Just been on a festive drive out to Knaresborough, a beautiful local river town in North Yorkshire. It meant missing the 7th Voyage of Sinbad on the telly but it was nice to get out after all the Christmas feasting
full of small stores, cafes and to Missus Moonbases and my delight, charity shops. Not everyone likes charity shops in town centres but we do.
We didn't get much today as we're quite frugal these days. The Missus bought some wooden stars for crafting next Advent. I got myself a novel I read in the 90's on holiday on Greece called Fear Nothing by Dean Koontz.
Its an intriguing story if I remember right about a young boy who cannot go outdoors during the day due to an extreme skin condition. He goes on adventures at night.
During one such escapade he stumbles across a facility creating mecha apes I think but my memory's a bit blurred. I've no idea what happens after that hence my purchase of the paperback again! Have you read it?
I also saw an artist I recognised. I can spot his work a mile off. The art was on the cover of this Spike Jones LP record in a charity shop.
Yep, the artist is the great Jack Davis. You can see his signature on the bottom right.
I first came across Spike Jones in the back of Creepy and Eerie magazines in the late Sixties and early Seventies. There was advert for a different Spike Jones LP called Spike Jones in Stereo but more commonly known as his Monster album.
As for Jack Davis I actually do have an LP record illustrated by him. Its called the Sound of Sight and is typical of his zany cartoony style, which was immortalised in MAD magazine more than anywhere.
Jack peaked for me, however, when he illustrated the wonderful cartoon run of the You'll Die Laughing Topps gum cards, which I adored. I still have a few stashed away in the attic! Hard to believe he did them in 1959!
Do you like Jack Davis?
Funny, I don't think I've ever read a word by Dean Koontz. Or Stephen King, for that matter! I'm stuck in the old school of fantastic fiction: Lovecraft, Poe, Dunsany, Hodgson. And sometimes Richard Matheson and Charles Beaumont. And always Kurt Vonnegut! Fond of Harlan Ellison too.
ReplyDeleteYou've done well to not have read any Stephen King Zigg especially in the States. I will have to look up Dunsany, Hodgson and Beaumont as I haven't come across them. Lovecraft and Poe are just superb and Matheson was such a talent. I have a 1st edition hardback copy of Hell House by him.
DeleteBack around 1963 the movie 'It's a Mad Mad Mad Mad World' opened in London with posters on the platforms of the London Underground that were drawn by Jack Davies. It was the first time we had seen his work other than in Mad Magazine.
ReplyDeleteI love that film Terra. Very zany so I can see why they got Jack Davis in. Or was the film actually a MAD magazine spin-off? Never thought of that. It used to be a Christmas staple vver the week between Xmas and New Year but I haven't seen in the listings for years now.
DeleteYep Woodsy, Jack Davis was certainly prolific. His illustrations appeared everywhere when I was a kid. I've got a set of You'll Die Laughing cards. I'll send you some pics :)
ReplyDeleteLookin forward to it Tone.
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