§ Shouldn’t we just run a feed of Comics Comics here since we link to almost EVERY post? Anyway, Dan Nadel shares the contents of his mental desk drawer, including a contemplation of George Wunder, (above).
Where are all the letters and such? Where are the diary entries that explain his inky grotesques? He had a way of depicting giant craniums that verges on abstraction. Wonderful, odd stuff. But who was he? Caniff we know, right down to his shoes. But Wunder? I dunno. Wood assisted him at one point, I know that. And he apparently was in the military sometime. But what else? Ah well.
Wunder was the artist tasked with the thankless job of working on Terry and the Pirates after Milton Caniff left the strip for Steve Canyon, which he had more ownership stake in. Now, while Wunder is no Caniff, there is undeniably something obsessive and compelling about his dense, near grotesque art as well. Nowadays, it’s not hard to see Wunder doing some kind of indie book for Fantagraphics with that kind of style.
§ Also at Comics Comics a roundtable discussion of Al Columbia’s deeply disturbing PIM & FRANCIE kicks off.
§ This week in PW Comics Week!
•The Beat talked to Nick Barrucci about Dynamite Entertainment’s last five years.
•Terri Herd talked to Jim Salicrup about the Wimpy Dead Kid.
• And Evie Nagy found out what Paul Pope did in the new issue of Royal Flush that was so filthy it had to be polybagged.
§ Matt Badham chats with Lisa Wood, organizer of this week’s Thought Bubble comic convention in Leeds, UK.
§ Novelist Kevin Baker talks about his graphic novel LUNA PARK at NPR.
§ A sort of transcript of last week’s Barry/Feiffer/Groening/Ware comics panel by Ed Choy Moorman. Also, Lucy Knisley captured the day in pictures. [Links via The Comics Reporter]
§ A nice report on the recent SCAD Atlanta Comics Arts Forum by Tim O’Shea.
§ This only came to my attention via trackback, but writer Rob Pincombe has a fascinating analysis of The Prisoner (ORIGINAL!) and how Patrick McGoohan was influenced by playing the title role in Henrik Ibsen’s play, Brand.
My childhood was shaped by George Wunder’s drawings!! By the time I discovered Terry and the Pirates it was being done by George Wunder and I always loved his grotesque style. In fact if you really want grotesque just check out when he does a face in profile!! But he had great facility, evoked moods wonderfully and could draw planes and cars and equipment like nobodies business. Why doesn’t somebody reprint the Wunder years of Terry & the Pirates!! Free George Wunder!!!
Calvin, I remember Wunder’s drawings differently. To me, he did drew creepy people. I sued to stare at them in dismay. The women looked like men, and the men all had pug noses and big heads. It’s interesting how different our opinions are..
sigh, more typos. I “used to”, not “sued to”. Memo to self: Self, Type slower, read before posting.
True but what can I say? I just loved Wunder’s drawings. In fact as a kid, I liked Wunder’s drawing for Terry & the Pirates better than Caniff’s for Steve Canyon, although I liked Caniff as well. I just thought he was different than others but just as skillful in his own way. I guess I was just a kooky kid.
Blogger Bob Foster appreciates Wunder’s work:
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