THWAK Studios

JOElanta 2012

2012-01-24T16:41:00.000-08:00

JOElanta 2011

2011-02-18T06:10:00.001-08:00

Can you tell we're excited about the show!

JOElanta 11 only 6 weeks away

2011-02-09T19:44:00.000-08:00

We Want You! To Come To JOElanta 2011

2010-11-12T17:57:00.000-08:00

Poster #2 by artist & JOElanta founder Buddy Finethy! www.joelanta.com

JOElanta 2010 videos on You Tube

2010-11-12T17:53:00.000-08:00

So you missed the show this year? Maybe you were there and you wanna relive some of the memories before your next Joe/Action Figure/Toy fix at next year's show on March 19th and 20th.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JoeLanta

Bild and Bubbla Magazine

2010-09-29T13:00:00.000-07:00

Not too sure what type of magazine this is. My assumptions are that it could have been a general periodical from the Netherlands about the arts and this issue dated 1988 had an article on Don Martin.

Don Martin calendars

2010-09-09T16:42:00.000-07:00

Back in 1979 I was thrilled to see that MAD was finally coming out with an all Don Martin calendar. I already had a taste of some great vibrant pages of Don's work in both the 1977 & 1978 calendars so I couldn't wait to see an all Don Martin all color calendar. Well it was all Don Martin -yeahhh!!! But it wasn't in color - Boooo!!!

1979 marked the 1st year that the calendars started being printed in black and white until a couple were released in color in the '90's.

Well Don Martin fans should definitely get their hands on these two released in 1990 & 1988. Incidentally these came out while Don was doing work for CRACKED and blk & wht 2 pagers of the art from the calendars were included within the magazine's pages.

Tom Feister to attend JOElanta 2011

2010-09-06T06:47:00.000-07:00

Another talented addition to the guest list at JOElanta 2011 is Tom Feister who's worked for DC Direct, Cartoon Network, Marvel Comics and Darkhorse just to name a few. Among the many publications his art has appeared in is Gi Joe, Iron Man and The Avengers comics. www.tomfeister.com

Larry Hama to attend JOElanta 2011

2010-09-06T06:31:00.000-07:00

JOElanta is proud to announce that Larry Hama, who has been a prolific force in the comic book field for quite some time now will by our special guest at next year's show. Larry was a Marvel editor and writer for Gi Joe A Real American Hero and has also written for the series Wolverine, Nth man, The Ultimate Ninja and Elektra. He also created the character Bucky O'Hare which was developed into a comic book, toy line and TV show.

Vintage plastic still has that Adventuring spirit!

2010-09-04T20:48:00.000-07:00

Who said Action Man didn't have as many adventures as GI Joe? This adventurer seems to have gotten more than his fair share on his way to Safari Base 11. This is actually my only surviving Action Man that I got back in '71 or '72. As you can see he has some play wear and a little blood added for realism courtesy of my bro who is 9 yrs younger than I and inherited my toys for a while until I snatched them all back!!!!

The bugs, if you haven't already guessed it are molted cicada skins that my daughter Sierra and I pulled off half a dozen trees in our yard. I got the idea from a real creepy show on the Discovery channel last year that was shot as if it were filmed by someone with a video camera who was able to film some outlandish creatures before they met their demise. One episode had a guy being bitten by a Komodo Dragon and then as the poison set in he became weaker and weaker until he was tracked down and eaten by the huge lizard. The one that inspired the photo shoot involved these huge centipedes that where like 3-4 feet long and how they killed a whole bunch of soldiers on some island in South America before some of them crawled onto a boat floating to who knows where? Could be your neck of the woods......

Meet Parker Blackfoot

2010-09-02T14:42:00.000-07:00

Introducing the latest addition to the ever popular Johnny West line of BEST OF THE WEST characters - Parker Blackfoot. Said to have Norwegian heritage, this "handsome" fellow was raised by his mother in her tribe of Waco Indians after his father perished in an unfortunate prune eating contest.

Our self described hero is seen here tracking Wild Turkey. We were under the assumption that he was referring to the bird but were later proved wrong once he awoke behind bars in Sheriff Garrett's jail cell after an all night drinking binge with his good friend Crazy Legs McPherson.

Always the colorful character, you be the judge of his play value....

Announcing Radio Cult to play at JOELANTA 2011

2010-09-01T13:41:00.000-07:00

The JOElanta team is thrilled to announce that the world renowned band Radio Cult will be performing on Sat night March 19th at next years 11th annual JOElanta Action Figure and General Toy Show. Radio Cult are explosive on stage taking the audience through memorable performances of all your favorite tunes from 70's-today. I've seen them perform and I'm psyched! Are you ready to ROCK!!!!!

For more info on the band go to http://www.radiocult.com/

Don Martin "The All Nonsense Pad"

2010-08-29T18:34:00.000-07:00

Here's a fun item from the early '90's.

Dave Berg caricature by Don Martin

2010-08-29T18:27:00.000-07:00

This great caricature was done back in the '70's of Dave Berg and given to his son Mitch to adorn the walls of a Disco he had just opened. I believe that this may have been sold after Dave Berg's passing.

Don Martin Advertising

2010-08-27T19:27:00.000-07:00

I am personally not that familiar with a lot of company's that Don Martin did any advertising illustration for. Unlike fellow MADmen Jack Davis and Mort Drucker Don's output in this area seems rather sparse. Other than a bubble gum ad (in an earlier post) and a pamphlet for Wild Irish Whisky the above examples are the only others I've seen. I would assume because of his massive popularity in Finland, Germany, Sweden and Norway that there may be many more examples that have not yet surfaced. If anyone has any other examples please share.

Don Martin's "The Bug"

2010-08-25T12:23:00.000-07:00

There's no hiding it, Don Martin was and always will be my absolute favorite cartoonist. I, like many others imitated his style as a child and his wacky characters are really what inspired me to draw and create some of my own weirdness.

Over the years I have collected as much Don Martin imagery as I can get my hands on and still continue to find things I never knew existed. There are a couple of great fan sites out there as well as the Don Martin website that announces up upcoming "Completely CRACKED Don Martin". Hopefully this will become a reality for all us fans.

I have decided to start a series on this little blog, dedicated to Don Martin's art. The decision as to what piece to kick it all off with was easy. Just look at the title of my studio and the sound effect in this unpublished piece, most probably from the late '60's or early '70's - my favorite era of Don's style. Enjoy!

Humor Magazines - TRUMP

2010-08-24T18:28:00.000-07:00

The story behind the origins of this classic humor magazine is that of legend at this point and really does not need to be rehashed. Needless to say when Harvey Kurtzman left MAD, in my opinion rather than the world losing out on a great creative editor and what had been achieved thus far with MAD we all gained so much more with TRUMP, HUMBUG, HELP and Little Annie Fanny, not to mention MAD exploding under the editorship of Al Feldstein.

TRUMP was a sophisticated Kurtzman's MAD with full color spreads and all! With super talents like Jack Davis, Will Elder, Arnold Roth and Al Jaffee how could you go wrong? Nothing wrong with the magazine, just too high a cost to produce and ultimately it was laid to rest after only 2 issues. Still without a doubt it has remained one of the best examples of a "beautifully crafted humor magazine"

There has been talk that these 2 issues will be reprinted although the release date has been delayed multiple times so it may not happen. It really is too bad that there is not more demand for reprints of classic humor magazines. Maybe someday......

JOElanta 2010 wrap up?!

2010-08-18T08:51:00.000-07:00

Some "Wild and Crazy Guys" at JOElanta 2010! I wonder what'll happen in 2011?

Hangin' out in the Toy Room

2010-08-15T18:25:00.000-07:00

Ahhhh... Nothing like relaxing while surrounded by a lot of vintage plastic, much of it accumulated at various JOElanta's over the years. See you at next year's show!

Check us out on Facebook.

JOElanta 2011 THE 1/6 Scale Show!

2010-08-13T07:52:00.000-07:00

As we get closer to this next year's show the excitement is already starting to build among the troops here at JOElanta headquarters. Great dealers, great variety, great fun and camaraderie!

Everything our loyal friends and guests have come to love about JOElanta - THE 1/6 Scale show!

Check out all the updates www.joelanta.com

Ice Cream Anyone?

2010-08-13T07:46:00.000-07:00

Here's a quick poster/flier I did recently for Martha Brown UMC in East Atlanta where my wife has recently been appointed Pastor.

Relay For LIFE banner

2010-06-09T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's a piece I did a few years ago for RELAY FOR LIFE in Atlanta Ga.

Humor Magazines - JUDGE

2010-06-09T08:41:00.000-07:00

JUDGE 1881-1947 JUDGE Publishing Inc.

This long running humor magazine came into being after a number of cartoonists and artists left PUCK magazine. James Wakes, one of the cartoonists left after having a quarrel with PUCK's founder Joeseph Keppler and started JUDGE as a weekly publication that quickly gained momentum until it surpassed PUCK's sales with over 100,000 by 1912. The magazine switched to a monthly by 1932 until publication ceased in 1947.

Mostly comprised of various gag cartoons the magazine also has many articles on issues of the day and is filled with advertisements.

Humor Magazines - BALLYHOO

2010-05-27T16:50:00.000-07:00

BALLYHOO 1931 - 1939 Dell Publishing Co.

Of the early satire magazines Ballyhoo most resembles MAD in the parody ads scattered around the magazine as well as some of it's features. Originally started as a weekly magazine and showcased talent such as Dr. Suess. The publication ran until 1939 then two additional attempts to resuscitate in 1948 and then in 1952 were not successful with the magazine finally folding in 1954, ironically less than a year before MAD became a monthly slick magazine.

Humor Magazines - LOONY SPORTS

2010-05-26T08:31:00.000-07:00

LOONY SPORTS #1 Spring '75 3 Strikes Publishing

Although most of the magazines that have been reviewed/listed here are non-genre specific, LOONY SPORTS is included here because a couple of very well known humor magazine artists contributed to its 66 page only issue, Al Scaduto and Tony Tallarico, who have both been contributors to CRAZY and CRACKED. A great Monster baseball team piece as well as a variety of sports related satires makes this a very enjoyable read.

Humor Magazines - BLAST

2010-05-26T08:21:00.000-07:00

BLAST Feb '71 - #2 May '71 G&D Publishing

A terribly "Worried" Mr. Muggles Mohasky lasted a mere 2 issues as he and BLAST quietly disappeared into the depths of the humor mag history. This publication was the 1st magazine sized satire book of the 10 more titles to come out in the '70's.

Humor Magazines - THIMK

2010-05-26T08:07:00.000-07:00

THIMK May '58 - May #6 '59 Counterpoint Inc.

With the tremendous success of MAD magazine as a comic book and then its move to a magazine in July 1955 the flood gates were opened again and a host of other publishers wished to capitalize on MAD's format. In the latter part of the '50's 16 other titles emerged that were similar in content. One such addition was THIMK magazine with it's mascott "Otis Dracenstein" a Frankenstein type character (probably capitalizing on the then in full bloom) Monster Craze. THIMK also devoted a number of interior pages to Monsters and also did a number of articles and a cover appearance by the king of rock n' roll Elvis Presley. Overall an OK addition to the long line of parody/satire magazines.

Frankenstein JACK DAVIS style

2010-05-25T16:28:00.000-07:00

Whenever I think of great Frankenstein images I always think of Jack Davis's renderings over the years. I think back to that great life sized poster from the late 60's that you could order through most comic books, the wide variety of Monster record album covers, magazine covers (CREEPY #1 being a real stand out) and the tons of interior pages to the EC line. Above are a few examples not seen too often.

Humor Magazines - PLOP!

2010-05-20T07:52:00.000-07:00

PLOP! Sept/Oct 1973 - #24 Nov/Dec 1976 National Periodicals Publications DC

Billed as "The magazine of weired humor" PLOP! had a variety of great talent from Sergio Aragones who incidentally came up with the name "PLOP!" (for more on PLOPs' origins check out "The THWAK Bonfore of Insanity Collection" 128 page trade paperback under "The Carmine Infantino - THWAK Chat" as well as the 3 main characters Cain, Abel and Eve who often introduced various features, Basil Wolverton who provided most of the cover artwork, Wally Wood who did both covers and interiors, Dave Manak, Bernie Wrightson and many more!

The concept was a humor/horror magazine/comic and although an anomaly, lasted 24 issues. Earlier issues did not contain any advertising but slow sales proved it a necessity. A very enjoyable magazine. I sure wish that a full blown trade paperback of the entire run would be issued. Now that would be a treat for those of us who remembered reading this back in the 70's as well as connecting with new readers.

Humor Magazines - NUTS

2010-05-17T03:27:00.000-07:00

NUTS June 1997 - ? NUTS Magazine Inc.

Back in '97 it was a breath of fresh air to finally see a humor magazine on glossy pages in color (heck it only took 40 years to revive this concept from back in '57 when Harvy Kurtzman did it with TRUMP!!!). NUTS was a product of Canada and only a few issues were distributed stateside. The style and feel of the material is much more European in nature being more reminiscent of France's Fluide Glacial than MAD some of which being a little more riske than any US mag would have dared put out at that time. Each issue had a pull out poster in the center of the magazine which was a nice touch. It was a pity when all of a sudden it was unavailable. Again this could be related to its $2.95 cover price which was again above that of MAD & CRACKED even though it was in color!

An interesting side note is that during my stint as Co-editor at CRACKED owner Dick Kulpa contemplated using some material/artists from the NUTS although that never materialized.

One more little tidbit is that this was the second time that the name NUTS was used for a humor magazine. The first being in 1958 lasting 2 issues.

Humor Magazines - JAB

2010-05-17T03:06:00.000-07:00

JAB Spring 1993 - ? Cummings Design Group

JAB was certainly an interesting magazine, published in Birmingham Alabama, I believe it may have only been available to that market. This publication was the brainchild of artist Frank Cummings (incidentally certainly one of my favorites!) who went on to work for CRACKED and later for the Richard Simmons Organization. It consisted of a variety of typical humor pieces sandwiched between plenty of advertising with artwork done by one of the 4 contributing artists to the magazine. This concept predates MAD magazine's eventual reliance on advertising by a number of years.

It is a quality magazine printed on 50 lb paper in the interior and seemed to be an interesting concept to that particular market. The issue pictured here is from Spring '94 and was the 5th published, I'm not sure if any more exist.

Humor Magazines - WACKO

2010-05-17T02:40:00.000-07:00

WACKO - Sept 1980 #1 - Oct 1981 #3 Ideal Publishing Co.

After Paul Laikin moved on from his involvement with CRAZY he and a number of CRAZY artists started this magazine which is virtually indistinguishable from earlier CRAZY magazines. Artists such as my buddy Kent Gamble, Murad Gumen (who did this great cover), Al Scaduto, Charles Nicholas, Tony Tallarico, Arnoldo Franchioni, Bill Burke, Vic Martin and writer Andy Lamberti had all contributed to CRAZY and many of them would continue their working relationship with Laikin when he moved to CRACKED later in the mid 80's.

Wacko would be the only new addition to the humor magazine field in the 80's. I believe that all 3 issues were 80 pages at $1.25 and may have been more than folks were willing to pay for a humor magazine as MAD was still .75c at this time.

JACK DAVIS humor magazine output

2010-04-24T14:22:00.000-07:00

When it comes to sheer output of work I think it would be hard pressed for many humorous illustrators/artists to rival Jack Davis. Jack Davis' art fit perfectly into MAD with its humorous slant and exaggerated motion it is no wonder that his work was so sought after. When Harvey Kurtsman left MAD to join Hugh Hefner and launch TRUMP Jack Davis was one of the artists that followed him. Similarly when that project died after only 2 issues Jack was one of a few that started HUMBUG which lasted 11 issues until late 1958. After that Jack started drawing for a myriad of publishers and their magazines from SICK to CRACKED to YAK YAK (which incidentally was written and illustrated by him). After much roaming Jack finally returned to MAD illustrating a piece on monsters in '69.

Above are just a few covers to some of these publications.

A "Flocked" Johnny West

2010-04-19T13:32:00.000-07:00

A Johnny West experiment with compliments from Don Coffee and his "Flocking machine" at this year's JOElanta toy show. I really like the way it came out.

I love the smell of "Plastic" in the morning!

2010-04-11T18:47:00.000-07:00

As you have probably guessed by now, I love toys! Especially vintage 60's & 70's boxed versions. It's just something about that great artwork and those graphics that were so reminiscent of a different era. This collection is a recent acquisition that will undoubtedly make it's way into "The Cody Lane Toy and Diorama Museum" (see the link on www.joelanta.com ) one day.

The list from the top:

Princess Wildflower, Fighting Eagle, Chief Cherokee, Sam Cobra, Sheriff Garret & Capt. Maddox. All figures are mint, containing a variety of accessories and paperwork by Marx toys.

Next are some loose figures, including a quick draw Johnny and combo Thunderbolt box plus some fixer uppers. Pulsar, Mohamed Ali & Steve Scout (mint). Bionic Woman, Six Million Dollar Man, Dr Maskatron & Oscar Goldman (all mint except the good Dr.). Carded Lone Ranger outfits, MIB Silver and some loose figures.

I'm certainly looking forward to going through this all with a fine tooth comb and learning about the different company's that put these enduring action figures out.

"That's one good looking action figure!" JOElanta report

2010-03-30T13:53:00.000-07:00

WOW! That about sums up my experience from this year's JOElanta. More Dealers, more Commanders, more Attendees and more Toys than ever. It was truly a great time. The energy was building as we got closer to the show and pretty much exploded during it!

The festivities kicked off after Commanders patiently waited until 6pm and then after all our sponsors were thanked for their support, JOElanta founder (and Trivia MC ) Buddy Finethy was given an award for his labor of love which has become this great gathering, 12 teams competed in the Who Knows JOE Trivia. After lulling a number of teams into a false sense of security with some easy questions a few zingers made everyone reconsider how easy this was going to be. Do any of you know what the inspiration for Barbie was (And for the record it was NOT Big Jim : )) or the name of the Hippity Hopp originally invented in the UK? At the mid point all the Commanders got to open their Convention Exclusive Uniform and Figure Set with 2 lucky individuals scoring a vintage painted head or a vintage AT fuzzhead! Once the dust settled 3 lucky teams won a variety of Gift Certificates and figures from MARX TOYS www.circlexranch.com

Next the group made their way to the dealers preview room and JOElanta Film Festival. But not before hearing a presentation from Collector DASH www.collector-actionfigures.com about the latest applications to their state of the art website as a resource for collectors (you've really gotta check it out - and it's FREE too!). The Film Festival included past winners such as "Plastic Chef" and "Lara Croft" as well as 19 episodes of Govt. Issue Joesph and the debut of #20 - HILARIOUS! www.youtube.com/GovtIssueJoseph or www.governmentissuejoseph.com and finally one new entry! While the film festival was going on all attendees were able to peruse the Dealer preview tables to begin their buying frenzy. And boy did it continue into a full blown 100 person plus "Lobby Swap" hosted by Mr. EJ White. It was like a mini show! Next came the parachute drop that ended up lasting into the wee hours of the night (12:30 am).

The next day was amazing. Just think 120 tables jam packed with all types of toys, comics, movie posters. And centered in the room was a massive medieval castle sporting stained glass windows and everything! Think "Where Eagles Dare" - Mike Gardner and Steve Bugg really outdid themselves this year! Great door prizes, Custom figures and vehicles with prizes donated by SIDESHOW Collectibles www.sideshowtoy.com , a rather voluptuous Baroness monitoring the floor, a collection of MIB and carded Military era and AT GI Joes on display, other costumed guests and the list goes on and on. Again a truly great time.

On a personal note I would like to say thank you to everyone, both here locally and around the country, who helped make this 10th anniversary show such a huge success. It is truly wonderful to see something like this become a reality because of so many people's hard work. It was also great to see many old friends again and to meet many new ones.

Thank you to our sponsors, thank you to Gregg Sherb for the great exclusive uniform, thank you to all our great dealers, thank you to all the Commanders and their families, thank you to all the 100's of visitors who supported the show. And to those who missed it we sure hope to see you all next year on March 19th & 20th at the same location.

Now about the title to this entry, that devilishly handsome fellow is supposed to be me! Ha Ha! Thanks to Don Coffee and his "Flocking Machine" that he had set up at the show (more to come on that in a future post). The shelf is beginning to get a bit full with JOElanta exclusives - guess I'll have to continue it down to the next shelf for next year's exclusive. Finally the buckboard wagon was just one of many items I was fortunate enough to score during the show.

Stay tuned much more to come. Visit www.joelanta.com for show pictures and next year's show info - coming soon.

JOElanta 2010 Exclusive Uniform and figure box art

2010-03-19T18:46:00.000-07:00

JOElanta is just right around the corner! If you'd like to take a trip down the memory lane of your childhood toys then this show will not disappoint. Everything from vintage '60's, '70's & '80's GI Joe , Johnny West, Big Jim, Barbie, STAR WARS, Monster toys, Super Heroes, comics and much more.

The festivities start on Saturday night with "Who Knows Joe Trivia, The Joelanta Film Festival, Dealer preview, Lobby swap and Parachute Drop (special packages available check out www.joelanta.com for all show details). Sunday show hrs are 10am-4pm. 1st 100 kids get a free toy! Over 100 tables of toys, Huge 10 ft x 10 ft diorama, costumed guests, Iron Joe competition and individual diorama and figure contests.

The above image is the box art to the exclusive outfit and figure set for this year's show. I spent the afternoon putting the boxes and decals together. Together with show poster, pin and T-shirt, this year's Commander's package is a great deal!

See you at the show!

FLASHBACK magazine

2010-03-14T01:17:00.000-08:00

Another interesting magazine from the '70's was this publication called Flashback that focused on classic movies, including articles, reviews and stills. Naturally the magazine benefited from great covers with caricatures done by Jack Davis. Check out the back page blk & wht house ad by Mort Drucker!

Bob Clarke original

2010-03-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

A few years ago while perusing around on ebay I unexpectedly came across this great pen and ink illustration done by none other than one of MAD magazine's original UGOI, the multi talented Bob Clarke. It now hangs proudly on my studio wall along with other interesting items. I especially like his "Alfred E. Neuman" shorts!

Johnny West - latest score !!!!!!

2010-03-06T16:53:00.000-08:00

Check out the details to my latest acquisition below!

The JOEpit Report - Johnny West Score!!!!

2010-03-06T16:32:00.000-08:00

Joe Pit Report
Thursday, March 04, 2010
This week’s Host: Buddy Finethy

Steve and I are making great progress on the diorama. We completed a dozen windows for the castle with a hot wire, foam, and 3 layered window templates Steve developed. Steve and I are taking a break from the Wednesday night meetings until after Joelanta to complete the construction of the diorama. So in the mean time David Lane and Marten Jallad will be helping out with the Joe Pit Reports.

As Ya’ll know down here in Atlanta the Wednesday night JOE fun doesn’t always start that night. Take yesterday for instance when EJ and Marten (AKA The Marx Brothers) spent the whole day Joe-ing. Marten had received an email from Spidee (George Felix) who has a toy booth in an antique mall. He had just purchased a large collection containing some Johnny West items! That, coupled with the fact Spidee needed to replenish his stock and EJ wanting to thin out some of his collection made it a win - win situation for all involved. The great thing about knowing so many toy enthusiasts in town is that we have an awesome network to work with. After leaving Spidee’s and a Chinese Buffet later it was over to EJ’s to continue culling through his massive collection to get ready for Joelanta. Then Bryan comes over and digs through about 5 tubs of loose figures before the group headed on out to Buddy’s.

Charles had gotten there ahead of us all and grilled up a bunch of burgers and hot dogs and made some killer slaw. After some recaps on how great everything was coming along with the show and Buddy unveiling the 1st print of this years killer poster we settled down to watching Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow. After the group (in much disbelief) learned that Marten had never seen The Wizard of Oz, Gone with the Wind and Casablanca. We decided that Marten was horribly deprived as a child, even for someone who grew up in Kuwait. We agreed that we need a crash moviethon to close the holes in his edumacation. The flying monkeys alone could bridge countless gaps in his cultural understanding and enlightenment. Incidentally Sky Captain was great, especially seen in Buddy’s theatre room.

Come see the following Dealers at this year’s JOElanta. COTSWALD, Horror Works, Toy Chest & Collectibles, Dean Morrison, Capt. Cosmos Collectibles, Stewart’s Attic & Circle X Ranch, Foot Soldiers, House of Anime, F & M Models, The Toy Surgeon, Ace Allgood, DASH, Monocrhromatic Studios, Full Circle, Don Coffee with his “Flocking machine” This is just a sampling of the many great dealers at this years show.

Don’t forget about the custom figure, small diorama and custom vehicle contests. We have great prizes to give away to the best in each field.

As always the time for us to disband came too soon.

Until next week this is David Lane, Marten Jallad and Mike Gardner saying… ”Play with your toys! “
23 days to lift off

Friends of THWAK - Dave Newton

2010-03-02T19:26:00.000-08:00

I truly have been so fortunate to not only have met so may wonderful artists and writers but also to befriend many of them. One such individual is my buddy Dave Newton who I met about 10 years ago at the short lived Atlanta Comic Convention (not to be mistaken for the ongoing Atlanta Comic Con that takes place once a quarter at the same hotel we do the JOElanta Action Figure and Toy Show www.joelanta.com ). I was set up with fellow THWAK (comic book) publisher and editor and another great friend Buddy Finethy, promoting the brand new THWAK comic book. I had already decided that I was going to take the publication in a new direction and change it to a magazine format and was actively looking for new artists when this guy comes up to the table and asks me if I would like to see his portfolio. I was immediately taken aback by how talented he was. Great line work, humor based illustrations and he could do a continuity too!

Starting with THWAK #1 magazine Dave not only started contributing but also helped lay out the 1st 2 issues and 5th entirely, something I could not have done at the time. Dave's 1st piece was a spectacular homage to Movie Monsters. He captured so many terrific monsters from past to present. His love for the genre really came through. In one instance after his parody poster of the Wolfman and Frankenstein for our Monster themed Great Atlanta Toy Show back in 2005
Dave was asked to do some work for Atlanta's best known Halloween Haunted House "NetherWorld". Dave's love of the Creature also found him contributing to the horror film fanzine SCARY MONSTERS.

Dave would go on to contribute multi page stories for the whole run of THWAK , JOKESTER(even illustrating a piece written by underground comix legend Jay Lynch) and CRACKED magazines as well as edit the original art collectors publication CFAAPA. Dave's artwork and designs can be seen on hundreds of T-shirts around the country.

More JOElanta imagery

2010-02-26T11:42:00.000-08:00

A bit of a blury picture, but a great and striking image created by artsit Buddy Finethy for this years JOElanta Convention poster. The second image is promoting the debut of Stephen Stanton's 20th episode of Government Issue Joseph www.governmentissuejoseph.com that will be shown at this years JOElanta Film Festival on Sat 27th. For more details on the show please visit www.joelanta.com

Mountain man scouting in the Jallad wilderness

2010-02-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

Here's a character I put together using vintage and repro (mostly Marxman http://www.circlexranch.com/ accessories).

Flock of Seagulls, Don Martin and Johnny West?!?

2010-02-20T16:14:00.000-08:00

Check out the youtube video at the bottom of the page!

Joe Pit Report

Thursday, February 18, 2010

This week’s Host: Marten Jallad

Steve and I were working on our diorama after work again. It has expanded again to12 feet by 12 feet. I think we are done with expanding. We learned how to cut symmetrical tunnels into the foam using templates and a large hot wire. We will be sculpting the mountain side over the next day or so.
Steve and I got to Marten’s around 6:00. David, Brian, and Marten were on the back deck. Marten was manning the grill. He was cooking up some hot dog and hamburgers. While Marten was cooking, I installed some vinyl advertising for the show on the back window of his car. Marten came out with a cheeseburger for me. Oh yeah that hit the spot. There is nothing like hamburgers cooked on the grill. Makes me wish spring would hurry and get here. Just about that time Mark came pulling up and then Charles EJ, and Carl. It was a full house at Martens. I went into the kitchen to grab another burger and I found that Charles brought a fruit plate full of good stuff, Cut up apples, grapes, and he also brought some more wasabi Thai rice crackers mixed with Thai chili balls, Marten loves this stuff. At one point during the evening Marten ate a handful and with a surprised look on his face said whoa! I said “I guess that was a little hot ay.” He was eating that stuff like candy.
Marten has a great sense of humor and he enjoys drawing. He started back in the 70’s after picking up picking up the JAWS issue of MAD magazine. After contributing to a number of publications. He self published THWAK magazine, http://www.thwakstudios.blogspot.com/ which led to an editorial position at CRACKED magazine. Marten has been with Joelanta since its second year. You could say he is a veteran.
Marten has a nice collection of vintage and modern Marx figures he also collects Action Man. In his study he has two cabinets packed with both Marx and Action Man. On the walls he has Mad Magazine posters, Cracked, and other great comic works. It’s like walking through time looking at all the different covers and posters.
We have sold ¾ of the available tables for the show. If you are thinking about getting a table or a booth at the show you better act fast. They are going fast!!!! Come help us celebrate Joelanta’s 10th anniversary. www.joelanta.com

We would like to thank Marten and his wife Heather for hosting our meeting this week. Next week we will be at Steve’s house.

Until then, this is Mike Gardner saying… “Play with your toys! ”

Man it got crazy!!
Mike

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tQIxeE45aSU

37 days to Lift Off

Friends of THWAK - Anthony Owsley

2010-02-19T12:47:00.000-08:00

I met Anthony Owsley when the THWAK comic book was being compiled back in 2000. I did recognize the name as it was to Anthony's "DRAWL", Atlanta's Comics Newspaper that I had my one of my 1st published pieces appear back in the mid '90's. (It so happened it was on Cannibalism, a theme that I would revisit many a time over the years).

DRAWL was everywhere during its run and really helped many new and underground artists have a voice and an audience within its pages. As a result of this Anthony's work has been quite prolific in the Atlanta area over the years. Anthony's work is quirky, ladened with pop culture references while still managing to comment on society with humor and intelligence.

Check out the above samples from THWAK, CRACKED, greeting cards and on line submissions. Enjoy - I sure do!

Frank Frazetta Record Album Artwork

2010-02-19T12:34:00.000-08:00

Known more for his spectacular fantasy and Sci Fi imagery, Frank Frazetta also did a number of movie posters and record album covers. After is rendering of a doe eyed Ringo Starr on the back cover of MAD #90 from 1964 movie studios started to call impressed by his ability to caricature. Here are 2 soundtracks from the mid to late sixties.

Sergio Aragones record album artwork

2010-02-19T12:15:00.000-08:00

Here's another couple of record album covers from 1968 by Mort Drucker (see if you can name all the celebrities in the second one). There is also a very rare (probably his only one) Sergio Aragones cover also from 1968. Currently still a regular contributor to MAD, Sergio is at present the most visible of the UGOI since he regularly appears in many comic books including "The Spirit" and of course his long running GROO series.

Mort Drucker Record album artwork

2010-02-19T12:09:00.000-08:00

Another extremely prolific MAD magazine artist/illustrator is Mort Drucker (probably one of the caricaturists ever!). Just like Jack Davis, Mort Drucker also did plenty of advertising work. Although he did record album artwork, his output is fairly low compared to that of the afore- mentioned Jack Davis. Enjoy!

Jack Davis LP art

2010-02-13T14:38:00.000-08:00

Jack Davis is undoubtedly the most prolific of all the super talented artists whose spectacular work graced the pages of MAD magazine. Jack Davis's action packed panels with characters jumping, running or even standing still signified that they were alive and motion bound. Because of this great exaggerated motion and the ability to capture hilarious likenesses Jack Davis was much sought after to illustrate for many industries and genres. His record LP album artwork is particularly impressive with a continuous stream of covers done from his first in 1957 with The Jazztone Mystery Band, then exploding with movie posters and their subsequent LP covers after "It's a MAD, MAD, MAD, MAD World" in 1963, which virtually established the direction for comedy movie posters from then on. Jack Davis has continued his output, although he has slowed down considerably over the last few years.

The above records were all part of my collection and are just a small sampling of the over at least 75 that he did. For a great reference on the album artwork of Jack Davis check out the magazine FANFARE #5 from 1983 which shows 57 record covers.

JOElanta 2010 exclusive uniform and figure set

2010-02-12T14:40:00.000-08:00

We are really pleased to announce this special year's show exclusive. Custom made astronaut /spaceman blue jumpsuit with shoulder holster, cast ray gun, hat and boots. Each figure set will come in a special box and will also include random additional accessories. Two lucky collector's will also find that their Joe is either a vintage painted head or a vintage Adventure Team fuzz head. So what are you waiting for? Check out www.joelanta.com to sign up for your Commander's package and figure set!

JOElanta Gi Joe, Action Figure and General Toy Show - March 27th & 28th in Atlanta Ga.

What type of horse is this?

2010-02-12T14:10:00.001-08:00

So my latest foray in collecting is that of MARX Johnny West as I have mentioned before. I realise that a number of head sculpts and figures were actually originally supposed to resemble licensed characters. One such example is the Captain Maddox head sculpt that bears a striking resemblance to Robert Conrad's character James West in Wild Wild West. I came across this poster for the movie "Broken Arrow" starring Jimmy Stewart and also noticed that one of the characters was Geronimo. What struck me was how similar Johnny West lanky frame is and how much it is very similar to that of Jimmy Stewart. Coincidence? I wonder?

As I continue to pick up more and more Marx and Johnny West figures I am starting to find some items that baffle me. One such item is this horse that was obviously taken from the MARX Thunderbolt mold, although this one does not have any Marx stamps and has a hairy main and tail?

Jack Davis in 2003

2010-01-26T20:10:00.000-08:00

A couple of pictures from a great exhibit of master cartoonist Jack Davis art at the Atlanta History Center back in '03. Check out earlier posts from last year for full details and more images.

JOElanta 2010 show logo

2010-01-26T20:05:00.000-08:00

Check out this year's awesome show logo designed by artists Chris Walker and Greg "Dark One" Williams. This image will appear on the JOElanta poster and T-shirt. For more on the show visit www.joelanta.com

Friends of THWAK - Santiago "Corne" Cornejo

2010-01-12T15:49:00.000-08:00

Argentinian artist Corne has been contributing his great cartoons to a variety of online publications and magazines such as German MAD, CRACKED and THWAK. The majority of his work is in pantomime style very reminiscent of the master cartoonist Sergio Aragones. The above pieces are from CRACKED, THWAK and other sources. Check him out at

http://www.corne.com.ar/final/

JOElanta 2010 right around the corner

2010-01-12T06:00:00.000-08:00

Mark your calendars because the show is only 2months away. Saturday night March 27th for all you commanders (visit www.joelanta.com for more info) Joe Trivia hosted by Mr. Buddy Finethy, JOElanta Film festival, Dealers preview room, presentations, Lobby swap meet hosted by Mr. EJ White, parachute drop, show T-shirt/poster and more!

Sunday March 28th is the show 100+ tables jam packed with all types of vintage and newer toys and action figures! Diorama, Iron Joe Competition, Display of every Adventure Team boxed figure - 1st 100 kids get a free toy!

The Marriott Century Center, 2000 Century Center Blvd NE, Atlanta, Ga 30345

The images above are the front of the postcard (if you're on our mailing list look for one of these within the next month) and this years show logo which will be featured on this years T-shirt. See you at the show!

Big Boys at Play

2009-12-21T14:38:00.000-08:00

Here are some shots of Buddy and I working on putting some Johnny West figures together- great fun!

JOElanta 2008 Diorama

2009-12-16T12:59:00.000-08:00

Here's just one angle of this amazing 8x12 ghost town diorama titled "Killer Mine at Bloody Canyon" from JOElanta 2008. With a church, general store, sheriffs office and an underground railroad tunnel this piece was really something to look at. Heck we even had a hanging at high noon! Check it out on utube as well as these other diorams from past shows.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kFuQIu9qyqo
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hPHpWbx9Eek
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYHVPtM6S4w

10 th Annual JOElanta GI JOE & Action Figure show

2009-12-09T10:28:00.000-08:00

The time is drawing nearer to our 10th Annual JOElanta celebration! Come on out and bring the family March 28th. Free parking. Special room price for show attendees.

And for all of you hardcore fans , please join us on Saturday night 27th (starting at 6pm) as part of our Commander's package that includes:

show t-shirt, show poster, exclusive (to be announced), Joelanta Trivia contest, JOElanta film festival, Sat night dealers preview room, lobby swap with Mr EJ White, parachute drop, early admission to show Sunday morning and 2 passes to the show itself. (price to be announced shortly).

The show hrs will be Sunday 28th 10am - 4pm Admission: $6 adults $5 kids 12 and under
under 5 free First 100 kids get a free toy!

Come check out our brand new show diorama, costumed guests, Collection of every vintage boxed adventure team era Gi Joe, Iron Joe competition (hosted by JOE World), custom figure and vehicle contest, over 100 tables jam packed full of:

Gi Joe, Star Wars, Captain Action, Barbie, Johnny West, Marx toys, Big Jim, Captain Action, Dragon, DID, comics, magazines, games, miniatures, monster toys and more!

Please visit www.joelanta.com for directions and more info. Dealers please contact Marten @ madjallads@bellsouth.net or 678-232-2871 to order your booths.

Respects to Steve Irwin

2009-12-06T14:36:00.000-08:00

I was just sitting here in my studio looking at the spinning magazine rack when I couldn't help but smile at this cover to Australian MAD #389 which makes gentle fun of one of Australia's home grown heroes, Steve Irwin. I guess when you really think about it this man really did so much for conservation and animal rights by showing us in his own quirky way how important and beautiful all creatures are. Not to mention his great accent and wild enthusiasm! Yeah he was someone I certainly respected.

As a result of my publishing THWAK, and my love of MAD magazine I was able to become acquainted with Australian MAD editor DJ Williams and from time to time we send each other packages of some of our latest projects. The above issue came in one such package. I certainly hope that Australian MAD with much of its own original content can and will continue on a monthly basis.

More Behind the scenes at THWAK

2009-12-06T14:10:00.000-08:00

Another behind the scenes look at Mike Arnold's "People to Avoid in School" premise and roughs and the final page after having to widdle it down to just 6 panels. This is just one of many great pages from The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection book out next month at your local comic shop.

Still unpublished piece!

2009-11-29T14:03:00.000-08:00

Here's another as of yet unpublished page illustrated by Ben Boling and written by Carson Demanns. It still amazes me that I still have so many pieces that never saw print. Enjoy!

Friends of THWAK - Mike Arnold

2009-11-26T07:58:00.000-08:00

I guess Mike Arnold is much more than just a "Friend of THWAK" as although we have known each other less time than many of the other THWAKsters he has been an integral part of not only the brand new THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection book which he contributed art to but also laid out, he was also my co-publisher and lay out man for JOKESTER magazine.

This former Sesame Street animator has been freelancing for many years with many top notch clients such as Nickelodeon, Danimals, A&E, General Mills and Entertainment Weekly, just to name a few. Mike and I met during my tenure at CRACKED magazine. http://arnomation.com/

Check out Mike's appearance in MAD #481 Sept 2007 illustrated by non other than caricature superstar Tom Richmond.

Journal of MADness illos

2009-11-26T07:47:00.000-08:00

Here's a couple of back issue for sale illustrations that were done for the MAD fanzine The Journal of MADness back in the '90's. Incidentally I have a listing for a JOM lot on ebay right now http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=160381007208&ssPageName=STRK:MESELX:IT

it's a good way to pick up some of these rare back issues.

Friends of THWAK - Huw Evans

2009-11-26T07:06:00.000-08:00

Another terrific and totally offbeat artist & writer that I have had the pleasure of working with is Huw Evans from the great white north (ie Canada!). Huw has been doing commercial graphic art for many years and his work has graced the pages of many different publications.

Shown here are the following: MAD magazine Fundalini pages issue #460 from '05, unpublished Micheal Jackson piece, THWAK and some promotional postcards. Check him out at
http://www.eyecat.com/
and in the brand new THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection trade paperback.

Concept art for new trade paperback

2009-11-21T16:13:00.000-08:00

Here's a glimpse at the original pencils that artist Kent Gamble submitted based on characters I had initially requested. After reviewing them (even though they looked great!) and consulting with my buddy and fellow CRACKED editor Scott Gosar, a few changes were suggested. See if you can spot them all! Kent reworked them to produce yet another terrific watercolor painting with rich vibrant colors.

Order yours today at your comic store from this months' (Nov) Diamond Previews on page 288!

Osama bin Laden toon

2009-11-21T16:10:00.000-08:00

Another wacky toon by Billy Genius from THWAK #2.

My appearance in MAD

2009-11-14T20:16:00.000-08:00

Back in 1997 my brother in law and I went to visit my brother Steven who was in the Peace Corps in Gabon West Africa. The experience was truly amazing as he was literally living in the jungle. It was certainly an adventure that I will never forget. I had brought some MAD magazines and Specials with me and decided that we would take a picture. We all 3 of us got behind a huge fallen tree and were pretending to go #2 (as if in some type of communal bathroom) while passing the time reading MAD. I had sent in some clever caption to accompany the picture but with each subsequent issue saw no picture. I figured that they just weren't printing pictures anymore and then one day I picked up #380 from April 1999 and there we were as a type of collage. What I got the biggest kick out of was the fact that the new caption stated "Marten Jallad and friends, Alpharetta Ga" which was where I was living at the time. I travel half way around the world am in the jungle and stage this picture and I could have just been in my backyard the whole time. Go figure!

Massive Action Figure Collection

2009-11-12T13:10:00.000-08:00

Being an action figure collector I consider myself really fortunate to have hooked up with so many amazing people who have some absolutely incredible collections. All this has come about initially through the efforts of a select few who embraced the local Atlanta GI Joe club started by Buddy Finethy, morphing into a large group putting on the highly enjoyable annual GI Joe, Action figure and general toy show - JOElanta www.joelanta.org

One thing that is terrific is the different dynamic that each collection embodies and how each persons personality is somehow intertwined with their particular passions. Many collections are large, some organized and very well displayed and some not so much. I myself am particularly passionate about trying to help my fellow collectors focus on a select variety of items and display them well so they are able to be enjoyed by all who see them. In my opinion a well displayed collection ads integrity and respect to the collection as a whole.

Last Sunday as about 10-15 of us met at one members home and we were all blown away by the immensity and grandeur of what we encountered. None of us had ever seen anything like this before! Picture walking into 3500 square feet of space filled to the brim with a literal who's who of action figures from the 60's till today. I'm not kidding as I'm sure you have realised from the above pictures. There was everything from Marx playsets, to Big Jim karate studios, to Fighting Furries pirate ships to Gi Joe headquarters to Captain Action, Ghostbusters to Super heroes of all shapes and sizes and everything in between. To top it off another friend brought over the entire run of vintage Adventure Team GI Joes in the box. Another spectacular sight that will be on display at next year's JOElanta on March 27th & 28th. Check the link for more details.

Finally the highlight of the day was for those of us who had already seen the awesome collection to see the look of astonishment and wonder in the everyone elses face as they walked into the space and tried to take in the hugeness of it all. That and the great camaraderie were priceless!

Vehicle wrap character illustrations

2009-11-07T14:21:00.000-08:00

A few weeks ago I was asked to do some character illustrations (by my friends over at A Better Sign www.abettersign.com ) to go on a vehicle wrap for a pest removal company serving the Atlanta metro area called BREDA PEST MANAGEMENT. Since I really enjoy drawing cartoony creatures this project was right up my alley. After the job I had kinda forgotten about it as I was told that I'd be sent pictures once it was complete.

Imagine my surprise last week when while stopped at a traffic light I glanced over to the vehicle next to me to be greeted by this family of rats that I had drawn! Needless to say it made my day!

Well I finally had a chance to take some pictures of the van myself with my girls and it's made my day all over again.

Hideous Girl Art

2009-11-07T13:13:00.000-08:00

This piece was rendered initially to be part of the cover to THWAK comic #2. The concept was that each artist would draw themselves drawing this "model" - and being visibly ill by her lack of beauty. It was to be a so called JAM session cover with a variety of styles, and although I've always liked it, have never quite found the right place for it.

All I know is that I certainly wouldn't want to run into her (?) anytime soon!

Friends of THWAK - Noel "Scotch" Anderson

2009-11-05T11:47:00.001-08:00

Another artist that found his way into THWAK's pages was radio personality and cartoonist Noel "Scotch" Anderson. Noel had long been a fan of humor magazines and had just started contributing to CRACKED when he first sent in some submissions. I knew immediately that I appreciated his outlook (a little twisted) hence his collaboration with fellow artist and writer Kit Lively. Noel's contribution to THWAK started with issue #4 and a piece titled "Generation THWAK " with a Nanny Dickering type personality as host. This appearance also convinced me that Noel would be the right guy to illustrate (and write) the 3 pager where Nanny Dickering was reintroduced into CRACKED's pages in issue #363.

With issue # 362 Noel also started illustrating CRACKED's famous Shut Ups feature. As mentioned earlier Noel and Kit have collaborated on many occasion with countless contributions to Hustler Humor and National Lampoon. Their Gross Gags feature has been in THWAK, CRACKED and JOKESTER and I am excited to announce their brand new Gross Gags book (see cover above). To order your copy and see what else Noel has been up to including another brand new book Chainsaw Wielding Chernobyl Cheerleaders check out http://www.goofroof.com/

One interesting experience I had with Noel was when I was interviewed by him on the radio in Fargo North Dakota to promote THWAK #5 in which he illustrated the excellent "The Promotion of Ted McCord written by Wacky Packages designer and underground legend Jay Lynch. Check out the new THWAK trade for this piece and an interview with Jay Lynch!

Friends of THWAK - Kit Lively

2009-11-05T11:19:00.000-08:00

THWAK magazine was truly a venue of self expression for many of the artists that were featured. Although I'm generally a slapstick kind of guy myself, I certainly appreciate some sick and twisted material that may sometimes push the boundaries. Enter artist/writer Kit Lively who truly embodies whacked out insane humor. Take a gander at some of the above material, from MAD magazine, a greeting card, his own book and one of many National Lampoon collections that his work continues to appear in.

Kit started contributing to THWAK starting with issue #2 and has been a regular contributor to everything else I've been happy to have worked on ever since including The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection 128 page trade paperback that can be ordered from you comic store . After taking over as CRACKED co-editor Kits talents once again graced CRACKED's pages after a few year hiatus. As a matter of fact I illustrated one of Kit's premise titled "The Mother of all Shut Up jokes" in issue #364, see earlier post from Sunday March 1st 2009.

To learn more about Kit and order his book visit http://www.kitlively.com/html/

CHIP HACKER

2009-11-03T18:24:00.000-08:00

Chip Hacker was a character that former CRACKED editor Barry Dutter had come up with. When we took over with issue #362 there were still 2 scripts that had not been used. I liked the concept and the character and so after the duties of illustrating the strip was handed over to Ben Boling we continued with the premise. In order are pages from issues #362 (originally published in blk & wht in the issue), 363, 364 (this particular installment was written by me and this is the way it was intended to run, ie minus the "zit tag" comment), 365 and the never before seen 2 pager with Rick Neilsen (then figure head CRACKED publisher)of Cheap Trick fame that was supposed to run in issue #366. Enjoy!

Brand new cover to THWAK trade paperback

2009-10-29T14:31:00.000-07:00

I'm excited to announce the brand new mass market cover to The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection trade paperback. The book is listed on page 288 of Diamond's November edition of the Previews catalog. Order yours today from your local comic shop. Books will ship to stores in January 2010.

This cover, as well as the original (which is still available from this blog) was rendered by artist/caricaturist Kent Gamble, longtime CRAZY magazine contributor as well as CRACKED, WACKO, PARODY and THWAK .

To find out what a large Ape, Ozzy & Sharon Osbourne, Miss Piggy & Kermit, a football player, President Obama, William Shatner, Freddy Kruger, an Alien, James Bond, a Talibahn fighter, Darth Vader, Shaq, Frankenstein, Jaws, Jessica Simpson, Michael Jackson and a Super hero have in common you'll just have to order your very own copy. Thanks for your support!

Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band parody poster

2009-10-28T13:57:00.000-07:00

Another example of parody. This time of the classic Beatles Sgt Peppers Lonely Hearts Club Band record album. It just made perfect sense to the JOElanta team to recreate this using action figures. You can see that in the last picture a few of the key members of the team have our heads superimposed on bodies. My head being appropriately added to the body of Johnny West, my current collecting obsession.

Frankenstein and The Wolf Man Toy show poster

2009-10-28T09:51:00.000-07:00

One thing about putting on the Great Atlanta Toy Show that was so cool was the show posters that we'd commission to be drawn. For me it was great to combine my two loves: art and toy collecting. This piece was done by artist Dave Newton (THWAK/CRACKED/SCARY MONSTERS).

I asked him to emulate that classic image from the movie Frankenstein meets the Wolf man with Lon Cheyney Jr.but to throw in some type of toy that they were fighting over. It seemed a fine image to parody, kinda silly for these tough brutes to be wrestling over a pink cuddly bunny! Initially Frankenstein's head seemed a little too skinny so Dave modified it to the final ready to print poster. This 11x17 poster is one of many that adorns my studio wall and is without a doubt my favorite!

More Corey The Racoon illustrations

2009-10-26T18:48:00.000-07:00

Here are the rest of the illustrations that were done for a book that unfortunately lost its funding midway through, hence the fact that only some images were colored with the rest left in their original black and white. I always enjoy drawing animals so this really was a fun project while I was working on it.

Unused THWAK art from Gary Fields

2009-10-25T10:36:00.000-07:00

Here's another great piece that I was unfortunately unable to fit into the latest trade paperback Bonfire of Insanity Collection. It is from the crazed mind of cartoonist Gary Fields (Cartoon Network, CRACKED etc...) http://garyfieldsstudios.blogspot.com/ I believe that this particular toon was published elsewhere, but I'm not sure where. Enjoy.

JAY LYNCH does THWAK

2009-10-23T20:16:00.000-07:00

This great premise (from the back cover of THWAK #5) came from underground legend Jay Lynch (Wacky Packages, Garbage Pail Kids, Nard & Patch etc....) who also wrote another piece called "The Promotion of Ted McCord" that also ran in this same issue. The artwork was done by Ben Boling www.bennygraphix.com The title is reminiscent of Don Martin's approach "One Fine Day".

For more about Jay Lynch check out the interview in The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection 128 page trade paperback available from this blog.

You never forget your first time

2009-10-21T15:05:00.000-07:00

This cover from Jan 1976 is near and dear to me as it is the 1st time that I had ever seen a MAD magazine, and boy would it profoundly change my world. I was living in Kuwait at the time and had just seen the movie Jaws, hence the immediate recognition when I saw this cover in the window of the bookstore as I was making my way into the Sheraton hotel to have diner with my family.

After reading it I became obsessed with buying each issue as soon as it came out. I was immediately drawn to Don Martin's artwork and that led me to start drawing, initially imitating his characters. I must say that I got pretty good at doing the Don Martin thing (check out the artwork to the Don Martin dictionary posted a few months back on this blog) but then branched out developing my own style over the years.

MAD certainly gave me an education about various political figures, historical occurrences and social issues that I just hadn't learned about in school. Back in the '90's after having moved onto other things through the '80's I started collecting MAD again after seeing MAD About the Sixties at a BDalton's in the mall and resumed drawing. One thing led to another and I started submitting to MAD fanzines and then self publishing my own humor magazine THWAK which led to co-editing MAD's #1 rival CRACKED before working on another couple of projects.

I must say that had I not read MAD I never would have been so driven to be a part of the wonderful heritage of the humor magazine genre that I had enjoyed so much as a child. It has brought me countless hours of fun and I hope that others have enjoyed some of these publications as much as I have.

Journal of MADness illo

2009-10-18T12:06:00.000-07:00

Here's an illustration that was done for John Hett's Journal of MADness to call attention to the fact that they were moving location (ie. one broom closet to another!) - notice the sly placement of a THWAK magazine in the guys back pocket!

An interesting brush with Lucas Film

2009-10-18T11:10:00.000-07:00

In 2005 Buddy Finethy and I started the Great Atlanta Toy Show to fill the void of a general Toy show in this market. Our second show was to be a Sci Fi themed extravaganza that coincided with the latest Star Wars saga "Revenge of the Sith". The show included close to 100 tables of Star Wars, Star Trek and Sci Fi toys, costumed members of the 501st clad in Stormtroopers outfits as well as a very convincing Darth Vader aka "Vader Painter" with Lego as a sponsor and members of a local improv group Dad's Garage http://www.dadsgarage.com/

doing a Star Wars themed skit - the whole show was a lot of fun.

An added bonus was that Methane studios http://www.methanestudios.com/posters01.html

(responsible for plenty of great concert posters) did our show poster with a light saber wielding Darth Vader having just decapitated some iconic toys (a bearded GI Joe Adventurer, Big Boy and a Troll). Limited to only 100 signed posters, members of the studio team sold this and many other creations at the show. We were fortunate to have been given a handful for future use.

Later that year while promoting JOKESTER & THWAK magazine, The Great Atlanta Toy Show and JOElanta http://www.joelanta.org/

at Dragon Con we were selling a variety of old show posters including this one. Some months later a mutual friend happened to be at a lecture held by Steve Sansweet (Director of Content Management and Fan Relations at Lucas Film) where he was discussing the many uses of copyrighted images and how he often alerts the Lucas Film lawyers about some of these items. In the same sentence he mentioned how every now and then he'd come across a very cool use of a character and how he just purchased a Toy show poster at Dragon Con! http://www.dragoncon.org/

Imagine our surprise that we had sold him that poster. Glad they decided not to sue us - Thanks Steve ! : )

More Behind the Scenes at CRACKED - cover #363

2009-10-12T20:10:00.000-07:00

Wow we sure went back and forth on this one! One thing that has most certainly dealt print media - like putting out a monthly/bi-monthly humor publication a blow - is timeliness of its content. In this case the now infamous Janet Jackson Super Bowl mishap had just happened and the uproar that it created was great fodder for the media. That paired with the fervor about the upcoming Presidential election between President George Bush and Senator John Kerry led my cohort in crime, Scott Gosar to come up with some truly whacked out interpretations for artist and caricature extraordinaire Kent Gamble to illustrate.

These images have only once seen print in the limited print run of the publication APACFA (see earlier post). From the top we have Condeleeza Rice & John Kerry all rocked out and then two alternate possibilities with First Lady Laura Bush & John Kerry. The theme of the issue had already been decided as being a Rock/Pop music issue and with a lot of push back from publisher Dick Kulpa we ended up with a much tamer Rock & Roll type cover with various stars from the period as well as Rick Neilsen of Cheap Trick who (in a publicity stunt)had just been named as publisher. Notice that the Janet Jackson/Justin Timberlake reference still made it onto the cover, although without the biting in your face imagery we were hoping for.

CRACKED magazine T-shirt

2009-10-12T20:01:00.000-07:00

Interesting CRACKED T-shirt by the very artistically accomplished CRACKED publisher Dick Kulpa. It was always Dick's intention to change CRACKED's direction and image with many varying results - BITE ME?!

Don Martin FREEDOM JAM

2009-10-12T19:52:00.000-07:00

Here's a seldom seen poster from Don Martin that was produced in 1975. Free Fare were a music group and this appears to be some sort of music festival. This particular poster is hanging in my studio and as I was taking this picture my daughter trying to be sly (and succeeding at that !) attempted to sneak a STAR WARS Storm trooper into the picture - you can barely see his fist in the far right : )

3 one pagers by Ben Boling

2009-10-06T16:33:00.000-07:00

Above are 3 of my favorite panels that artist Ben Boling http://bennygraphix.com/ has illustrated over the years. The 1st was from CRACKED #362 written by Steve Herold, 2nd "Worst in Show" from CRACKED #364 written by Scott Gosar
http://www.themadstore.com/ my partner in crime at CRACKED and 3rd from JOKESTER written by Carson Demmans. Enjoy!

Sergio Aragones Poster

2009-10-04T12:04:00.000-07:00

Here is one of a limited number of 11x17 posters that were produced for the Jack Davis Distinguished visiting Artist Lecture discussed in an earlier post.

More Behind the Scenes at CRACKED

2009-09-29T18:43:00.000-07:00

Here's a look at another page of original art that appeared in CRACKED magazine #363. As you can tell my original art was manipulated slightly to accommodate the gag. I wasn't crazy about having an ad smack dab in the middle of my page as this in my opinion was a big no no. The art should stand on its own unless it's a letters page or something similar to MAD's Fundalini pages or CRACKED's Backwash pages. I know of at least one prominent cartoonist that left the magazine due to this new direction the owner took.

American Humor Magazines book

2009-09-29T18:23:00.000-07:00

I stumbled across this book while putting a search for humor magazines and was quite surprised that such a periodical existed. After tracking down the book's author David Sloane (a professor if I'm not mistaken, who has written other books) we exchanged lists of humor magazine titles.

I was able to order it from my local library who had to get it from elsewhere in the country. The book was published in '85 and at 683 pages has an immense listing of literally 100's of different humor magazines, from The Harvard Lampoon to MAD and everything in between. There is a detailed introduction and then in depth essays on the 100 most influential titles with shorter chapters dedicated to many others. The appendix also includes a complete listing. I feel the book is highly detailed and in depth from a researchable point of view and would therefore be a welcomed addition to most University libraries. I personally would have felt the entire book and its content would have been majorly enhanced if it had some visuals of different magazine covers, mascots, interior pages, anything really just to break up the text.

Still I would recommend it to the die hard humor magazine fan. I looked into purchasing it but it is very rare and has a $200 price tag last time I checked Amazon. Try your library.

My Action Figure Collection

2009-09-27T09:22:00.000-07:00

I remember getting my first Action Man (UK's cousin of GI Joe) back in 1970. Over the next 6 or so years I was enthralled with them and although I never had that many, playing with them certainly helped stimulate my imagination until I discovered MAD magazine which helped further warp my mind.

Over the last 10 years I have rekindled that love of Action figures, specifically Action Man and GI Joe (I have been involved with JOElanta, helped start The Great Atlanta Toy Show and helped out at various National GI Joe Conventions around the country) and more recently Johnny West and Marx Action figures. Strangely enough I had never even seen Johnny West as a child but after seeing so many of these great figures at various shows I was tempted beyond the breaking point to start collecting them.

Here then is my collection which includes various JOElanta exclusives. Check out www.joelanta.com and come to our 10th anniversary show next year on March 27th & 28th. We are in the process of putting together next years exclusive set. Pretty exciting!

Also check out http://www.circlexranch.com/ to see the latest from MARX TOYS, including many great head sculpts.

Sergio Aragones flier

2009-09-25T08:46:00.000-07:00

Here is one of the fliers that were strewn around UGA and Athens Ga for Sergio Aragones's lecture. See earlier posts.

Friends of THWAK - CFAAPA

2009-09-25T07:59:00.001-07:00

There are collectors for every genre you can think of including those who love to acquire original art drawn by their favorite comic book and magazine artists and painters. There is one such group based here in the Atlanta area and their publication Comic and Fantasy Art Amateur Press Association (CFAAPA) a very limited/exclusive membership is truly amazing. Each issue is dedicated to a different genre of art and its members (from around the country) each contribute their own entries which are then edited and compiled here locally. The publication only comes out 3 times a year and provides serious fans and collectors the opportunity to discuss topics, ideas and opinions relative to the comic and fantasy original art history and marketplace. This group also sets up and displays many original works every year at Dragon Con, many a fan has been blown away while looking at an original Frazetta, Wood or Davis piece. I know I have!

Issue #63 from July 2004 was dedicated to my favorite genre "Humor Magazines" and starts off with a huge BANG! a wonderful Don Martin penciled, Jack Bender inked and Dave Newton colored illustration. This particular image originally appeared as the front man in a 1975 poster for the band FREE FARE in Concert. Incidentally I am fortunate enough to have this original poster as well as another one entitled FREEDOM JAM also from this time period.

Dave Newton (THWAK/CRACKED/JOKESTER) does a great job of a introducing the issue with a History of Satire Magazines. What follows is a fantastic assortment of articles and images of various humor magazine art, prelims, including material from Kelly Freas, Jack Davis, Spumco art, EC inspired dungeon scene by XNO, Will Elder, Sergio Aragones, Harvy Kurtzman, Antonio Prohias, Bruce Bolinger, John Severin, Wally Wood, Russ Heath and culminating in an excellent interview with Jack Bender who inked Don Martin's NUTHEADS panels and various other posters and paperback covers as well a a few CRACKED pages.

For more on this great zine check out
http://cfa-apa.blogspot.com/2007/09/cfa-apa-70-alex-toth.html

WHY? - JOKESTER magazine 2 pager

2009-09-22T07:47:00.000-07:00

This is one of my favorite pieces that I ever did. Mike Arnold (my JOKESTER co-publisher) wrote and laid it out and I illustrated it. I adapted my style slightly to just sketch it out once ala Sergio Aragones or Art Bouthillier, so the initial feel was not lost by overworking it.

Incidentally I still have a few JOKESTERs, Southern Fried Comics and THWAK magazines as well as some Gosar/Jallad era CRACKED magazines for sale. Just contact me for a list.

Unused THWAK cover concept art

2009-09-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Artist Marty Hirchak (Pop Art Funnies publisher) came up with this crazy "Be kind to Animals" cover idea back in 2002. I really like all the little animals trying to get in on the action, especially the turtle to the left. The whole concept is a little reminiscent of an Al Jaffee type piece. Had the run not ended with #5 this would have been the cover to #7. See earlier post that has this idea rendered as a full blown painting.

Ventures into the Art of Caricature

2009-09-16T08:01:00.000-07:00

I've been drawing ever since I was 10 and have realised that with much practice an artist can resort back to their "memory banks" in order to draw various objects or draw people from a number of different angles with differing facial expressions. Caricature on the other hand, although utilizing many of the same skills is a completely different animal.

I have been enamored by those who can capture a likeness and exaggerate it just enough to make it funny while still being instantly recognizable. Mort Drucker of MAD magazine fame is who immediately comes to my mind as "The Master" whenever I think of this topic. Two of my other favorites who incidentally were also both influenced by Mort is Kent Gamble (CRAZY, CRACKED, THWAK) and Tom Richmond (MAD, CRACKED). I always wondered how they did it?

Back in 2007 I had the opportunity to learn and practice these techniques from my buddy Wade Collins (Caricature Bliss), a then just starting caricature artist. Like myself Wade could draw and taught me, as he had been taught (and with the use of the book "Face Off by Hamernik"). Wade has since developed a great business doing everything from setting up his own operations at various Theme Parks to doing Caricature Maps and everything in between. I myself did a number of special request family portraits/caricatures as well as drawing at Stone Mountain Park here in Georgia. The above caricatures of Austin Powers, President Bush and Condeleeza Rice were all examples for the folks to see. It was certainly an enjoyable experience if not a little exasperating to entice folks to sit down in front of you to be caricatured all the while you are trying to talk to them to keep them entertained while trying to capture a good likeness in black and white or color within about 5 to 10 mins. All I can say retail caricature is not easy. The pros make it look that way but it really takes a tremendous amount of skill and experience to bang out sometimes 100's of faces a day. It's been a minute since I've practiced myself - time to dust off the old pens, paper and drawing board!

Unused CRACKED art

2009-09-16T07:52:00.000-07:00

These are 2 of many additional pieces that were rendered for CRACKED #361 that were to be part of the whole California gubernatorial issue when all the celebs were throwing their hat into the ring. As I have explained in earlier posts the issue was postponed many months which rendered a decent amount of the issue no longer viable. These 2 illustrations were done by artist Ben Boling. The 1st one is a nervous Gray Davis (the California Governor being recalled) and the second was CRACKED's answer to the whole mess, non other than our mascot Sylvester P. Smythe himself!

Humor Magazine listing

2009-09-12T06:44:00.000-07:00

Here is a list that was initially compiled back in 2003 and appeared in THWAK #4/The Journal of MADness #15 double issue. I have since revised it slightly and although I am not claiming it to be a 100% complete listing of all MAD like American humor magazines I feel it comes pretty close.

For the purposes of trying to stay as concise to the MAD type magazine I chose not to include College magazines, general single panel gag magazines, National Lampoon types, genre specific ie CARtoons, CYCLEtoons etc. Enjoy and I hope this proves to be a good reference.

PUCK 1877 – 1912
Keppler & Schwarzmann

JUDGE 1881 – 1930’s
Judge Publishing Co.

BALLYHOO 1931 – 1954
Dell Publishing Co.

FOO May 1952
Monarch Publishing Co.

MAD Oct. 1952 – present
EC/Warner

SNAFU Nov. 1955 – Vol. 2 #2 1956 (3 issues)
Atlas Comics (RCM)

LUNATICLE Feb. 1956 - #2, April 1956
Whitstone Publications

CRAZY, MAN, CRAZY
Dec. 1955 Vol. 2 #1 - June 1956 Vol. 2 #2
Humor Magazines (Charlton)

TRUMP Jan. 1957 - #2 March 1957
HMH Publishing Co.

THIS MAGAZINE IS CRAZY
July 1957 Vol. 3 #2- Vol. 4 #8
March 1959
Charlton Publications

HUMBUG Aug. 1957 - #11 Oct. 1958
Humbug publications
(last 2 issues magazine size)

NUTS Feb. 1958 - #2 April 1958
Health Knowledge

CRACKED Feb. 1958 – #365 Nov 2004
Vol. 2 #1-#3 2006
Cracked Publications

FRENZY April 1958 - #6 March 1959
Bimfort Magazines Inc.

THIMK May 1958 - #6 May 1959
Counterpoint Inc.

PANIC July 1958 - #6 July 1959
Vol. 2 #10 Dec. 1965 – Vol. 2 #12 1966
Panic Publications

LOCO Aug. 1958 - #3 Jan. 1959
Satire Publications

ZANY Sept. 1958 - #4 May 1959
Candor Publishing Co.

FRANTIC Oct. 1958 – Vol. 2 #2 April 1959
Pierce Publishing Co.

SHOOK UP Nov. 1958 #1
Dodsworth Publishing Co.

SICK Aug. 1960- #134 Fall 1980
Charlton Publications

HELP Aug. 1960 - #26 Sept. 1965
General Promotions Co.
(Warren Publishing Co.)

FOOEY Feb. 1961 - #4 May 1961
Scott Publishing Co.

POW Aug. 1966 - #2 Feb. 1967
Humor – Vision

YELL April 1966 - ?
K-M-R Publications Inc.

WILD Jan. 1968 - #3 1968
Dell Publishing Co.

SPOOF Oct. 1970 - #5 May 1973
Marvel Comics Group

BLAST Feb. 1971 - #2 May 1971
G & D Publishing

UP YOUR NOSE (and out your ear)
April 1972 - #2 June 1972
Klevart Enterprises

GRIN Nov. 1972 - #3 April 1973
APAG House Publications

PLOP! Sept./Oct. 1973 - #24 Nov./Dec. 1976
National Periodical Publications

CRAZY Oct. 1973 - #94 April 1983
Marvel Comics Group

LOONY SPORTS 1975 #1
3 Strikes Publishing

THE NATIONAL CRUMB Aug. 1975 #1
Mayfair Publications

PARODY March 1977 - #3 Aug. 1977
Armour Publishing Co.

TRASH March 1978 - #4 Oct. 1978
Trash Publishing Co.

WACKO Sept. 1980 - #3 Oct. 1981
Ideal Publishing Co.

BARF April 1990 #1
Revolutionary Comics Inc.

WARPED June 1990 - #2 Oct./Nov. 1990
Empire Entertainment

JAB Spring 1993 - ?
Cummings Design Group

MEAN 1996 #1
Draculina Publishing

NUTS June 1997 -?
Nuts Magazine Inc.

THWAK Spring 2001 - #5 Winter 2003
Tool/Thwak Publications

GAG Sept. 2004 #1 -2
Barrister Publications

JOKESTER Jan. 2005 #1
Tool/Thwak/Jokester Publications

If anyone knows of any items not on this list please contact me.

New DON MARTIN website

2009-09-12T06:33:00.000-07:00

I just received a postcard from the Don Martin Studio in Miami announcing the brand new Don Martin website http://donmartinwebsite.com/ hosted by Norma Martin. The site is rudimentary but does have a variety of his post MAD magazine work, including CRACKED pages, Don Martin Magazine as well as Nutheads strips. Also featured is Don Martin's Brain Games for Kids (see earlier post) as well as a new upcoming book "The Completely CRACKED Don Martin" an idea that I had talked to Norma about over 2 years ago. Anyway I sure hope that whoever puts this project together takes the time to get it right and uses a cover image other than the one shown above from the Don Martin Digs Deeper paperback, HONK #1, CRACKED special and poster and the Brain Games book. Can't wait for it to come out!

Unused THWAK art (Illustrated Lyrics) #2

2009-09-08T05:07:00.000-07:00

Originally intended for inclusion in THWAK #3 the All Monster issue, this piece by artist Billy Genius (THWAK, CRACKED, JOKESTER) was part of 4 different illustrated lyrics. I am pleased to be able to share it now (6 years later).

For more on Billy's art check out posts from June.