Saturday, July 31, 2010

Kirby Fantastic Four Covers

I was obsessed with these comics when I was a kid.

I didn't start buying them until 1966. Before that I thought the drawings were too bizarre.
Once I got hooked I wanted to buy all the back issues.Luckily, in those days there was always a garage sale every weekend where some kid would be selling all his comics for a penny each so I went and bought all the issues dating back to the beginning.
It was fun watching the Thing evolve from a melted blob of orange lava into a highly constructed pile of rocks.
I love the colors on these covers too. I think they are by Marie Severin. They are much more muted and moody than the DC superhero comics were.

The thing about Kirby characters is, once he stopped drawing them no one else was ever able to capture the magic. For me, they all died when he left Marvel around 1970.

Friday, July 30, 2010

Your Favorite Comic Titles

Alley Oop had the best dinosaur and jungle drawings.

No one can forget Catman.

Felix and the bulb-noses - a kid favorite.
Henry was once beloved by millions. The "Funniest Living American". He doesn't have a mouth. Is he Popeye's bastard son?
.
Smokey Stover must be the wackiest comic ever. A big influence on Clampett.

I love this Oswald drawing!

Comics are for everybody

Walt Kelly Snow White

Don't you wish you were Spiderman?

Dick treasures all American cultures as I do.

Ukrainian Ranger Mating Urges

Yes, every spring the Rangers come out of hibernation to spread their pheromones around the Urals.
The garish males perform spectacular displays to impress the blander female of the species.
Ranger Horst goes all out, puffing his breast, spreading his feathers and finally extending his perfume bladder which emits a pungent odor - offensive to we civilized folk, but quite pleasant to female Rangers of the Steppes.

It is Kaspar's job to keep the population down by thwarting nature's most powerful urges.

Even marking your territory becomes a challenge in the primeval forest of Ruthenia

Wednesday, July 28, 2010

Look What's Coming





Actual good prints
Uncropped!
No DVNR
No Line Thinning
No Grain Removal

Just the films as they were meant to be seen

Tuesday, July 27, 2010

I'll Be At the Flagstaff Film Festival

Join me at the Flagstaff Film Festival in Arizona, Saturday August 14th!!!
A brand new independent film festival.


JOHN K. PRESENTS A KIDDIE MATINEE shows from 1:00 - 2:30 PM at the historic Orpheum Theater in downtown Flagstaff, Arizona.

I suggested this event because I remembered that when I was a kid, they used to have Saturday matinees with old cartoons, comedy shorts and dinosaur movies. I figured that a lot of modern kids don't get to see this kind of stuff - especially all in one showing, so this is good old fashioned family entertainment - with lots of explosions, frying pans over the head and slapstick wackiness! Parents will love it too!

Afterwards stick around for a meet and greet, and get a caricature ($10 for kids; $20 for adults).


Saturday Evening 7:00: JOHN K. RETROSPECTIVE a more adult-oriented program at 7:00 PM also at the Orpheum Theater. Lots of rare Spumco cartoons and crazy stuff.

After the show concludes there will be another chance to get a caricature, and chat with me about the films. Kali will be there too so make her draw for you.
There will also be a FREE outdoor show Sunday night with fun and cartoons and mingling with the filmmakers and Hoi Polloi.

Tickets available online! It's $10 per show. Although you can buy a pass for the full week of film and shows for $99.
Go see the Grand Canyon while you're there, it's very close by!
Visit something even more HISTORIC -Flintstone Village!
Flintstones Bedrock City
Address:
Grand Canyon Hwy, Valle, AZ
Directions:
On the west side of US 180 just north of its junction with Hwy 64.
Hours:
Daily 6 am-sunset (summer), 7 am-sunset (winter) (Call to verify)
Phone:
928-635-2600
FLINTSTONE VILLAGE AZ

I like this Harvey artist too

This is the other Harvey artist that draws the characters in a really appealing style.




http://davekarlenoriginalartblog.blogspot.com/2008/03/steve-muffatti-friends-salute-to-unsung.html

Monday, July 26, 2010

Free: Clampett Frame Grabs To Study

Here are some great frame grabs from Clampett cartoons thanks to Chris Lopez. His site is a wonderful resource for cartoon and comic lovers.

Daffy in his absolute prime. Look what an appealing design that is!

More teeth in Clampett cartoons.
Best eyes.

Funniest poses- this is McKimson here! He never drew like that in his own cartoons!

This is the best cud chewing scene ever animated. Chris..please put up the extremes!

I love Clampett's ghostly crowd paintings!

Funniest visual jokes.
Weirdest characters.
Most intense acting.
More stretch.
I wonder why there isn't a book about Clampett? The guy is obviously the greatest (and most generous) cartoon director of all time. I was at the Illiad bookstore yesterday and there were about 10 Chuck Jones books, and not one Clampett. I don't get it. Clampett is the guy who did the WB style purer than anybody and was most responsible for their success.

MORE CLAMPETT FRAME GRABS HERE