« The artist must bow to the monster of his own imagination. » — Richard Wright
The legendary Jack Davis (1924-2016) casts a gigantic shadow over all things Hallowe’en, and not strictly by virtue of being a very tall fellow. In 1959, Topps released the first monster card set, a 66-card set optimistically titled You’ll Die Laughing, bearing splendid watercolour illustrations by Mr. Davis. Here’s a smattering of them — my collection remains far from complete — but you’ll get the notion.
For further samples and a sprinkling of historical perspective, check out this informative piece.
The cards backs also boasted a lovely Davis halftone illustration; the jokes, however, were not of the same calibre. Here’s one of the least underwhelming.
-RG
