Jack Davis: Creepy's Loathsome Lore

Some ghoulish original Jack Davis art for Creepy was on display at MoCCA Fest 2014.

Jack Davis, Original artwork for "Creepy's Loathsome Lore," Creepy #3, June 1965

Jack Davis, "Creepy's Loathsome Lore," Creepy #3, June 1965

https://www.flickr.com/photos/tom1231/3670478902/

Note:  I have a little more Jack Davis art on the blog. Don't miss it.

There are quite a few more MoCCA Fest posts as well. Don't miss them either.

If you haven't lost your lunch yet, why not check out all the haunting Halloween posts that have made their way onto this blog over the years?

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Liana Finck's A Bintel Brief

One of the pleasures of this month's MoCCA Fest was meeting New Yorker cartoonist and first-time graphic novelist Liana Finck. She had copies of her soon-to-be-published book A Bintel Brief with her. My personalized copy of this intriguing work is proudly shown below.

You can help celebrate the official release of this book on Friday evening April 18 at BookCourt in Brooklyn. Ms. Finck will appear in conversation with cartoonist Liza Donnelly.

Liana Finck's A Bintel Brief:  Love and Longing in Old New York (2014) file image

My copy of Liana Finck's A Bintel Brief:  Love and Longing in Old New York (2014) inscribed with a self-portrait "To Stephen/--Liana."

Note:  Find out what else I saw at MoCCA Fest here.

Read more about Liza Donnelly here.

See posts in celebration of National Library Week here.

Timely posts about Passover may be found here.

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Carlos Danger: John Cuneo New Yorker Cover Art

Last weekend's MoCCA Arts Fest included one example of original New Yorker cover art in the MoCCA Gallery. It was last year's "Carlos Danger" cover by John Cuneo and it came from the collection of the artist. Carlos Danger, of course, was the online pseudonym of Anthony Weiner, the disgraced politician who felt enough time had passed since his Capitol Hill sexting scandal that he could now redeem himself by running for Mayor of New York City. Instead he became embattled over further details of the lurid scandal and was forced to withdraw from the race.

It is a little unusual, although not unheard of, for the original artwork to be smaller than the actual printed cover. Cuneo's watercolor technique is rich in detail and saturation, supporting the artwork's enlargement for reproduction. It looks to my eye as if contrast has been added to the printed cover. The original artwork allots more space to the news helicopters on the right than appear on the actual published cover.

John Cuneo, "Carlos Danger"
Original cover artwork, The New Yorker, August 5, 2013
Framed alongside the published cover.
Collection of the artist.

The true issue date is August 5, 2013.

"King Kong" (1933)

http://kingkong.wikia.com/wiki/King_Kong_(1933_film)?file=King_Kong_1933.jpg

John Cuneo, "Carlos Danger"
The New Yorker, August 5, 2013

Note:  Other examples of original New Yorker cover art may be seen on the blog here. Let me know if you have any cover artwork you might like to share on this blog.

Anthony Weiner makes another tasteful appearance in the Drew Friedman "My Way" post here.

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Charlie Brown at MoCCA Fest

This year's MoCCA Arts Fest featured a very special attraction. It was the Charlie Brown character balloon, on loan from the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. It was great to be able to see the Peanuts character up close.

The 69th Regiment Armory, site of the 2014 MoCCA Arts Fest

The Charlie Brown character balloon greets visitors to MoCCA Fest 2014

The Charlie Brown balloon at MoCCA Fest 2014. I've never seen a Macy's balloon indoors before.

You're a good man, Charlie Brown.

The Charlie Brown balloon floating above MoCCA Fest 2014

The public, of course, did not get to see the balloon being inflated, but the Society of Illustrators did post a balloon inflation photo on its Twitter feed. The caption reads "Charlie is not a morning person."

https://twitter.com/SOI128/status/452059046426988544/photo/1

Perhaps you've seen this balloon around town before:

Good Grief!  The Charlie Brown balloon above Columbus Circle, Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade 2012

Photo by Marc Hoffman

http://attemptedbloggery.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-2012-macys-thanksgiving-day-parade.html

Note:  Older posts regarding the MoCCA Arts Fest may be seen here.

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MoCCA Arts Fest 2014

The 2014 MoCCA Arts Fest is right around the corner, coming to New York City on April 5th and 6th. The 2012 Festival was the first comic art convention I ever attended, and I had a surprisingly good time even though, as it turns out, the Museum of Comic and Cartoon Art was in the late stages of a serious financial crisis. Then MoCCA merged with the fiscally sound Society of Illustrators and its financial house was put in order. I was disappointed that the 2013 MoCCA show wasn't nearly as exciting for me, and I made fewer purchases accordingly. Now perhaps the pendulum will swing the other way.

Fiona Staples, MoCCA Arts Fest 2014
http://www.societyillustrators.org/Mocca_Event.aspx?id=10561

I'm not sure yet whether I'm going this year, but it seems that whenever I do go I come away with material for at least a few blog posts. For example, some swag I came across at the 2013 Fest included a pin promoting Art Spiegelman's MetaMaus. The next time I need to wear a pin with a swastika on it, I am ready.

Art Spiegelman, Promotional pin for MetaMaus

Note:  So just what was I up to at MoCCA Fest? See my old blog posts here.

More posts on Art Spiegelman may be seen here.

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