Charles Addams: Another Flashing Fester

Ten years ago I coined the term "Flashing Festers" to signify a specific type of souvenir drawing made by Charles Addams. These sketches featured his Addams Family character Uncle Fester engaged in some socially inappropriate behavior, if you will. The drawings typically have a dedication written across Fester's exposed chest and abdomen. The term hasn't caught on, but it still serves my purposes as the drawings continue to surface. 

Now we have one that was just sold on eBay accompanied by outstanding documentation of its authenticity. It is drawn on New Yorker stationery, indicating most probably that Addams created it in response to some office fan mail. Furthermore, the note was mailed, folded, in a New Yorker envelope. It is fully addressed in Addams's own unmistakeable hand with his surname also handwritten above the magazine's return address. It was postmarked on January 7, 1975 in New York, NY en route to Fort Lauderdale. Now, forty-seven years later, thirteen bidders placed fifty-five bids, and the drawing sold on August 21 for the not unreasonable price of $460.99.

Charles Addams
eBay listing ended August 21, 2022

https://www.ebay.com/itm/144679333883?hash=item21af8f6ffb%3Ag%3AQyQAAOSwR0Ni9tBj&amdata=enc%3AAQAHAAAAoBe4N%2F193QyJK0rM5xKL6RviuOmPOQ86V1%2B7bO0rwF%2F5K3rcinSPBwaWwIgylSrjaRBcXCVxybAweOuN%2Bs7KVS29zJtjvTRMgGGyMsUzjaMaots01EIVnymfiVP3DLuGVuLq3yNwJvQbFx1SC8CiUHmfFqd4Yn5lwJWAXx7abQUZkg3xP%2BLI1fnMakeK1OpsazXLXCkTaUfAzkcLu9FzeIQ%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR-L30ufYYA&nma=true&si=64J6TuENCQvl%252FEQuIbsoMEcDQlw%253D&orig_cvip=true&nordt=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557

Charles Addams
eBay item description

Charles Addams
A brief highlight from the eBay bid history

June 11, 2023 Update:  The letter has been relisted on eBay with better and brighter images—at five times the price.

Charles Addams
eBay listing accessed June 11, 2023

https://www.ebay.com/itm/265901860695?hash=item3de8fc6757:g:9gIAAOSwqKpjL0y0&amdata=enc%3AAQAIAAAAwA1JbleuKQrvz2LkDoPCTUw1UwkbSDozrsIZxwnrkOUQsyxL5VDNMAVaH0vVDGuGBP10qYUem1Xn0GOHoTzJwHWyauBJ%2FIKGwXY0z8E4YO1SyR1hmsbLuk9Fk0SYc6p9QDdtE9qbqbfiAbpTupNOOgn197JKG8Ug3dyq8LM1KghtYzBznqjVhvj9hJW%

2FP6pfvhaNlfGkUS43IomAxj32Czv7OXuJbiSI1s8tZhYPNNufOSkdmgXWGvsb3hfoSMtTDg%3D%3D%7Ctkp%3ABk9SR5CQ-sSVYg

Note:  My original post on the Flashing Festers of Charles Addams can be viewed in the archives here.

More original drawings of Uncle Fester, flashing and otherwise, would make welcome submissions to this blog.

04058