Always been fascinated by the old fart, Uncle Sam, ever since i got turned onto cartooning as a young teen. The only time I drew him, though, was when the below image came to me totally realized in a deep, fitfull dream a couple of nights after 9/11. I had been working on my book The Mighty Big Book of Optical Illusions so the dream wasn’t a TOTAL surprise though I think it’s one of the coolest things I’ve ever done (and because it “came” to me I feel I can’t take complete credit for it). The first-in-my-life patrotism I felt WAS a big surprise, though (mostly since disapated).

I had been scheduled to speak at a conference at the World Trade Center at the exact time the planes hit. But the engagement was canceled a few weeks before because the economy, under that idiot Clinton, was already shitty and people’s travel and conference budgets were being slashed.

The horror of the whole deal is STILL pretty fresh in my mind and all the fireworks this weekend will make me a little nervous. Plus, I try not to think about it, but the good old U.S.A.’s big-ass problems and now current idiot-President Bush and the Republicans and the war really depress me and make me mad. I still really dig Uncle Sam and this drawing I did of him, though. So I’m fucked up. Happy July 4th!

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I dig these South African ads for hair spray. The caption is “For long lasting hold”.

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Sure I love putting together books, designing toys, speaking in interesting places. But my favorite thing of all is doodling in my sketchbooks.

Cartoonist Jefferson Machamer has been getting a little attention the last couple of years. The great magazine Hogan’s Alley did a feature on him. The new book Art Out of Time has a chapter. I’ve always been intrigued by the artist though actually I find his drawings of girls, the main thing he is known for, a bit cringe worthy. They’re supposed to be beautiful and cute but I find Jefferson’s ladies a bit ugly (probably what admirer Gary Panter LIKES about them)

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Forget the gals for a moment. I just copped a publication with the following late 1940′s landscapes by Machamer. You don’t usually get to see such things by cartoonists. You won’t cringe when viewing them. Nice stuff.

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Let me know what you think. Always thrilled to hear from Arf Lovers and welcome any rarities, links, thoughts you want to share with fellow readers, etc. Write me: yoecomix (at) hotmail (dot) com

P.S. I’d especially love to hear from you if you’ve gotten the new Arf book, Arf Museum, and what you think!

Today I’m having lunch with Paul Levitz, my bosom buddy and head honcho of DC comics. I thought this week’s Wacky Wonder Woman photo below nicely represents the meeting of the, er, minds we’ll have today.

Thanks to Scott Witmer we have a bonus Wacky Wonder Woman plus a link to more fascinating and compeling superhero photos…

Yo, Craig,

I came across Dulce Pinzon’s new photography show on the web and thought
it might interest you. The playful nature of the project is meant to
highlight the serious plight of immigrant workers in this country.

http://www.sfcp.org/programs.cfm?p=Project06Pinzon

Keep up the great work with Arf Lovers!
-Scott Witmer

Here’s a fascinating book from 1958 I just picked up. It was produced when there was a lot of criticism of “Ugly Americans” that traveled to foreign lands and made nuiances-or worse-of themselves (unlike today ;o) ). It is amazing because of two reasons. (1) The A-list cartoonists that contributed to it, Charles Schulz, Walt Kelly, Al Capp, Hank Ketcham, Milton Caniff, Ernie Bushmiller, Rube Goldberg, etc. and (2) It’s not exactly clear who the audience is. Is it trying to educate insensitive Americans? Or is it an arrogant defense to ungrateful foreigners who should be damn happy for the American dollars being spent in their lands? What do you think, Arf Lover?!?

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A Happy Birthday to my pal, the creator of the great fumetto character Martin Mystere, comics historian and author of the highly anticipated book, Here We Are Again that will be a huge look at early American comic strips.

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Here’s a pic of Alfredo in drag (on the left) from a 1968 issue of Tilt (a Mad rip-off) that I picked up at my first Italian comic convention in 1992 in Lucca. (I also picked up a wife there).

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Bravo to Alfredo, American comics, Italian comics (and Italian women)! Buon Compleanno, Alfredo!

Here is our last set of artists and models… at least for a little while. To see more get a copy of Modern Arf. Craig will be back on Monday (everyone can celebrate now).
—L8er, Mike

“I’ll buy it! ”
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“Of course, she was much younger then.”
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“That will be all for today, Miss Basscomb. I’m out of pink.”
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… and a few artists.

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“Poor Charles hasn’t sold a thing in months, but I get
an average of 20 offers a week.”
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“Of course, it’s only a beginning.”
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Wonder woman and tattoos… two great things that go great together.
—L8er, Mike