Elder & Kurtzman Original Art: Goodman Gets Gun p.151

HARVEY KURTZMAN & WILL ELDER. Page 151,"Goodman Gets a Gun" episode (1962) in Goodman Beaver.

This is one of five hilarious G.B. stories that Kurtzman & Elder created for Help! magazine in the early '60s before Goodman morphed into "Little Annie Fanny" for Playboy. On this page Goodman thinks his "Marlon Brando personality" has won him newfound respect among his friends (including Elizabeth Taylor in her Cleopatra hair-do). In actuality, his friends have just become aware that Goodman is packing a gun. (Note: page numbers are from the Kitchen Sink Press collection, not an original Help! appearance or the MacFadden paperback, Executive Comic Book.)

Provenance: From the estate of Harvey Kurtzman. Comes with a letter of authenticity upon request.

Size/medium/condition/price: Written by Kurtzman. Drawn by Elder based on pencil layouts by Kurtzman. Pen, brush and ink on heavy illustration board. Board measures 8" wide x 9 3/8" high. Actual image is 6 5/8" x 6". The "original" lettering on all Goodman Beaver art consists of photostats glued to the board with forty year-old rubber cement. Some light staining is visible on most Goodman lettering. There are four words on this page missing from the first word balloon along with the last half of the final word "confidence" in the right balloon. (These words could be replaced by photocopies from the Goodman Beaver collection.) There is white tape running under the artwork, registration marks, and printer's handwritten notations outside the image area. All Goodman Beaver originals have these minor flaws to a lesser or greater degree. These can be easily eliminated from view by matting the original. The original comes with the removable acetate overlay with certain areas blocked in by Elder in red marker. (The red areas were shot by the printer and converted to a 30% "screen," then "double-burned" on to the line art on the film negatives to create the gray tone areas on the published panels.) Exquisite pen and ink work by Elder from the self-described "funniest" work this famous team ever created.