If any cartoonist represents what the Arf books are all about it’s Bill Holman. The books have the subtitle of “The Unholy Marriage of Art and Comics” and Holman’s screwball Dada-esque comic strip Smokey Stover epitomizes that. I had a Holman cartoon in the “Artists and Models” section of the first Arf book, Modern Arf. Then one Holman cartoon was in the first chapter of Arf Museum. Now in the third Arf book, Arf Forum I have finally devoted a whole chapter to the Master. This chapter was based on information I gleaned from a personal interview I had with Bill in his home/studio shortly before his passing. And the visuals in the lengthy color chapter are rarities-photos, unpublished art-he gave generously me and a plethora of Smokey Stover strips. Happy Birthday, Bill, and Smokey Stover Foo-ever!

Bill was a lovable nut-case.

Here’s an unpublished illustration Bill did for a a volunteer firehouse I snagged recently-you’ll see it full oage in all its glory in the Arf Forum book.
(click for a closer look)

Art marries comics in an unholy way-Smokey Stover (and Spooky!) are the zenith of that!
(click for a closer look)