Sunday, July 28, 2013

The Talk of Growed-Up Intellectuals

Sorry for getting distracted and delayed (I've been working on the Kelly tribute zine). It's still Sunday, so Happy Sunday, Kelly Sunday! 

February 27, 1972

Sunday, July 21, 2013

Excellent Advice!

Here we learn just a little of Churchy's family tree.

Unless he's making it up as it goes.

June 20, 1972

Note to professional cartoonists who have ever been under the influence of Kelly:  We're still looking for professional tribute art for the Walt Kelly Online Number of Delineated Life. If you're planning and/or hoping to create a doodle, sketch or finished drawing for us, we need them by the week of August 4. But we need you to tell us in advance if you're thinking of contributing a jpeg image, any size or ratio.This will be Kelly's 100th, and we are preparing to celebrate—and we need a lot more participation of the professional arts community to do it up proper. Even a sentence or paragraph of how Kelly has affected you will be most welcome. Maybe think of your own character(s) being the voice of your thoughts.

We just received a real beauty of a drawing from a top European cartoonist. Really now, how many opportunities do you get to thank the greatest cartoonist that ever lived (in my opinion) for his creative impact? Contact me at the email that's listed somewhere on this blog.

Sunday, July 14, 2013

Seriously!

We're serious here about celebrating Walt Kelly's one hundredth birthday!  Pictorial Arts Journal now has an imprint, called Delineated Life, which will alternate with the Journal—to showcase great artists and their work. Below is a preview of the cover I've designed for the upcoming number, publishing online August 25. I am still humbly requesting any and all cartoonists that have felt the love for Kelly's work to step forward with some sort of tribute art that conveys your feelings. It could be a memory, a shout-out, a rumination—voiced by your own characters or any creative manner you are inspired to.

Please spread the word to fellow cartoonists and animators! We need jpegs of your art by the week of August 4, but please sooner if you can. Each artist will get a bio blurb and link to their website.

C'mon! We're serious!


Design and portrait artwork copyright © Thomas Haller Buchanan
Cartoon artwork copyright © Walt Kelly Estate
Donald Duck character owned by Walt Disney Productions

I'd love for this cover to be reposted, but only if it is 
promoting the magazine and has a link to this blog.



ALL Bears is Bear Footed

We continue with this current arc for the next few weeks, taking us up to Walt Kelly's 100th birthday. At which time I will be publishing, online, a special commemorative number of the Pictorial Arts Journal, completely dedicated to the work of Walt Kelly.

You know what would be swell? To have tribute art and text from professionals that have been influenced and inspired by Kelly's cartooning, even if their style is completely different.

I'm inviting all such pros to send over a jpeg of drawings, doodles, or doodads honoring Kelly's milestone birthday. It could be a drawing of your own characters applauding or waxing nostalgic. It could be a graphic narrative like Crumb and Spiegelman produce for the New Yorker. It could just be a handwritten greeting or verse. Each contributor will receive a bio-blurb and a link to their website.

There's every chance that no pro is going to participate for this project. But no matter. The issue will still be published with some great Kelly art seen in fresh ways. Personally, I'll be contributing a pictorial memoir essay of when I met and talked with Kelly—in my long ago youth.

We'll need creative tributes to be emailed as jpegs, no later than the week of August 4, accompanied by a bio-blurb and link data. Please leave a comment here on this blog with contact info, questions or leads and I promise to not publicly publish those comments unless you specifically wish me to.

Once published, we'll be sending a pdf of the birthday edition to the Kelly family and Fantagraphics, Pogo's current publisher (which could mean cease and desist orders but we will have at least demonstrated our love for the greatest cartoonist that ever lived).

Does anyone out there know Bill Watterson? Kelly's 100th is worthy of a word or two from him.

February 13, 1972

Sunday, July 7, 2013

Smilin' with Our Lips an' Toes

We are back to Sunday strips for the next few weeks, culled from my collection, saved first-hand way back when we had something new from Kelly each and every Sunday. Wow, what a concept.

Our friend-in-Kelly, Hun, has written many an encouraging comment here at WoK. Those comments sometimes are hidden away where only other commenters see them, so that in essence Hun is preaching to the choir in his effort to kindle some action in WoK viewers. I thought it would only be fair to let Hun step out front and squint into the glaring spotlight as he addresses this audience in an open letter.

 February 6, 1972

Thom,

In your invitation to contribute to a Kelly Centenary Birthday Special you single me out in a way that is more than embarrassing to me, a Friend-in-Kelly as lowly as can be. An unknowledgeable outsider might almost get the impression that I were trying (even half way succeeding) in influencing the direction your blog is taking. While I do accept responsibility for the idea of honoring Kelly with a commemorative stamp (as an aside: what you have created is an absolute beauty and in my mind would be more than worthy to be the official issue. I totally agree with Yves), you may remember that a year ago I warned that if no volunteer showed up soon, it would be you who would have to carry not only the responsibility but the total weight of the ball in any concerted effort to celebrate Kelly's hundredth. I still feel a bit guilty of not having volunteered myself; but in the matter of the stamp my excuse still stands: I'm not a valued customer of the US Mail Service – my last service by them relates to the last check I sent to my landlord pretty exactly four decades ago – and I have no direct wire to any Congers-person (Frog or Bullfrog) , who could be sicked on the Postmaster General to circumvent the red tape route for stamp creation (which seems complicated enough to get a person “going postal”).

As to your blog. I have no intention of becoming a gray eminence in the shadows; you run the blog!
I am quite content to be surprised by what you dish out regularly every Sunday (even if it is Peter Wheat). Tastes are different and being a Johnny-come-lately to Kelly I never acquired a special fondness for his kiddy stuff. And if it turns out to be a freshly ironed, color corrected Pogo Sunday page my joy is that much greater (Not meant to be a plea for longer spaces between Pogos to increase anticipation, right?).

Having said that, there is one aspect of  the blog I would take issue with, this being the list of “Followers”you used to sport in the upper right corner. Is this a sort of trophy gallery used by bloggers in a competition: “Show me yours and I'll show you mine”?

When I stumbled into 'Whirled of Kelly' (must have been 2 ½ years ago... it seems longer) I thought that being in this list conferred a special kind of honor and wondered how to 'make the list'.
Then after some time watching the goings-on I caught on to the fact that comment could be made without being on the list (which I started doing and which most of the 'followers' do not seem to do).
Seems to become a 'follower' you just have to declare yourself and then you sit back and munch your scrambled eggs and stack of pancakes (Sunday!) and watch the proceedings (exceptions excepted! Actually there are such...).

Thomas H. Buchanan, being the owner you know all about blogging. No need to read on now!

To whom it may concern, meaning practically all readers of this rant:
There is at the end of every blog entry by Thom a small expression “no comments” or “# comments”. The meaning of this is:”Here YOU can make a comment” Remember:
- It is free of charge (where do you get this these days?)
- It is easy (just set your pointer at this expression. If your browser setting allows 'blogger' you are in business)
- It is fast (nobody expects you to write an essay. If you feel like it: so much the better)
- It gives you the feeling of having accomplished something that day...
- It is the polite thing to do! (if you really do not know what to write, why not just THANK Thom?)

Aw, you say, the world must be coming to an end: Now here is a German lecturing us about politeness...Wonder what Fritz' agenda is?

Two answers: 

First: Yes, this part of the world has changed a bit for the better: We have started to followed others in this respect. Come over here and let yourselves be pleasantly surprised.

Second: Naturally I am no less egotistic than any fellow human bean. THB has been such a push-over in the past that he is amazing me every Sunday. I myself would have thrown in the towel long ago: “So much dedication and effort and practically no resonance from my 'friends'... What the heck”....
Friends, Romans, countrymen, lend me your ears! The world might be ending soon and rapture happening tomorrow. But if not: Aren't we all interested in keeping this blog going for as long as possible? Those of you actually reading what he has to say and not only looking at the colorful pics he offers, will have noted that Thom H.B. has some things up his voluminous sleeves. In our own interest we have to keep this man Buchanan in the mood. And that means: honestly expressing our appreciation for what he does (no exaggerating, no false adulation, just showing him that we care for what he does). At your next psychiatrist appointment ask the Doc about the importance of appreciation. 

Come on, pull them out and comment!
LLK!

Thom, you may read on now!

If anyone feels unjustly attacked, please raise your finger and I will respond.
If anyone agrees: act!

I'm not hiding myself behind my alias and therefore sign off in genuine friendship as

Dieter Mueller  aka (Transatlantic) Hun

Dieter identifies with Porky, so this little gem is for him.