Thursday, December 11, 2008

Lobby card


Rare card for a movie I have not seen yet, though it looks like a fun fest. My dear friend Jennifer Waters found it in a Hollywood poster and bookstore that closed down earlier this year. Another victim of the makeover done to Hollywood blvd. Lobby cards are mostly frames from the film, and usually show a scene in a off moment, between actions or just a tinted copy of the poster. Truly a lost bit of American culture like drive-ins, and burger shops with waitresses on roller skates.

Wednesday, December 10, 2008

Saturday, December 06, 2008

Saturday, November 15, 2008

Szukalski


The greatest sculptor you never heard of - or maybe you have. He said Picasso was a bum but that doesn't make him less lovable. He lived in Santa Monica until passing away several years ago. Most of his original work was destroyed by commies in his native Poland. How do you describe a style beyond description? Arrogant, self-absorbed, and brilliant, he was the proto-typical artist.

Monday, November 03, 2008

Sokol


Three great examples of the great Erich Sokol best known in the U.S. for his Playboy cartoons, which have some of the best girl drawings ever seen by millions of perverts. In Europe he is mostly known for his political cartoons. His use of color is awesome, dude.

Wednesday, October 29, 2008

Meltdown Comics


Saturday Nov 1 we will be at Meltdown Comics, 7522 Sunset Blvd in Hollywood, (818 851-7223) starting at 2PM. John K. will be there signing the new Political figures (Obama, Hillary, and McCain) as well as Jim Smith and some surprise guests. There will be some guitar pickin too if the situation is right. To see the box art scroll down on this blog or go to John K.s site.

Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Modern art


Nice color man. Carter Goodrich cartoon from the Nov 3 issue of New Yorker magazine, the cartoon issue. The masks of McCain and Palin are rendered in a different style, like hard plastic.

Don Martin


Prime Martin from the 60's; this is a good example of graphic power, solid construction, and funny characters, yet the composition and layout are the prominent features. There is also a rare sample of Don Martin background design as seen in the skyline behind the main action. This is a reprint from Mad Special #4, 1971 or 72. It was in the bargain bin at HideHo comics just laying there on top of other rare issues of Mad. Visit HideHo comics in Santa Monica and tell them Jim sent ya.

Monday, October 27, 2008

Bob Ama

Hillary and them


Package art from the new figures soon to be available for your pleasure. Box art is by John K. and figures designed by John K. and Jim Smith (me). See John's blog for more information.

Sunday, October 26, 2008

New Mad from old magazine






Samples of a few favorites reprinted for a Mad special. From top: Al Jaffee, Mort Drucker, Jack Davis, Bob Clarke, and Jack Rickard.

Tuesday, October 21, 2008

Jim Smith and Frank Forte signing this sat.

STOP BY HI DE HO COMICS in Santa Monica CA from 12 noon-4pm

More Voyage




Image 1 is unsoftened, image 3 is softened. That is the best I can get from the small size of the magazine thumbnails. They certainly don't do justice to the full size which I would like to see. They are still good examples of a lost art. Image two is the chief with a young crewman who was killed in every episode.

Voyage


Comic covers from the 60s. The images were scanned from small images in Starlog magazine but convey the good use of color and composition, very lively and enjoyable to look at.

Sunday, October 19, 2008

Ali Fairy Conan



The fairy image is from a storyboard done in 1977 or 78, for a local TV ad for a dry cleaning co. I basically borrowed a Disney character but I uglied it up a little. The good thing about it was learning to do animation at all levels, including cel painting, camera, animation, storyboard, and such. Being a 4 or 5 man operation everyone did a little of everything just well enough to survive. We also did a lot of technical films for industry. The bottom sketch is a young Ali.

20th century art




3 watercolor samples from my tech illustrator period.

Saturday, October 18, 2008

David P. Smith corner


Hi friends and neighbors, sorry for being gone so long. My knucklehead son forgot how to work his computer. Thought for the day: "If you're going to the men's room, mention my name - you'll get a good seat.

Friday, October 17, 2008

Popeye

After watching all the DVDs in the Popeye set, this reporter can say that the best Bluto animation is in the cartoon "Pleased to Meet Ya" Superb Bowsky maybe his best stuff. He comes to life for this one cartoon and then goes back to merely great in the following cartoons. My favorite cartoon is still Ali Baba.

Thursday, October 16, 2008

More new old purty crap



The Spooky is from 1969. Nice color on the washing machine. The George Liquors are from model sheets made with comic book images.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

House of Secrets


Mark Segal, Richie Hass, and me at the final show for House of Secrets, 2006. The hand on photo 3 is Mark Mylar's.

Monday, October 13, 2008

Richie Hass, Mark Mylar and myself at House of Secrets


The late, great Richie Hass bass player and beloved husband of Michelle at a show for House of Secrets comic book store in Burbank. Bottom photo is Mark Mylar, sax player of reknown and myself, about 2005 or 2006.

Amsterdamn


Freehead joins forces with blues legends Carter Brothers for a show in the Netherlands, 1997.

Sunday, September 21, 2008

Thursday, September 18, 2008

Monday, September 15, 2008

Thursday, September 04, 2008

Wednesday, September 03, 2008

Thursday, August 28, 2008

Tuesday, August 26, 2008

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Saturday, August 16, 2008

Thursday, May 01, 2008