Phone photo 2059

Tumwater, Washington

Buttons - Events - 2003

July 11-13, 2003!

Tropical Paradise--

The McCleary Bear Festival

On the curl: Grays Harbor Stamp Works 800 894-3830

Phone photo 2058

Buster and Charlie

Grasshopper grooms the Mentor

Buttons - Events - 2002

McCleary Bear Festival

July 12-14, 2002

On the curl: Grays Harbor Stamp Works 800-894-3830

Phone photo 2057

Hettie

Favorite Movie Quotes: Left Handed Gun

"I ain't dead no more. I come awake!"

Phone photo 2056

Dreamer and Buster

Double-decker cats

$200 - Original Art - Xenophobic Knives and Other Love Songs, Pt. 2

Original art for Xenophobic Knives and Other Love Songs, Pt. 2
 
Drawn in 1990 and published in 1991, even though the publication date states 1990.

12 p., nonphoto blue and felt-tip on lighter bond stock. Unevenly cut pages, roughly 8.25 x 6 in.

In very good condition. Some dabs of whiteout on cover, p. 4, 8.

The cast of characters include Morty the Dog, Pablo Picasso, Mukey the Mutant Membrane in his childhood, a deformed cow, and an evil clown.

200 bucks and it is yours!

$200 ppd.
Check or money order to
Steve Willis
PO Box 390
McCleary, WA 98557-0390

Or order through PayPal

Phone photo 2055

Budd Inlet

Cooper Point (left), Priest Point (right)

Olympia, Washington

Buttons - Events - 2001

McCleary Bear Festival

July 13, 14, 15, 2001

On the curl: Grays Harbor Stamp Works 800 894-3830

Phone photo 2054

Budd Inlet

Olympia, Washington

Morty Comix # 2462

Morty Comix # 2462 was drawn inside a copy of the Newave book and included as part of an order. Hopefully it is in Nebraska by now.

Favorite Movie Quotes: The Last Wave

"A dream is a shadow of something real."

$300 - "No Cigar" Original Art

The original art to a story, "No Cigar." First published, I think in Cartoon Loonacy around 1985-1986.

Features Morty the Dog, the Big G, and even old SW.

This story was reprinted in Retreads 7.

12 pages on light bond stock. 11.5 x 9 in. Felt-tip on nonphoto blue pencil. Not exactly in pristine condition, I'd rate it fair to good. There are no rips, paste-ups, and aside from some dabs on p. 10, no other use of whiteout I can see.

Three hundred smackaroonies will pry this away from me.

$300 ppd.
Check or money order to
Steve Willis
PO Box 390
McCleary, WA 98557-0390

Or order through PayPal

Also check out my other items for sale!

Buttons - Events - 2000

McCleary Bear Festival

July 7,8,9, 2000

On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.

Morty Comix # 2461

Morty Comix # 2461 was left at a display on top of a gas pump in Tumwater, Washington

More Original Art!

Michael Dowers just sent me a huge package of original art I had apparently lent to him since the 1980s I had forgotten about. Thanks Michael! What an unexpected arrival in PO Box 390! A treasure trove of memories!

This work will probably be made available for sale very soon, as in starting today or tomorrow.

In taking an inventory here's what I find:

Stories (I will eventually track down the original publication source for all of them):

"No Cigar" (12 p.)
"Dredging" (4 p.)
"Rainmaker Painraker" (12 p.) from Storm Warnings. Conventional mainstream minds liked this piece, but I hated it. Go figure.
"Slim Chance and Fat Fate" (7 p.) also from Storm Warnings.
"Chow Time" (4 p.)
"I Love, Er, Like Seattle!" (2 p.) This was the only piece I drew as an original work just for the Seattle Star that was not a reprint aside from a cover for one issue.

Entire books:
Cranium Frenzy # 7 (1994). (19 p.)
Bezango (1994). (24 p.). I am torn about offering this art for sale for three reasons. First, this comic was later reprinted as a nationally distributed comic under the Starhead label with the title Bezango Obscuro. That jacks it up a notch. Second, as a nationally distributed comic, it left the fold of the obscure and my character Floating Baby Head was widely read. This character is now used in the Disney cartoon Phineas and Ferb, and I am still interested in investigating possible legal action against Walt's regime for stealing my idea. I know, it's a David v. Goliath scenario, and if I try I'll be crushed like an insect in a manner that will ruin me. But that concept was mine first in a national commercial comic and the original art can serve as a court exhibit. I feel very ripped off, even if it was possibly unintentional. Third, the upcoming documentary on NW cartoonists is called Bezango WA and I suspect this "Bezango" term will not go away. If that is the case, I now hold a precious primary source document that should reside in a public depository, like the Washington State University Comix Collection.
Xenophobic Knives and other Love Songs, Pt. 2 (1991) (12 p.) 

In addition, Michael sent three pages of an unpublished work called "Outside-In, the History of a Comix Series." Looks like it was drawn in 1989. Michael says he left p. 4 in a scanner, so when he sends that one I'll post the whole thing here. I must admit I have no memory of drawing this thing or why I drew it.

Still deciding whether or not to sell each page individually or as a set. I'm open to offers before I post. You can check out my other art and comix for sale here:

 http://www.mortythedog.com/p/comix-art-25-sale-includes-new-items.html

[Update: "I Love, Er, Like Seattle!" is no longer available]

[Another update: "Dredging" has been spoken for]

Buttons - Events - 1999

"Somewhere Over The Rainbow"

McCleary Bear Festival

World Famous Bear Stew

July 9, 10, 11, 1999

On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.

 

Phone photo 2053

I bought this 2000 Buick Regal a few months ago. This car has an attitude, almost like riding a pony with a strong independent streak, an activity I was familiar with on the Shetland farm where I was raised. It has already killed two animals, a bird and a squirrel. The electronic door locks loudly go off and on at random, like the vehicle is attempting to talk or comment.

I suspect the previous owner died behind the wheel. His or her handwritten notes survive on the car's handbook, "Must ... warn, beware of Na... Nad... Nada... Aaargh! Ugh! Nngh! Ergh! Croak!"

And then-- nothing.

This is Christine's little sister.

And thus the car shall henceforth be known as:

Nadine.

I just need to get on her good side. This will be a test of my automotive political and social skills.

William Henry Bush : The Civil War's Youngest Person in Uniform?

Last Oct. 20 I gave a presentation to the Washington State Historical Society on the life of Indiana-born Willie Bush, who is possibly the youngest person to wear a military uniform during the Civil War. Born in 1857, he served as a valet for his father, who was a guard at the CSA POW camp in Elmira, NY, also known as "Hellmira" by the unfortunate prisoners. Prior to that his father had served with distinction in many battles.

To make a long story short, Willie's journey led him to be part of the pioneer life out here in Oregon and SW Washington. He was a very active participant of building the Montesano, Washington community, including serving as Mayor. He became one of my heroes when I researched how, in his role as county Sheriff, he courageously defused the violent 1887 Grays Harbor Fishermen's War without firing a single shot.

I'm submitting my findings for publication, but in the meantime I prepared a handout for those folks who attended my presentation. I intended to produce just a one-sheet flier to accompany my talk, but I got carried away and it is 20 leaves with photos. PowerPoint turns me off. I want my audience to leave with something they can read later. I'm better at writing than speaking anyway.

Those of you who are Morty the Blog Patrons will be getting a copy of the handout. I know, it isn't comix, but this is where my creative energy went the last few months. I only printed 50 copies, and most of them are gone. But the Patrons can have this physical manifestation of my interests outside of comix.

This was a very wonderful and life-affirming project. Not only in admiring some of the choices made by my subject, but also with all the people I met in person or online who helped me along the way in gathering data.

The above image is courtesy of Mark Weldon.

Phone photo 2052

Olympia, Washington

Morty Comix # 2460

Morty Comix # 2460 was left in a slot originally designed for forms in the hardcopy era but now empty in the Tumwater, Washington US Post Office.

This pretty much parallels the many abandoned phone booths where I leave these comix. Hmmm. Since I myself frequently feel like an outdated relic from another era, these dropoff choices suddenly makes total sense. My morning revelation!

Phone photo 2051

Favorite Movie Quotes: Becket

"I'm afraid we must only do, absurdly, what it has been given us to do, right to the end."

Phone photo 2050

Buttons - Presidential Campaign - 2012

Obama 2012

barackobama.com

On the curl: OFA9997

My old friend Rex and I worked together as McGovern volunteers in 1972. Forty years later he came to a family election watch and handed out a bunch of Obama buttons.

Update, 11-8-12: I think "Up There" George McGovern was just issued his angel wings. America is coming home.

Phone photo 2049

Morty Comix # 2459

 

 Morty Comix # 2459 was left in a seam on a stairway between two floors at Seattle Public Library

Phone photo 2048

Buttons - Events - 1998

McCleary Bear Festival

1958-1998

Celebrating 40 years

July 10th-12th

On the curl: G.H. Stamp Works, Aberdeen, Wash.

OK, here's a local pet peeve of mine. The Bear Festival did not start in 1958. It started in 1959. But locals persist in counting an annual event as if it was human. For an event, Day One is Year One.

Yet considerable expense has been made toward printing up banners, buttons, and other promotional materials celebrating 1958 as the inaugural year of the McCleary Bear Festival. Well, it's wrong, WRONG, I tell you! You can look it up.

As you can see by the button reproduced for this McCleary Time Capsule, the 1959 page documents the first Bear Festival. It says: McCleary 1st Annual 2nd Growth Festival, 1959.