Doris Day died today at age 97.  Here is a Will Elder’s art-fun  of the movie postrer LOVE ME OR LEAVE ME staring Doris Day and James Cagney, in MAD #25.  After making movies she worked hard at defending helpless animals. 

I still find myself humming her song  in an Alfred Hitchcock move,  “Que Sera, Sera” what will be will be.

Will Elder, Harvey Kurtzman, and GANEFS

I love Will Elder drawings, slapstick  - minute details and Harpo Marx-like as they are.  Also, after learning that editor Harvey Kurtzman would mimic or pantomime the exact body language he expected his artists to convey’  Now, it is additional entertaining to go back and imagine Kurtzman acting out the actions  he created, such as these Elder illustrations in MAD’s GANEFS:  I wonder if Kurtzman was humming or singing in the 4th and 5th cartoons.

Click image to make it larger.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD's Will Elder's 1st!

We bought the above book.  They have a book  of this style for each of  the original four MAD artists.

So!  The below story illustrated by Will Elder is in this book.  It is the first story in the book.  It originally appeared in MAD #1 Comicbook, the very first MAD publication.  The story was written by MAD editor Harvey Kurtzman. 

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! HELP's Elder's 77 Sundshade Strip

To enjoy this you need to have been born before 1945.  But try to enjoy it anyway.  

From HELP Magazine, story by editor Harvey Kurtzman and art by Will Elder.

click on the cartoon you are studying to be able to read it and know what is going on.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! LI'L ABNER Lampoon

This is from HELP #8.  Story by Ed Fisher, Art by Will Elder.  click to enlarge to read the balloons and make sense of it. 

                                                        DOGPATCH REVISITED

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! The Implied Wall

Speaking of Walls (isn't everyone?) there is an implied Wall in the Will Elder cartoon ripped from the pages of HELP Magazine #5

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! KING KONG , MAD's version

OK, since I saw KING KONG, the musical on Broadway, about a week ago I have KING KONG on the mind.

Art by Will Elder.  Story by Harvey Kurtzman.

click each page to make the balloons readable

SUNDAY'S FUNNIES!! PANIC'S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS

This Saint Nick's takeoff is the reason PANIC Comicbook was banned in Boston in the 1960's.  Art by one of my late heroes, Will Elder.
Click on page to make it bigger, readable, but maybe not understandable.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! HELP'S LI'L ABNER

Remember the daily newspaper comic strip LI'L ABNER?  Well, this is a lampoon on it.  It came from HELP Magazine, editor Harvey Kurtzman, story by Ed Fisher, and illustrated by Will Elder.  Usually, Will Elder illustrates stories by Harvey Kurtzman, as he did in MAD, HUMBUG, TRUMP, and HELP.

Click on page to make it larger to be able to read the balloons and see what is going on.

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD #5, Kane Private Eue

Story by Harvey Kurtzman, cover by Will Elder, story art by Jack Davis

SUNDAY FUNNIES!! MAD #5 OUTER SANCTUM!

Story by Editor Harvey Kurtzman, Illustrated by Will Elder.  Ironically, this story is making fun of horror comics, such as TALES FROM THE CRYPT which that and MAD was published by EC Comics.  Study the very funny irreverent details Will Elder added.  

also click on each picture to read the balloons and see the details