MONDAY MORNING MACABRE NO. 78

 

MONDAY MORNING MACABRE NO. 43

[A Charles Addams lithograph, 1967.]

FRANKIE'S FRIDAY FUNNIES: 'THE LITTLE MONSTERS' NO. 1

THE LITTLE MONSTERS
 Vol. 1 No. 1
November 1964
K.K. Publications, Inc./Golden Press/Western Publishing Company
Editor: Unknown
Writer: Carl Fallberg?
Artist: Joe Messerli?
Cover: Joe Messerli?
Pages: 36
Cover Price: 12 cents

Gold Key's title, THE LITTLE MONSTERS was a cartoon comic that spoofed the 60s monster craze in a style reminiscent of Chas Addams' sardonic characters. The adventures of 'Orrible Orvie and Awful Annie first appearance was in the back pages of THE THREE STOOGES #17 (May, 1964), the cover date making their debut just before the first air date of THE ADDAMS FAMILY TV show.

The stories are light-hearted and fun to read and the title run was successful enough to last 44 issues, until February 1978.

MONDAY MORNING MACABRE NO. 41

CHARLES SAMUEL ADDAMS (American, 1912-1988)
The Beam of the Lighthouse, The New Yorker cover, June 23, 1973
Watercolor, ink, and pencil on board
21 x 15 in.

[SOURCE: Heritage Auctions]

MONDAY MORNING MACABRE NO. 38

MONDAY MORNING MACABRE NO. 36

CHAS ADDAMS ORIGINAL ART

The dark genius of Charles "Chas" Addams is well known. His quirky, eccentric and sardonic humor gave birth to "The Addams Family", a culmination of all these elements.

Presented here are two rare original examples of the work he did for his long-time client, THE NEW YORKER magazine. Immediately apparent is the amount of detail that went into each panel. The descriptions below are spot on in that they identify later artists that were influenced by Addams' macabre humor.

Charles Addams - Single Panel Gag Comic Strip Original Art (c. 1930-40s). Like many of his pieces from The New Yorker magazine, this ink and ink wash creation has a bizarre quirk to it. It is easy to see how the work of Addams inspired other gag cartoonists such as Gary Larson (Far Side), and Dan Piraro (Bizarro). Of note with this piece is the incredible amount of meticulous detail in the background. This man knew how to sell a joke. The piece is matted with a opening of 12" x 10.25, with the punch line hand lettered on the mat below the aperture. It is then glass front framed to 21" x 18.5". Signed with his familiar "Chas Addams" in the lower right, this is lightly toned; however in Excellent condition.  

 
Charles Addams - Single Panel Gag Comic Strip Original Art (c. 1938). The wicked sense of humor of Chas Addams delighted many of the "upstanding" readers of The New Yorker, and of any other publications that carried the genius cartoonist's work. Here is a rather Hitchcockian image that is for the Birds! It is produced in ink and ink wash on paper with a matted image area of 11.5" x 12". The punchline is hand-calligraphed in ink just below the mat aperture. Signed in the lower right, and with just light toning on the paper, this piece is in Excellent condition.