeing. I think a lot of them appreciated seeing the effort I was putting into it, especially when I was doing the stipple. Every little detail I think about.

Putting the extra effort in, like the great Tom Richmond does, people really appreciate that, I’ve found.

Q. (Audience member): Did you take classes?

A. (DF): I went to The School of Visual Arts in New York, where a lot of great caricaturists and cartoonists taught at the time. Harvey Kurtzman, taught there. Will Eisner, Art Spiegelman, Stan Mack, Edward Sorel, Arnold Roth. Not all of them great teachers but still It was kind of a golden era.

Q. (Audience member): Do you think the quality of MAD’s gone down since William M. Gaines died?

A. (DF): Well.. I think the quality went way UP... because they hired me as an artist soon after Bill Gaines died! (laughter from audience) It went sky high after that. I'm just not sure who reads MAD now. Kids, do they really buy magazines or comics anymore? It now comes out just six times a year... and there’s still some terrific work in there. Tom Richmond is a regular – his stuff is great. He’s the new Mort Drucker. Hermann Mejia is terrific. The computer generated covers by Mark Fredricson are first rate. And many of the old time idiots still contribute like Sergio and Al Jaffee. There’s still some great stuff they run in there, art wise and the writing too, but I don't think it's same as it once was – it’s not as essential as it once was. Jon Stewart is instant, MAD magazine isn't, although their blog is.

Q. (Dave "Bippy" Boyer): In your Old Jewish Comedians books, your approach celebrates these seniors. I didn’t see anything acidic in there, you’re really celebrating these guys.

A. (DF): I’ve gotten criticized for my liver spots…but I’m glad you appreciate that. I’d like to think I am celebrating them – not making fun of them. I wanted in my way to pay tribute to them, honor them. Most of them I loved and like I said, many of the older comedians like The Three Stooges, The Marx Brothers, Jerry Lewis, Sid Caesar, Jack Benny, Zero Mostel, Phil Silvers – so many were Jewish. Or happen to be Jewish. By simple process of elimination, most of my favorite comedians happen to be Jewish comedians, but not across the board. I love Ernie Kovacs for instance. Also Buster Keaton, Bob Hope, Lou Costello, Jackie Gleason, Jimmy Kimmel...

I like to think when comedians aren’t Jewish, if they’re really funny, they should be Jewish. There's a story of George Burns and Groucho sitting together, enjoying Bill Cosby doing a routine on TV. At one point Burns turns to Groucho and says "Too bad he's not Jewish". There’s a guy in my new book, Stan Freberg. Turns out he’s not Jewish. I made a mistake, should have researched a little more. I assumed he was Jewish because his name was "Freberg". Who knew? My excuse was he's so brilliant, clever and funny, I just naturally assumed he was Jewish.

Q. (Audience member): Do you have a sense of where the computer will take things? What do you think is going to happen in two to five years?

A. (DF): I can’t predict. When young people say, ‘how do I get into it?’ – I say "are you sure you really want to get into it?" Magazine illustration is in flux. Entertainment Weekly hardly runs any illustrations anymore. Most of the work I do now is personal work – for books and commissions. I’ve kind of come full circle. Originally I was doing personal work about obscure actors and celebrities – work for myself and my friends. I didn’t even think of getting published. And then little by little, I segued into commercial illustration. I’m now doing Old Jewish Comedians and Side Show Freaks – work that I’m passionate about rather than thinking about pleasing an art director…

I still do lots of editorial work but it’s just not the same as it was. I pick and choose now more often than before. I’ve talked to many other illustrators – and they’re sitting around and waiting for the phone to ring. Maybe I’ve been more fortunate because I’ve been around and made some noise and people know what to expect from me. It’s not like I’m introducing myself as a new guy which I think would be hard. Not impossible.

Q. (Audience member): How do you find your references? Is it hard to find photos of these guys – they’re not in the public eye anymore.

A. (DF): I’d kept files over the years, collected various photos, since I was a kid really. Especially the comedians, but whatever looks interesting or worth saving. Not just standard photographs, smiling full-face resume photographs, which I hate. I always went out of my way to collect side views of people, profiles, celebrities or every day folks looking down or away from the camera. I love just getting half of a person’s face… But these days you can just google anything and everything comes up. It’s pretty amazing.

Q. (Eve Myles): Your Frank Sinatra portrait has so many decades in it – it has some young, some middle, some old. It’s just phenomenal, don’t you think?

A. (DF): Well... I can’t say? I... don’t like it. I don’t think it’s very good. Don’t ask me...

I drew Sinatra for a New York Observer tribute to him by Peter Bogdanovich and Gay Talese the weekend after he died. He died on a Friday, so I worked on Saturday and Sunday with his music playing in the background. I love Frank Sinatra, but I wasn’t in tears, yet it was very emotional to work on that piece. I wanted to capture his cockiness and also his sensitivity. That’s one aspect I love about him and his music – he can convey being cocky almost at the same time as being sensitive. I wanted the portrait to somehow portray that. The tilt of the hat, the raised shoulder, the drink and cigarette, conveys the famous Sinatra arrogance. Then the uncertainty of the hand in pocket – a little bit of insecurity there, the other lowered shoulder, and the "please like me" expression hopefully conveying the other side.

Q. (Audience member): Are you still evolving your techniques?

A. (DF): I like the word “evolving.” I evolved from the stipple style to phasing that out slowly to become a watercolor artist. I was nervous about it because I sort of established myself as a stipple artist. I was never necessarily a fan of stipple but it worked for me because it slowed me down. When I was younger I used to work way too fast. As an exercise I started working in stipple – it served the work I was doing. I wanted a realistic look early on with the comic strips - almost photo-realistic, noir-like. A retro kind of look, almost like a secret grainy photo.

Little by little I phased that out without art directors even noticing. Only one guy did, an editor at MAD. It evolved from the stipple to the water color style. Artists should evolve. Don’t get stuck just doing one thing. At least that's how I feel.

Q. (Audience member): Isn’t water color really unforgiving?

A. (DF): Yup, true, It can be heart-breaking at times. Sometimes I think of switching over to oils like Dan Adel or Roberto Parada among others, I love their work, but you got to deal with these fumes and you got to wait for it to dry. It can take days and days. And the mess. Watercolor dries instantaneously. It’s over, you’re finished. run your tray and brushes under the sink. Done. And it goes right into the scanner… I don’t think I'd like working on canvas, I just like working on paper. I'm set in my ways.

Q. (Audience member): Do you see yourself ever going digital?

A. (DF): No. (laughter from audience)

Q. (Audience member): Is there anything you do stylistically to make it yours? Your trademark?

A. (DF): Yes, my trademark is liver spots. Liver spots are my "Ninas". That’ll be my legacy. The guy who drew the liver spots. My obit will start off; "Drew Friedman, who popularized Liver Spots..."

Q. (Audience member): Do any of your subjects try to buy the original work?

A. (DF): Sure, a few. Howard Stern has bought some, the guy who played the Soup Nazi on "Seinfeld", the film producer Harvey Weinstein, Elton John, Jerry Lewis, among others.

There are certain celebrities who, any time they’re drawn, they’ll purchase the piece. Obviously many if not all have large egos. I've heard the comedian Richard Lewis has one room in his home filled with drawings and paintings of himself.

A story I love concerns Al Hirschfeld and Liberace. Hirschfeld did a cover for Collier's magazine of Liberace in the mid-50’s – a beautiful color painting of him sitting at the piano beaming at the reader. So Liberace’s people first contacted Colliers to obtain the art, who informed them the art was returned to Mr. Hirschfeld. They then contacted Hirschfeld and pronounced: "Liberace has collected paintings of himself created by many of the world's GREAT artists, all of whom had requested no compensation, but he also loves your piece and asks that you to send it to him to hang in his home". Al responded: “Why certainly, I’ll send my painting of Liberace for him to hang on his wall alongside the work created by all the great art titans, and in return I would like you to send me Liberace, so I can hang him on my wall.” (laughter)

Liberace by Hirschfeld

drawing in the pavilion

Talking about drawing Howard Stern with artist Glenn Ferguson

creating sculptures. I particularly liked the Trump hair and Steve Jobs

Some of the caricatures created at the convention, on display and ready to be voted on.

with the world's tallest caricaturist (6/9)

with the legend; Dave "Bippy" Boyer

Bippy's virtual convention video tour

Famed caricaturist and MAD regular Tom Richmond was on hand to conduct a poolside drawing seminar. Tom's new book is terrific and essential for anyone who is interested in becoming a caricaturist professionally or just for fun...

http://www.amazon.com/Mad-Art-Caricature-Serious-Drawing/dp/098357670X/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1324913077&sr=1-1

As the guest speaker at the convention, I had to vote for my single favorite image, not an easy task, as there were hundreds of incredible pieces to choose from. This one, drawn by "Northern Ireland's top caricaturist" (someone give me his name?) was my second runner up.

This was my first runner up, drawn by Dan Almariei

and my pick for best in show, by 23 year old Marcus Sakoda, a caricature of a fellow conventioneer (OK, I like profiles)

The awards banquet on the final night. The food wasn't bad either!

and a final view from our room (photo by my wife Kathy)

Special thanks to ISCA president Steve Hearn and all the terrific ISCA organizers. Also thanks to Rick Wright and all the other ISCA members who's photos I borrowed for this blog post.

Jerry Lewis spoof's the world's GREAT LOVERS

2011-12-20T11:36:00.007-05:00

Jerry Lewis as Napoleon

In May, 1961, to coincide with his latest film release "The Ladies Man", Jerry Lewis and some very lovely models appeared in a specially created photo spread, text by Lewis and his writing partner Bill Richmond, for LOOK magazine, spoofing the world's Great Lovers.
The photos were shot by Cal Bernstein, a LOOK staff photographer, who also shot the opening film credit (B&W) stills used in the film (see video below).
This long forgotten spread is from the collection of Jerry Lewis archivist Stephen Kroninger.

the LOOK issue featuring the JL spread.

poster for "The Ladies Man"

Opening credit photos by Cal Bernstein

The Ladies Man, opening credits

The art of Alan Jedla

2011-12-16T15:39:00.005-05:00

Bob Hope by Alan Jedla

Alan Jedla was a modernist caricaturist who appeared on the scene in the late forties and quickly became, alongside pinup artist Vargas, one of Esquire magazine's preeminent artists, creating portraits for many of their show business features. Esquire thought so highly of Jedla's work ( they referred to him as a "caricatoonist") that they gave him a regular page beginning in Jan 1947 ("January's Children", "February's Children", etc) , a pictorial guessing game depicting six celebrities born that that particular month with various clues to their identities. This series ran till July then abruptly stopped. In fact, Jedla's career as a caricaturist seems to have stopped. Aside from speculation that he perhaps returned home to his original country ("Jedla" is a village on the Bohemian border in the Czech Republic) or took up another occupation altogether, there is no record of his work or what became of him beyond the late forties.

Leonard Maltin recently introduced me to the work of Alan Jedla, who I had been completely unfamiliar with. Some of these Esquire pages are available as prints. Like Sam Berman, he's a masterful mid-20th century caricaturist who's work has been largely forgotten. If anyone can supply any information, it would be most welcome. In the meantime, enjoy the whimsical, wonderful work of Alan Jedla...

Thanks to Mike Lee

The One, the Only... Jack Davis!

2011-12-14T12:06:00.035-05:00

Jack Davis!

On Sat, Dec 3rd, I had the honor and pleasure, along with Fantagraphics book's Gary Groth, of interviewing one of my all time favorite cartoonist/illustrators, the legendary Jack Davis, as part of the Brooklyn Comics & Graphics Festival, in conjunction with the release of the new deluxe Jack Davis career anthology "Drawing American Pop Culture" (Fantagraphics). Jack is the quintessential laid back Southern gentleman, and true to form, was as delightful, sweet and humble as everyone expected. I chose the images shown for the power point presentation during our discussion of Jack's career (see link), a daunting task, picking several dozen illustrations hopefully touching all bases of his career, from among the thousands he's created in his seven decades as an illustrator, and Jack happily discussed and reminisced over each drawing, including some he had long forgotten (or had tried to forget!)

All the images shown for the PPP:

http://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2011/11/jack-davis-sampling.html

You can listen to our entire interview with Jack here:

http://www.tcj.com/jack-davis-in-conversation-with-drew-friedman-and-gary-groth/#.Tw9UlMWHbjo.facebook

Some highlights of our talk: Jack credits his friend, the brilliant EC war comics and MAD editor Harvey Kurtzman as the greatest, smartest editor he ever worked for, pushing him in directions that he still credits for his long, astounding success as a comics artist, editorial illustrator, album cover and film poster artist, etc. He also shared fond memories of his old friend, "The Mad Playboy of Art", Will Elder, laughing over many of Elder's practical jokes (Groth asked Jack if he was ever fell victim to any of Will's pranks? Jack:"Nope!") and recalling he had film footage of Elder swimming in the sand.

Harvey Kurtzman, Will Elder, Playboy Bunny and Jack Davis, mid sixties.

Jack talked about how much his wife hated the more depraved EC horror comics (Tales from the Crypt) he was creating in the early/mid-fifties (Jack is an admitted Universal classic horror film buff), and that he finally quit drawing "The gruesome stuff" when his kids got a bit older and became more aware of their dad's work.

He also seemed to welcome the demise of the horror comics trend, (Gary and I reminded and thanked Jack that his EC horror comics have now warped several generations of children, including ourselves) and sure enough, his later monster images were mostly drawn with lighthearted humor.

I repeatedly questioned Jack as each image popped up if he had ever met or even heard from any of the celebrities/movie stars he had drawn over the years for film posters, album covers, magazine covers, etc and he said no, none, except for one lone encounter with Woody Allen (Jack had created the poster art for "Bananas") in an elevator; "Woody wouldn't even look at me". When we showed his Jackson five "Ebony" cover from 1970, He told of being flown to the Jackson five's ranch after being hired to design the J5 for their Saturday morning cartoon series, but alas, they were on tour when he got there. He only dealt with their father Joseph and their agents. I asked "You didn't even get to meet... TITO?"

Tito model sheet by Jack Davis

I enquired if Jack was a Howard Stern fan, as he had drawn a popular subway poster depicting the WNBC Howard Stern radio show cast in the early eighties that we also showed. Jack admitted he wasn't a Stern fan, much preferring Imus (Jack also created an Imus WNBC radio ad, as well as some of his early album covers).

I told Jack that at the time, Howard was thrilled by the poster and would rave about it on the air, having been a rabid MAD magazine fan in his youth. Howard's mom also hung the poster in her living room for years, a photo of which can be seen in one of Howard's books. Jack was completely unaware of this (and probably wasn't that much interested).

We asked Jack if he ever watched the movies he was asked to do posters for and he said "rarely". I assured him that among the dozens of films he created posters for, "Horror Hotel", from 1960 and filmed in Britain, was actually a very good, creepy little horror film dealing with a New England witch's coven, though there was absolutely NO image in the film that equaled his frightening poster artwork for it.

He did admit enjoying "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World", especially the fact that Jimmy Durante died at the outset. He said he'd never seen the Jerry Lewis directed "One More Time", his poster image which we showed, nor the prequel "Salt & Pepper" both starring former rat packers Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr., which he also created the poster art for. I assured him both films were stunningly wrongheaded, but fascinating just the same, which confused him somewhat.

Gary and I asked Jack about his working habits (Jack has long been known as the "fastest illustrator in the business") and he explained that his regular routine was to shut himself inside his studio in the morning, turn up either country or bluegrass music, and "get the job done", usually in time for the messenger to pick up the art and to get out onto the golf course by mid-afternoon. Incredible!

Jack discussed receiving his first TIME magazine cover assignment in 1972, depicting Joe Namath surrounded by other football players. He originally sketched "Broadway Joe" surrounded by sexy, bikini-clad ladies, but the art director asked for the last minute change. At the time, Jack was totally thrilled to be asked to create a TIME cover ("I thought I REALLY ARRIVED!"), assuming it would be his one and only, little realizing he would go on to create 35 more, becoming the most prolific TIME cover artist of the seventies. He mentioned his proudest moment ever as an artist was receiving a hand written note from then President Ford, thanking him for the"Trying to Fight Back" TIME cover art Jack had just drawn featuring Ford.

http://todaysinspiration.blogspot.com/2011/08/jack-davis-in-time.html

He admitted his favorite TV Guide cover of the more than two dozen he created was the Bob Hope Academy Awards cover from 1970. He also discussed creating his very first job for TV Guide in late 1965, an epic, mind-boggling eight page spread showcasing NBC's upcoming 1966 color lineup, Jack's "Sistine Chapel" as we pointed out. I asked him how long that took him to do and he modestly answered "Oh, about a week".

http://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2011/06/jack-davis-covering-tv-guide.html

Jack has produced such an overwhelming amount of artwork over the years that inevitably, he has no memory of working many of the illustrations he's created, including several of the images we showed: the late sixties poster art for the Jerry Lewis film "Way... Way Out" ("did I do that?") and the more recent cover for the Smithereens CD "B-Sides the Beatles".

Our talk with Jack was SRO, many not even able to get in the door and Jack was visibly touched by the crowds and their enthusiastic response for him, almost moved to tears.

The entire talk was filmed and should be available for viewing soon.

Photos by: Gary Dunaier, Al Baca, Jeff Wong, Frank Coleman, Debbie Boyle, Sandy Pitofsky, Ryan Flanders and yours truly. Anyone else I'm forgetting, please let me know.

Thanks to the festival organizers Bill Kartalopoulos, Gabriel Fowler and Dan Nadel. Special thanks to Gary Groth and Jack Davis

Entrance to the Brooklyn comics and Graphics fest in beautiful downtown, hipster infested Williamsburg.

Jack!

Jack Davis and me, 12/3, 1:20 PM, shortly before out talk (photo by Ryan Flanders of Mad magazine)

I also had a table at the festival, selling my recent books, prints and various PLONSKY artifacts.

"OK... take the picture" L to R: Carol Gardens, famed cartoonist and chairman of PLONSKY Mark Newgarden, me

A partial view of my table and it's wares. Under "Jimmy Stewart and His Poems, "The Richard Deacon microwave cookbook"

One of the happy attendees buying funny books at the convention.

Jack (and his book) dining in NYC with friends the night before the convention, his 87th birthday. Jack did a signing Q&A with Gary Groth at the Strand bookstore and celebrated his birthday with old friends Al Jaffee and Arnold Roth.

Jack signing his new book at the Fantagraphics booth at the festival. The crowds lining up to purchase the book and get his autograph were overwhelming.

Jack Davis signing his new book.

Jack happily greeted and chatted with all.

Jack holding up the recent HUMBUG anthology.

Jack signing for his fans

Jack was thrilled with his new book, an anthology of his career which to my mind is way overdue. And the book is indeed incredible, a worthy retrospective.

Jack and Gary Groth entering the Union Pool to begin our talk.

L to R: DF, Jack Davis, Gary Groth, beginning our talk on stage at the Union Pool in Williamsburg (under the BQE).

On stage with Jack

At first Jack wasn't thrilled that this early sixties cover of SICK magazine, as well as a cover he did for CRACKED magazine were shown, but then he openly discussed taking on cover assignments for the two MAD imitation mags during his "lean years" before...

...the "Game Changer"...

We showed the incredible poster art Jack created for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World" in 1963. Jack admitted it was the job that "changed everything for me". after that achievement, Jack became the "go to" guy for film comedy poster art throughout the sixties and seventies. When MAD decided to cleverly parody " It's a M,M,M,M W" for this paperback cover in early 1964, the logical choice was to hire Jack Davis himself to create the wraparound art. This was Jack's triumphant return to MAD, after leaving with Harvey Kurtzman eight years earlier to launch the ill-fated TRUMP magazine for Hugh Hefner.

The monster magazine ad for the 6 foot tall Frankenstein monster poster Jack created in the mid-sixties. I told Jack how proud I was for him at the time that the ad actually stated "drawn by Jack Davis". It hung in my boyhood bedroom for years.

Jack drew this cover image of Jewish comedian Myron Cohen for this double concert album. I asked if he had enjoyed Myron Cohen's comedy? Jack: "Yep!". I asked if he was a fan of the corny country comedian/singers "Homer & Jethro" since he had created so many of their album covers. Jack: "...not really". He also admitted he wasn't really a fan of Spike Jones' music, despite illustrating several of his album covers.

Jack was at first surprised to see this image he created as a private gift for MAD publisher William M. Gaines showing Gaines getting an oriental sponge bath, until I reminded him it appeared in the paperback edition of MAD writer Frank Jacobs' biography: "The MAD world of William M. Gaines".

discussing Jack's Howard Stern poster

Jack actually didn't remember drawing this recent Smithereens CD cover. I pointed out that that was drummer and huge Jack Davis fan Dennis Diken, second from right.

after the talk, Jack posed with my old friend Sandy Pitofsky

Jack had an unexpected and emotional reunion with the late Will Elder's daughter Nancy, her husband/filmmaker Gary Vandenbergh (who's filming a documentary about Elder), and their two kids at the festival.

Will Rogers never met a man he didn't like. I never met a man (or woman) who didn't like Jack Davis or his artwork. Jack left the convention a little early as he was getting a bit tired, and also wanted to get back to his hotel room in Manhattan to see his wife and to watch his beloved UGA Bull Dogs vs LSU football game at four PM (Sadly for Jack, his Bull Dogs lost)

http://www.fantagraphics.com/browse-shop/jack-davis-drawing-american-pop-culture-a-career-retrospective-nov.-2011-9.html?vmcchk=1

A JACK DAVIS sampling

2011-11-25T14:29:00.015-05:00

Cover for MAD # 2

On Dec 3rd at 1.30 PM,, along with Fantagraphic's Gary Groth, I'll be interviewing the one and only living legend JACK DAVIS at the Brooklyn Comics and Graphics Festival. Programming and events (including the interview) will take place at UNION POOL, 484 Union Ave, #A, Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and the festival is one block away at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, 275 N. 8th St. Jack Davis will also be attending the festival, signing his new career retrospective: "Drawing American Culture" at the Fantagraphics booth.

http://www.comicsandgraphicsfest.com/

http://www.amazon.com/Jack-Davis-Drawing-American-Retrospective/dp/1606994476/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322252980&sr=8-1

Picking a sampling of Jack Davis images to showcase from his 60-plus year career is a daunting, nearly impossible task, as there are literally thousands and thousands of top notch, funny, unmistakably JACK DAVIS illustrations to choose from, so I've selected a varied mix, some familiar and some more obscure, highlighting his astounding career. We'll be discussing many of these images with Jack on the 3rd. Hope to see you there!

Cover art; "Tales from the Crypt" # 37

Final panel from 'Tain't the Meat... It's the humanity

Original EC "Tales from the Crypt" art

Cover art "Two- Fisted Tales #30

EC comics stationary by Jack Davis

Cover to PANIC #12

Incredible Science Fiction # 32

Cover art for Utterly MAD paperback

Cover art for MAD magazine #27

Back cover of the hardcover book "MAD for Keeps", Back of Alfred E. Neuman by Norman Mingo, border art by Will Elder, background art by Jack Davis

Cover art for Campus Howl magazine

Interior image from Humbug

Interior ad for HUMBUG

Cover art for "The HUMBUG Digest"

Cover art for Gunsmoke Western (Atlas comics)

Cover to SHOCK magazine

Cover To YAK YAK #1, also edited by Davis

Art for "HORROR HOTEL" poster

Cover art for Wildest Westerns magazine, edited by Harvey Kurtzman

interior art for Wildest Westerns

Cover art "Sing along with Jonathan and Darlene Edwards"

logo art for Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine's letters column

Album Cover, Spike Jones' "Thanks you Music Lovers!"

Cover art for CRACKED magazine

Cover art for SICK magazine

Interior ad for PLAYBOY, The Clancy brothers

Funny Valentines for TOPPS, front and back

Poster art for "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad Mad World"

Wrap around cover for the MAD's paperback answer

Art for Jonathan Winters' Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad album

"Caption Company" ad for the Frankenstein Pin-Up by Davis

Box art for TOPPS

A "You'll Die Laughing" Topps card

Cover art for a 1964 Presidential election book

Cover art for CREEPY #1

Homer and Jethro album cover, one of many

NBC/TV Guide art

Epic Davis NBC color and B&W art created for TV GUIDE's 1965 fall preview issue (his first job for TV Guide)

Poster art for "The Russians are Coming, the Russians are Coming!"

Wrap around art for the album "The Sound of Sight"

GET SMART art created for NBC

Cover art by Davis

Poster art for "A Funny Thing Happened On the Way to the Forum"

"Monster Rally" album cover art

MOTHER art for TOPPS

Album cover art for "Inspector Clouseau"

Page from MAD magazine

Art for "Wanted Posters" from TOPPS, "Dentist"

The MAD show album cover

Poster art for "Arrivederchi, Baby"

Poster/album art for "Way... Way Out"

Poster art for "One More Time"

Album cover art: "This is Myron Cohen"

Cover art for MAD

portrait of MAD publisher William M. Gaines getting an oriental sponge bath

Cover art: David Frye, "Radio Free Nixon"

TIME cover, Joe Namath

Poster art for Woody Allen's "Bananas"

Cover art for EBONY: The Jackson Five

TV GUIDE: The Odd Couple

Cover art for TIME

Poster art for "It's Showtime"

image from TIME

Slim Jim ad

Subway poster for the Howard Stern show on 66 WNBC

Al Hirschfeld and the Marx brothers

Cover art for The Comics Journal: Harvey Kurtzman

Cover art for The Smithereens' "B-Sides the Beatles"

Thanks to David Burd

CO STAR, THE RECORD ACTING GAME

2011-11-08T17:18:00.007-05:00

CO STAR, The Record Acting Game" was a popular series of 15 LP records released by Co Star records, a subsidiary of Roulette Records, that appeared in the late fifties/early sixties, featuring several legendary actors, several has-been actors, and several younger actors (and singers) performing scenes from plays (Macbeth), novels (Peyton Place) and movies (Casablanca) costarring YOU, ("YOU act scenes opposite your favorite star!") leaving blank spaces between their lines so you can recite YOUR lines. A narrator introduced each record (although Tallulah Bankhead read her own introduction )and 20-24 page mimeographed scripts were enclosed with each record, indicating when to insert your lines to "act" opposite the star. Who needs acting teachers?

http://blog.wfmu.org/freeform/2007/05/365_days_135_co.html

Albert Brooks also did a brilliant parody of the Co Star Records for his comedy album "Comedy-Minus-One":

http://www.how2foldsoup.com/index.php/Articles/Albert-Brooks-Comedy-Minus-One-Script.html

Here are all the CO STAR covers:

Robert Grossman MAD covers

2011-11-04T13:07:00.002-04:00

In 1975, Ballantine books, in attempt to give their MAD paperbacks a "hipper" look, hired the great airbrush caricaturist, Firesign theatre album cover artist, and National Lampoon regular Robert Grossman to create new cover art for the first five MAD paperbacks, originally issued in the mid-fifties.

Grossman has long been one of my favorite contemporary caricaturist/cartoonists, and I've always loved these paperback covers and his unique take on Alfred E. Neuman, but apparently MAD publisher William M. Gaines was not so pleased, and personally asked Ballantine founder Ian Ballantine to issue another set of the same books the following year, with brand new covers created by longtime MAD cover artist Norman Mingo. Go figure?

These fun Grossman covers are pretty rare, enjoy!

Horror Records for Halloween!

2011-10-28T12:24:00.027-04:00

DROP DEAD!

Just in time for Halloween, here are some of my favorite spooky/horror/monster/halloween LP record covers, most from the early to mid-sixties, when monster fever among American kids was at it's height. Most of these were advertised in the back pages of the essential "Famous Monsters of Filmland" magazine, as well as other horror mags, and although the actual albums vary in quality, the covers were usually to DIE FOR!

Arch Obler's "DROP DEAD" from Capitol was the gold standard of horror records. My brothers and I wore out several copies, always listening to it in the dark.
http://thenostalgialeague.com/kwtnl/drop-dead.html

Check out Leonard Maltin's essential new article "When Dracula Reigned on Halloween", which includes a link to the very blog you're looking at:

http://blogs.indiewire.com/leonardmaltin/archives/when_dracula_reigned_on_halloween

And click this link for more on a series of Horror LP records, not included here:

http://drewfriedman.blogspot.com/2011/07/terror-son-of-horror.html

"Tales of the Frightened" volume one (cover art by renowned pinup artist Freeman Elliot)...

http://www.all-art.org/pin-up_art1/elliot1.htm

and volume two. "Are YOU one of the frightened?" asks the soothing, sinister voice of the great Boris Karloff at the beginning of each tale. Great cover art and spooky readings of short, short horror stories. This was also used on a paperback cover with the same title.

Maybe not so spooky, but four Boris Karloff heads is pretty hard to top.

This album consisted of audio clips from several Universal horror films, and a Don Post Frankenstein monster mask was featured on the cover.

"A George Garabedian Production".
Slightly misleading cover, as Dracula was no where to be found on this old Suspense radio drama featuring Bela Lugosi.

I would have preferred this if Rathbone had been on the cover. Still, nice bird.

Ah, the actual Basil Rathbone!

5 Rathbones!

John Carradine and organ pipes. An unbeatable combination.

OK, not so scary, but how could I leave out Vincent Price?

This one, A little scarier.

Aurora Monster model art (by James Bama) on a record cover! Wow! This was a must-have, although it's basically former Dead End/Eastside kid Gabriel Dell (excellently) imitating Bela Lugosi as Dracula and the "voice" of the Frankenstein Monster. Another example of the cover art being far better than the actual record (written by Cherney Berg!).

FM ad for the album

and speaking of Famous Monsters, the editor himself, presenting the sounds of the future!

The one & only COOL GHOUL!

Monster Mash! Zacherley Fever sweeps the USA!

More Zacherley! (but not on the cover?)

And another, Zach leading the pack, featuring a great Jack Davis cover!

Funny monster stuff featuring Han's Conried and Alice Pearce. One of Jack Davis's best LP record covers...

The exciting sound of Milton Delugg, and the wonderful cover art of Jack Davis.

More Jack Davis. This also featured monster cards in the record sleeve by J.D.

Spike Jones contribution to Horror LP fever, featuring Paul Frees and a duet with Vampira!

Jackie Gleason presented music to make love by, Alfred Hitchcock presented music to be murdered by.

Alfred Hitchcock "hosted" this LP record, featuring spooky stories aimed at kids performed by actor John Allen. Great sound effects on this one.

"Shock", Another example of the cover far exceeding the record. I stared at this cover for years in the back of FM, but was ultimately disappointed when it turned out to be just edgy, piercing jazz music.

"Panic", the sequel to "Shock". A truly disturbing cover.

Spooky Sound effect albums! I always wondered where this great old house was actually located.

Love this cover. I'm pretty sure the photo is from an animated skeleton musical movie clip.

Disney even got in the horror act.

Essential listening for fans of "Nelson Olmsted"...

...as is this.

"The ideal dance party". Who could argue?

One of "Frankie Stein's" best albums!

Crude, but I always liked this cover.

All this, plus words & music by Rod McKuen!

What a nice thought!

Art by Ron Cobb, created for the cover of Famous Monsters magazine #41, based on Jack Davis poster art for "Horror Hotel". Possibly used on this LP record cover without permission. Got all that?

British actress Martha Wentworth created "The Old Sea Hag' especially for this LP record!

I was so excited to own this, actual soundtracks from Horror and Sci fi films!

Another Cherney Berg production!

From "The Man from Uncle" to "Dracula"

Orson Welles complete "War of the Worlds" broadcast.

OK, not a spooky cover, but Roddy has a field day reading these Lovecraft stories.

Frankenstein Rock, featuring Brita Borg. The monster finds his mate

Thanks to Gary Meyer

WHAT I'M READING...

2011-10-18T16:18:00.019-04:00

What I'm reading...

What I've read.

From the Drew Friedman library.

As originally presented on Facebook.

Get out there and read a Goddamn book.

Jewish Comedian books

2011-09-30T16:21:00.013-04:00

The first book written about the king of Comedy

Here's a peek at some great book covers of various books by Jewish comedians, or about Jewish comedians from over the years. Most of these are from my collection, and a few of them are actually funny and/or very well written! I've even thrown in a couple of Jewish comedian cookbooks. Most of these are long out of print but of course can be found online if need be.

Enjoy!

This is the first book to come out about the Marx bros, back in the late forties.

Joey Adams seemed to turn out a new book every month.

... including the Borscht Belt.

Well, one of them was Jewish (not LBJ)

CANAL TV Covers

2011-09-26T12:07:00.006-04:00

Art by De Los Rios

CANAL TV was Argentina's version of TV Guide and featured cover art but two of Argentina's most renowned caricaturists, beginning in 1954 with Abel Ianiro (who tragically died in 1960 at age 40), then Jorge De Los Rios. Here's a peek at many of their wonderful, colorful, Hirschfeld (who was creating covers for TV Guide at the time) influenced covers, spanning the years 1954-1966, before CANAL TV switched to mainly photo covers. Many of the American subjects and shows are still instantly recognizable, while most of the Argentinian subjects are long forgotten, at least in the USA.

Thanks to Shane Gline's "Cartoon Retro" which ran many of the Ianiro covers on it's blog earlier this year.

art by Ianiro

This article by Abel Ianiro explaining his methods appeared in a popular Argentina magazine in the fifties.

Even More Old Jewish Comedians at the Friars

2011-09-19T13:06:00.011-04:00

The one, the only Abe Vigoda!

ABE VIGODA. Need I say more?

All right, I will. On 9/15/11, the legendary NY Friars Club on E. 55th St ("Friars Way") hosted a "Book-Warming" party in the "Milton Berle Room" (the largest room) for my new book "Even More Old Jewish Comedians" (Fantagraphics).

The party was hosted by the book's cover boy, younger Old Jewish Comedian Stewie Stone. Among those also included in the new book who attended and did schtick for the crowd were veteran comics Bobby Ramsen, Eddie Lawrence ("The Old Philosopher"), and the one, the only... Abe Vigoda. The great Larry Storch, who was in the second volume, also delighted the crowd with his spot-on impersonations. A memorable time was (hopefully) had by all, Jew & non-Jew alike.

From the NY Daily News "Gatecrasher" column by Frank DiGiacomo. 5th story...
http://www.nydailynews.com/gossip/2011/09/19/2011-09-19_tiki_barber_and_fiance_tracie_johnson_prepare_for_upcoming_wedding_after_nfl_sta.html

This blog by Comedy historian Ronald Smith has more party details:
http://ronaldlsmith.blogspot.com/2011/09/drew-friedman-and-even-more-old-jewish.html?spref=fb

Thanks to the following photographers for sharing their terrific photos: Randy Bucknoff, Mel Neuhaus, John Shea, David Burd, Bob Greenberg, Kevin Goodman and my brother Kipp Friedman.

The party invitation

The Friars club, ready for the Old Jewish Comedian onslaught

The excited crowd lines up down the block for the party

gathering inside the huge Milton Berle room

I present the new book to my old pal, comedian Gilbert Gottfried and his wife Dara. Gilbert blurbed the back cover.

Gilbert is always delighted to see his name in print!

Me & Gilbert

Two legends: Mad magazine's Al Jaffee & "Handsome" Dick Manitoba

#1 Howard Stern "Superfan" Liz Belmont & Handsome Dick

Me & the great comedian Larry Storch, forever Agarn of F-Troop fame

My brother Kipp with Larry

Eddie Lawrence, Larry Storch, comedian Tommy Moore and the guy with the amazing mustache

Larry & Gilbert

Larry & Zero Mostel look-a-like

Old Jewish comedian Bobby Ramsen inscribes his portrait to Young Jewish comedian Mike Fine

With Comedian/actor and former Uncle Floyd cast member Michael Townsend Wright

actors Craig Bierko and Michael Wright

Famed Comedy writer Tom Leopold mingles with comedienne/Friar Nancy Lombardo

Old school pals: the great cartoonist Mark Newgarden and the great jazz musician Gene Williams

Eddie Lawrence and comic/Friar Bob Greenberg

Drew & Kipp Friedman

Cover boy Stewie Stone warms up the crowd: "That was a funny joke! Fuck You!"

Stewie holds up the book. I told him he was much cuter in person.

Comedian Bobby Ramsen tells the crowd he had to change his original name in order to get work, which was Helen Hayes.

Bobby Ramsen

former Uncle Floyd cast member Artie Delmar clicks away

The Old Philosopher Eddie Lawrence ("What'sa Matter Bunky?")

The Old Philosopher, still as brilliant as ever

Larry Storch imitating Buddy Hackett: "Buddy calls me at 3 AM... 'Hey Storch, You Can't Sleep Either?' ".

Larry Storch delighting the crowd with an orgasm joke.

I thank everyone for coming... and dressing so nicely. Stewie and I both went tieless.

" I just hope you people realize, this is the building, right upstairs, where Milton Berle took out only enough to win"

Paying tribute to the late Mickey Freeman (Fielding Zimmerman from "Bilko"), who the book is dedicated to: "Mickey would corner every fellow Friar and demand they buy the book!"

Suddenly, look who enters the room! The seas part! The crowd goes wild!

Abe makes his way to the podium...

Abe Vigoda takes to the podium.

Abe graciously thanks everyone for the warm welcome

Friedman & Vigoda

I inform Abe that most people don't know that he's Jewish due to that little film he appeared in.

Before departing, Abe sings a little tune about all his female conquests. I mention they're all in the room. What a Night!!