A few pics from Wizard World 2017 here in Minneapolis.
Danny Fingeroth, Bob Camp, Guy Gilchrist and Phil Ortiz.Phil Ortiz drawing Sideshow Bob.Guy GilchristColleen DoranMy signed copy of Troll Bridge.
One of the best parts of Wizard World this year was getting to see Jose Delbo again.
He was one of my teachers at the Joe Kubert School back in the 1980s.
Jose Delbo and his wife Maybelle.Batman by Jose Delbo.
The last time he was in town I had him sign some old assignments I had saved.
More on that at the following link – Jose Delbo at SpringCon 2012
We talked about Philippine comic book artists, European comics compared to America, Hugo Pratt, and of course Joe Kubert.
I first met Al Baruch back in 2003. He was head of the Cartooning department at Hofstra University’s UCCE Youth Programs at the time and hired me as one of the teachers.
A Navy veteran, Al had studied at the Art Students League of New York, SVA (at that time the Cartoonists and Illustrators School of NY) and Pratt Institute (1949 – 1952). In the 1950s he worked for Disney as an inbetweener on films like Peter Pan and Lady and the Tramp. In the 1980’s he turned to teaching and never looked back.
Al was in his seventies when I met him, but had the energy and enthusiasm of a man in his twenties. He mentored a multitude of students through the years, passing on his love and enthusiasm of cartooning to a whole new generation of artists.
He’ll be sorely missed.
The following are just a few articles, pics and video from around the web on Al. I hope you enjoy…
Hilary Fine and Al Baruch
Al was an amazing man, artist and teacher. To the kids at HAAS, he was one of their magical Art Masters who would visit them and work along side of them at their Art Master Workshop. To me, he was a good friend and mentor. He also taught kids with special needs and was an advocate for the Holocaust Memorial and the Florida Youth Orchestra. You are loved by so many and you are in our hearts forever. Much love to you and your family. -Hilary Fine
It’s Hy Eisman’s 90th Birthday! (Born March 27, 1927)
I had Hy as a teacher for my first year of the Joe Kubert School (circa 1986-87). Hy taught lettering; which in those days meant Ames guide, a B6 lettering nib and india ink.
Hy was the kind of teacher you’d bring assignments to you’d been working on from other classes. His critiques had straightforward advice, with a little bit of biting wit thrown in for good measure. And if you paid attention and followed his advice, it made you a better artist. The class was INVALUABLE and had a real world payoff years later when I was doing the Flash Gordon comic strip.
Hand lettered Flash Gordon Sunday page from November 23, 1997.
A National Cartoonists Society Award winning cartoonist, Hy has worked for many different publishers over the years (Charlton, Marvel and Harvey to name a few) and has also worked on such classic comic strip characters as the Katzenjammer Kids andPopeye.
I point out his Syndicate work as I coincidentally get to work on Hy’s artwork as colorist. It’s been a privilege to be able to work on Hy’s comic strip work for all these years (Hy started on the Katzenjammer kids in 1986 – I’ve been colorist since 1989).
Color guide for September 4, 2016 Popeye strip.
To wrap up, here’s some links from around the web spotlighting Hy. Hope you enjoy!
Behind the Tracing Paper: Interview with Hy Eisman and Fernando Ruiz Filmed at the Kubert School in 2016.
What’s more to be said than…
The preceding pic is for a wall of birthday greetings to be displayed at the Kubert School. It was hand lettered to show Hy I’m not slacking off after all these years.
“He (Al Williamson) was the inheritor of the Alex Raymond school, and he was the logical inheritor of the Flash Gordon comic strips, and he did not get them because people making decisions for those things were stupid. And remain stupid. But it doesn’t matter anymore because nobody cares about comic strips.”
For the past couple of years the King Features blog Ask a Cartoonist had us pick a favorite poem. Last year I picked a classic, Crossing Brooklyn Ferry by Walt Whitman.
This year I’m going to my favorite pulp writer, Robert E. Howard.
For anyone unfamiliar with Robert E. Howard, his most popular creation was Conan the barbarian – a classic pulp fiction character if ever there was one.
Conan by Frank Frazetta
This poem I chose is Solomon Kane’s Homecoming.
The recording which follows came with the hardcover collection
“The Savage Tales of Solomon Kane” (1998).
It was illustrated by Gary Gianni, who drew King Features’ own Prince Valiant for a number of years – and beautifully so. Here’s a link: Gary Gianni – Prince Valiant.
And now, without further ado, Solomon Kane’s Homecoming – Read by Paul Blake.
