Cartooning – Page 74 – Prattling Before the Pratfall

Monte’s Mom

Good, ol’ Monte Schulz says his mother Joyce passed away this morning in Kauai, Hawaii.

This sad occasion may not be the ideal time for me to mention that Monte has a new novel coming out, but I was going to post this notice anyway. The book is scheduled for release around the 4th of July.

Mickey Up For Grabs

Air Pirates Funnies #1, cover illustration by Bobby London

Insurrection sympathizer Josh Hawley seems to think he’s a Republican senator from Florida, and not Missouri, the state he represents. Joining the battle being waged by Florida governor Ron DeSantis, Hawley wants to cut short Disney’s ownership of Ub Iwerks’ original character design for Mickey Mouse, which is scheduled to expire in a couple of years anyway.

https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/business/business-news/disney-copyrights-targeted-in-bill-proposed-by-sen-josh-hawley-1235144054/

Fifty years ago, Nixon’s Republican dirty-tricksters were planning the Watergate break-in. At that same time, a group of underground cartoonists calling themselves The Air Pirates were fighting Disney in court.

https://disney.fandom.com/wiki/Air_Pirates_(comic)

How ironic that a radical Republican wants to strip Disney of its hold on the same imagery that a group of Hippie cartoonists wanted to exploit.

Note the addition of the “NIX KIDS – ADULTS ONLY!” disclaimer

Air Pirates Funnies was a subversive take on Mickey Mouse, while being a faithful tribute to the masterful artistry displayed in the first years of the Disney comic strip.

Mickey Mouse comic strip, December 2, 1933. Floyd Gottfredson pencil drawing, Ted Thwaites, inking.

For My Convenience

As a kid, despite being a devoted cartoon watcher, I somehow missed Filmation’s take on Green Lantern. This playlist is here so I can watch the cartoons later. It’s interesting to see how closely, or not, these low-budget productions followed the source material.

To Watterson’s Chagrin

A fan’s documentary appreciation of Calvin & Hobbes.

https://youtu.be/Kv94mpKE71c

Note to mih:

Happy Boxing Day

Having nothing at the moment for Mother’s Day, I’ll use this instead. Borrowed from J.J. Sedelmaier on Facebook, a superb unpublished Jack Davis illustration. It was intended for MAD #26, 1955, the third issue after the switch from comic book to magazine format.

What a draftsman Davis was. He had such a confident mastery over his brushwork. He layered in so much detail and shading, and yet everything is perfectly clear and distinct.