Ron Evry salutes Don Martin

Virginian comics historian Ron Evry wrote in today to highlight his podcast of readings of copyright-free fiction:

Today I posted the THIRD annual Gorilla Suit Day story in Mister Ron's Basement (links to the previous two are on the page), in celebration of Mad Cartoonist Don Martin's holiday gift to the American people...

The link to the story is at:
http://slapcast.com/users/revry/7026

It is called "Gorilla Romance" and was written by W. L. Alden back in 1893.

Two comics articles in Express today

For some reason, the Express, which is owned by the Washington Post, ran a wire story on Trudeau calling the election in Doonesbury from the LA Times even though the story was broken by the Post’s own Michael Cavna on the Post’s Comic Riffs blog.

Also, Scott Rosenberg had an article, "Comedy Before Country: A Mad magazine man talks about poking fun at the political" interviewing John Ficarra in the Express (November 3): 18.

Fischer on Feldstein on Beaty on Hadju

My buddy Craig Fischer stirred up some old EC and Wertham issues for Al Feldstein and Bart Beaty, both of whom I correspond with, so I'm calling this DC news for the nonce. And it's interesting. Part the first - June 09, 2008 Feldstein on Beaty on Hajdu and part the second - June 11, 2008, Beaty and Feldstein Reply. Craig and I will be seeing Mr. Feldstein at Heroescon next week - the panel that Our Man Thompson is also on, and I'm going to help Big Al stomp Craig down to size... Harrassing an EC editor, indeed. Where's the respect?! Ooooh, my questions for Craig are going to be so tough...

Our Man Thompson goes MAD

Thought Balloonist Craig Fischer is reporting that he'll be moderating a panel "A Chat with Al Feldstein (and Friends)," with Al Feldstein, Roger Langridge* and Richard Thompson at Heroes Con on Saturday, June 21 at 4 pm. Hoo-hah! I'm there!

*when I saw Roger at SPX last year, I bought 3 pages of original art from him. Richard was no use at all making the selection so I just bought them all. I'd encourage you to do the same from both of them. You won't regret it. Well, not for long.

Comic postcards

For some reason, comic postcards generate even less interest among comic art fans than greeting card cartoonists, who, like Sandra Boynton demonstrated conclusively recently by winning a National Cartoonists Society award, at least may break out to a larger audience.

Here's a selection of postcards I picked up at a flea market this weekend. Some are barely worthy of the 25 cents I paid for each, but they are a part of the history of comics.

This one says it's from C.T. Busy Person's Comics - 10 Subjects. The CT is the company Curt Teich of Chicago. Unfortunately I don't know who the artist is.



This gag is by G.A. Devery or GAD, no. 59 in his "Fun Cards by GAD" series, from 1956.



A 1963 advertising card from the Hilton Hotels International's Queen Elizabeth in Montreal. The card is from The Beaver Club restaurant. The cartoon is "Specialty dishes from the Beaver Club Menus as seen by the Montreal artist Jeff."



Walt Munson signed a few of the cards I saw - for some reason I picked up this one which isn't very interesting. The back says it's in "Series M Army Comics - 10 Subjects" and it's postmarked 1942. Munson's name seems to ring a bell...



This unattractive stereotypical card 's lacking any information, but it was mailed in 1957 from Tampa, FL to Dickerson, Md.


The prevalence of MAD's Alfred E. Neumann images has never really interested me, but here's three for Craig Yoe.


1960 postmark from Colourpicture Publishers, Boston. Mad and Alfred E. are well-established by this point, so the publisher's probably jumping on the bandwagon.

Same card, different coloring. Postmark appears to be 1964.



Bob Petley of Phoenix, Arizona drew and published this card, circa 1963.

Toles goes MAD

Tom Toles' editorial cartoon today is based on the fold-in by famed MAD cartoonist Al Jaffee. Here's a good article on Jaffee from the NY Times, and some online fold-ins.

Jaffee is nominated for the National Cartoonists Society's Reuben award this weekend (and Richard Thompson's up for best strip) and I believe he will win it. I don't know if Toles was making a prediction, or just was reminded of Jaffee's work, but according to Dave Astor, Wiley's made a bet who'll win by doing an early Sunday strip - check the Post on Sunday and see if either of us was right.

And for those reading it online, with less fold-in experience than us long-time Mad readers, here's what it looks like folded:

Will Elder obituary in Post

A truly great cartoonist is gone - "Will Elder, 86; Zany Cartoonist for Mad and Playboy", By Adam Bernstein, Washington Post Staff Writer, Saturday, May 17, 2008; B06.

Dirda schooled on Mad love

See "SINS OF OMISSION," Washington Post Book World Sunday, January 13, 2008; Page BW14 to read a letter from a girl (!) who liked (!) Mad!

Mike Dirda goes "Snap Ploobadoof" for Don Martin

See his review, "The cartoonist who made Mad magazine truly mad for more than 30 years" By Michael Dirda, Washington Post Book World Sunday, December 9, 2007; Page BW11.

(Actually that's the sound of Wonder Woman's bra opening)

The Mad War on Bush continues at Big Planet Comics

Joel Pollack, owner of the Bethesda branch of Big Planet Comics, has done something generally unthinkable for him (which is why he's still in business.) He's drastically overordered The Mad War on Bush - to the tune of 100 copies of it. I asked him why, and he said, "I think it's very important for people to see it. I think Mad's strength, since they reworked the magazine almost 10 years ago, is when they do political humor. When it comes to George Bush, people should laugh instead of crying." What, me worry?