Bil Keane Statue

Our old friend Mike Hill of Worker Poet sends us news that the rest of the world is waking up to what those of us in the City Limits Gazette who contributed to a section called "The Bil Keane Watch" knew over two decades ago, the guy was a Zen Master Class Act.

A statue of Bil will be dedicated on Nov. 8 in Scottsdale, Arizona (I would so like to be there) and possibly a museum will be built covering his life and work.

Here's the article.

Obscuro Bezango Show 6

The Opening Night.  An astounding thing happened. Five of us from the old City Limits Gazette crowd were there at one time: Left to right, Bruce Chrislip, Tom Rehm, Wayno, Mike Hill. I was the 5th but how can I be in two places at once?

I was too busy schmoozing to take many photos, but I did document the following for you students of Newave Comix.

 Hillary chats up Bruce

Wayno, Chrislip, Hill. This was first time I have actually met Wayno in person, even though we corresponded off and on since the 1980s. He was a wonderful contributor to the Bil Keane Watch in City Limits Gazette and a major part of the spark in that title. He brought me a package of coasters, in part to replace my coffee stained and much loved Scottie's Bar coaster in my studio.

 Mike Hill, Bruce Chrislip

A graphic of the mysteriously vanished Maximum Traffic is on the wall

Bruce braved a four hour drive from Cincinnati to attend this opening. As the historian for our brand of comic art, his presence gave the event a a few more "chops" as they say in West Pennsylvania.

But too soon it was all over and the crowd spilled out to the night streets of Pittsburgh. Buzz Buzzizyk, Maximum Traffic, Tom Rehm, all free spirits inspired by the shadowy Borpo Deets, had their night of being honored.

SPACE Interview Reposted

The Jim & Frank Podcast somehow found audio from my visit to SPACE 2011 when Bruce Chrislip interviewed me. Mostly this piece of comix history is valuable for hearing Bruce's incredible rendition of a couple Bil Keane Watch columns.

Morty Comix # 2317

Morty Comix # 2317 was left on the front door handles of a long vacant Hollywood Video as an offering to the nearly extinct VHS/DVD rental Gods. In fact, it was almost as if I was in ancient Olympia, Greece honoring some now forgotten deity instead of being on the westside of chronically overcast Olympia, Washington, leaving some cartoon art on a place that once housed a great collection of movies. I bought a few of their used vids when the store was alive and those movies show up in this blog.

It was very near this spot I first met J.P. Patches about 1960 when he came to open the new Peterson's Foodtown shopping area, now occupied by Grocery Outlet. I would later see him again at the Seattle World's Fair in 1962 and, incredibly, got to interview him on the set in 1975. J.P. Patches is one of my personal heroes, so as you can see the very area where I deposited this residue of my cartoon hand is a special one with a lot of history.  

Notice the Bil Keane-like crucifix symbol posing as a telephone pole over the roofline, giving the image an almost tragically sacred tone. When Hollywood Video pulled out of this place overnight, apparently in some nasty dispute with the landlord according to word of mouth (for what that is worth), they created a literal black space for cinema enthusiasts in the area. And that was quite awhile ago. In fact, in Phone Photo 566 from last year, the place was already closed. I sure hope the workers there were not screwed over in the process.

If video killed the radio star, then Internet killed the video star.

So, Morty Comix # 2317 was offered in remembrance. It probably fell on the ground, got rained on, and is now pulp in the storm drains. A fitting fate in this land of constant rain and natural recycling.

Bil Keane 1922-2011

The guy was a class act and true Zen Master

We'll miss you, Bil.

R.I.P.: The Bil Keane Watch

From Obscure Publications # 27 (1994)

Interview from somewhere

Bruce Chrislip interviewed me shortly after I ceased editing City Limits Gazette. I'm not sure where this appeared, perhaps in Lead Balloons.

Steve Willis and Morty the Dog : Sometimes You Feel Like a Mutt / by Bruce Chrislip

An article Bruce Chrislip wrote for The Comics Journal # 219 (January 2000).

A nice way to say goodbye to the 20th Century.

The Collected Bil Keane Watch vol. 5

Initially released in a print run of 50 copies in 1994, mainly for the contributors. After that it was available as a print-on-demand title, 1994-1996. Frankly, I'm not sure if one can the difference between these two versions.

Also published in a 20 copy run in 1994 as a Special Fandom House edition.

Contributors to this volume include: Michael Drummond, Ken Clinger, Wayno, Bil Keane, Kel Crum, Randy H. Crawford, William Dockery, Maximum Traffic, Jeff Zenick, Mike Lee, Gary Usher, Greg Stomberg, Mark Campos, Bruce Sweeney, Ricardo Nancy McJacksonstein.

The Collected Bil Keane Watch vol. 4

Initially released in a print run of 50 copies in 1994, mainly for the contributors. After that it was available as a print-on-demand title, 1994-1996. Frankly, I'm not sure if one can the difference between these two versions.

Also published in a 20 copy run in 1994 as a Special Fandom House edition.

Contributors to this volume include: Dusty Rhodes, "Harvey," Jeffrey Kipper, Andrew Roller, Jeremy Pinkham, Maximum Traffic, Ted Delorme, Ben Adams, Mike Lee, Ted Bolman, Jeff Zenick, Tom Jansson, Asa Sparks, Ken Clinger, Randy H. Crawford.

The Collected Bil Keane Watch vol. 3

Initially released in a print run of 50 copies in 1994, mainly for the contributors. After that it was available as a print-on-demand title, 1994-1996. Frankly, I'm not sure if one can the difference between these two versions.

Also published in a 20 copy run in 1994 as a Special Fandom House edition.

Contributors to this volume include: Jeff Snee, Brad Foster, Russell Rose, Bryan Willis, Maximum Traffic, Mark Campos, Wayno, Andrew Roller, Matt Love, Jeffrey Kipper, "Thad Willis," Kel Crum, Gary Usher, Dusty Rhodes, Jeff Zenick, Mary McLaughlin.