DEPARTMENTS

SEPTEMBER 2008 – NO. 26

Polaroid SLR 680 Camera
As indispensable as a local stat house, except when you were trying to shoot something really close up or something really far away. But what a lifesaver on those all-nighters! I grabbed this shot with a Canon S10 digital pocket camera.

Gary says HI! DRAW ME!
A "thousand poses," and apparently the possibilities are endless. From Brookhaven Creations Inc., 1967.

Tru-Point Rotary Lead Pointer
They still make them, but they're dinky little plastic hand-held sharpeners now. This baby was heavy cast metal and did double duty at preventing tracing paper from being blown off of your desk.

Electric Eraser
The electric eraser comes more under the heading of power tools, rather than art supplies. An awkward top-heavy thing. They had one at this Philadelphia studio where I worked during those Bicentennial years. It was just sitting in there in the supply cabinet, so I figured what the hell ... I'm a professional.

In about three seconds, I not only drilled through my illustration board, but kept on going right through my Alvin drawing board cover and into my wooden drawing table top. By the time I turned it off, I think it had frisbeed my illo out into the street somewhere.

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AUTHOR BIO:

Lou Brooks, artist/designer/author, has long been a hefty contributor to the iconography of our popular culture — from the pages of Playboy and The New Yorker to covers for Time and Newsweek. His top-hatted "Mr. Monopoly" logo design for Parker Brothers is known by anyone who has ever played the game — and is arguably as famous throughout the world as Mickey Mouse himself. His book, Skate Crazy, is considered to be the bible of vintage roller skating graphics, and he has recently illustrated Totally Irresponsible Science, due out this Fall from Workman Publishing. His paintings will be featured in the "Now Brow" show, opening September 20 at Wal*Art Gallery in Los Angeles. Visit Lou’s Museum of Forgotten Art Supplies (over a hundred items!) at http://www.drawger.com.