Mr. Kotter!

In late 1975, inspired by both the new show WELCOME BACK, KOTTER, and a TV Guide cover illo, here is my attempt to draw comedian Gabe Kaplan.

I don't think I had ever tried caricature before, despite being exposed to it in MAD magazine and such, but I was very taken by that particular Guide cover, and tried to copy it. I was most interested in HOW the artist capture the things that "said" Horshack, Kotter, etc...All those facial traits and body language....

I seem to have paid a great deal of attention to the eyes, hairline, eyebrows....curls for the hair texture....

You can see my failed attempts to capture the likeness of Arnold Horshack to the left of the drawing...Looks oddly like an aged Fonzie...

A few years back, I read a wonderfully funny book by Kaplan, KOTTER'S BACK, which details his oddball prank letters to firms and establishments that take hi absolutely seriously. Great fun.

"Get Us Out From Under..."

"Wonder Woman!"

Yes, done the day after the 1975 TV premiere of "The New, Original Wonder Woman," this was my attempt to capture the events of that TV epic. One of the few masterpieces of my youth that HAD to be colored, it was so darned special.

Yep, any 10-year old  reared on superhero comics starts out drawing females as guys with chest bumps, and I was no exception. Wondy looks like a linebacker! Dig that poor face-down dude to the left! Ouch! Looks like WW invaded a torture S/M den and trashed it! 

If you look closely, you can also see the famous "invisible jet" in the window..

I also added the graphic "popping stars" motif, from the comics-like graphics of the film...complete with logo..Maybe I thought this could be a "movie poster" type of illustration?

But, what great legs, huh?

Everyone's Got Something To Hide.....

'cept for me and my Monkee!

Some pics of me with Peter Tork, Micky Dolenz, David Jones, and (sorta) Michael Nesmith at various 90s events...

Michael's pic is one I took at his live concert in Atlanta. I later sent him a print to sign, at his Pacific Arts location. Much to my surprise, he signed it for me!

The Monkeemobile was stationed at a Barris car museum in Gatlinburg, Tennessee at the time....