Harvey Kurtzman Original Art: Jungle Book p. 80

HARVEY KURTZMAN. Page 80 of "Compulsion on the Range" from Harvey Kurtzman's Jungle Book (1959).

Kurtzman's psychological drama parodies TV's long-running western drama, Gunsmoke. On this page Marshall Dillon has once again been shot in a duel with gunslinger Johnny Ringding [Ringo]. Great comic timing by Kurtzman. Jungle Book was the first paperback of original comics, one of the very first graphic novels, and a rare solo effort by Kurtzman. It is regarded as one of the best works in his distinguished career. (Note: page numbers are from the Kitchen Sink Press edition, not the original Ballantine paperback.)

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

Size/medium/condition/price: Drawn with pen & brush in India ink with wash tones on a blue-lined bristol board adhered to a backer sheet. The board measures 6 3/4" wide x nearly 12" high. The actual image area is 5 1/4" x 9 1/4". There is some white-out where Kurtzman made corrections, particularly around the voice balloons. As can be seen in the full scan, the border outside the image area contains registration marks, page number, printer's penciled notations, and glue stains where the backer sheet overlaps the bristol board near the top. Such minor flaws exist on every Jungle Book original to a greater or lesser degree. The border extranea can be easily eliminated from view by matting the original. Comes with the original hand-cut red mask acetate overlay (not pictured here). This is an exquisitely rendered original by --indisputably-- one of the greatest cartoonists of all time.