#national lampoon
Frank Frazetta, for National Lampoon.
In September and October, New York Review Comics presents two trailblazing artists whose work remains challenging, striking, and remarkably relevant. Shary Flenniken’s daring, raunchy Trots and Bonnie is an uncommonly honest—and hilarious—portrait of adolescence, while Martin Vaughn-James’s The Projector andElephant are timelessly surreal.
Shary Flenniken, Trots and Bonnie(September)
In the 1970s and ’80s, National Lampoon was home to many of America’s best cartoons, including Trots and Bonnie: a comic strip that followed the adventures of Bonnie, a teenager stumbling through the mysteries of adulthood, and her wisecracking dog, Trots. This collection, handpicked by Flenniken, is the first book of Trots and Bonnie ever published in America. It’s a long overdue introduction to some of the most stunning and provocative comics of the twentieth century, from an artist Roz Chast calls “an absolute genius.”
Martin Vaughn-James, The Projector and Elephant(October)
The British artist and writer Martin Vaughn-James produced some of the most mesmerizing and inventive works in comics in the 1960s and ’70s. Among them were ElephantandThe Projector, interconnected graphic novels that guide the reader through landscapes built out of the everyday and the nightmarish. Together for the first time in a single volume designed and edited by Seth, ElephantandThe Projector are a reminder that we have yet to catch up to Vaughn-James.
Obit of the Day: Designer of the Ghostbusters Logo
Michael C. Gross is responsible for two iconic images of the 20th century. Most famously, he designed the Ghostbusters logo, based on a concept by Dan Ackroyd. But in 1973 he also shocked the world with his National Lampoon cover featuring an apparently frightened dog with a gun to its head.
The cover, which was originally supposed to a subscription ad, was voted as one of the 40 best magazine covers of all time by the American Society of Magazine Editors.
A graduate of the Pratt Institute, Mr. Gross did design work for several magazines including Esquire, he also created posters for the 1968 Mexico City Olympics, and worked for a time as John Lennon’s personal designer.
In the early 80s, his interests turned to Hollywood and he became a producer. His first movie was the 1981 animated film Heavy Metal, which combined music and adult-themed animation. His next film was Ghostbusters (1984) which brought about the classic logo which the Pratt Institute voted the most admired icon created by its alumni or faculty - beating out the Chrysler Building.
Mr. Gross produced fourteen films and television shows most famously Twins (1988),Kindergarten Cop(1990),The Real Ghostbusters* (1986-1991), Beethoven (1992), and Dave (1993). He also received an Emmy nomination for Inspector Gadget Saves Christmas (1992). But not everything he touched turned to gold since he was also partially responsible for the Sylvester Stallone/Estelle Getty flop Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot! (1992).
Mr. Gross, a cancer survivor, suffered a recurrence in 2014 but this time the diagnosis was terminal. Deciding against any life-prolonging treatments, instead his therapy included the creation of an art exhibition titled “Flip Cancer” which featured dozens of images of the middle finger as designed by him and his colleagues.
Michael Gross died on November 16, 2015 at the age of 70.
Sources:CBSNews.com,www.michaelcgross.com, and IMDB.com
Images are copyright of Columbia Pictures and National Lampoon, respectively, and courtest of Wikipedia.org
Other designers featured on Obit of the Day:
John Berg - Grammy Award-winning album cover designer
Joseph Selame - Designed logos for CVS, Goodwill, and Stop & Shop with his wife Elinor
Massimo Vignelli - Designer of the New York City subway map
and co-star of GhostbustersHarold Ramis
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National Lampoon’s Vacation was released on this day in 1983. Join us as we count down the top 10 Movie Dads here!
December 22nd, 2021, Inktober Prompt # 49 - Journey. “Sorry Folks! We’re closed for two weeks to clean and repair America’s favorite family fun park! Sorry! Uh huh uh huh uh huh!”
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y'all what is a movie from the 80s that is YOUR movie? like for whatever reason. it’s incredibly nostalgic, you love it a lot, it just makes you feel good,you connect deeply with it. basic answers welcome
