Cesar Romero Records

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. 

http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/marx-brothers.html

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 Drawn in 1985, unpublished till now.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

GRENADA Old Radio Comedian Stamps

Legends of Comics Portraits

The late Comics writer Harvey Pekar (scroll down)  is the latest in my series of portraits of legendary comics creators. Pekar, who created American Splendor comics out of Cleveland was perhaps the Dostoevsky of comics, depicting the commonplace, mundane, workaday world, brought to life by many varied artists, including Robert Crumb and myself. Pekar now joins Crumb, as well as my former instructor, creator of MAD Harvey Kurtzman, his longtime collaborator Will Elder, EC Science fiction artist Wally Wood, and the master of the grotesque Basil Wolverton as the latest portrait in my ongoing series of Comics greats.

Harvey Kurtzman

More about my years in Kurtzman's cartooning class at the School of Visual arts:

http://www.tcj.com/seriously-funny/

Will Elder

http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/will-elder.html

Wally Wood

http://www.drewfriedman.net/prints/wally-wood.html

Basil Wolverton

Robert Crumb

http://www.vanityfair.com/online/daily/2011/04/as-r-crumb-is-fted-by-fellow-artists-an-illustrated-homage

Harvey Pekar

The MAD Guide to MAN BOOBS

THE MAD GUIDE TO MAN BOOBS

Essential diagrams depicting various Man Boobs, volumes one, two & three.

from MAD magazine, research and text by Ryan Pagelow, art by Drew Friedman, art directed by Sam Viviano & Ryan Flanders, edited by John Ficcara.

Look for MAN BOOBS in the book "Totally MAD"

MAN BOOBS, *volume 1*

MAN BOOBS, *volume 2*

Man Boobs *volume 3*

The truth behind Man Boobs?
http://www.theworldsbestever.com/2013/12/06/marijuana-causing-man-boobs/

1972 Politicards

Various Politicards

"Politicards" were a set of 54 playing cards created in 1971, released in 1972 in anticipation of that fall's presidential election. They were conceived and designed by 26 year old designer and illustrator Peter Green, although he received no credit anywhere on the actual box or cards. The cards humorously depicted various politicians, candidates, wives of politicians, celebrities, and other familiar faces, including 2 "jokers", then (briefly) NY mayoral candidates Norman Mailer and William F. Buckly. Both parties were represented, conservatives, moderates to liberals, all beautifully and effortlessly caricatured in watercolor and color pencil,  to in many cases maximum humorous effect by Green.

 Subsequent "Politicards" or variations of the same theme have come out over the years by various artists, including Peter Green, but this original set remains my favorite, possibly because they were the originals, but more likely because these David Levine inspired caricatures hit a nerve with the public, and with me as well. I loved and poured over these when I first purchased them (at Brentanos) at age 12, and they've had a lasting influence on my work over the years, particularly my political drawings.

To celebrate the 40th anniversary of the release of the original Politicards, I'm posting them all here. If you're seeing these for the first time, enjoy!

Politicards box front, "King" Richard Nixon

Side and back of the box

Illustrator Peter Green displaying some of the work done for Politicards

In his studio with "joker" Norman Mailer on the easel

1972 Los Angeles Times article on Politicards and Peter Green  which help sell the initial print run out within weeks

http://petergreendesign.com/blog/?p=80

A Who's Who...

All 54 Politicards...