The Nick Meglin Memorial

Last night, 9/9/18, I spoke at the very funny and very touching memorial for the author, playright, artist, teacher, and longtime MAD magazine editor Nick Meglin, at the SVA theater in New York on West 23rd St. The evening for Nick's family and friends to celebrate this much-loved Mensch was organized by Charlie Kochman and Nick's family members.

Nick Meglin by Mort
Drucker

Speakers included Dick DeBartola, Sam Viviano, John Ficarra, Grant Geissman, John Reiner and Angelo Torres, as well as Nick's wife Linda Maloof and various members of Nick's family. I spoke about having Nick as a figure drawing instructer at the School of Visual Arts in the late seventies, and later doing work for him at MAD. The evening also included several of Nick's TV appearences, including the famous 60 Minutes MAD profile, as well as  several songs Nick composed for the theatre that were performed.

The evening's program booklet was designed by Sam Viviano

program cover

program centerfold featuring portraits of Nick by MAD artists.  My portrait of Nick as Whistler's mother was drawn as a gift for his MAD retirement party in 2003, inscribed: "To Nick, not the retiring type"
(click to enlarge)

with Nick Meglin in 2013

SCHTICK FIGURES: Drew Friedman in discussion with Karen Green, 9/25

(click to enlarge)

Artist Drew Friedman discusses four decades of drawing old 
Jewish comedians, legendary and forgotten comic book artists, 
sideshow freaks, and Donald J. Trump, in a VISUAL TALK 
moderated by Columbia’s curator for comics and cartoons, 
Karen Green, and hosted by Ben Katchor as part of his 
continuing series of talks, The New York Comics & Picture-Story Symposium.

https://nycomicssymposium.wordpress.com

Friedman was instructed at the School of Visual Arts by comics 
legends Harvey Kurtzman, Will Eisner and Art Spiegelman, and 
his comics with his brother Josh first appeared in Spiegelman’s 
RAW. R. Crumb’s WEIRDO also published his early work. 
Friedman would go on to create monthly comics and 
drawings for HEAVY METAL, NATIONAL LAMPOON, 
BLAB! and SPY, where he would first render a relatively 
still unknown short-fingered New York real estate developer. 
He conceived concept art for TOPPS, including the legendary 
BARFO candy, and has produced regular illustration work for 
publications such as ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY, TIME, MAD, 
BLAB!, THE NY OBSERVER and THE NEW YORKER, as 
well as for Howard Stern's two bestselling books.

Drew Friedman will discuss the highs and the lows, and 
lawsuits, of an award winning career as a comics artist, 
illustrator, and pop-culture historian. The evening will also 
include a sneak preview of his upcoming book project. His 
recent books will be on sale and available for inscription after the talk.

logo design by Kevin Dougherty

This Marx Bros Book Marx will be a free gift to all who attend, along with this
Larry Storch Postcard. One to a customer, while supplies last:

Spiro Agnew Books

back cover

Thanks to John Wendler

Sam Norkin Bookcovers

Sam Norkin (1917-2011), was a renowned caricaturist and illustrator who created over 4000 published drawings over a seven decade career, depicting theater performers, film and TV actors, opera singers, ballet dancers, and jazz, pop and classical musicians. These are some of the book covers he drew:

thanks to John Wendler

front cover

back cover