Steve Allen is this week’s subject. I’ve drawn him in action after the next man on the street. I’m a huge fan of Allen. Not just at his lifelong pursuit of being humourous, but for also his intellectual pursuits. As much as many of his books were about comedy and satire, he also wrote of political issues. Though he leaned left, he spent his last years trying to clean up the filth on television. He did this by being a huge part of the ‘Parents Television Council’, of which we are members. You can learn more about the P.T.C. by clicking here.

As I put this together, I’ve learned that a “Man on the Street” has died. Tom Poston played the nervous and confused street guy that Allen would interview. By the way, Bill Dana and Pat Harrington, Jr. are two that are still alive.

A note about the drawing: I learned drawing this of Allen having oddly different eyes. I know everyone’s two eyes aren’t identical. Allen’s were very different and may explain the very thick glasses he wore in later life.

Kitty Carlisle Hart passed away last week. She is best remembered for her ‘To Tell the Truth’ attendance. She was also quite the songstress and actress. I know her best for her participation in the Marx Brother’s ‘A Night at the Opera’. She fought to sing her own songs in that film and won.

Later she married the fantastic playwright Moss Hart and basically retired. Later still she became the darling of the New York social set and raised untold zillions in cash for lots of artistic groups.

I’m very sorry to see another of a more civilized time in America pass away.

Here’s my humorous illustration of Mr. Vonnegut. There’s a lot I could write here, but time’s got me. Suffice to write that a great deal of imagination, and with that creativity, is now lost.

This weeks subject is from the pop culture world, actress Jessica Alba. Reading about her, apparently she’s trying to achieve what I learned her colleague Jessica Simpson is trying to accomplish. Both are trying to shed the view that they are “sex kittens”.  Good luck to her. The media has other ideas and maybe the general population does, too. As I tried to find a photo of her I had to wade through a lot of candid swimsuit shots of her. It was actually difficult to find an actual headshot.

Next week another favorite of mine..or mind, as the case may be…HahAhAHa…ol’ Steverino, himself – Steve Allen!

 

Here is certainly one of the most humorous writers to grace the pages of many a book, a column and the like. Beyond his filmed adventures, his prose  – and the vast quantity of it – lives today on the humor shelves in many a bookstore. He has widely influenced many, including the comparable Dave Barry.

Surrounding Mr. Benchley are various books, periodicals, papers and a portrait of colleague and co-conspirator to the creation of The Algonquin Roundtable – Dorothy Parker. Of course, Mr. Benchley has handy his elixir.

Next week back into the mire of current celebrities: Jessica Alba. I wonder if she has ever been praised a hearty “Bon Mot!”.

This week’s current celebrity: Jennifer Lopez. Not much to say here. She is an assumed singer, an assumed actress and assumed interesting person. I didn’t find it of her, though. Another yawner.

Next week: I squeal from the non-bubbly to the over bubbly – writer, actor and too interesting – Robert Benchley.

I was originally going to draw Tiger Woods this week until I learned of the death of Betty hutton. She’s a big favorite of mine. Not surprisingly she was a hyperactive ball of energy who spoke her mind. She died Sunday in California at the age of 86.

I love Hutton’s energy especially the songs that became her signature. Songs like-‘Murder, He Says’, ‘Can’t Stop Talkin’ About It’ and ‘My Fickle Eye’.

Another person I admired died last week. Dorris Bobber was one of the funniest people I knew. She was also someone who contributed a great deal to Central Florida from being Mayor of the City of Edgewood, stopping an inane developer sweetheart deal called the Central Connector to keeping the symphony alive in Central Florida. I am sorry I didn’t take further advatage of spending time with her and laughing about local and national politics.

Dorris is an example of what ladies today need to strive to be. A will of iron and a terrific sense of humor. Seems most of the young ladies I see today have neither. They are far too many wrapped up in a materialtistic barometer of self-worth and no bearings of being knowledgable or contributing to their community. For some reason the excuses include being too “busy”. “Busy”, after being asked, is going to a mall. Many, many women did a lot more with their time with a lot less fifty years ago and before. The “busy” women – and men – today should be as really busy as folks once were and be better people for it.

It saddens me to see more and more people leave from a time when this country was more decent, courteous and trustworthy. There are always downsides to any period of time. We seem to face more downsides these days than up.

Here’s this week’s celebrity illustration of actress Keira Knightley.

Next week: The great Alexander Woolcott.

Here’s this week’s humorous illustration of Chico Marx of the Marx Brothers. The pronunciation is Chick-O, by the way. He was named because of his chasing the ladies (Chicks) around. Chico laso liked to chase the dice and cards around, too. This being the reason the brothers got together for their last films to help out their brother in a bit of financial distress.

Next week- Back to current celebrities: Keira Knightly.

Sheena Easton was added to the celebrity lineup to draw because I’ve been a fan for such a long time and figured I should. I drew this from a photo from around 1990. It is sans the eye makeup that made her look as most remember her to look like. Nevertheless, I placed her in ’80s clothing. This costume is very much like the outfit she wore for the cover of her album,’Best Kept Secret’. Of course, you all already knew that! 😉

Next week: Sandra pulled the name of Chico (Pronounced- Chick-O) Marx of the Marx Brothers. This’ll be fun!

I first became aware of Jerry Lewis when local station Channel 9 would play Lewis and Martin’s films when I was about 8 in the early ’70s. I got to see more when CBS would play more Martin and Lewis films at 11:30pm. It made me tired at school, but what an education I got! I learned about humor, slapstick, singing and great morals and values that I worked on then and still do today to emulate.