RIP Patrick Oliphant. July 24, 1935--July 13, 2026

1968

1973

1973

1976

1977

1976

1986

Bronze sculpture of LBJ

Bronze Sculpture of Nixon

Oliphant was arguably the greatest editorial cartoonist of the 20th century.  Some compared him to Thomas Nast.  With a single cartoon Oliphant could manage to anger and offend people of opposing political positions. The above selection is some of his gentler works.

Cartoonist Par Holman RIP

I didn’t know cartoonist Par Holman very well. Back in my cartooning days, we met at various comic con get-togethers like the San Diego Con or the Bay Con. We corresponded a bit and traded sketches (we probably appeared in print together a few times). 

But I knew of him most of my life—at least since I was a middle schooler.

We came from the same planet of impassioned, nerdy, comic fans.

As with so many figures in the early days of geeky comics fandom, long before comic book shops, comic book conventions, cosplay, podcasts and Instagram, like minded folks got together by way of purple-inked mimeographed publications know as fanzines.

I first became aware of Par (then Parley) Holman by way of Fighting Hero Comics #12 (1964).

As suggested by the cover, Dimension Man --amazingly originated in 1961 -- was from Holman’s earlier fanzine Spotlight (I never saw that one).

An ad from Rocket’s Blast Comicollector #35 (1965) for “Never to Be Forgotten” #1 (RBCC was a ‘major’ fanzine of the day boasting a press run of 650 copies !)

By way of these fanzines, I became familiar with people who seemed to remain present for the rest of my life, many became artists, writers, editors….

I met Par probably in the late 1970’s, certainly by the beginning of the 1980’s.

This I know because I have surviving correspondence and sketches from him.

He was a nice guy, very accessible--- and a very good cartoonist.

Par Holman at his "Basil Wolverton" finest at the SD Con 1983

Around the time we met, he became an active, major (if you will) presence in the mini-comics movement.

He produced handfuls of titles and contributed to many mini-anthologies including Noo Toons, Lil New Wavers, Par Holman's Secret Files, Vault of Humor, Copy This!, Santa Punk, History and Techniques of Surrealism, and on and on.

Beyond the mini world he had worked in commercial art and contributed writing and art to various comic books and magazines including Ardvark, Dr. Wirtham's Comix & Stories, Our Story Thus Far, Graphic Fantasy, Promethean Enterprises and Treasury of Mini Comics.

For more information on Par holman check out:

The Minicomix Revolution 1969-1989 by Bruce Chrislip

and the Poopsheet Foundation:

Poopsheet Foundation

https://www.poopsheetfoundation.com/index.php/list-alpha/m

A Brief Note About My Piece in the 36th Annual Spring Art Show

"Evolutionary Stroll"

I originally did this drawing as a small sketch some time ago.

Drawn with marking pens

Most of my drawings and prints that are exhibited are small or moderately sized.

I chose to make this drawing larger for whatever reason ….just to see.

I had been talking to a comic book artist friend about enlarging thumbnails with a projector

And I thought I’d give it a go (What the heck, if it was good enough for the great Wallace Wood…)

Re-sketching it in the dark is tricky and of course requires a lot of refining and redrawing

I’m not sure it’s any kind of time saver over other means of upscaling a drawing (e.g. a grid)

I re-inked the sketch, this time with a crowquill pen, India ink, and litho crayon.

photo by Donn DeAngelo

Artwork copyright c RL Rippee

36th Annual Spring Art Show

 Even though I'm retired and no longer organize the annual Spring Art Show I'm still hanging in there (by helping to hang the show). A small installation crew, including Molly, got the almost 100 artists up on the walls on April 29th. The reception was May 1st.

Molly and the usual confederation of pickers played in the portico

Here's Molly's new (I'd say excellent) portrait. Hangers Tom Tabakin and Donn Deangelo to the left.

Zoltron's wondrous bronze sculpture and Judy North's equally wondrous canine.

Andrew Bates "School Drop Off"

I always like looking at Geoff Bernstein's paintings of people looking at paintings

A great piece by Judith Selby-Lang

Leonard Leinow

Jim Finnegan

Tom Tabakin (leather, wood, copper and brass)

John Torrey

Nikko Raffael

Laurel Marinelli

"Artist-in-Training", David Hoffman

John Beck "Rainbow Tara, Mother of All Buddhas"

Alexis Brayton, an encaustic piece

Liz Lauter

Anne Hillsley, paper collage

Paul Valente

Watercolor by Edieann Fleming

Paul Snyder, pyrography on basewood

Martha Cederstrom

Sarah May Salin

Barbara Libby-Steinmann

Dahlia Kamesar

Painting/collage by Taylor & Kaba Rechtschaffen, ceramic dog by Marie Eisen and robo-fantasy by me.

"Evolutionary Stroll"

Richard D. James

Nils Persson

Barbara Morris

Richard Lang, "Distributed Cognition"

Claudia Tomaso, "State of the World"

Jay Oneil

Susan Doyle "Banned: I know Why the Caged Bird Sings"

Monotype by Sunday Favor 

Kristin Jakob "Sweet Violet-Viola Odorata"

Elaine Penwell, handcut layered paper

Sierra Salin (I wish I had a better shot of this fine piece of photography)

Sam Harris

Watercolor by Leo Den Ouden 

Stained glass by Sarah Smith

Carole Alter's lampsculpture

Anne Pennypacker

I wish I had more shots. My apologies to the missing artists.

The 36th Annual Spring Art Show ends on May 17th.