Don Martin - The MADDest of 'em all!

It is no secret as to how much this man's work has been not only inspirational to me but a cause for continual comfort over the years. As you read the above article entitled "The Influence of DON MARTIN" from the Journal of MADness #10 or my bio to the right of this page - Don Martin for me and millions of others was the epitome of crazy, wacky, slap stick hilarity.

I am deeply saddened that I was never able to meet the man, although within a couple of months of his passing I was able to correspond with him via some letters through his wife Norma. In them I found out about what he was currently working on (the finished product is above entitled "Don Martin Brain Games for Kids") which is a book of puzzles with artwork taken from many of his prior works as well as a few new pieces. http://www.amazon.com/Don-Martin-Brain-Games-Kids/dp/1434328503/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1251137739&sr=1-4

While working on material for THWAK #5 back in early 2003 I purchased some original artwork on ebay of one of my favorite CRACKED artists, Bruce Bolinger. We began corresponding and I found out that he was in fact Don Martin's inker for all Don's output at CRACKED from '87-'93. An interview with Bruce and his collaboration with the Martins can be seen in The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity collection. It was interesting to hear about the process they worked out.

About 2 years ago I resumed my correspondence with Norma Martin, and after receiving a generous gift of a number of printed shirts, sent her the above picture of my daughter and I wearing the tees while reading one of her late husbands books. Incidentally we still love reading the brand new Completely MAD Don Martin although it's a little more of a chore to do as each book is like 8lbs or something : )

While we had this communication I suggested many different possibilities regarding material that has of yet not come out such as: The Completely CRACKED Don Martin, The NUTheads strips in their entirety (some were printed in the DROLL book - which the above signed page is from), Reader for the Unexpurgated Adult (revealed during his 10 page interview with HONK magazine in 1986), collected reprints of all his paperbacks and finally The Art of Don Martin - a book to encompass all his work from his early sci fi and Jazz record albums in the '50's through his advertising work, posters, T-shirts, calendars, greeting cards and the multitude of international books and magazines that were published over the years. After all Don Martin was even more popular in Europe than here in the States!

Hopefully one day such a long delayed book will be published! Now who's gonna step up to the plate and make it happen?