Paul_SD

Anyone interested in the art of illustration- in theory and in practice- should have Apatoff's blog bookmarked. He is an exceptional critic/historian/champion of the art form's underdogs.
His blog is responsible for my finally getting over my reticence to dip into Starr's Mary Perkins On Stage- something that has turned out to be one of the best pieces of narrative comic art I've ever enjoyed. He has been championing Starr's work for a while now, holding it right up there with Peak, Fawcett, Frazetta, Canniff and the other giants of illustration and comics.

Since Starr's death not too long ago, Apatoff was invited access to go through the attic to inventory and organize material for a more permanent home in the Cartoon Library and Museum at Ohio State.

He's taking a day by day trip through what he is finding and it's pretty fascinating-

Day 4 here is how Rankin/Bass screwed him over on Thundercats.

Spiderbite

Dang. That sucks. I just don't see how people get away with doing shit like that in good conscience.

I am currently reading a book about Jack Kirby and the screwing that guy got his whole life is just depressing.

mrhan

Paul...thanks for the link. It's a good read. Man, he got jacked....

John Pannozzi

Is it Mark Evanier's Kirby:King of Comics, by any chance?

Spiderbite

^It is.

It does sound a little biased but I really don't know the whole story. I plan to read "The Stan Lee Universe" after it and then read "Marvel Comics: The Untold Story" to round it out.

I also have a copy of "Lee and Kirby: The Wonder Years" and a copy of The Kirby Collector that is a pre-cursor to that book that I plan to read at the end.

PhantomStranger

Wow, I had never heard that information about the Thundercats before. Though I don't really weep for Starr, did you see his wife?!

Paul_SD

That Evanier was kicking around the Bargain section of B&N for the longest time. I always meant to pick it up but never did, now I never see it. I do have the The Wonder Years and Stan Lee Universe though, just have to find time to read them.
Kirby's caricature of Lee and Roy Thomas in (I think) Miracle Man was pretty scathing. At least he found an outlet to vent once in a while.

And his next door neighbor was Paul Newman. He also employed Larry Hagman as a model for a recurring character early in the strip when he was in his early 20's- long before he made it to Hollywood and started getting TV work.

He seemed to have a pretty fulfilling creative and social life.