I heard Irwin had a stroke so I want to wish him the best. Here’s a delightful, funny piece he wrote in the 60s from the Arf-chives:

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And some of his great Golden Age art follows. And, of course, Irwin’s Dondi is a classic. Irwin you’re an all-star-get well soon!

All-Star Comics #34

Drawing of the Green Lantern

Green Lantern #30

All-American Comics #39

In the spirit of the “America’s Top Toon-a-MILF-Battle of the Cartoon Moms” contest debuting here on Mother’s Day I’ll present today, and while the contest is running, some Wacky Wonder Woman MILFs. I embarrass myself…

Mother’s day is looming and that can only mean that we’re on the verge of the “America’s Top Toon-A-MILF—Battle of the Cartoon Moms!” contest proudly sponsored by the Arf Lovers Blog. (All right, it can also mean you better be getting off your sorry ass and be ordering flowers for your Old Lady). Anyway, we can now announce the judges that are, right now as we blog, inviting the Toon Moms to pull up a casting couch and tell them all about themselves.

Our first celebrity judge is Heidi “Paula Abdul” MacDonald (with an “a” between her “M” and “c” as Heidi likes to remind us). When Heidi isn’t giving space on her “The Beat” blog to epic pointless debates she is entertainingly presenting top comics world news stories obscenely bankrolled by Publishers Weekly.

Heidi MacDonald

Jerry “Randy Jackson” Beck is half of the great Cartoon Brew blog covering the animation industry of the past, present and future. As you can see Jerry has a face for cartoons, not to mention a body and mind. i.e. the guy EATS BREATHES LIVES cartoons (coffGEEKcoff). Jerry has a zillion fantastic animation books to his credit and not only writes about animation but produces great cartoons as well for Nickelodeon, Disney and Warner Bros. Get down with Jerry, dog!

Jerry Beck

John “Simon Cowell” Martz is known for being a great encouragement to young illustrators on his wildly popular Drawn.ca blog by spotting and showcasing incredible talent. He’s known as a nice guy because we haven’t seen his true colors—till now. John DOES know what he is talking about because he is himself a amazingly talented artist. But, for the TOON-A-MILF America’s Hottest Cartoon Mom” contest John promises to be candid and uncompromising and even brutally cruel when need be as he helps judge our TOON-A-MILF hopefuls.

John Martz

As our celebrity judges determine the final contestants that will be presented here on Mother’s Day Sunday May 13 I, Craig “Ryan Seacrest” Yoe, thought you might like to see some of the Toon Moms below that are trying out and attempting to cur our judges favor and who, may or may not make our esteemed judge’s final cut. Ultimately YOU, the Arf Lovers, will take the judges choices and vote the final “TOON-A_MILF-America’s Hottest Cartoon Mom!” And it all starts on Mother’s Day. Is this exciting, or what?!?! Now order those friggin’ flowers!

The lovely Elly Patterson.

Helga is a-peeling.

Jane Jetson in a money shot.

Arf Lover David B. sent this incredible cover of our kinky little hero and…OUCH! Dollman gives a nasty spread-eagled villain a socko punch right to the family jewels!!!

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Today is Cartoonists’ Day and Dirk Deppy over at Journalista has a great take on it:

“Today is also Go Down On A Cartoonist Day. If you know a cartoonist, are the gender that the cartoonist in question prefers and said cartoonist finds you attractive, then on this day you’re encouraged to ask your cartooning companion to get as naked as possible and sit down, find yourself a comfortable bit of nearby floorspace and “make with the gags,” if you know what I mean.”

The above pic is of my favorite cartoonist, R. Crumb, and is (c) by him. While I myself have no plans in thanking him in the way Dirk suggests, Crumb beautifully depicts the type he would like to express their gratitude for his great work! I have a MIND blowing announcement about a project that R. Crumb has graciously helped me on—watch this space for the exciting details! And a big thanks to Robert-but not in that way.

Today is also the day the Yellow Kid started in color in 1895 in the New York World. Order the Arf Museum book and see 11 incredible full page paintings that R. F. Outcault did of his seminal character plus other rare and unpublished Yellow Kid art. And there’s tons more fascintating material in Arf Museum including Art Spiegelman, Pablo Picasso’s rare comic strips, Frank King, Cliff Sterrett, Bettie Page, pre-movie King Kongs by Kartoonists and a cartoon by Hugh Hefner! Click the preview in the uppper left of the Arf Lovers blog and order yourself a copy today!

(Click here to order Arf Museum)

Don’t forget to get the free Hogan’s Alley magazine today, info below.

Now as Popeye says, “Blow Me Down! Arf! Arf!”

My favorite magazine about comics is Hogan’s Alley. HA always has an amazing array of awesome, engaging articles and columns about comics and the wide world of toons. The only down side is, like all other magazines and books is that it costs you money-like $6.95 plus postage! NO LONGER! At least on Saturday May 5th. The editor/publisher Tom Heintjes has made an incredible offer to Arf Lovers. Arf Lovers can get a FREE copy post paid of an issue of this thick treasure as part of Free Comic Book Day. This isn’t some wimpy pamphlet-it’s more like a book, really! Just email your mailing address to:
[email protected]
-and tell ‘em you heard about this on the Arf Lovers Blog!
Note well: this is ONLY do-able on Saturday, MAY 5th and only to U.S.residents! Please note further: Getting something this terrific for free is probably un-American!

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I don’t know exactly how old supreme bookseller Bud Plant is today—but he’s an old fart. Bud’s been my favorite source of amazing art and comic oriented books for DECADES! Bud finds fascinating titles us rabid collector types can’t land anywhere else and always has great sales deals. Maybe the best part is the knowlegable and friendly customer service staff Bud’s gathered around himself. I get excited everytime I get a new Bud Plant catalog (he’s got one for comic oriented stuff and another for sexy stuff) and call in my order. It’s a great pleasure just to talk to these fine folks!

Besides a good friend of mine Bud is a great friend of the Arf books, always giving them prominent promotion in his catalogs and at his booth at the San Diego Comic Con. Plus, Bud is really himself just a big Fan Boy and always finding cool stuff to put in the Arf books from his extensive comic book collection.

And all that’s why you’ll see Bud listed as the only “Arf Patron, Platinum Level” in the Arf Forum book. Happy Bud-Day Old Man!

Arf Forum is now in the Fantagraphics’ warehouse and will soon be in Bud’s Monday.

I’ve drawn a special exclusive bookplate for the copies of Arf Forum the Bud sells. Go to Bud’s site and order a copy today or call toll free 1-800-242-6642 and order one then ask to be on the list for their catalogs. And tell the nice person on the phone to give Bud a Big Wet Sloppy Birthday Kiss for me.

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This is a program for the American Theater’s Carnival for Britain illustrated with cartoons by New Yorker cartoonists done especially for it. It was done just after the Nazis bombed London. In my 40 years of collecting I’ve never run across another copy. It’s going to my friend Warren Bernard as a big thank you for his extensive time consuming help on an exciting and secret chapter for the the next Arf book, Comic Arf which I’m starting on today (since Arf Forum is now in the Fantagraphics warehouse and will be available any day now). Warren tells me he’s only been collecting for a mere 35 years but hasn’t seen this program either and is excited to add it to his collection. The cover is by the great Peter Arno. Then there’s Whitney Darrow, Jr., William Steig, and Robert Taylor and the like doing funny oriented stuff. But, Garrett Price does a pretty strident drawing of a little girl in a bomb site. And the other hard hitting drawing entitled Freedom of Speech is by Hirschfeld in his grease pencil style. BTW, the Freedom of the Speech cartoon reminds me to urge you to support Fantagraphics in their defense against the Harlan Ellison lawsuit that would chillingly limit Freedom of the Press if Ellison prevails.

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“Freedom of Speech”
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Homina, homina, homina…I’d gladly be the Super Friend of this adorable Wacky Wonder Woman!

A little May 1st card we cooked up at YOE! Studio today…