Monday, April 26, 2010

Steve Mellor

Steve writes:

It is really cool to see all my work on the Spider-Ham backup stories in one place. It makes me wish they'd publish a collection. Interesting also to see the style/technique progression from Goose Rider to Secret Furs. Just when I felt I was getting in a groove, Marvel cancelled the book. You can find puzzle illustrations I did in old Games Magazines and a one shot I did called Rock Lobster in a publication called Pure Entertainment put out by a guy named Pete Friedrich (probably impossible to track down). There is a Spider-Ham article in a recent issue of Back Issue, so between that and this, it is nice to be rediscovered. Thanks for posting my stuff! Steve Mellor


Thank you, Steve, for the wonderful comics. They really create this perfect cartoon world- I wish I could live in them! Very inspirational.

Let Steve know how much you love his comics!

S.

Steve adds:

Thanks for all the nice comments. My career in comic books was pretty brief. I never made a lot of money at it and being self-taught I was frequently frustrated by my own limitations. Being appreciated 25 years later (yikes!) and finding out that my work actually influenced and inspired other cartoonists makes me realize it was all worthwhile. Cartooning at its best can be one of the most personal of art forms. Like most of the things I've done in my Iife, I fell into and out of professional cartooning and maybe one of these days I'll actually get paid to do it again. But if not, it's nice to know I made a small mark in the field. Thanks again and keep on making and enjoying funny little drawings. Steve Mellor


25 comments:

ComiCrazys said...

WOW! STEVE LIVES!!!

Like everyone here, I grew up loving your comics. You did create the perfect alternate universe that parodied but did not mock the cherished heroes of my yout'.

And I completely agree and am also saddened that a collection of your comics was never made. Thanks to Shane, I have all of these downloaded and am sharing them with my six-year old son.

What are you doing now? Still drawing I hope.

All the best to you, Steve. =)

RooniMan said...

Wow! I didn't know he was still alive. Mr. Mellor, your comics and work are a tour de force of cartooniness galore.

negrofrankenstein said...

Like I said before, Steve was a big influence on me. I contacted him in 93 trying to buy original art, but he didn't have any to sell. It's all good though because I think his work lives on in the influence!

Afro Monkey said...

Mr. Mellor, you are a true genious! thanks a lot for the work you did with those comics, its a real inspiration for us cartoonists!!

diceciper said...

Its been fun for I havent seen any of this stuff in a long while. Thanks for the memories.

al_frank2000 said...

Shane, don't forget to scan the "Rule the School" game Mellor did for the Crazy Super special!

Jack G. said...

I should add the Mr Mellor's work in Marvel Tails is what inspired me to stick with cartooning.

Brad said...

Awesome! When I was a wee lad and I only had enough money for 1 comic I always chose spiderHAM over spiderMAN! Thanks Steve!

dylan sparkplug said...

SO much amazing stuff. Thank you Steve, you rule!

dave said...

Steve Mellor, you're a cartooning genius.

When I was very young I filled up sketch books and reams of computer paper with drawings inspired by you. The style was so deceptively difficult yet simple in appearance. Getting anything close to resembling an expression or shoe was like self medicating an opiate.
I, too, would happily buy spiderham over a spiderman comic. They were harder to find here in Oz, had more wit and satire and most importantly, they had the Mellor seal of quality! There definitely needs to be a collected volume of the work and you needs to have a proper web page portfolio to flaunt your talents.

I think it's safe to say if you've not got any art to sell then now's the time to start doing some, Steve!
Thanks for everything!

Barbara said...

Thanks for all the nice comments. My career in comic books was pretty brief. I never made a lot of money at it and being self-taught I was frequently frustrated by my own limitations. Being appreciated 25 years later (yikes!) and finding out that my work actually influenced and inspired other cartoonists makes me realize it was all worthwhile. Cartooning at its best can be one of the most personal of art forms. Like most of the things I've done in my Iife, I fell into and out of professional cartooning and maybe one of these days I'll actually get paid to do it again. But if not, it's nice to know I made a small mark in the field. Thanks again and keep on making and enjoying funny little drawings. Steve Mellor

Eric Hoff said...

WOW! Finally a word from Steve Mellor after all these years! I have looked for you on the internet numerous times over the years. Your art was and is still a huge influence on me as a cartoonist. It is one of the most simply perfect and expressive styles I have ever seen. I loved Kinetic Kids as a kid, and recently bought a couple of Crazy magazines off of ebay just for your artwork! I still use your artwork from both Crazy and Spider Ham as a reference, but no one will ever do it as well as you! I would LOVE to see some of your current work, and by current I mean anything since 1986:). You should put up a blog or post some work somewhere for your fans to see. Thanks for your contribution to cartooning!

Jason Armadillo said...

I was so happy to find this blog discussing the great Steve Mellor! His work in "Spider-Ham" was my favorite part of those books. I always wondered what happened to him!

Here's a link to some Mellor art that I imagine not too many people have seen. I cut these pictures out of the Sunday paper back in the 80's and recently ran across them. I scanned them and cleaned them up in Photoshop a little.

cartoonretro said...

Thanks, Jason- cool drawings.
S.

Tyler B said...

I too have vainly searched the net for info about Mr. Mellor in the past. Today I did another search and lo and behold: a couple of messages from the master himself!! When I was a kid I had the comics with Goose Rider and X-bugs in the back and though I can't remember what ran in the front of those books, Mellor's work has stayed with me, very strongly. "Action as only Mellor can deliver it!" indeed. I guess what I'm saying is that Steve Mellor's work has meant alot to me. He's one of a kind. Not knowing you or what else you've done or what you're up to now, I've got to say that I think you were born for cartooning, Steve. I'm very, very sorry to hear that you couldn't make a go of it.

ETK said...

I've Loved Steve's work for a long time and find myself constantly going back to it. I have a special affinity for Goose Rider, I love the iconic character design and simple beauty of every panel. I was looking for more Mellor.

Jason Armadillo said...

Here's a PDF of Steve's comic "Rock Lobster" from Pure Entertainment - Fall/Winter 1983. I just happened to have that book and figured everyone here would enjoy seeing his work from that issue.

http://www.mediafire.com/?ilnf914qocbed93

Shane, please ask Steve if he has any of his originals left from his comic book days. He should have an exhibit at the CAM or somewhere! Hell, I would buy some of his original work! Steve, do some more comics, dammit!

Jason Armadillo said...
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Jason Armadillo said...
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Jason Armadillo said...

Okay, FOURTH attempt at posting a link. This one's the real deal, I promise!

Steve Mellor's "Rock Lobster"

Stephen said...

I can't believe someone found Rock Lobster! I haven't seen it in years and have so far been unable to find where I stored the original pages.It was done back in the days of zipatone which in this digital age I don't think you can buy anymore. The all bold face word balloons crack me up. I guess I was saying that the comic was meant to be read LOUD! I remember that right after it was published I wanted to redo a couple of panels and basically the whole final page but now I'm not so sure about that. All those background funny animal girls are so 80's. Thanks for putting it out there. Steve Mellor

Jason Armadillo said...

Yep, zipatone is extinct. Too bad really, I loved that stuff. And me don't know how to recreate that look in Photoshop! I suppose it can be done...

Steve, did you do any other one-shots like Rock Lobster that might be out there somewhere?

Stephen said...

No comics. I wrote an episode for Ren and Stimpy called "Jerry the Belly Button Elf" for which I also designed the character of Jerry and wrote the song "Climb Inside My World." I also storyboarded a short for that show called "Flod" which sticks pretty closely to my original drawings and that I also did the voiceover for. All thanks to Bob Camp. The first thing I did at Marvel was a piece Larry Hama bought for Crazy called "When Turkeys Ruled the Earth." After Marvel I freelanced for Rick Stark at Family Weekly and Games Magazine (which still reprints some of my work now and then) and I believe you might still find some of my stuff on the Puzzability website. Steve Mellor

Unknown said...

I loved the Kinetic Kids from Crazy Magazine #86 (May 1982). That would be one of my favorite issues (also the first issue of Crazy I ever got) featuring them..It inspired my 7 year old mind to continue to draw. Every issue of Crazy was awesome for your drawings. Thank you for your time drawing. The world still appreciates your work!!