On any given Sunday, readers of WOM have seen in the "Apocalypse Soon" column, the satirically portentous cartoons of Ron Cobb from the pages of the LOS ANGELES FREE PRESS. The "Freep" was a politically radical weekly paper that was widely read in the 1960's and reached a circulation of almost 100,000. I would often shell out 25-cents and pull out a copy from the many newspaper boxes around town (remember those?). I always looked forward to the Cobb cartoon in each issue, and took influence from him and Robert Crumb's work in ZAP COMICS for my own drawings, where I manged to get a few of my cartoons published in "The King's Courier", my high school newspaper.
Mr. Cobb passed away in Sydney Australia on his birthday on Monday of this week from dementia. He was 83-years old. Cobb had no formal art training but he was talented enough to be hired at the age of 18 as an in-betweener for Walt Disney's animated films. He progressed as a breakdown artist for SLEEPING BEAUTY (the last Disney animated movie that used hand-drawn inked cells). This experience prepped him for his later career when he drew storyboards and designs for films such as STAR WARS, ALIEN, CONAN THE BARBARIAN (he designed the "Atlantean Sword" and the "Father's Sword"). Cobb also designed the album cover for the Jefferson Airplane's LP, "After Bathing at Baxters" (1967). During his work with the Freep, Cobb designed the now world-famous ecology logo (seen above).
He will be remembered by us monster fans for having painted several covers for FAMOUS MONSTERS OF FILMLAND, as well as LP covers for Verne Langdon's DR. DRUIDS HAUNTED SEANCE and POE WITH PIPES, narrated by John Carradine.
Ron Cobb's cartoons for the L.A. FREE PRESS during the 1960's were often politically-charged and controversial. Some of the themes resonate again today.
Be sure to check back here at WOM next Tuesday, for a complete gallery of Ron Cobb's Warren covers.
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