Yeah, I know, just what the planet needs, yet another Blog. But this one is the OFFICIAL Blog of Illustration-ist, cartoonist, humor- mongerist, greasy Stooge-Shemp Howard-enthusiast, Danny Thomas glass coffee table ponderist Drew Friedman! Happier now?
David Frye in 1972, posed in
front of his "Richard Nixon
Superstar" album
Without a doubt, the best and funniest mimic of 37th President Richard M. Nixon was the manic and intense comic David Frye (born David Shapiro in Brooklyn). Frye created the definitive Nixon and was really on fire in the late sixties/early seventies, perfecting his devastating Nixon imitation in nightclubs (my father took my brothers and I twice to see Frye perform live in NYC, at Jimmy's Supper Club and at Dangerfields), on television, The Smothers Brother's Comedy Hour and as a semi-regular on "Copycats", and especially in a series of popular comedy albums. Frye's Nixon impersonation became so good in fact, that by 1973 it sounded (to me) like Richard Nixon himself was performing the material. He perfected his impression by matching Nixon's vocal tones and modulations, and by adapting some of his catch phrases, such as "Let me make this perfectly clear" and creating some of his own, including "I am the President... make no mistake about that", and by practicing in the mirror every day. Frye was also served well by some first rate comedy writing, including from a young Gabe Kaplan, helping to create some truly sharp-edged, timely political satire.
When Nixon resigned in 1974, Frye's career inevitably took a nosedive and despite several comeback attempts including a Bill Clinton album, he never quite rebounded. He died in early 2011 in Las Vegas.
Frye also did a funny Nixon facial imitation
His great legacy remains his four Nixon albums, also special to me because of the artists who were hired to illustrate the covers, some of the best caricaturists of the time.
In 1972, entertainer Sammy Davis, Jr., a lifelong democrat, shocked the country by supporting President Richard M. Nixon who was running for re-election and giving him a famous hug on stage at a youth rally during the republican convention in Miami. This proved to be pretty controversial and Sammy received hostile reactions from his friends, (aside from Frank Sinatra), democrats, blacks and, southern Nixon supporters. He would later undertake a USO tour of Vietnam at the behest of the Nixon Administration.
As a thank you for helping to get him re-elected, Nixon invited Sammy to the White House on several occasions, and along with his wife Altovise, to a grand reception in 1973 hosted by Bob Hope. The Davis's were invited to sleep in the White House which is believed to be the first time a black couple was invited to do so. Sammy would later write that he regretted his alliance with Nixon and felt that he was ultimately misled.
1972 in Miami:
cover to an 8-page brochure issued in 1972 highlighting the Nixon administrations accomplishments for black Americans
Photos from two visits Sammy Davis Jr. and his wife made to the White House in 1973:
FOREPLAY, "a Carl Gurevich production", is a largely forgotten, barely-released three-part "sex comedy" (originally there were four intended stories/plays, thus the title). It was barely released in 1975, starring the aging but still great Zero Mostel in one of his final film roles, and featuring the fascinating cast of Estelle Parsons, Jerry Orbach (in his third film), Pat Paulson, George S. Irving, Paul Dooley and Professor Irwin Corey. The film was written by four screenwriters, among them Dan Greenberg (How to be a Jewish Mother), and playwright Jack Richardson who adapted a short story entitled "Vortex" by Bruce Jay Friedman. After the film was screened for the writers, all four requested that their names be removed from the film, posters and advertising, as did the film's three directors including John G. Avildsen, who would direct ROCKY a year later. The film would eventually be released on DVD by Troma films.
The film received it's most attention when Jerry Orbach and other cast members
recreated some of
their scenes for a photographer for a PLAYBOY spread on the yet to be released film
Newspaper ad
The Italian poster
In 1976, in an attempt to cash in on the hit film "All The Presidents Men", the film was re-released and retitled "The President's Women". Why "All" wasn't included is anyones guess, perhaps fear of a potential lawsuit by Woodward & Bernstein
double bill newspaper ad for the newly titled film
"I sum up all of show business in three words: Frank Sinatra Junior"
-Albert Brooks
"He sure ain't his old man."
Originally appearing in the Oct 1985 issue of National Lampoon (a forgotten late 20th-Century humor magazine) script by Josh Alan Friedman, art by Drew Friedman, lettering by Phil Felix, The Saga of Frank Sinatra Jr...
GOOD WORK
The Illustration Art Invitational opens Jan-18th and runs till March 10th, at the Arts Center Gallery at Nazareth College, Rochester, NY. Curated by Kathy Calderwood & David Cowles, the show will feature 56 top illustrators picks for their single favorite pieces:
Illustrations on display will include work by Daniel Adel, Terry Allen, Tom Bachtell, Melinda Beck, Guy Billout, Juliette Borda, Steve Brodner, Lou Brooks, Calef Brown, Philip Burke, Kathy Calderwood, Dave Calver, André Carrilho, Michael Cho, David Cowles, Brian Cronin, Jose Cruz, Paul Davis, Roger DeMuth, Debbie Drechsler, Henrik Drescher, Randall Enos, Vivienne Flesher, Douglas Fraser, Drew Friedman, Milton Glaser, Eddy Guy, Danny Hellman, John Hershy, John Kascht, Stephen Kroninger, Anita Kunz, Peter Kuper, Chris Lyons, Wilson McLean, Bill Mayer, Ross MacDonald, Mark Matcho, Hanoch Piven, C.F. Payne, Chris Pyle, Robert Risko, Edel Rodriguez, Laurie Rosenwald, Richard Sala, Zina Saunders, David Sheldon, Owen Smith, Bob Staake, Nancy Stahl, Ward Sutton, Gary Taxali, Murray Tinkleman, Mark Ulrikson, Kirsten Ulve, and James Yang.
This is the latest in my ongoing series of portraits of the legends of comic books, the renowned caricaturist and illustrator, the amazing Mort Drucker. Mort has been a MAD artist for going on six decades, and I'm proud to count him as a friend (OK, full disclosure, we've actually only met once, but do occasionally correspond, Mort, a personal hero always being very complimentary of my artwork). This is Mort posed in his studio, at least my imagining of his studio:
Mort Drucker finished art (click to enlarge)
this is the early pencil sketch
Do yourself or a loved one or a hated one a favor and order the incredible brand new book "Mort Drucker, Five Decades of his Finest Works":
