Mike Lynch Cartoons

Wednesday, November 19, 2014

Silent Penultimate NANCY Panels by Ernie Bushmiller

Here are some silent penultimate comic strip panels from Ernie Bushmiller's NANCY strip. These are the next to last panels that are devoid of text.

Pulled out of any context, these become moments of zen comic art.

NANCY is copyright United Media. The strips are from Brian Walker's landmark book THE BEST OF ERNIE BUSHMILLER (Comicana Books, 1988), which used a silent penultimate panel for its cover.

Related post: 1969: All of the PEANUTS Silent Penultimate Daily Panels

Mr. Bushmiller in his later years, from the back cover of THE BEST OF ERNIE BUSHMILLER. From the collection of James T. Carlsson.

Related: 1969: All of the PEANUTS Silent Penultimate Daily Panels

-- This entry originally appeared on March 5, 2012.

Tuesday, November 18, 2014

New Short Documentary: The Art of Richard Thompson

The nice thing is that this short (21 minute) documentary is that it's for both of the kinds of people in the world: the people who know and love Richard, and the people who do not know who this Richard Thompson is.

You will surely know after looking at this.

If you know him, this is a great video companion to his ART OF RICHARD THOMPSON book, which hits the bookstores next week. If you have no idea who he is, you will become a fan immediately upon seeing his illustrations, caricatures, cartoons and comic strips.

Richard is, to quote the documentary, a "cartoonist's cartoonist," which, as my pal Brian Fies put it so well on his Facebook page this morning:

"… means that he does things I wish I could do, does things I don't understand how anyone could do, and is the very model of 'working hard to make it look easy.' He's one of the all-time best and this piece does a good job of showing why."

I couldn't agree more.

Richard was diagnosed with Parkinson's and has since, sadly, had to retire. The silver lining is that his work will be preserved and celebrated.

The Art of Richard Thompson from GVI on Vimeo.

Washington Post: THIS JUST IN: ‘The Art of Richard Thompson’: Filmmakers behind new documentary short deftly capture ‘the cartoonist’s cartoonist’

Jeff Fisher 1955-2014

(Photo of Jeff Fisher by Scott Bakal.)

Painter and educator Jeff Fisher died of a sudden heart attack on November 18, 2014.

An award winning artist with an vast professional client list, Jeff also taught extensively in New York. His "patience and big personality were a perfect match for the kids, and his days teaching will remain as some of our favorite memories" (from the Society of Illustrators Tumblr obituary)

He was an active member of the Society of Illustrators, serving on its board, as well as directing its annual "The Members' Show" exhibition. He also helmed hands-on workshops at his own Smithtown studio.

From the Berndt Toast Gang Chairman Adrian Sinnott:

Our very own, one of a kind, talented, funny and amazing Jeff passed away suddenly today from a heart attack after playing basketball.

Basketball was one of Jeff's favorite things to do and, at least, we can take solace in the fact that he was doing something he loved. Jeff lived his life that way. He was passionate about his art, invaluable to his friends and students, and loved for the great father and grandfather he was.

We will all miss him very much, I will especially be lost without my Sergeant-at-arms for bringing an unruly gathering of cartoonists to order. But more than that we have lost a great friend. Jeff was the reason I joined the Society of Illustrators. You didn't say, "No," to Jeff. That, of course, was one of the usual give and take barbs you had with him, in reality I was very thrilled that he thought so much my work.

Jeff was the type of person that everyone knew and loved, he shared his passion for great art freely and with great vigor. He shall be missed by all who knew him. Those that did had the chance of a lifetime.

Now go and draw something, Jeff would want you to.

Jeff Fisher's site
Society of Illustrators Tumblr Obituary

MAD Magazine Editor John Ficarra Interviewed by Samuel Ferri

MAD Magazine editor John Ficarra is interviewed, cartoon-style, by my friend Samuel Ferri over at The Observer.

It's an insightful, very frank conversation about MAD and its editorial philosophy. Yes, MAD has an editorial philosophy: it "celebrates idiocy … especially its own." But with the Internet constantly churning out even dumber stuff, how does this magazine, founded in 1952, compete?

Go read.

Monday, November 17, 2014

W.C. Fields: Cartoonist

Above: A christmas card drawn by W.C. Fields to a family member drawn just a few weeks before his death on Christmas Day, 1946.

W.C. Fields seriously considered being a cartoonist. Did you know that? I didn't until I picked up the book W.C. FIELDS BY HIMSELF this weekend. He drew cartoons for a newspaper in San Francisco, according to the book, edited by his grandson Ronald J. Fields. No name of the paper given. But he didn't like the pressure of the editors, and so he decided juggling on the Vaudeville circuit was preferable.

Regardless, he would dip his pen into his ink and draw up his own self-caricatures for publicity purposes during these years. I'm sure he waled in newspaper offices when he was in town and plied them with his art. W.C. FIELDS BY HIMSELF has a number of his drawings. The book, published in 1973 and copyright W.C. Field Productions, Inc., is a doorstop of a hardcover. It is, mostly, first person accounts from Mr. Fields himself. The subtitle is "His Intended Autobiography." His grandson spent a couple of years going through his papers and discovered that there was a rough manuscript for an autobiography.

Here are some of the drawings, reproduced from the book:

Friday, November 14, 2014

The First Batmobile (1963)

Well, there it is. The first Batmobile, built three years before the BATMAN TV series. DC Comics approved this Batmobile in 1963 and it toured the country.

The car, which was originally a 1956 Oldsmobile 88, was lost for a long time, and then it was found, rusted and in wretched condition, in a New Hampshire field.

Now fully restored, Heritage Auctions has it for sale. Opening bid: $60,000.

More at Pop Culture Safari.

First Snow

We had some flurries about ten days ago, but this is the first time that one wakes up in the morning and sees the earth, all covered in snow. It's already beginning to melt. It will warm up to 39 degrees today, after all. But it's a portent of things to come.

Here are some photos I took early this morning. You can tell it's early due to the blue cast on everything. Anyway, I went out to clear off the bird feeder and snapped some photos. It was quite and peaceful.

Peanuts and sunflower seeds for the birds.

The Adirondack chair in the snow

The driveway and the snow covered power lines.

The poor zinnias!

Love the way that snow collects on pine trees.

No more picnics for a time.

Thursday, November 13, 2014

Happy November 13th

Remember Felix!

RUSS COCHRAN'S COMIC ART AUCTION #67 Part 7

Here's the final bit -- the last couple of dozen scans of original art from RUSS COCHRAN'S COMIC ART AUCTION #67, which came out over twenty years ago. So much great art and so many panels and dailies. A number of these are strips I had not heard of. Go and look. You will feel a bit smarter!

Part 1 here.
Part 2 here.
Part 3 here.
Part 4 here.
Part 5 here.
Part 6 here.

A. Hutchinson, Clancy