Gahan Wilson: Passport to World Band Radio

Some blog I was reading (I really can't remember which), led to this, which led to this interview with Gahan Wilson. From reading the interview, I found out Wilson had done some covers for a magazine called Passport to World Band Radio. Here's one of those covers. It is drawn in simpler style than most of Wilson's stuff, but is unmistakeably his.





I'm always a little behind on these things. From the above reading, I found out that Fantagraphics did a nice three volume edition of all of Gahan Wilson's cartoons for Playboy magazine.

Yay! My Own Sarnoff.

I've been posting about Arthur Sarnoff some lately. I just got my first original by him. It is a romance illustration, undated from an unknown source. I'm very fortunate to have obtained it. I ain't no decorator, but I think it may even look good in my living room.

Turok, Son of Stone

Along with posting some art by Bernie Wrightson, another thing you can never go wrong with is Turok, Son of Stone. Here are some scans of original art from some Turok comics. All art is attributed to George Wilson.



Art for Turok, Son of Stone #31, 1963.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #33, 1963.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #46, 1965.




Art for Turok, Son of Stone #86, 1973.





Art for Turok, Son of Stone #88, 1974.





This piece is likely a preliminary or for an issue that was never published, n.d.

Cigarette Cards: Polar Exploration

This is a set of cigarette cards from 1915. It doesn't really fit into the theme of fantasy comic book and illustration art, but I just have two sets of cigarette cards and don't want to start a cigarette card blog with only two posts. These cards are Series 1 of the Polar Exploration set. There was also a Series 2 released in 1916 that focused on Robert F. Scott's ill-fated 1912 expedition. These cards were produced by John Player and Sons.

I'll get back to some blood and guts or cheesecake later this week.

Steve Bissette's "Vermont Monster Guide"

I stumbled across Steve Bissette's home page awhile back. It is full of art, news, and lots of art. If you haven't read it already, I highly recommend his story of the creation of the Saga of the Swamp Thing #20, which begins here.

The artist is selling signed copies of his and author Joseph Citro's book The Vermont Monster Guide. The book features one paragraph to a couple pages on different monsters purported to dwell in Vermont. Every state has stories like this, but Vermont seems to have a lot of weirdness for such a small state. In here you can learn about The Bennington Monster, The Hopping Horror, and the thing that seems to freak me out the most: "Giant Red-Eyed Rabbits." These rabbits dwell on an island in Lake Bomoseen. Since the island is thirty feet from the shore, only the biggest rabbits could make the leap, so they've been breeding on this island. The book says they haven't harmed anyone but the idea of them bothers me(and Bissette's illustration, only he could make a B&W sketch of a bunny rabbit look creepy).

Bissette's drawings are what really make this book, people familiar with his work know he can add an extra edge of creepiness to everything. Some of the beasts, like The Hopping Horror, are only depicted in silhouette, making them even more weird. Highly recommended.

Lord of the Rings: Pics or It Didn't Happen

Here is a screen shot of probably my favorite frame from The Lord of the Rings movies. I didn't happen like this in the book, but I don't care.

Bernie Wrightson: Another Fine Jam...

When in doubt, post something by Bernie Wrightson. Here is a scan of the original art for the opening page of a never completed 1970 story: "Here's Another Fine Jam You've Gotten Me Into." You just know that one of those characters was gonna end up chopped up and put in jars at the end of the story.