Man-Size (man_size) wrote,
Man-Size
man_size

Alex Toth

Steven Gettis has been seducing me to illustrate a portrait of my favorite author for almost, what, seven years now? A cat from Canada who has a really cool project going where cartoonists draw their favorite literary author [check out: http://www.digitalmedusa.com/sgettis/roughed_lit.html] and I've been bad at figuring out who I want to draw. I vacillate between pulp authors like Thompson, Spillane, Prather, Ellroy, and Lansdale, to more influential writers like Bukowski, Carver, Hemingway, Miller, and McEwan. And then it gelled and I chose Jonathan Ames because, not only is he my good pal and confidant, but he is also one of my favorite contemporary authors. So, I told Gettis I'd draw him an Ames illo when I found the extra time. That was a year ago.

Meanwhile, I get boxes of Cadbury chocolates shipped from Canada and cheerful email from Gettis every so often prompting me to come correct. He's just a really nice guy. So nice that he actually encouraged me to write Alex Toth, my favorite living cartoonist a letter and send him some of my creator-owned fare, including THE QUITTER, in hopes he'll dig my wares and write me one of his famous handwritten postcards schooling the perpetual apprentice and tearing me a new asshole. I live for one of these.

Yesterday, I receive a package from Gettis. I had a very good clue as to what it was. Apart from my stuff, I own very little original art and I was afraid to open it. It took me 3-hours before I could surgically remove the contents.




With such sophisticated flair and ease, Toth manages to reduce all shapes and ideas into their simplest forms while maintaining energy and personality. I was honored to receive an original page from his sketch book.

Thanks SO MUCH, Steve. I owe you, man. Big time.


For more Toth science: http://www.tothfans.com/
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