Wednesday, January 31, 2018

My Boyhood Bedroom


These are photos I took with my new cheap, crummy polaroid camera of my boyhood bedroom in Great Neck, Long Island, (11 Gateway Drive), which I inhabited from 1966-72. I was between 11-13 when these photos were snapped in 1970-72.
Image

At that time I was mainly obsessed with comic books, old comedy TV shows and movies, MAD magazine, TOPPS trading cards and especially old horror films, which I think is clearly reflected in the photos. Like many other kids, I was also fascinated by photos of Famous Monsters of Filmland editor's Forrest J. Ackerman's "Ackermansion", featuring his obsessive collection of rare horror and science fiction mementos displayed in photo features within the magazine for all to see and envy. Those photos were clearly an influence on my early bedroom decorating skills.

Postscript:
In late 1972, my family packed up and moved to Manhattan, my bedroom was disbanded, and I can only assume, returned to normality.

Image
corner of bedroom (Danny O'Day sitting on chair)
Image
door 

Image
my drawing desk (guinea pig cage on the left)

Image
"Big Frankie"
Image
 door leading out to the hallway, a laundrey basket, and the real world

Image
magazine and comic book collection

Image
book shelf

Image
comic books




Wednesday, January 10, 2018

Life Imitates Art


Image
Life Imitates Art

I asked some of the subjects that I chose to include in my latest book of portraits "Drew Friedman's CHOSEN PEOPLE", (Fantagraphics Books), if they would be willing to pose for a photo holding up their portrait from the book.

These are the results:

Image
Jimmy Kimmel, who contributed the front cover blurb

Imageauthor Merrill Markoe, who penned the book's foreword

Image
R. Crumb (photos by Andrew Cooke)...

Image


Image
Comics artist Chris Ware, whose portrait and blurb appears on the book's back cover

Image
cartoonist Bobby London (photo by Karen Angelica)

Image
comedian/podcaster Marc Maron

Image
My younger brother, author/photographer Kipp Friedman

Image
Librarian/Specialist at Columbia University Karen Green

Image
screenwriters Scott Alexander and Larry Karaszewski

Image
Mel Brooks (photo by Scott Alexander)

Image
comedy writer/producer/podcaster Frank Santopadre

Image
Gilbert Gottfried (photo by Lily Gottfried)

Image
Houston "Deli Man" Ziggy Gruber

Image


Image
Shemp Howard
(via Thomas Vasquez)

order the book here:

https://www.amazon.com/Drew-Friedmans-Chosen-People-Friedman/dp/1683960599/ref=zg_bsnr_3825101_1?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=V4RE0T4THGCKYHHKKDPA