Monday, November 27, 2006

Will Elder and his Fans


Back in the early 1950s, when I was in the 7th grade Will Elder was one of the three artists for MAD comic book. That should be no surprise if you read all my blogs and have a retention for useless information.

I sent Will Elder a letter back then telling him how much I enjoyed his art work. He sent me a note back thanking me for my nice words and a hand drawn signed cartoon of a Reggie (of “Archie”) type of fellow pulling the wings and legs off an insect and the balloon above his head said “She loves me, she loves me not…”

Will Elder and one of the other three MAD cartoonists were very fan-friendly. They knew they were nothing without admirers.

After I returned from the Navy my Bill Elder cartoon, under frame when I left, was no longer hanging in my bedroom where I left it. They said they didn’t know what become of it. So much for my original Will Elder cartoon.

After Elder left MAD he and his work friend Harvey Kurtzman went on to create TRUMP magazine, HUMBUG magazine, HELP magazine, and they also created and maintained Annie Fanny of PLAYBOY which ran for years and years.

In fact, Annie Fannie was their longest running gig.

After Will retired I sent him another letter praising his work and his history and I explained that the original he sent me disappeared. He sent me another original, which I have framed. It is of his creation Annie Fanny (see above).

Even after he is retired he still apprecaites his fans.

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

Im going for "undressed" but worry that my say something about my psychological profile.

Eddie said...

Steve,
I think I will have to disagree - it appears she is pulling off or putting on her drawers. If she was getting undressed wouldn't she had kicked off her high-heels first?

Button Gwinnett said...

Eddie, I sure hope your mother never saw Ms. Annie Fanny.

;-)

Eddie said...

Button,
The best I remember she didn't. She died in 96 and I received the Annie Fanny drawing in about 2000 or 2001.
Yep, if I left that in her care while I went in the Navy there would probably be only shreads of it when I returned.

Suzanne said...

Now a days Annie would be wearing skimpier underwear. I long for the good old days.

Eddie said...

Suzanne,
Yes, probably an ass-floss.