Gilbert Shelton Makes Rare Austin Appearance
With great pleasure the South Austin Museum of Popular Culture announces an exhibit featuring the work of cartoonist and underground comic artist, Gilbert Shelton. He is the creator of The Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers, Fat Freddy’s Cat, Wonder Wart-Hog, and Not Quite Dead. The exhibit will be on display from March 13th through May 8th, 2010. An opening reception will be held on March 13th, starting at 7:09pm. The artist will be present. Both original art and prints will be available for sale. Don’t miss this very rare opportunity to meet Gilbert Shelton and acquire some of his artwork!
Born in 1940 in Houston, Shelton attended more than one university…completing his bachelor degree in the social sciences in 1961. Gilbert was part of the amazing group of student writers and artists that worked on the University of Texas’ humor magazine The Texas Ranger. He worked along side other budding artists and partners in crime like Tony Bell
Directly after graduating, Shelton moved to New York City and got a job editing automotive magazines where he would sneak his drawings into print. The idea for the character of Wonder Wart-Hog, a porcine parody of Superman, came to him in 1961. The following year, Shelton moved back to Texas to enroll in graduate school and get a student deferment from the draft. The first two Wonder Wart-Hog stories appeared in Bacchanal, a short-lived college humor magazine, in the spring of 1962. He then became editor of The Texas Ranger and published more Wonder Wart-Hog stories.
Around 1967 Shelton became involved with the Vulcan Gas Company, the premier psychedelic club in Austin. He created many of the clubs early posters created to advertise. In 1968 Gilbert moved to San Francisco as co-founder of Rip Off Press, along with his Austin friends Jack Jaxon and Dave Moriaty. Although he did create some music posters while in San Francisco, it was during this time period that his comic book art really took off. Rip Off Comix featured much of his comic book art. A prolific artist, he produced a huge body of work that became wildly popular. In 1991 Shelton moved to Paris, France, where he still resides.
His most recent work, in collaboration with French cartoonist Pic, is Not Quite Dead, which appeared in Rip Off Comix #25 and in five Not Quite Dead comic books. In addition to a new Wonder Wart-Hog story in Zap Comix #15 (2005), his Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers has been made into an animated film, soon to be released. Remember, no decent parking at the Museum, so please park on Collier Street and walk over to the Museum.
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Thanks SAMOPC for championing the weirdness.
Love his work. Can’t wait for the exhibit
Howdy!
Question: Will Gilbert be available for signings? If “yes” when/where & any other info appeeciated!
Molita709@gmail.com
Gilbert will be at the opening of his exhibit on March 13th and will be signing items then. He will also be with us at our booth at Flatstock 24, a poster convention at the Austin Convention Center, on March 18th in the afternoon. His new book will be available for purchase and signing and he will give an Art Talk that afternoon at 4:20pm. Free admission.
I wanna buy 3 books (christmas presents) for my older brothers who turned me on..
..hehe….to Gilbert Shelton…and signed…I will try to make the March 18th show.
and make it happen buy any way I can buy…get Gilbert to sign and pick up at SAMOPC?
Emma…help me out here…..MonstaJ
Books are sold out, including at Oat Willie’s. Planet K may have some but you should call pretty quickly. The Museum has some comic books- they’re at the Museum booth at Flatstock in the Convention Center…the Museum will have a booth there the 18th, 19th and 20th.