Quick Flick!

Time once again to let my bloggy readers know that there's new old kid's books illustrations from my ever-growing collection of vintage children's goodness up on my Flickr photostream. This time around I'm featuring the work of Charles Nicolas (below), and poetically-named Wonder Books stalwart Dellwyn Cunningham (above).

Intending to enrich the minds of my faithful followers I did a quick search on the origins of the name "Dellwyn". I didn't get too far though before I stumbled across the coolest named dentist in the history of the world! Should you live in the Memphis area and you need your teeth re-filed, or that diamond insert on your front incisor polished I'd suggest you check out Dr. Dellwyn M. Turnipseed, DMD. With a name like that I think she's got to have a great chair-side sense of humour if nothing else.

Evel's Da Bomb!

Last fall, whilst perusing my old home-town newspapers on microfilm at the nearby provincial archives, I ran across this AP photo and caption that ran in late 1977 in the Nanaimo Daily Free Press. I knew Mr. Knievel was a little loopy (earlier that year he had assaulted the author of an unauthorized book* on him with an aluminum baseball bat!), but this harebrained scheme would have taken the cake. Needless-to-say the stunt never occurred, Evil's spleen remained intact (or at least wasn't removed due to haystack-related planning), and within four years Robert Craig Knievel had retired from the motorcycle jumping business.

Yet... until his last days he continued to profess that this ill-considered act of daredevilry would eventually be accomplished. History awaits his learned prediction.

I don't.

Here's the video of E.K. reminiscing about this stunt / promotional put-on. You have to sit through a commercial to get to it unfortunately... but what else have you got to do right now? If you're wasting precious minutes of your life reading my blog you ain't likely in the middle of brain surgery or a marathon!

*$17,000 for a beat-up paperback!? Even if Evel's spleen was used as a bookmark I don't think I'd pay this much.

Kayak on the March!

Or more accurately... the new March/April issue of Kayak! Canada's favourite history magazine for kids hit the stands early this week with a communications-themed cover by one Glen A (for "Awesome"!) Mullaly, a little-known late 20th - early 21st century artist and all-around bon vivant. Get yours today before the Guggenheim snatches up all the remaining copies!

It's Provensen Time!

Once again I'm posting some images from the absolutely legendary (at least in the minds of me and my illustration admiring friends) husband and wife team of Alice and Martin Provensen. I've shared many images from them before but this go-round it's from my newly acquired copy of "The Golden Treasury of Myths Legends" from Golden Books in 1959. I stumbled across this treasure while looking for a birthday present for my sister last week. I was turning around to head from one section to the next when my eyes caught a split-second glimpse of the spine of this tome in the "Religion" section of my favourite local used book store. I paused, turned back, investigated further... and then had to stifle my unadulterated glee as I realized what I had found - in mint condition - for $9.99.

Happy day indeed.

For more samples from this wonderful book check out my Flickr photostream whydontcha!

Ummm...

I think someone in charge needs to be reminded that this is downtown Victoria... We've already had much more than our normal share of snow this year. Okay?!

Know Fun Park Path

The new Know Fun puzzles & fun feature I write and illustrate is out across Canada (and in mailboxes around the world) as the latest issue of Know Magazine, The Science Magazine for Curious Kids hits the stands. This issue is all about "finding your way", and above is a small detail from the very loose and cartoony maze I came up with for this months craziness!
Don't delay - pick your's up today!

Spring Is (not quite) Here!

With birds chirping outside my window, temperatures on the rise, and thoughts of spring cleaning attempting to cha-cha in my head I figured I'd jump the seasonal gun and post this 1957 Better Homes & Gardens ad, along with an alluring assortment of other 1950s magazine illos, over at my Flickr photostream.