The Comix Files: Jim Charette

Jim Charette, of Fall River, Massachusetts, makes a pitch for his zine Charette's Eye View in 1992.

Martha Reeves and Dusty Springfield Sing Bacharach

Wishin' and Hopin'

Phone photo 3192

The Bluebird

Even though this is copyright 1916, published in 1919, this uncredited cover graphic still has a very 1890s look to it. Thank goodness Art Deco came along and rescued this medium!

Phone photo 3191

The Comix Files: Richard C.

Richard C., aka Ricardo Campos had a store and record label in Montebello, California called Wild Rags, and a zine covering underground metal music called Wild Rag. He wrote to me around 1994/1995 when he decided to branch out into comix publishing.

I have no idea how far he got into the comix thing beyond publishing Russell Evans' Dixon (it was considered Wild Rag # 32). Richard C. apparently simply vanished into folklore. A survey through Internet will provide various rumors and gossip about his fate, none of it confirmed.

Selma Bjornsdottir Sings Bacharach

Wishin' and Hopin'

I Feel You Near Me

Sheet music from a very early (1930) talkie. Movie soundtrack music usually used photos rather than hand-created graphics for the printed covers. Love the Red Star logo.

The Comix Files: Chester Brown

One of the advantages of being a perpetual amateur cartoonist is that I get contacted by amazing artists early in their careers before they really get discovered. Such was the case with the incredibly talented Toronto-based Chester Brown during our correspondence from 1984-1986. At the time he was producing a photocopy digest called Yummy Fur.

I loved the way he usually included a bunny graphic with his signature. It was fun jamming with Chester on our mini Lump Soup Sciopluieas in 1985.

During this era I sent Chester a Morty Comix that was something like 100 or 200 pages long. He shot back his own version, which was just as long, and is now in the comix collection at Washington State University.

The Eagles Sing Bacharach

Wishin' and Hopin'

No, not those Eagles, but the original Eagles from the UK, 1958-1964!

Sing Me a Baby Song

This 1927 cover was illustrated by "J.R.," who is probably well known to students of this genre, but I am still learning. Very nice job and representative of the era.

Dionne Warwick and Olivia Newton-John Sing Bacharach

Wishin' and Hopin'

One Night of Love

No art credits on this 1934 sheet music cover, but it does include a mention of Lyle Talbot, known to legions of Ed Wood fans for his role as General Roberts in Plan 9 from Outer Space.

Favorite Movie Quotes: Mad Dog and Glory

"Going to Frank is like taking heroin to cure an alcohol problem, y'know?"

The Comix Files: Rick "Ricko" Bradford

 Drawn by Dave Tosh

 Looks like a jam from a comix convention

Rick Bradford of Texas first contacted me in 1992 during the City Limits Gazette days. Although his comix art is wonderful and sparky, we all know Rick as the genius behind Poopsheet, at first a hardcopy resource but it evolved into one of THE most important online resources for creators and collectors of Newave, homemade, zine-like comix. Such energy. The guy must be a strange visitor from another planet with powers above and beyond that of mortal men.

Check out these links:

Poopsheet Foundation

Poopsheet Shop