Number 4

As a P.S. to my recent blog with the Basil Wolverton story, I'm adding this. The two issues of Graphic Story Magazine, #'s 12 and 14, that came out in 1970-71, were what opened my eyes to Wolverton's diversity as a cartoonist. Bill Spicer, the editor/publisher of Graphic Story Magazine, collected material from diverse places and people, and led to my understanding of Wolverton as both a respected cartoonist and also as a cult figure.

At the time of publication of the two issues of GSM Wolverton hadn't yet suffered his stroke and was creating covers for Plop!, a comic from DC, subtitled "The Magazine Of Weird Humor." Not too much of Plop! was all that humorous, weird or otherwise, but Basil's covers showed he was still as weird as ever, and as funny.

The two covers of Graphic Story Magazine show how much alike and how apart his art styles could be. They are both grotesque depictions of humans, but one is funny and how is gruesomely grim. That was Wolverton, and his work was instantly recognizable, no matter what genre he was drawing in at the moment.

For full-size image click here.

For a full-size image click here.