One More for the Vipper

In the comment section of our last blog Alexander D. Mitchell writes regarding Vip: “One of his other shticks was Volkswagens—he did at least two collections of VW cartoons that were sold/distributed by VW dealers, including the “Jokeswagen Book”.

When I put together last week’s Vip birthday tribute I scanned the Volkswagen cartoon below—and then for some reason decided not to post it.  I’m not sure why I left it out at the last minute but Mr. Mitchell’s comments have inspired me to reinstate it.

This is from a collection of Volkswagen cartoons titled Think Small (1967)

Larry’s Cartoon Vault: Virgil 'Vip' Partch

Earlier this week was the birthday of the great cartoonist Virgil Franklin Partch otherwise known as Vip.

Hanging Way Over (1955)

Virgil Partch was born October 17, 1916 in Saint Paul Island Alaska.

He began working professionally as an animator for Disney Studios in the late 1930’s.

Indications are that he was a casualty of the fallout from the Disney strike that created such a schism at Disney Studios in the early ‘40’s.

 Afterwards, Virgil started freelancing as 'Vip' to the major magazines of the time—primarily Collier’s Weekly and True.

While it wasn’t unusual for comic strip cartoonists of the day to acquire a considerable amount of notoriety usually associated to their easily identifiable strip characters (Charles Schulz and Peanuts or Al Capp ‘s Lil’ Abner ) freelance magazine cartoonists remained virtually unknown. People have always clipped cartoons from magazines and placed them on the office bulletin board or the kitchen refrigerator without concerning themselves with the creators identity.

Vip was one of the very few exceptions. 

With his first cartoons appearing in Collier’s he became a national celebrity. In 1944 Time magazine described his work as “ferocious slapstick”. He appeared on TV with Groucho Marx and made appearances on The Steve Allen Show and Art’s House  Party .

 Here’s a sampling from the Cartoon Vault of some of Vip’s early cartoon collections:




It's Hot in Here (1944)

 

Here We Go Again (1951)



Bottle Fatigue (1950)



Featuring drinking; Always a favorite Vip topic.

And multiple printings of Man and Beast  (1953)

My first encounter with Vip occurred as a kid when I stumbled upon the paperback copy of  Crazy Cartoons at my Aunt’s house.



Crazy Cartoons (1959)



I flipped for Vip (Ultimately my aunt had to give me the book ).

It’s hard to explain the effect those cartoons had on me at the time.

Vip had a rare quality I had not seen as a kid in the homogenized daily comic strips and other comic art of the time.

Here’s a sketch Vip did for me in 1978:

Many may remember Vip for his syndicated work on the panel Big George.

It was never his best work. His zaniness seemed confined by the standard wholesome ‘family humor’ format.

 Vip lived the last years of his life  in Laguna Beach and hung out (often partying at the Ivy House) with a group of fellow cartoonists including his life long friend Dick Shaw, the Interlandi Brothers, John Dempsey, Dick Oldden and many others.

(1961)

(1959)



Vip and his wife died in an auto accident on August 10, 1984.

One of the great ones.



Happy Birthday Virginia Irvin RIP

Mom would have been 94 years today

born:10-9-1917

died:3-24-2009

This morning I logged onto my computer to find an email from a woman named Eliza Perkins who had interviewed my mother around 2002 when she would have been 84. Eliza created theatre with elders and produced a play "Walk of Life" which my mother participated in. Eliza found the interview and sent it to me but had no idea that today was Mom's birthday!!  I think Mom or the universe was reaching out some how!

-Molly

Larry and Sam go to the Alternative Press Expo

Sam and I attended the Alternative Press Expo (aka Ape) last weekend.



My son Sam

Ape is a gathering of independent, Do-It-Yourself, artist entrepreneurs and publishers  with an emphasis on alternative comics, small press, book making, printmaking and even letterpress.

It’s energizing (and occasionally overwhelming) to see so much creativity in one place. Some highpoints included (in no particular order) the work of Tom Neely, Kate Beaton, Joey Sayers, Adrian Tomine, Jennifer Tong, Eric Drooker, Louie del Carmen, Octavio Rodriguez, Matt Bors, C.S.Pego, Rick Geary and Mike Dubisch.

Here’s a quick visual tour:



Josh Ellingson

One of Ellingson's prints was "exhibited" on the International Space Station

which makes him one of a very rare class of extraterrestrial artists.

Jen Tong card



I purchased this knockout silkscreen print by Tong





Remarkable Beardsleyesque artwork by C.S.Pego



More work by Pego

 C.S.Pego is from Mexico City. I picked up a copy of her Madame Mactans.
She also premiered her new book, Exila, at Ape.

Below are a couple of images from the mucho talented Tom Neely's Doppelganger.



Papercutter #16 features brillant storytelling by Joey Allison Sayers



Sam and I checked in on some of the panel talks.

Business cards from some of the artists

Hours and hours of visual stimulation gets wearing.



Too much Ape



Above artwork copyright by respective artists

One Plastic Beach

The above Spring Art Show postcard--with its image created from recycled plastic-- is the work of Richard and Judith Selby Lang, local Marin county artists.  

Aside from running Electric Works Gallery in San Francisco, the Langs produce a wide range of art.

Their most remarkable endeavor is an ongoing project of turning plastic debris culled from a nearby beach into works of art.

To learn more check out this video “One Plastic Beach” :

http://vimeo.com/18672227 

On Saturday I attended the 8^th annual Roadworks Steamroller Printing Festival in San Francisco.A truly festive, public approach to printmaking.  A three ton steamroller is driven over large three foot square carved and inked linoleum blocks.  The prints are a knockout.

If you would like to see how it’s done here’s a link:

http://vimeo.com/15264689

Some very fine printmakers participated including Rik Olsen, Rigel Stuhmiller and Nora Aoyagi.

Other events at Roadworks included letterpress and bookmaking demonstrations, live music and vendors.

I purchased this print by a talented artist, Daniel Gonzalez.

"Mictlan"

Check out his other work here:

http://www.printgonzalez.com/news.html

The event is hosted by the San Francisco Center for the Book.

-Larry

The above image copyright by Daniel Gonzalez

Molly's Turn: Recent Works/ Works in Progress

I recently painted a very dear friend's cat, Rosie, who died in a most unexpected way.  One day she was fine and the next she was dead of a brain tumor.  Rosie was very young.  My friend Anna was devastated at losing her.  I felt compelled to make a remembrance of this much loved cat for Anna, I never know how to help with the pain of losing someone.

Rosie

This painting below is a work in progress based on my awareness of what the diamond industries have been doing over the last couple of century's.  It seems so bizarre that people can enslave others for their own greed.  It seems to be a constant theme throughout time, but for some reason this image came to my mind. (I have had a hard time painting the diamond and am still looking at and attempting to figure out how to paint it. I think I just don't like diamonds).  




Diamond Mine
(a work in progress)



I am also working on a painting about the elephant slaughter for ivory.  It seems I have a need to respond to the injustices that I find through my painting.  A slow process for me.  I am always surprised at how ideas percolate and take time before they morph into a true painting for me.  The elephant painting is taking a year +, while the diamond painting above seems to have just popped out. --Granted I am still having trouble with the diamond.

The 13th Annual Box Show at Gallery Route One

Molly and I have completed our latest offering for the Box Show at Gallery Route One in Pt. Reyes Station, California. We have collaborated on a box for this event for the past  ten years (!).

The way it works is Gallery Route One produces about 100 (this year it’s up to 150) same –sized small pine boxes which are distributed to local artists.  Artists are allowed to do anything to the box as long as the box remains in the final piece.

The way Molly and I operate is simple:

 We bring the box home.

We stare at the box for several weeks.

Just before deadline we frantically come up with an idea.

We arrive at the gallery at the last moment hoping the paint is dry.

All the boxes are offered in a silent auction until the closing day at which time the auction becomes very live and very vocal.  It’s an effective fund raiser for GRO, a non-profit, community based, artist-run organization

Here’s a brief survey of  our past Box Show projects.

Thinking Outside the Box       

Larry pencils

Molly paints

A Man’s Home is His Castle

Pencil sketch

Color rough

The pencil drawing was transferred to balsa wood and cut and painted.

Robox

A favorite of ours

Jack in the Box

 Jack Kerouac’s face is painted and glued to balsa wood.

 

Shredded photocopies of  Kerouac works

On the sides are illustrated scenes from various works such as On The Road, The Subterraneans ,etc.

Pandora’s Box

Larry’s pencils for Pandora’s Box—another favorite  (Unfortunately, we haven’t yet found a photo of the finished piece). The figures were all inked and painted on balsa wood.

Medicine Box


Pencil rough



Fetch

A portrait of our new dog, Homer.

The Champ

Larry's pencil rough



Molly paints



The 13th Annual Box Show runs until September18th.

Check it out at: http://www.galleryrouteone.org/