I am proud to present the 4th installment of the worst comic artists in the world series. The horrendous two-tone fetishistic images of one Ed Bortz! Even with his unusual last name, I was unable to find anything about him. A shame. Imagine the duo-tone nightmares he must have suffered as cross-hatched beards and brick-hard bosoms danced in his head, forcing him to jot down his most recent hilarious ideas at 3:00 am. Grisaille? NO, these miniature marvels demand a full palette of TWO colors! I turned these up in Michigan, likely sent home to the spouse by hunters and fishermen up north to drink. As Milwaukee publisher L. L. Cook (shame on you) is across the lake, maybe the cards snuck over on the ferry and multiplied like weeds in bait and ammo shops of Northern Michigan.
To see previous entries of the most putrid postcards in history, click subject heading below.
Four red and black postcards by Bortz. 1954, 1955 Collection Jim Linderman
A few recent developments from the Dull Tool Dim Bulb empire!
MUCH pleased to have had no less than David Sedaris recommend the Dull Tool Dim Bulb Blog to his readers. As one who has gone from sitting in Barnes and Noble watching David read to becoming a writer (of sorts) himself, this is a great honor.
Skilled writer and artist Emma Higgins has written a lovely profile titled "Jim Linderman Perpetually Ahead of the Collecting Curve" HERE on the Grand Rapids website H.A.C.K.Grand Rapids, as you may or may not know, is a booming city in the culture department, with their annual Art Prize awarding $$$ and attracting many artist participants and visitors annually. HACK is a wonderful guide to the West Michigan Art Scene and much more.
Vintage Sleaze the blog now has an astounding 36,000 followers on Facebook and the network of blogs under the Dull Tool Dim Bulb umbrella is approaching 2.25 million page clicks. If clicks were coins and followers were finance I would be rich...but I prefer happy.
Design Weekly wrote a nice profile and recommendation to Vintage Sleaze, thank you very much.
I recently made what I believe is a significant contribution to an important new book by an important comic book historian, but I'll report on it in the next update.
Music fans can now follow Bob Dylan Record an Album of Songs by Charlie Patton on Facebook. The site grows out of a series of infrequent essays on Dylan...who, with a new album out any day now, has once again failed to do what I wish he would. He will.
I also presume all have seen the recent Jim Linderman New York Times Profile? The article uses a photograph by Michigan-based photographer Adam Bird which I much appreciate. Mr. Bird is a young photographer with considerable style and skill. The Times also quoted me in a recent article on the rebirth of pinup style.
I have discovered an original stag film of Texas Legend Candy Barr dancing. This is not the common film on Youtube, but a film shot on the same set or stage around the same time. I'm not quite sure what do do with the film, but It has been transfered to Digital CD and I'm pondering selling copies or using it as a gift to friends. The only problem is that once the Candy is out of the bag, it will be bootlegged wider than Justin Bieber's next recording. Any ideas?
The esteemed Elmer Anderson. Or as he is known anywhere a stamp would reach, the GENUINE Elmer Anderson. Biographical information on the prolific post card Picasso is precious... but his primary genres have been identified: Tit Jokes Stinky Things Why did I get Married? Occupationals and Situationals (Bars, Fisherman, Doctors) Animal Kingdom (Peeing Dogs and Unwelcome Storks)
And most notable, the renowned "Ugly People" series done at the peak of his Elmer powers in 1951. (Interestingly, the year before Mad Magazine debuted) Early Elmers were self-published with a plain reverse. As his fame spread, Elmer created a "stamp here" logo, presumably a self-portrait. All seem to have come from Waterloo, Iowa, certainly an artistic hotbed of the 1950's.
Group of Genuine Elmer Anderson Postcards, c. 1950 Collection Jim Linderman (For previous entries in the World's Worst Cartoonist Series click blue subject heading, or use search box above)
