Category Archives: Art Department
Larry Carroll On The Weight Of Explicit Imagery
Several years back I attempted to write about the work of painter Larry Carroll, known best for his two-decade collaboration with Slayer, painting every album cover from Reign In Blood to Christ Illusion. At the time, I could find little information about Carroll, and his work was only briefly covered in a piece I wrote for Swindle back in 2005.
The Giant Gila Monster vs. Glenn Danzig
The font of the movie’s title on promotional posters has been copied on most albums and associated promotional materials released by Glenn Danzig’s musical acts Samhain and Danzig.
In The Age Of Designer (Marketed) Drugs
It’s no secret the pharmaceutical industry has always been big business, dating back to its inception in the late 20th century. But what’s not as well known, perhaps, is the cozy relationship between some of history’s most celebrated designers and their extensive involvement in the early marketing of brand-name drugs.
The Psychedelia Of Yesterday’s Textbooks
Adventures in hallucinogenic reading.
Like the work of so many commercial artists, one-shot pieces intended for an academic audience are often relegated to utter obscurity. Luckily the visuals published by Communications Research Machines have been archived for posterity.
Kate Beaton’s Hark! A Vagrant
So, I mean, Kate Beaton. Pretty amazing, right? It seems I’m a (very) latecomer to her Hark, a Vagrant web comic. But I’ve yet to see a web comic that’s at once this funny and erudite. Drawn and Quarterly just released a book, also titled Hark! A Vagrant. She’s been doing the press rounds and appeared with Michael Kupperman and…
The Workplace Politics of Jack Kirby And Stan Lee
In stumbling upon this radio interview with Jack Kirby (h/t: Jay Babcock), my fascination with pre-Internet media continues, especially as it pertains to one of Marvel’s most prodigious artists.
I grew up reading hand-me-down comics illustrated by Jack Kirby, though I didn’t realize it at the time. It turns out that’s often been the case with Kirby’s work. He was…
The Plastic Man Cartoon That Never Was
Back in 2006, Cartoon Network passed on a Plastic Man TV pilot featuring Tom Kenny (aka SpongeBob) as the voice of Eel O’Brian with artwork by Stephen Destefano. According to Kenny, the “unused pilot that was offered to the Cartoon Network. It seems that I’ve started an internet rumor. I don’t really know if Cartoon Network chose between this and…
The Mad World Of Al Jaffee
Back in October, The New York Times featured an interactive slideshow of Al Jaffee’s infamous fold-ins for Mad magazine, from the 1960s to the present. It was a supplement to this article, which examined the career of Mad’s longest-serving contributor. Jaffee turned 90 this past March, and he’s still churning out high-quality cartoons. Here’s to hoping old age will be…
