The Comix Files: Edward Bolman

Bolman and I corresponded mostly from 1985-1993, and sporadically since then. He was a regular in City Limits Gazette and was even interviewed. We met several times in the 1980s once he stayed here in McCleary! His work is incredible and more complex than meets the eye.

Morty Comix # 2639

Morty Comix # 2639 was drawn on a cinderblock in a basement of a cabin in Butler County, Pennsylvania. This drawing joined others on the wall including work by Mike Hill, Edward Bolman, Spaz, Maximum Traffic, Delaine Derry Green, and the mysterious Borpo Deets.

Courtney Love and Morty the Dog

Courtney Love and Morty the Dog. Yes, they do have a connection. Thanks mostly to Ted Bolman. The depiction of Morty the Dog by other artists is a whole sub-category I have not really bothered to cover much in this blog, but this case is exceptional.

There were two famous female pop singers of the 1980s who allegedly attended my high school early in their lives. They were said to either be invited to leave or decided to drop out. (Gretchen Christopher of the 1950s group the Fleetwoods also attended OHS when I was a little kid).

One of them was Rickie Lee Jones, who would've walked the halls of Olympia High School at the same time I was there. Since there were over 2000 of us Boomers enrolled (more people than currently live here in McCleary), I cannot seem to place her in my memory. Yet she is by far the most famous person associated with OHS during the era when I was a student there. I find this factoid fitting and pleasing. Way to go Rickie!

The other was Courtney Love, a good decade after my time. But how is Morty connected? you might ask.

It is complicated.

Ted Bolman and Catherine Noel had a very Obscuro publication called Gorilla Cookies. Blank space was left on the cover to write letters to those who were lucky enough to get a copy. On the cover of the first issue (July 1994) Ted wrote to me about a mural he had earlier made at Jabberjaw Coffeehouse in Los Angeles.

The interior of the issue displayed three photos of Catherine and Ted at the mural. You can see Ted's rendition of Morty on the left side of the middle photo, behind the chair.

But the real shocker was the reproduction of the cover of Flip Side no. 68 (Sept./Oct. 1990). There above the cranium of Courtney Love is Ted's drawing of Morty the Dog! Talk about a brush with fame!

And Courtney, I thought you were terrific in Man on the Moon.

City Limits Gazette # Bonanzaland grab grab grab (Sept. 1993)

Logo by David Lasky, the number for this issue was my nod to Canadian media guru Marshall McLuhan, Robert Boyd donates to the WSU comix collection, Robert Dupree signs up (more on him later), a note from Clay Geerdes, more comix bibliomania by Jay Kennedy, Bil Keane Watch by Greg Stomberg - Mark Campos, a Maximum Traffic poem by Ted Bolman, Dissmeyer and Datmyers in drag, Suspended Animation by Michael Vance and R.A. Jones, San Diego report by Steve Lafler, Joe Singer 1950-1993, Trial of Mike Diana, CLG/Comicist survey form.