Look Here, Read: “Gruesome Charlie in ‘No Erect Penises'” by Jeff Johnson
At the end of January, I posted a “Heads Up” to alert collectors of comic art to the grand opening of the well-stocked Etsy shop of Atlanta-based artist Jess (née Jeff) Jonsin (née Johnson). At that time, I had already purchased page six of a story, “Gruesome Charlie in ‘No Erect Penises,'” that originally appeared in Zero Zero #4 (Fantagraphics, August 1995). In the days that followed, however, I found myself returning several times to Jess’s Etsy shop to examine the other five pages in the story. Each time, I half-expected that one or the other of the pages would be sold, but also sort of hoped they would all still be available for purchase, until finally I talked myself into making an offer on the lot of them. Jess graciously accepted my offer, so now I’m back to share, with Jess’s permission, the complete story scanned from the original art:
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Regarding the title of the story, Jess volunteered the following explanation during a conversation we’ve been having on Etsy:
And I wanted to tell you some things: The story you’ve bought was originally conceived for Blab! Monte [Beauchamp] didn’t think it suited, and I’m sure he was right; I reconfigured it later for Zero Zero. Kim [Thompson] only stipulated that there be “No Erect Penises” which kept me from calling it something appropriate like “Dancing Frogs.” The “Gruesome Charlie” character, or at least the name, has a hypnagogic origin, as does “Voluptuous Dog.” That’s all that comes to mind about that story right now. I do think it’s one of my more relatable efforts, almost in a Peter Bagge storytelling vein.
In addition to his new Etsy shop, Jess also has put together a new 198-page collection of comics that he originally published under the name Jeff Johnson. Here’s Jess’s description of the collection, which bears the anagrammatic title, Sad Brat, Bad Star:
This is a collection of comics originally printed as zines in 1990-91: Filth, Symbiosis, Reality, Communion and The Moon in the Man. Two unfinished works are included; Felicity part one, written by the author’s deceased ex, and seventeen pages of the titular 1995 graphic novel that, had it not been abandoned, intended to deal with the germinal time and place from which the rest of these 200 pages originated. An idiosyncratic design sense stitches the lot together with a loosely cohesive hand, and a smattering of brief notes and introductory essays wander moodily along like an emotionally-unstable tour guide, offering an oddly endearing blend of impertinent trivia, crankish pettifoggery and raw catharsis wrapped in convoluted verbiage. This intensity is what keeps this shattered planet of uncouth continents spinning. You should visit this planet before it dies.
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Sad Brat, Bad Star: Comics 1988-1992 by Jeff Johnson is available via Amazon.com (and is eligible for free shipping if you live in the good ol’ U.S. of A.) as well as via the Amazon service site for self-publishers, CreateSpace.
Although I don’t own a copy of the collection just yet, I do intend to place an order soon… on March 10th, to be exact.
JESS JONSIN LINK ROUNDUP:
Apeiron — an illuminated zine, a video channel, and a library of booklets
The Door — Etsy shop
Jess Jonsin — website
jess jonsin (glutenmob) on Twitter
jessjonsin’s photostream
Sad Brat, Bad Star by Jeff Johnson at Amazon.com & CreateSpace
spambots + ziggurats – blog
Out of Context: “And what’s this I’ve grabbed?”
Heads Up: “VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch”
Coming in mid to late 2013 from Fantagraphics:
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Here’s the publisher’s description of the book:
Only a few months after the devastating attack on Pearl Harbor and the same year that Albert Camus offered the world his bleak vision of man’s existence by introducing his philosophical dictum of The Absurd, Virgil Partch burst onto the scene with his own twist on the phrase. Partch was a cartoonist who offered comic counterpoint to the grim headlines and a unique perspective on human nature in the pages of the nation’s most popular magazines.
Known to millions by his jazzy signature, VIP, this comic genius ushered in a new era of the gag cartoon — zany, sometimes surreal, always hilarious — that inspired a generation of fellow cartoonists starting in the 1940s and ’50s. His madcap style of humor was reflected in the cutting-edge comedic sensibilities of Burns & Allen, Jack Benny, Ernie Kovacs, Bob & Ray, Stan Freberg, and Jean Shepherd, and would position Partch as one of the most prolific “gag-men” of his day. VIP contributed to an astonishing array of magazines, wrote gags for other cartoonists, illustrated books, album covers, and advertisements, and adorned merchandise including, appropriately, cocktail glasses.
VIP: The Mad World of Virgil Partch [hardcover, 240 pages] is the first time Partch’s life and career has been treated in full, collecting amazing artwork from the entire range of his inspired career — reprinted from original art, primary-source publications, and collectors’ and family archives — and featuring his own writings. VIP’s place in the world of cartooning and humor can finally be fully appreciated in this beautiful coffee-table volume.
It’s easy to find work by Virgil Partch on the web; he seems to be every nerd and geek’s favourite gag cartoonist (along with Gahan Wilson). But to save you a few clicks — especially those of you who have been living under a rock and have never seen Partch’s work before — I’ve decided to scan and post the cover and the first six pages from the 1955 collection, Funny Cartoons by VIP (Greenwich, Conn.: Fawcett,1955); you’ll find the JPEGs below, along with a shockingly conventional colour gag cartoon by Partch that was published in 1967:
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Ah, who am I kidding? Now that I’ve whet your appetite, you’re definitely going to want to search Google images for more Partch gold.
Connections: Frank Frazetta and Arthur Suydam
I scanned the cover of Back to the Stone Age by Edgar Rice Burroughs, with pulse-poundin’ art by Frank Frazetta, from the copy of the paperback edition in my personal library.
Arthur Suydam’s Mammoth was published as a poster/print in both an unsigned and a signed and limited edition by Glimmer Graphics in 1990. I borrowed the image of Mammoth from the Glimmer Graphics site.
Suydam’s stories in Heavy Metal and Epic Illustrated were among the best those magazines had to offer.
Frazetta, of course, is Frazetta.
BONUS IMAGES:
Perhaps those “Bonus Images” ought to have been a “Connections” post all on their own.
Heads Up: BETTER THINGS t-shirts, with art by Jeffrey Jones
Don’t delay! The donation deadline is Thursday 28 February 11:59PM PT.
Well, folks, the deadline for donations to the Indiegogo fundraiser for Maria Paz Cabardo’s documentary film Better Things: The Life and Choices of Jeffrey Catherine Jones is fast approaching. So far, the donation level that includes the 64-page art book, film DVD, and postcard set has been the most popular with Jones fans, with the level that includes the DVD by itself running a close second, but now, with only five days to go, producer/director Maria Cabardo has unveiled a very tempting new perk at the $55.00 level ($65.00 international): a t-shirt with art by Jeffrey Jones. And you don’t have just one design from which to choose; there are several. Take a look:
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See the home page of the Better Things Indiegogo site for pictures.
Now, the price may seem a bit high for a mere t-shirt, but keep mind that the main point here is to support a film about an artist whose work you love, not outfit the kids for school — although there are definitely kids (as well as adults) out there who would love one of those t-shirts! Rather, the t-shirts and other merchandise are merely Maria’s way of thanking you for your donation. And where else are you going to get a t-shirt with art by Jeffrey Jones on it, anyway? Nowhere, that’s where!
Colour and size options for the t-shirts are listed on the site, but if you don’t see a colour you like or the size you need, simply ask Maria about other options. Keep in mind, however, that Maria has recommended neutrally coloured fabrics (and white) because they work best for the full-colour artwork, which a commercial printing company will reproduce on the t-shirts by “ink transfer.” The images are not decals or iron-ons, which sit on the surface of the fabric and tend to flake away over time; rather, “the ink is transferred and is absorbed by the shirt and is completely washable and blends well after several washings.” Of course, the designs that feature Jones drawings in black ink — the “I’m Age” strip or the gorilla, for instance — would look great on a t-shirt of almost any colour. But, again, ask Maria about your options. You can contact her via the Indiegogo site or her twitter feed.
So visit the Better Things Indiegogo home page and donate today!
POSTSCRIPT:
Please note that the Better Things fundraiser is a “flexible funding campaign,” so all of the money raised goes to the film — and everyone who donates will receive their chosen perks/rewards — regardless of the total amount of money raised by the deadline.
And please ALSO note: the cost of delivering the various perks/rewards at the various donation levels is going to substantially reduce the amount of money that Maria actually receives from the fundraiser, so the more money raised, the better. SPREAD THE WORD!
Don’t delay! The donation deadline is Thursday 28 February 11:59PM PT.
Out of Context: “Some days seem full of BAD LUCK and EVIL!”
Look Here, Read: “Temptress and Trouble-maker,” with art by Ric Estrada
From Teen-Age Romances #28 (December 1952), here’s “Temptress and Trouble-maker,” with pencils and inks both by Cuban-American cartoonist Ric Estrada (26 February 1928 – 01 May 2009); the earliest “signed” pencilling credit for Estrada at the Grand Comics Database is from 1952, so his work on “Temptress and Trouble-maker” is obviously from very early in his career, and yet, Estrada already displays a bold, confident style that is fully formed and extremely attractive:
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— VIA —
Estrada was only 24 years old when “Temptress and Trouble-maker” was published.
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 3 of 3)
This is the third of three posts devoted to Robert Stewart Sherriffs’ illustrations for the Khorasan Edition of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (London: Collins, 1967); the first post includes a short intro, a couple of links to biographical and other information about Mr. Sherriffs, and a few low-quality JPEGs of pages from the artist’s first publication as a book illustrator.
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The texture you see in all of the images is a feature of the artwork. It is not an artifact of the scanning process.
NAVIGATION:
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 1 of 3)
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 2 of 3)
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 3 of 3)
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 2 of 3)
This is the second of three posts devoted to Robert Stewart Sherriffs’ illustrations for the Khorasan Edition of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam (London: Collins, 1967); the first post includes a short intro, a couple of links to biographical and other information about Mr. Sherriffs, and a few low-quality JPEGs of pages from the artist’s first publication as a book illustrator.
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NAVIGATION:
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 1 of 3)
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 2 of 3)
Look Here: RUBAIYAT OF OMAR KHAYYAM, illus. by Robert Stewart Sherriffs (post 3 of 3)
Ragged Claws Network 