I’m hard-pressed to figure out a ‘hook’ for this article. Howard Beckerman fits into numerous peg-holes, one being “animator”, so let me start there.
. . . HAH! If only it were that simple! Because Howard Beckerman mostly made TV commercials, which do not have credits. Thus, Howard leaves scant on-line footprint as an animator. He does turn up in some documentaries speaking on the subject of old cartoons. You can also find him quoted in books, the one he wrote, and the ones with interviews he did. It’s not that he isn’t well known. He is, but for what exactly?
About a decade ago I became interested in New York City’s animation history, and on that path all roads lead to Beckerman. How many books is he cit-ed in? Magazine articles? Documentaries?
You know a Ralph Steadman work when you see it. You’ll recognize his chaotic line and evocative paint splatter, his grotesque visages and uncanny vistas. But for an artist with such a pointedly distinct aesthetic, Steadman won’t entertain any talk about style.
“Style is nothing, only what it looks like,” he told me over a video call. “It’s just a second thought, really. It’s more about content.”
And in a career that’s spanned more than six decades, the British artist has doggedly pursued that content. His work has spanned political cartoons and illustrations for children’s books. He has traced the life of Sigmund Freud as he has the adventures of Hunter S. Thompson, effectively wedding a look to the journalist’s brand of gonzo storytelling. Lately, he’s painted a series of extinct animals.
