Another Legend Passes, Goodbye Bill “Chicken Fat” Elder
This is so weird. Just yesterday Uncle E and I were talking about the pioneers of comic illustration and Unc loaned me a reprint of Mad #1 which I used to immediately scan the splash pages from the enclosed stories (see above.) It turns out that one of the masters we were praising was the brilliant Will Elder. Mr. Elder has inspired more comic artists than any man in history. Along with giants like Davis, Severin, Ingels, Kurtzman and Eisner he helped create the standard by which all future comic art would be judged.
As Uncle E and I were talking, Mr. Elder passed away at age 86.
My condolences to his family and legion of fans. R.I.P. Bill “Chicken Fat” Elder.
May 16, 2008 at 6:08 pm
Wow, that is eerie. I have been a fan ever since I saw a reprint of his famous cover for Mad Magazine (then a comic) back in, I think, 1974 or 5. The illustration Phil shows above is a great example of his skill as an artist.
He will be missed. If anyone wants to learn more about Elder I would recommend the wonderful retrospective “The Mad Playboy Of Art”.
RIP