Before Bil Keane made it big with “Family Circus” he had another big hit called “Channel Chuckles” which was a daily cartoon focused on television gags that would run next to the tv listings which were becoming a popular new feature in the newspaper (this is 1954). There are a online exhibit of “Channel Chuckles” on Bil’s web site.Go read Allan Holtz’s Strippers Guide blog for more information.
The Cartoon Art Museum of San Francisco has a new exhibit called “Cartoon Tunes: Capturing Music in Comics” according to Editor and Publisher. The exhibit runs May 9 through Oct. 15 and features music such as Bob Dylan, Philip Glass, Led Zeppelin, Jenny Lind, Prince, Run-DMC, and They Might Be Giants.
Joe Heller, editorial cartoonist for the Green Bay Press-Gazette will join several other Wisconsin artists to decorate 40 large butterfly, frog and beetle statues that will be placed in several places through out the city this summer…. The Green Bay Press-Gazette editorial cartoonist will translate to powder-coated aluminum what he has long put on paper: a slew of newsmakers past and present.”It’s going to be presidents, state and local politicians and working my way into entertainers that are political and politicians that are entertainers ? anybody with a mouth and an opinion,” said Heller, who plans to attach a key to identify all the characters.
The Austin American Statesman has a really good write up regarding Patrick McDonnell’s new book “Art.” Patrick’s first book “The Gift of Nothing” featured characters from his comic strip “Mutts,” but this new book is a complete departure from his Mutts strip.”‘Art’ is about a little kid who likes to draw and makes messes and I think it’s pretty autobiographical,” he says by phone from his New Jersey studio…. I actually took a photograph of my desk before I cleaned it because it looked sort of like one of Art’s drawings ? splotches all over the place.”To help promote the book, Patrick is having a ART Coloring Contest (ends April 28).