Monday, February 28, 2011

Roy Crane "How to Draw Buz Sawyer"


"Mix good characters ... action, sex ... into a well-composed picture with blacks, whites and grays. Then with good drawing, good planning, and good luck you should have a pleasing strip."

Roy Crane talks about his work in "Roy Crane and Buz Sawyer" from issue no. 3 of Cartoonist PROfiles, Summer 1969. "The unique quarterly magazine for the professional, the cartoon buff, the student, and all who enjoy cartoons" it's noted under the masthead. This is so early in the history of Jud Hurd's great magazine that he felt obliged to have an explanation on the cover.



Roy Crane shares "How to Draw Buz Sawyer," which originally was part of a scrapbook he donated to the Syracuse University Manuscript Collection. Mr. Crane would continue his series during the early years of Cartoonist PROfiles magazine. (Click here for his "How to Draw Women.")


Roy and Ebba Crane in their home in Orlando, Florida.

He describes the work and pressure of coming up not only with the story, but maintaining the quality, cramming drawings "with endless detail of aircraft carriers, planes and flight gear, all of which had to be done accurately, or the new strip would would fail to gain a sense of reality and prestige."

And, yeah, he talks about "The Reason for Benday."

Below is the article, in its entirety, which begins with "Damn Sunday pages!"







A big hat tip to Don Orehek for this issue of Cartoonist PROfiles!

Pucca Wallpapers

Pucca Wallpapers Pucca Wallpapers 1

Pucca Wallpapers Pucca Wallpapers 2

Pucca Wallpapers Pucca Wallpapers 3

Pucca Wallpapers Pucca Wallpapers 4

Pucca Wallpapers Pucca Wallpapers 5

NEW YORK








Check out these flicks from the NY Tattoo Tour location and one of the pieces..

Sunday, February 27, 2011

SOUL SUNDAY


Here is another rare and hard to find Soul record from a rare group..

Saturday, February 26, 2011

Can't go on.


TRAILER OF THE THE WEEK

Friday, February 25, 2011

William "Bill" Crouch 1945-2011


I just received word that Bill Crouch died on February 21, 2011. He was 66 years old and had been in a coma for three weeks. The cause was respiratory arrest followed by cardiac arrest.

William M. Crouch, Jr., known as "Bill" to his friends, was one of these essential links to the world of cartooning.

Bill was born in January 25, 1945, in Bridgeport, CT, and attended Columbia University, graduating in 1967 with a BA in Art History. Bill raised some controversy with his senior thesis on comic art, a body of popular culture that had not received any critical scholarship to that point.

Bill volunteered for the US Air Force, serving for four years, from 1968 to 1972. He earned a Master of Arts degree from Pennsylvania State University a year later.

The death of his father caused Bill to return to Bridgeport to manage Equity Paper Company, the family business. He remained with the company, which was sold to Grossman Marketing Group in 1981, until 2008.

Paralleling those years, Bill became a well known comics writer and scholar, contributing to THE WORLD ENCYCLOPEDIA OF COMICS and 100 YEARS OF AMERICAN NEWSPAPER COMICS. With Walt Kelly's widow, Selby Kelly, Bill co-edited a series of five large trade paperbacks for Fireside/Simon & Schuster reprinting the strip during the 1980s. For eleven years beginning in 1978, Bill self published the POGO fan magazine THE OKEFENOKEE STAR.

He would go on to write more books, essays and profiles for many publications, including the late, great cartooning magazine Cartoonist PROfiles. He also wrote Hanna Barbera comic book scripts for Charlton. Poor health be damned, he continued to write his column "Comics and Kicks" every month for The Great South Bay Magazine. He became an Associate Member of the National Cartoonists Society. He was an active Rotarian and, thanks to his beloved wife, a world traveler.

From the Lesko & Polk Funeral Home obituary:

"In 1990, Bill married the love of his life, Minh-Chau Luong, a Vietnamese-born French citizen and senior translator at the United Nations. He liked to say that she 'completed' him. She expanded Bill's horizons, sparking a lively appreciation for Vietnamese and French culture and cuisine, and leading eventually to their establishing their vacation home in Cagnes, France.

"Bill's family and many cherished friends will miss his love of life, his verve and imagination, the breadth of his curiosity, his great courage and resilience in adversity.

"... Bill Crouch is survived by his beloved wife, Minh-Chau Luong-Crouch, her brothers Jim and Bob Luong-si, her sister Quynh-Chau Luong-Nguy�n and their families. He is also survived by his sister Dorothy Crouch, brother Miller Crouch, sister-in law Sarah, niece Christian Crouch, and her husband, Chris Bertholf.

"The family would prefer contributions directed to either: American Heart Association- Connecticut Chapter 5 Brookside Dr. (P.O.Box 5022) Wallingford, CT 06492 or the Girls Scouts of America- Housatonic Council, 87 Washington Avenue, Bridgeport, CT, 06604-3800."
A memorial service will be announced at a later date.



As fellow comic art collector George Hagenauer told the Comics Buyer's Guide:

"'Bill was one of those people I have known for over 35 (maybe 40) years, but never met . He was one of those ‘old’ guys (he was 66; I am 60!) who taught me a lot by phone or mail when I discovered there were other people out there who loved, clipped and collected comic strips.

"'He was far more than a collector. His close friendship with Terry and the Pirates artist George Wunder resulted in that art being offered to collectors. If you own a piece of Wunder art (which has become a lot scarcer due to the tragic death of Don Lineburger in a fire that destroyed hundreds of Wunder originals) it is because of the efforts of Bill Crouch.'"

I met Bill for the first and only time time at a 2009 party at Bunny Hoest's. That's where the above photo is from. He had come down from his Connecticut home with my friend and fellow cartoonist Elena Steier.

As soon as Elena introduced Bill to me, I knew who he was -- even though the face was not familiar. Bill Crouch was responsible for a lot of my bookshelf space.

When I was a kid, growing up in the Midwest (living in those "states the planes fly over"), I didn't know any cartoonists, but, thanks to Bill Crouch, I got to read some great cartooning books that he edited.

I had always imagined that Bill had never grown up. He was a big kid who'd retained his love for the cartoon genre. And, better than that, he was the kind of kid who liked to share his toys, you know? Bill introduced me to an A-list of comic strip and comic book cartoonists

Here are some of the cartoonists:

  • Walt Kelly (Bill co-edited, with Selby Kelly, many issues of THE OKEFENOKEE STAR magazine and trade paperback collections like PLUPERFECT POGO to name but two of the many POGO projects),

  • Chester Gould (DICK TRACY THE ART OF CHESTER GOULD published by the Museum of Cartoon Art in 1978 - portion of that catalog is here - and DICK TRACY AMERICA'S MOST FAMOUS DETECTIVE in conjunction with the TRACY movie),

  • Hal Foster (THE PRINCE VALIANT SCRAPBOOK and more)

  • and Wally Wood (WOODWORK, co-edited with Bill Pearson; "first of a reprint series of his work that was authorized by artist Wally Wood;" THE WALLACE WOOD SKETCHBOOK II co-edited with Selby Kelly).

And those are just a few. Thanks to his work and love of the medium, he got a new generation appreciating these grand masters of the comic form.

He was a kid who never got over the funnies, and he made sure none of us forgot. He will be missed.

Related: CBGExtra obituary

Related: Elena Steier: So Long to Bill Crouch

Related: Connecticut Post obituary

Related: Extensive Lesko & Polk Funeral Home obituary

TEQA NYC




Here is a canvas we just did on day 1 out here in the NYC for our good friends opening of their new spot.

check it out here teqanyc.com

Thursday, February 24, 2011

1968 Visit with Frank King and Roy Crane


Jud Hurd, writing for the June 1968 Cartoonist Magazine, visits the home of Frank King in Florida.



We also get to see the many cartoonist neighbors: Roy Crane (above), Bill Perry, Mel Graff, Dick Moores, Les Turner, Kate Osann and more. Jud relates dines with them and visits their studios in what seems like a lovely time.



My thanks to Don Orehek for this issue of The Cartoonist.

THROWBACK THURSDAY




Here is a record off of The Wu Tang Clans 36 chambers "Tearz" recorded 1994 and the Sample from Wendy Rene and her record "After Laughter" recorded in 1963

Wednesday, February 23, 2011

Brian Crane: "Popular PICKLES Captures the Humanity of Humans"

Above photo of Brian Crane by Kristin Murphy for the Deseret News.

From The Mormon Times article "Popular PICKLES Captures the Humanity of Humans"by Carma Widely:

"'It's a tough field to break into, a tougher field to succeed at,' Crane said. 'Many strips don't last more than a few years.'

"...Twenty years later, Earl and Opal Pickles are still going strong. The strip currently appears in more that 700 newspapers and is heading toward 800. Though most readers are in the United States and Canada, 'Pickles' has appeared or does appear in South Korea, Australia, India, Aruba, England, Singapore and the Middle East."

MANEKI NEKO

Here is the latest back piece on a client who came through from Tokyo Japan...

Tuesday, February 22, 2011

The Madam Alexander ADDAMS FAMILY Dolls


Or should I call them action figures?

Madam Alexander
presents a line of four collectible dolls based on the new Addams Family Broadway musical; Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday (with crossbow) and Puggsly.

Above: Morticia, which retails for $139.95.

Cartoonists Making Decisions


From the Mountain Xpress newspaper:

“Dennis the Menace” visits Xpress (Don’t tell Mr. Wilson!)
by Jake Frankel

The Southeast Chapter of the National Cartoonists Society recently gathered around the Mountain Xpress ping pong/conference table to jury its book illustration contest. They were joined by the mischievous characters from “Dennis the Menace,” according to this illustration from cartoonist Marcus Hamilton, who works on the internationally syndicated comic strip.

The rest is here.

Stacking Wood


Hey there! That's a self-portrait of me under many wooly layers. And below, the reason why:



It's been a cold winter and we've gone through more wood than I thought. So, we had to order a cord of stovewood to keep the home fires burning. The only problem stacking wood in the winter is, of course, the cold and snow.



It was 30 degrees, but the 20-30mph wind gusts knocked the temperature down to bonechilling temperatures. I was only able to stack about a quarter of the woodpile before that Popsicle feeling overwhelmed me and I had to come in to warm up. Which is when I drew this cartoon of me in many layers (t-shirt, flannel shirt, wool sweater and jacket).

Here's hoping spring is around the corner!

HARD KNOCK LIFE





Here it is! For everyone that has been asking...

Monday, February 21, 2011

2010 Reuben Award Nominees

The National Cartoonist Society has chosen its three nominees for the Reuben Award for Outstanding Cartoonist of the Year.


And the Reuben Award nominees are:

Glen Keane



Stephan Pastis



Richard Thompson


Congratulations to all of the nominees!

The winner, chosen by NCS artist members, will be announced at the 65th Annual Reuben Awards Dinner on May 28, 2011

Death Note เดทโน๊ต No.2












ปฏิทิน การ์ตูน ปี 2011 รันม่า Ranma 1/2 วอลล์เปอร์การ์ตูนสุดน่ารัก วอลล์เปเปอร์การ์ตูนสีสด วอลล์เปเปอร์การ์ตูนสีหวาน วอลล์เปเปอร์การ์ตูนเกาหลี วอลล์เปเปอร์การ์ตูนเกาหลี (HOT) วอลล์เปเปอร์การ์ตูนเกาหลี No.3 วอลล์เปเปอร์ดอกไม้ ดอกไม้จะบาน วอลล์เปเปอร์ดุ๊กดิ๊กเกาหลี No.2 วอลล์เปเปอร์ตุ๊กตาหมี วอลล์เปเปอร์ภาพวาดแบบเด็กๆ วอลล์เปเปอร์สีหวาน No.2 วันตรุษจีน เทศกาลตรุษจีน แม่มดน้อยโดเรมี - Doremi