I wasn’t drawing my cousin Byrne per se, but the contractor in recent Sally Forth strips was certainly inspired by him.
The shamrock on the jacket is even in reference to my cousin’s remodeling company.
I told Francesco Marciuliano (the writer on Sally Forth) that unbeknownst to him, he pretty much summed up the relationship I had with my cousin Byrne in this current run of strips.
For proof, here is the gift Byrne got for me on my 50th birthday.
It’s poignant for me to give this shout out to my cousin as he died of a sudden illness back in 2016. Gone way too fast and way too soon.
So raising a glass to toast his memory. A beloved family man, he’s been sorely missed (especially that wicked sense of humor).
The following is from artist Mirko Ilić’s Facebook page.
The girl in the image is 14-year-old Catholic Polish girl Czesława Kwok. The young girl was deported to Auschwitz from her home in Zamość, Poland in December 1942, along with her mother as part of the Nazis’ secret A-B action, the deliberate extermination of the Polish intelligentsia.
According to reports, Czesława was photographed by “the famous photographer of Auschwitz” Wilhelm Brasse, a young Polish inmate in his twenties, as part of a project by officials to document those taken to the death camp. Trained as a portrait photographer at his aunt’s studio prior to the 1939 German invasion of Poland beginning World War II, Brasse and others had been ordered to photograph inmates by their Nazi captors.
The photos of Czesława were taken just moments after she was beaten by a female prison guard — apparently the young girl couldn’t understand the orders that were being barked at her in German, as it wasn’t her native tongue. Brasse, who died in 2012, said the prison guard had beaten the girl across the face with a stick, leading to her cut lip. Speaking about his memory of Czesława in in 2005 documentary The Portraitist, photographer Brasse recalled “she was so young and so terrified. The girl didn’t understand why she was there and she couldn’t understand what was being said to her.
“So this woman Kapo (a prisoner overseer) took a stick and beat her about the face. This German woman was just taking out her anger on the girl. Such a beautiful young girl, so innocent. She cried but she could do nothing. “Before the photograph was taken, the girl dried her tears and the blood from the cut on her lip. To tell you the truth, I felt as if I was being hit myself but I couldn’t interfere. It would have been fatal for me. You could never say anything.” Though ordered to destroy all photographs and their negatives, Brasse became famous after the war for having helped to rescue some of them from oblivion, and keeping the memory of the photographed inmates alive.
Czesława died in March 1943, just three months after arriving at Auschwitz, weeks after her mother Katarzyna. According to the Auschwitz Memorial, she was killed by Nazi doctors with a lethal injection of phenol into the heart.
Artist Marina Amaral has coloured the portraits of the young girl, bringing a more haunting, lifelike quality to the images.Mirko Ilić
-Mirko Ilić
Born in Bosnia, Mirko Ilić has worked as Art Director of the Time Magazine International Edition and Art Director of the Op-Ed pages of the New York Times. In 1995 he established his firm Mirko Ilić Corp.
My Polish Catholic Grandfather, Luke Kasmar, came to America about 47 years prior to this photo being taken (around 1895). The girl in the photo above was the same age as my Mom.
The Kasmar family circa 1942. My 14-year-old Mother is on the far right.
First met Pat Lowery freshman year of the Joe Kubert School back in 1986. We were roommates in an apartment over a bar in Dover, New Jersey — He got me a part-time gig when I was first starting out (in the Empire State building no less) — And New Year’s Eve 1992 (along with fellow Kubert School alum Mark McMurray) we celebrated in Times Square.
Since then he’s worked on such film franchises as Star Wars, Spider-Man, Lord of the Rings – and as a major name drop, has worked for legendary stop-motion animator Phil Tippett.
I haven’t seen him since the San Diego Comic Con about twenty years ago, so I made the trek out to St. Louis, Missouri and visited him at his current entrepreneurial pursuit, owner of The Good Luck Bar and Grill.
In honor of this momentous occasion we recreated a pic from a quarter century prior. FYI: My wife Deb stood in for Pat’s friend Dave from the original pic.
Had a GREAT time catching up over a few Guinness. Here’s to good friends who have survived the long haul – Sláinte!
I was fortunate enough to meet Stan Lee when I was working on staff at King Features Syndicate back in the 1990s. He was a young 75 years old at the time with the energy of someone in their thirties.
When I read the letter I got from him later I can hear that definitive way he had of speaking… “Excelsior!”
I’ve been reading a lot of similar letters online since his passing. Stan Lee consistently took the time over the years to write these kind of notes encouraging others in the business. Something quite out of the ordinary for someone with his fame.
An amazing and iconic man who will be sorely missed…
For more on Stan Lee I’d recommend the following two books. (Click on the image for a link to Amazon.com)
I currently have an exhibition up of my Comic Art at the Steeple Center in Rosemount, Minnesota. It runs through December. Also featured is the photography of Norm Crouch.
November 7th was the Artists’ Reception, so here’s a few pics…
Craig MacIntosh and Jim Keefe sharing a few “working for the Syndicate” stories.
Sophie Keefe, Nadine Keefe, Tessa Keefe and Anna Keefe.
Favorite pic of the night. A herd of MCAD alum spotted in the wild.
Amaya and Jim with their dueling Spider-Men. Picture @Jack Kotz
Ben Tye, Spencer Amundson and Jaime Willems. Picture @Jack Kotz
Craig MacIntosh giving Jim Keefe a great intro.
Jim Keefe, Christian Santos, Jaime Willems, Ian Cross, Ben Tye, Jack Kotz, Maddi Gonzalez and Spencer Amundson. (Amaya is in there too hidden behind Ben).
Joe Keefe and Teresa Keefe
Back Row: Nadine Keefe, Sophie Keefe, Linda Madson, Dan Keefe and Will Dinski. Anna Keefe seated.
Cece Keefe and Coleen Keefe.
Jim Keefe talking about art and stuff. Picture @Jack Kotz
More talk from Jim Keefe about art and stuff.
Hot cider and chocolate!
Last but not least, a special thanks to Mary Kay Langager of the Rosemount Area Arts Council for putting this exhibit together. Her hard work and dedication is greatly appreciated!
And for those who missed the Reception, the exhibit runs through December.
The Steeple Center
14375 South Robert Trail
Rosemount, MN 55068
