I was reading just now an interesting round-up on Dirk Deppy’s Journalista and also The Comics Reporter and The Daily Cartoonist about Sunday’s print protest by “Cartoonists of Color” on how their strips are perceived by editors and the public. The strips these cartoonists drew on the subject, and some of the discussion that has been generated, bring up the issue of “political correctness”. This subject never fails to remind me of a favorite piece of original art of Mutt and Jeff that I have hanging in my upstairs hall. The strip is notable for its incredible art (man I love Fisher and/or his ghost Ed Mack), an appearance with Mutt and Jeff by their cartoonist Bud Fisher, and especially how “political correctness” is hardly a new thing. Oh, and and notable for how hard it can be, according to Fisher, for cartoonists to deal with being “PC”. See the strip-sometimes all this pressure makes you want to take drastic measures! This strip was going to go in the next Arf book, Comic Arf, but got bumped at the last second, not for “PC” reasons, but for lack of room. So Arf Lovers, you can see it here-so click and enjoy already! And let me know what you think in the comments section below.

(click to read this comic)

When I visited Bill Holman, of Smokey Stover fame, to research the tribute that just ended up in the Arf Forum book he gave me lots of goodies. I didn’t have room for all of them in Arf Forum—but that’s why Al Gore invented the internet!

This is a photo of a fellow cartoonist spitting out wine to create Smokey’s visage. Darn, a couple of days ago when I pulled this out I remembered who Bill told me this was, but now for the life of me I can’t. Help me.

(click for a closer look)

Is this a hoot or what? Bill Holman does Little Orphan Annie! Pretty ribald title-Little Organ Fannie?Arf! Arf!

(click to read the comic)

Finally, Bill gave me this rare piece of sheet music. “What this country needs is FOO!” Boy, that more true than ever! For more Holman rarities, including unpublished art, get the Arf Forum book, hot off the presses—be the FOO-st on your block to have one!

(click for a closer look)

(click here to order Arf Forum)

America’s Top Toon-A-MILF” contest has been a wild thrill ride with now over 500 voters! And this “Battle of the Cartoon Moms” has Morticia Addams and Alice Mitchell neck to neck (now THERE’S a thought!). We welcome folks coming from The Beat and Drawn.ca. Be sure and scroll down this page cast your important vote below.

I’ll be announcing the beautiful winner at the end of the day Monday!

Speaking of sexy toons, I’m nuts about the hot drawings by an unknown genius cartoonist/animator named Kremos. I tracked Kremos down and called him a few years back when I was in Italy. It was a great thrill to talk to this master of the female form before he passed on. I picked up my own Kremos Girl, my hot Italian wife, at the airport last night who was coming back from a trip to Rome. In addition to smuggling the usual chocolate and Parmigiano cheese through customs she also brought me this contra-band photo of Kremos.

I feature Kremos in the Arf Forum book hitting stores and Bud Plant and Amazon as we speak. In this third book in the Arf series I have many more photos plus sketches and info on Kremos’ salad days with his boyhood pal Fellini. And, of course, a generous amount of full page drawings of color, lush girlie cartoons of the 1950s. (And a stunning two page spread cartoon with fifty Italian beauties at the beach). Plus especially for Arf Forum Playboy cartoonist Dean Yeagle, himself an amazing illustrator of women, did a caricature of Kremos painting a sexy young thang. Can’t wait? I’ll share a couple cartoons here that I couldn’t fit in Arf Forum. Enjoy already.

RÉSUMÉ
“EspErth typ’er, talll kurvaccious beotifulllooks for emplyement in an Inportant Ofice. Whith an bosss, posibbly sinGle, ready to owerllok shmaLL mistaikkes.”
(click for a closer look)

THE ROMMATES
“There’s a thief under the bed, what do we do?”
“Flip a coin!”
(click for a closer look)

FATIMA READS YOUR MIND
“Improper, smutty, dirty—start thinking of something else or go back to your seat immediately!”
(click for a closer look)

THE SHOW GIRL
“She can’t dance or sing, but, right in the middle of her number, she always has a wardrobe malfunction…”
(click for a closer look)

WOMEN ARE ALL ALIKE
“Baloney! These old sayings are nonsense…”
(click for a closer look)

Order Arf Forum here.

Snag your copy of Arf Forum with tons more great girls by Kremos and lots more goodies by clicking on the cover above. See a complete preview by clicking the Arf Forum cover in the very upper left of the blog. Get yours!

This week brought mondo-fantastic news: Brendan Burford was named Comics Editor at King Features Syndicate. Brendan has worked with the late, great Jay Kennedy for the past 7 years and has an incredibly deep love for comics. Brendan especially likes old skool comics and i’ll be interested how that might influence his future choices. Brendan edits and publishes a beautiful, compelling small press publication, Syncopated Comics. Syncopated, “the comics reportage anthology” features Brendan’s own wonderful comics and the likes of Drawn.ca’s talented John Martz.

Brendan Burford

In researching the chapter of images of people reading comics for the soon-available Arf Forum book I unearthed this childhood photo of Brendan. It captures Brendan’s dad helping the young Brendan with his homework. Brendan’s Old Man seems to be saying, “If Brendan doesn’t pay attention and master this Math he’ll NEVER have a future career!”

(Click for a closer look)

The first chapter of the first Arf book, Modern Arf, had a opening chapter on Artists and Models. I’m continually finding more cartoons that maybe could have been in that popular chapter. So I’m happy to share them with the Arf Lovers on the blog. The ones today are from the 1930s and 40s and are from some of the great gag cartooners of the day. Enjoy.

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In Arf Museum there’s a chapter of cartoons about tattoos and another chapter about girlie cartoonist Reamer Keller. So when I ran across these cartoons today while researching my upcoming book Clean Cartoonists’ Dirty Drawings I was kinda bummed as I would have put this in Arf Museum. It would have been perfect! But, anyway, you dear Arf Lovers blog reader get to see this little treasure. Enjoy!

(click for a slide show of each tattoo)

Reamer Keller is featured in Arf Museum. Here are some outtakes for your viewing pleasure:

“Let’s get back to your insurance policy. If I refuse you and you commit suicide like you say you will, am I still the beneficiary?!”

“I was out with him last night. His parlor tricks are also fantastic!”

“Yes, he knows all the answers, and I ‘no’ all his questions!”

“What do you mean—You’ve got pieces of eight?!”

I found lots of great Picasso cartoon sketches that I didn’t have room for in the chapter on his cartooning in the upcoming Arf Museum. So what follows is what we call in the biz a “Web Exclusive”! Click below for the slide show, Arf Lover!

(click for a slideshow of Picasso’s comics)

In Arf Museum there’s a chapter I am really excited about: “Tattoons.” Here are a few that didn’t make the cut…

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I’m pretty damn excited about the chapter in the upcoming Arf Museum. “The Erotic Arf of Reamer Keller.” Boody “Sparky Watts” Rogers told me Keller was a great practical joker. On Wednesdays, cartoonists in New York City made the rounds to the different magazine offices to sell their gag cartoon ideas. One Wednesday, Boody, Bill “Smokey Stover” Holman, and Keller were approaching the Colliers office. The Cartoon Editor there, Gurney Williams, hated Holman’s ever-present cigars. So, as he always did, Holman politely parked his stogie on a window ledge out on the street before entering the Colliers door. At the same time, Reamer spotted on the sidewalk a dried piece of dog shit. When Holman had his back turned, Reamer made the switch. Later, when the ‘toonist trio came out of the offices, Bill Holman grabbed the turd thinking it was his cigar and put it to his lips, much to the great amusement of Reamer and Boody.

God, how lucky I was to get to know all three of these, and many other giant cartoonist geniuses! I am so grateful and humbled by that. It’s my supreme privilege and mission to show you the often forgotten art of those geniuses in this blog and in the Arf pages.

To see a little slide show of some of the Keller Kartoons that I didn’t have room for in Arf Museum click on the animation below of a Keller Girl.

P.S. Come say hi if you’re at the NY ComiCon this Sunday. I’ll be at the Midtown Comics booth #317 signing Modern Arf from 2:00-2:45. And check out the sexy art and books by Dean Yeagle at his table. Dean did the awesome caricature of Reamer surrounded by Yeagle Babes in Arf Museum.

(click for a slideshow of Reamer Keller’s art)