The Comix Files: Dennis Baldwin

Indianapolis artist Dennis Baldwin published a series of loose art pieces issued in a folder and entitled Level. I think I contributed to a couple issues in 1985, maybe Level 7 and Level 8. I'm too lazy to dig into my boxes to find out. Dennis corresponded with graphics rather than text.

The Dwight D. Eisenhower Song

"He's like the country's grandfather,"

My Mother said to me

When I asked about that old bald guy

On our black and white TV.

And all these decades later

I realize when it came to Ike

She was right.

Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 1952

I Like Ike

Hard to read, but I think it says "Bastion Bros, Rochester, N.Y." on the curl

Cryogenic Comix # 15

1st edition, 1998, 15 copies, yellow guts, red cover, regular digest size.

1st Danger Room Reprint Edition, June 2005, 5 copies, yellow, regular digest size.

The centerspread has that kayaking couple again, plus another attempt at Eisenhower. I'm guessing I was making a stab at drawing Ike because of a certain panel in Cranium Frenzy # 3 where I quote him: "Things are more like they are now than they have ever been before."

And here's an oddity for you underground comix fans-- I believe the source of that quote for me was from Whole Grains : a Book of Quotations / edited by Art Spiegelman and Bob Schneider, New York : Douglas Links, c1973. It would figure that I tried to draw Ike with a golf club based on a quote I found in book published by D. Links. Heh. Get it? Golf? D. Links? Now do you get it? You do? Then why aren't you laughing? What's that? You say it isn't funny? Oh, never mind.

The inside back cover had a rough drawing of an old door for the studio in my last house. I removed all the panels and replaced them with plexiglass. The result, as one of my aunts laughingly observed, was that "it looked like Hell." OK, so I'm no carpenter.

My current studio, by the way, remains in chaos due to the gas heater leaking water condensation. Once the place is put back together (we're waiting for repair visit # 3 for the final parts replacement) we'll start making hardcopy reprints available. A project still in progress.

Cryogenic Comix # 12

1st edition, 1998, 15 copies (5 green covers, 10 buff covers, all yellow guts), regular digest size.

1st Danger Room Reprint Edition, June 2005, 5 copies, yellow cover, regular digest size.

This issue has some prep work for Cranium Frenzy # 3, a couple very bad attempts at drawing Eisenhower for some unknown reason (the first Prez I can remember), and a "V" is for Visigoth that was set aside for another version but I can't remember right now what the heck publication I submitted the other one to. This memory detail lapse on that last item is probably due to the fact I'm old enough to say Eisenhower is the first President I can remember.