Tom's Mad Blog
November 20th, 2008 | Posted in News
The original art for the 12 covers known as the “Soul of MAD” are now officially the “SOLD of MAD“. The originals paintings for the covers of issues #30 (pictured above), #31, #32, #36, #38, #43, #94, #96, #126, #153, #154 and #171, along with 24 other original cover illustrations and vintage MAD artwork sold at an auction conducted by Heritage Auction Galleries on the 14th of this month for a combined total of just under $750,000. According to the linked article, that was over twice the projected amount for the collection of MAD art. Issue #30, which featured the first definitive Alfred E. Neuman… READ MORE
November 19th, 2008 | Posted in Sketch O'The Week
One of the few TV shows I have been watching this year has been “Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles”. I was pleasantly surprised how good it was last year in it’s mid-season short run. One of the things that stuck me was the unusual but very good casting of the show. Lena Headly from “300” as Sarah?… I thought she would be too soft but she’s got a nice balance between the paranoid pyscho of Linda Hamilton and a more human mother. Summer Glau as Cameron the female terminator? I thought she was too little and delicate but she’s the best part of the show.… READ MORE
November 18th, 2008 | Posted in General
Yeah, mon. After a long planned weekend getaway in Jamaica I am now once again behind the eight ball on deadlines. Jamaica was fun. Never been before, but the people there are as friendly as you can get. It seems like you are being a smartass saying “mon” to everyone but they love it when you talk to them in their “patwa”, which is what they call Jamiacan lingo. Oh, crap. Forgot about the deadlines for a second… Poster job today and then on to an elaborate MAD job. READ MORE
November 17th, 2008 | Posted in General
Front right going counter clockwise: Jan Powell, Jack Pittman, Joe, Su, Linda Maloof, Robin (peeking out), me, Nick Meglin, Jay Pittman, Grey Blackwell, Dwayne Powell. Pictures courtesy Jack Pittman. While I was in Raleigh earlier this month for the NCN convention, I got a chance to sneak away one evening and have dinner with long time MAD editor Nick Meglin, his lovely lady Linda Maloof and a bunch of local cartoonists/artists that get together often and go by the name “The Usual Suspects”. The group included cartoonist and illustrator Jack Pittman, his son, illustrator Jay Pittman, occasional MAD contributor and editorial cartoonist/animator/illustrator Grey Blackwell, Raleigh… READ MORE
November 16th, 2008 | Posted in Mailbag
Q: Do you have any advice for becoming a professional cartoonist? A: Ordinarily I would write on and on about a subject like this one, but I’m just going to provide a link to answer this question today because I am lazy unable to come up with a better answer than Chris Browne’s “How to Be a Cartoonist” That link comes courtesy of the National Cartoonists Society’s website. Chris is of course the writer and artist of “Hagar the Horrible”, and an all around swell guy. He’s got his own blog as well. Thanks to Grant Jonen for the question. If you have a question… READ MORE
November 15th, 2008 | Posted in General
Holy Frivolous Lawsuits, Batman! Dept. My pal Zack Wallenfang recently sent me this link from Variety online. I thought it must be a prank… looks like something from “The Onion”: From Variety Online: Mayor of Batman sues WB, Nolan Southeastern city in Turkey fights for name By ALI JAAFAR Batman has a new adversary: Batman. The mayor of an oil-producing city in southeastern Turkey, which has the same name as the Caped Crusader, is suing helmer Christopher Nolan and Warner Bros. for royalties from mega-grosser “The Dark Knight.” Huseyin Kalkan, the pro-Kurdish Democratic Society Party mayor of Batman, has accused “The Dark Knight” producers of… READ MORE
November 14th, 2008 | Posted in MAD Magazine
Click image for a closer look… In October I got a rare opportunity to do some cover art for MAD… not “THE” MAD Magazine but their little brother publication MAD KIDS. I did the cover of MAD KIDS #7 a year or so ago, and was given the opportunity to do the cover for MAD KIDS #13 this fall… they must have had limited options! Since the issue has been released, I can now share the artwork here. This job was unique in that I was being asked to somewhat ape the look and feel of the art style of the “Star Wars: The Clone… READ MORE
November 13th, 2008 | Posted in News
Well, tomorrow’s the day. Commencing at 1:00 PM CST, the Heritage House live auction begins on 36 rare and historic pieces of original MAD artwork including the “Soul of MAD”, a series of cover paintings that Bill Gaines and Co. considered most representational of the MAD zeitgeist. The lot includes the original painting seen above by Norman Mingo, which was the definitive Alfred E. Neuman image from MAD #30 circa 1956. Internet bidders have until 10:00 PM CST tonight to place bids online at Heritage House’s website. After that the live auction will decide the new owners of these classic and giant icons of pop… READ MORE
