Goodbye Mr. er....Bond!

Check out this "action shot" of these two customized marx figures that my daughter Ariana and I recently entered into the 4th Annual Marx customizing Contest. For the actual picture and all the other awesome entries check out www.Stewartsattic.com at http://www.stewartsattic.com/marx/specials/botb/4thentries.cfm

We had a great time doing this and are already brainstorming about next years entry.

Alfred as a Beanie Baby

Here's an example of an idea submission to MAD during the height of the Beanie Baby craze back in the '90's. I received the standard "sorry we can't use this" rejection slip only to find that a similar idea was used about 6 months later on the outside of the subscription copies that were mailed to people's homes. Go figure!

The idea did see print in issue #4 of The Journal of MADness magazine.

CRACKED magazine 1st issue

Issue #362 debuted mine and Scott Gosar's brief stint as editors of this iconic magazine and the last of CRACKED as the humor magazine we all grew up reading. After just 4 issues the magazine was sold and sat idly for over a year before hitting the stands as a slick cross between the Onion/Daily Show/Maxim. Needless to say it only lasted 3 issues and then promptly died, only to live on as a website.

Initially this issue was to have come out in October of '03 during the California gubernatorial elections, hence Arnold Schwarzenegar appearing on the cover alongside (ironically) Michael Jackson.

This picture was taken at a Media Play in Atlanta. It was certainly a consistent thrill for me to see the mag on the shelves alongside MAD, Heavy Metal etc... at Publix, Kroger, Wal Mart, Comic Stores and many many more locations nationwide.

JOKESTER magazine

Although I fully intended to self publish THWAK even after I started as co-editor with CRACKED, time would just not allow me to pursue that goal. With time it appeared more likely that CRACKED was not going to flourish the way we had hoped and it was very clear to me that it may not last at all. It was during this time that I decided that I really wanted to put out another self published effort as I still had plenty of material that was never used during the first run of THWAK. I had just recently met another artist/writer who was a new addition to CRACKED by the name of Mike Arnold. Mike had become very involved with CRACKED in its final days and I came to find out that he also wanted to put out his own project.

It was apparent that we should try and collaborate on this next project as we both have very similar likes and approaches regarding humor. After some deliberating and brain storming we decided to put out a laugh filled book we a completely new layout direction. The idea was to make the front and back cover look like an overblown playing card - a Jester - or JOKESTER. The interior was divided up into 1) single page gags, 2) gag panels, 3) features (multi pagers) and 4) strips. Each category was a different playing card suite : hearts, clubs, diamonds and clubs. Mike layed the book out and it looked spectacular! Really top notch. For samples and to order your copy check out Mike Arnold's site http://www.arnomation.com/

Although JOKESTER appeared in comic shops around the country it was not a great seller so unfortunately we decided to put it to rest after only one issue. With the current state of magazines in general, and specifically humor magazines, the writing is sadly on the wall regarding this genre. With the recent news that MAD magazine, at one time selling over 2 million copies per issue, will now only be published quarterly, and long running CRACKED and The National Lampoon now also history it is as though the Internet has finally taken its toll on this format.

The shift is now towards trade paperbacks. I am certainly looking forward to seeing what MAD decides to do here and have heard that there is a new book coming out shortly that is illustrated by my favorite (newer) usual gang of idiots and one time CRACKED artist) Tom Richmond.

THWAK has also joined this new trend with "The THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection" trade paperback (which incidentally was also layed out by Mike Arnold) is available from this site! Take it easy and keep reading and supporting satire!

Friends of THWAK - Ben Boling

Every now and then one comes across a talent that is just spectacular. You can't help but go WOW!!! this guys good! I've had this experience numerous times, and this artist Ben Boling is surely one of those WOW! artists.

I met Ben shortly after THWAK magazine #1 came out and he contacted me about how to submit. Needless to say that once I saw his work I was honored to have his art grace THWAK's pages. Ben's work appeared on the back, inside front, interior and the front cover (see THWAK #3 "All Monster Issue" some posts back). Once I made the move to CRACKED I brought Ben and a number of other THWAKsters with me. Ben took on the task of continuing the Chip Hacker strip (I'll post all these in a future post) as well as numerous other features. After CRACKED folded Ben contributed to JOKESTER and most recently the THWAK Bonfire of Insanity Collection trade paperback.

In addition to the above Ben has done plenty of other freelance work, logos, concept work and his work is featured regularly at the Alcove gallery http://www.alcovearts.com/alcove/index.html here in Atlanta.

The 4 images above are 1) color page from CRACKED #362, 2) a direct prod at the appalling picture of Private England dehumanising a prisoner CRACKED #364, 3)Christmas card 4) color gag

For more of Ben's work check out http://bennygraphix.com/galleries.htm and be prepared to be entertained.

3 More Single Panel Gags

My mug used in a painting in a Mellow Mushroom

Little did I know when my friend Buddy Finethy (Art Director at Mellow Mushroom at the time, now in charge of restaurant concepts) snapped a pic of me that he would use my likeness in this semi realistic painting that now hangs in one of the many Mellow Mushrooms that these days seem to be sprouting up like....er mushrooms!