Greg Goldstein's Comic Art Gallery
Panels and Pages… Art and Artists… Creators and Conventions… Musings and Memories…
San Diego Comic-Con, July 24-28, 2024
Somehow, another year SDCC has already come and gone, and again, I ask the simple question: How does it go by so quickly?
I can’t answer that, but I can say this: For better or worse, the convention is pretty much back to it’s pre-pandemic magnitude.
Minus, of course, the carpeting. Please, on behalf of feet (and backs) everywhere — bring back the carpeting.
Playboy, January 1963
To say I was obsessed with Gahan Wilson’s amazing cartoons in the early 70s would definitely qualify as an understatement. The art and the gag almost always spoke to me.
I wouldn’t say I’m “obsessed” today… but I still love them and find them as entertaining as much as I ever did.
I’m delighted to finally own of his classic color Playboy cartoons.
San Diego Comic-Con — my 30th, at least — begins tomorrow, and who knows, maybe I’ll find another one.
Fun fact: A slight edit made to the final published caption vs Wilson’s submission.
Playboy Magazine, November 1960
Can you think of another artist whose work appeared in Mad, Time, TV Guide and Playboy at the height of their circulation in the 60s and 70s? Not to mention seminal work as a visual storyteller at EC Comics?
Nope, me either.
“Jack Davis was quite possibly the most ubiquitous American humor illustrator of all time. Davis was a master cartoonist, caricaturist, and illustrator, and his funny, fast-paced, manic, beautifully rendered work has graced the covers of countless comic books, magazines, and record albums and has also appeared on movie posters, bubble gum cards, and advertisements. A virtual mind-boggling one-man industry, Davis has been called “the fastest cartoonist alive” and “the master of the crowd scene.” It’s astonishing to realize that this quiet Southern gentleman was usually finished with assignments for the day and out on the golf course by 2:30 p.m.”
– Drew Friedman from his Fantagraphics book, Heroes of the Comics.
Palooka-Ville #5, May 1994, It’s A Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, 1996
It’s a mystery:
I have no idea why artist Seth (Gregory Gallant) is not held in higher regard by comic art fans.
Maybe it is because his art style is more classical New Yorker than traditional “alternative” art.
Whatever the reason, his originals sell for little compared to contemporaries like Daniel Clowes and Charles Burns.
Which of course has upside for collectors who want to acquire a beautiful original from his magnum opus, It’s a Good Life If You Don’t Weaken, for a reasonable price.
Fun fact: When Seth’s biographical story was originally serialized in the comics Palooka-Ville, it appeared in black and white with gray tones added in the production process. When It was collected into the complete graphic novel, it was transformed into a duotone story with blue tones replacing the gray. (See below.)
The Goon #13, July 2005
Jaws is one of my favorite films.
Probably top 5 if I really think about it.
In fact, anyone who knows me well, knows that I have a tradition of watching the film every year around the July 4 Holiday. (The film takes place in “real” time from about June 28-July 7.)
And of course, as discussed previously, I’m a big fan of Eric Powell and The Goon.
So, a page featuring the Goon vs. “Jaws”? A no-brainer. (Ok, just a regular ‘ol aggressive shark, but still…)
My friends who are also super fans of both Jaws and Powell’s art — a bigger group than you might imagine — are also impressed.
Be careful at the beach, everyone. Last thing we need is a panic on the Fourth of July.
