HeroL
At Mad, Elder was known for his flawless draftsmanship and his flair for mimicking the visual styles of other comic book artists and drawing ad parodies with photographic precision.But his trademark was the throwaway sight gags that he inserted into the cartoon panels: visual minutiae that he jokingly called "chicken fat."During Elder's and Kurtzman's years at Mad in the '50s, Ficarra said, Kurtzman would write the stories and do rough pencil-sketches, which Elder would illustrate.Ficarra said Kurtzman "was known for doing these elaborate layouts, where he'd pencil in what he wanted drawn in every frame and give that to Willie."If you think of these panels as sort of a bare Christmas tree, Willie would put on some ornaments, some balls, some tinsel. Then he'd start putting on some things you might not expect to see on a Christmas tree -- a bowling ball, an old sneaker, a frozen TV dinner -- so at the end, these panels would be jam-packed with visuals that were sort of incongruous to what was going on, but it really rewarded readers who paid attention."Frequently, I've heard from people who say, 'You really couldn't read one of Willie's stories in one sitting.' You had to go back and reread it several times because you always seemed to miss things."
But his trademark was the throwaway sight gags that he inserted into the cartoon panels: visual minutiae that he jokingly called "chicken fat."
During Elder's and Kurtzman's years at Mad in the '50s, Ficarra said, Kurtzman would write the stories and do rough pencil-sketches, which Elder would illustrate.
Ficarra said Kurtzman "was known for doing these elaborate layouts, where he'd pencil in what he wanted drawn in every frame and give that to Willie.
"If you think of these panels as sort of a bare Christmas tree, Willie would put on some ornaments, some balls, some tinsel. Then he'd start putting on some things you might not expect to see on a Christmas tree -- a bowling ball, an old sneaker, a frozen TV dinner -- so at the end, these panels would be jam-packed with visuals that were sort of incongruous to what was going on, but it really rewarded readers who paid attention.
"Frequently, I've heard from people who say, 'You really couldn't read one of Willie's stories in one sitting.' You had to go back and reread it several times because you always seemed to miss things."
All this is perfectly accurate. Whenever I look through my old paperbacks and see some of his work I'm just amazed at what else he sneaks in there.
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 17 May 2008 14:32 (seventeen years ago)
A Starchie page
And Mickey Rodent
― Ned Raggett, Saturday, 17 May 2008 14:35 (seventeen years ago)
RIP 1 of the funniest dudes
― and what, Saturday, 17 May 2008 14:44 (seventeen years ago)
RIP, always my favorite of the Mad/EC guys.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v296/WilliamCrump63/shoddop.jpg
― Rock Hardy, Saturday, 17 May 2008 14:59 (seventeen years ago)
http://www.animationarchive.org/pics/lafsubway01.jpg
― tipsy mothra, Saturday, 17 May 2008 15:59 (seventeen years ago)
(when i was like 11 sneaking peeks at friends' playboy stashes, "little annnie fanny" was one of my favorite things in it. it always seemed naughty even when the rest of the magazine was striving for an air of wholesomeness.)
― tipsy mothra, Saturday, 17 May 2008 16:01 (seventeen years ago)
I loved his stuff from the first time I laid eyes on it. His original Mad magazine artwork was always da bomb. He gave me hours upon hours of pleasure. RIP, you great comic artist! Thanks for all the lovely panels.
― Aimless, Saturday, 17 May 2008 17:42 (seventeen years ago)
his mad stuff was such a huge influence on me as a kid. for real. the anarchy of it. i had never seen anything that thumbed its nose at SO MANY targets all at once like that. he's one of the people who helped make me the person i am today and i owe him (and plenty of others) a whole lot.
― scott seward, Saturday, 17 May 2008 20:17 (seventeen years ago)
I love Will Elder too much for words. RIP one of the original gang of idiots. You'll all be...uh...jamming out? soon? in heaven?
― Abbott, Saturday, 17 May 2008 21:41 (seventeen years ago)
Dude was the ultimate straight Jewish genius; more subversive and vicious than anyone doing cartooning today. The Fantagraphics Elder compilation is a must buy.
― forksclovetofu, Saturday, 17 May 2008 21:42 (seventeen years ago)
He definitely shaped a lot of my thinking.
Dragged Net, Mad #11, 1954.
― Rock Hardy, Saturday, 17 May 2008 22:45 (seventeen years ago)
Elder = one major hoot. Rest in peace.
― If Timi Yuro would be still alive, most other singers could shut up, Saturday, 17 May 2008 23:24 (seventeen years ago)
aw rip. i adore kurtzman's original mad and elder was by far my favorite artist.
― J.D., Saturday, 17 May 2008 23:39 (seventeen years ago)
Good obit here (even tho' they credit Wally Wood's 'Superduperman' strip to Elder):
http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-elder17-2008may17,0,932513.story
The two Little Annie Fanny volumes published by Dark Horse collect some of the most excessively beautiful color comic strips ever drawn
― Ward Fowler, Sunday, 18 May 2008 00:04 (seventeen years ago)
Oops, sorry, didn't see Ned's link at the top there
― Ward Fowler, Sunday, 18 May 2008 00:06 (seventeen years ago)
RIP
― James Redd and the Blecchs, Sunday, 18 May 2008 02:20 (seventeen years ago)