Inscriptions: Requested
By Rick Marschall
In the last – I should say,
rather most recent – column I wrote about Puck magazine and the Puck
Building in New York City, and I guess an over-arching theme could have been
acting on instinct, or boldness, or naivete, or… several categories of putting
myself in situations where I could gain anything from an autograph to a
collection to a lifelong friendship. I have been blessed in my associations
(the first “Crowded Life” installment, 70 weeks ago or so, lists the hundreds
of celebrities I have managed to meet)… however, in addition to luck and boldness
and mutual friends, a lot of meetings can be ascribed, simply, to living long
enough…
In truth, for all the memories
and inscriptions in books, I have many, many regrets that people I have met I
have not asked for autographs or sketches – usually not wanting to seem
like a fan boy – or photographs, a category of bitter lost chances.
After I wrote my first of
several books on country music, an encyclopedia, I brought that around to
subsequent interviews, concerts, and events; also as a credential / calling
card for another project. And I would ask singers and songwriters to inscribe
their entries. As a result, the books now has more than a hundred inscriptions
and messages from legends who have since passed on: Roy Acuff, Bill Monroe, Hank
Snow, Kitty Wells, Mac Wiseman, Tammy Wynette, Charlie Rich, Jean Shepard,
Grandpa Jones, Charlie Louvin, Phil Everly, Johnny Russell, Jan Howard, Jack
Clement, John Hartford, Jim Ed Brown, Bill Carlisle, Skeeter Davis, Wade
Mainer...
And so it was in different
fields in which I have worked, hit and miss, opportunities taken or missed. And
with cartoonists, notes and sketches when I joined or left a syndicate; moved
from an area or moved into a new house…
So I usually share, here,
clippings or personal Christmas cards, but I will share some sketches in books
or inscriptions that would not otherwise see the light of days, or lights of
day, whatever (I never did ask Strunk or White for an inscription…) I do
have mere (mere?) inscriptions – that is, good wishes and autographs,
but alas with no drawings – from some of my admired cartooners. I could have
asked, but held back. Alas: Walt Kelly; Charles Schulz; Bill Watterson; Johnny
Hart; Rube Goldberg…
But I never knew I’d be
writing these memoirs! A Crowded Life with darn few regrets, overall. I hope
you enjoy these private or personal inscriptions.
Roy Crane
George Baker
Harry Hershfield
Tony Auth – One of the
nicest guys in the world, not only the business. He also did sketches in
collection of Reagan cartoons, and another children’s book, one he did with
Chaim Potok (who also inscribed.) Tony won a Pulitzer Prize of two with his
piolitical cartoons; and drew the short-lived wonderful strip Norb.
Vittorio Giardino –
The fantastic graphic novelist, about whom I will write here one day, evoked
his erotic homage to Winsor McCay, Little Ego wrapped around the design
of a “Glamour” volume published by my late friend Antonio Vianovi.
Will Eisner – Will
drew this sketch in, I think, Erlangen, Germany, at a comics festival. The
meaning of the inscription is this: we had just laughed over the fact that we
seemed to see each other more at overseas comics fairs than in the US, and
something like two years has passed since our last meal together…
Orlando Busino – I
hope the silver ink shows here. My good and old (good ol’) Orlando made a
visual pun of my last name. I love, love, love his drawing style – who
wouldn’t?
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