Flaming ArtistI like this drawing muchly; I like the way I inked it
drybrush. I wish I was brave enough or skilled enough or whatever enough to ink
my comics this way. I tried inking “Fogtown” like this in the beginning, but it
was looking like crap; not spontaneous and gestural, just messy. I was trying
to imitate Milt Caniff, Tony Salmons and Jordi Bernet. But I was working too
small. It’s amazing how large the originals for “Steve Canyon” and “Terry and
the Pirates” were.
Today I’m presenting 2 pieces I like by other artists. The first is by Tony Salmons, a friend of mine who recently returned to the public eye with his artwork for the 4 issue mini series “The Strange Adventures of H.P. Lovecraft”, published last summer by Image Comics. He did this sketch for me a couple of years back. It’s of a Thark one of the characters from “John Carter of Mars”.
The second drawing is by Domino, my favorite gay erotic artist. This drawing appeared in “Mandate” in 1983, I believe. (I’m not sure; I no longer have that magazine.) The issue the drawing appeared in was the first gay skin mag I ever bought as a closeted young gay man. I bought that issue because of that drawing (not because of any of the photos, which were, as I recall, all of young hairless twinks). I used to buy any gay mag with one of his illustrations in them. Unfortunately, he dropped out of sight in 1985 or 86. He resurfaced again in the late 80’s/early 90’s with a classified ad in the gay press, selling 2 print sets of the best of his drawings. I contacted him, purchased the 2 sets, corresponded with him briefly. Sadly, he died of AIDS soon after.
Recently, I saw the original to this drawing. It resides in the Tom of Finland Foundation Headquarters, in Echo Park, a council district of Los Angeles, California, USA. It hangs, beautifully framed, in the bedroom of Durk Dehner, head of the foundation. I viewed it during a recent open house. I asked him he was selling it for. I got the impression that it was out of my price range.