Sunday, January 07, 2007
Blessed are the mentors for they give back to the ages:
I got into a discussion of Pulp illustration yesterday with Mark Kausler and we got on the subject of Harry A. Chesler, the 30s comic book publisher. I had the fortune to know Harry in the late 70s when I was at the Kubert School. Harry was the guy that gave Joe Kubert his start when Joe was a 12 year old that showed up at every comic book studio in New York every week looking for work.
After Joe had come in to Harry`s studio every week for months on end Harry finally made a deal with him. Harry paid Joe`s daily subway fare and Joe came in to the studio after school and hang out and learned from the artists. Once Joe got good enough Harry started paying him. Joe started drawing moons in the back of other artists pages. And the rest, as they say, is history. Harry was always a supporter of young art talent.
Chesler was the patron of my friend John Totleben, which lets you know what an amazing artist Totleben was at 19 because no one, I mean no one, had an art patron in the late 70s. Harry had John doing illustrations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam with no real plan of printing the book. It was more of a way for Harry to art direct John`s talents.
I remember the day that Harry opened up the giant chest that was the center piece in his living room. Out came Leyendeckers by the score and Rockwells (which Harry didn`t think much of) and a who`s who of other 30s illustrators. I remember seeing a St John and a number of lesser know 30s artists of real talent. It was one of those times when I wished that my eyes were cameras. There was too much to see.
Harry`s collection went to Fairleigh Dickinson University. John`s Rubaiyat illustrations are spread to the winds. Harry is long gone but he lives on in the artists he helped along the way. I just wish I could remember all the art I saw that one day in Harry Chesler`s living room.
Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy) ¶ 2:36 PM
I got into a discussion of Pulp illustration yesterday with Mark Kausler and we got on the subject of Harry A. Chesler, the 30s comic book publisher. I had the fortune to know Harry in the late 70s when I was at the Kubert School. Harry was the guy that gave Joe Kubert his start when Joe was a 12 year old that showed up at every comic book studio in New York every week looking for work.
After Joe had come in to Harry`s studio every week for months on end Harry finally made a deal with him. Harry paid Joe`s daily subway fare and Joe came in to the studio after school and hang out and learned from the artists. Once Joe got good enough Harry started paying him. Joe started drawing moons in the back of other artists pages. And the rest, as they say, is history. Harry was always a supporter of young art talent.
Chesler was the patron of my friend John Totleben, which lets you know what an amazing artist Totleben was at 19 because no one, I mean no one, had an art patron in the late 70s. Harry had John doing illustrations of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam with no real plan of printing the book. It was more of a way for Harry to art direct John`s talents.
I remember the day that Harry opened up the giant chest that was the center piece in his living room. Out came Leyendeckers by the score and Rockwells (which Harry didn`t think much of) and a who`s who of other 30s illustrators. I remember seeing a St John and a number of lesser know 30s artists of real talent. It was one of those times when I wished that my eyes were cameras. There was too much to see.
Harry`s collection went to Fairleigh Dickinson University. John`s Rubaiyat illustrations are spread to the winds. Harry is long gone but he lives on in the artists he helped along the way. I just wish I could remember all the art I saw that one day in Harry Chesler`s living room.
Larry Loc (ASIFA Blog Guy) ¶ 2:36 PM
