The late cartoonist Al Kilgore is perhaps best remembered for being a founding member and guiding spirit of The Sons of the Desert, the Laurel and Hardy appreciation society. (He named the group and designed its delightful escutcheon.) But from 1962 to 1965 or thereabouts, he did something at least as interesting–he drew the unsuccessful, little-remembered Bullwinkle newspaper strip.
From what I’ve seen of the strip–which isn’t all that much–it deserves to have been successful and well-remembered. Kilgore’s work was simultaneously very true to the Ward sensibility and had its own distinctive personality; Mark Kausler has said that his drawings of the Bullwinkle characters were the best ones ever done, and I tend to agree.
Kilgore didn’t live to a ripe old age, and most of the non-Bullwinkle work he did that I know of is even more obscure, and less worthy of his skills. Which is a shame, since he was clearly a very talented guy.
Anyhow, I’m tickled to report that I recently bought something I’d never seen for sale before–a Kilgore Bullwinkle original. And one that shows Bullwinkle lounging about with Liz Taylor, no less. Here it is for your enjoyment–in both small, horizontal form and an oversized vertical one that shows off Kilgore’s penwork to better advantage. Amazingly enough, I haven’t located a single other example of Kilgore Bullwinkle on the Web.
Thanks for remembering one of my favorite artists.
Al Kilgore also drew the first issue of Gold Key’s
ROCKY & HIS FIENDISH FRIENDS comic book (his style
is unmistakable).
This is great. Al Kilgore was a fine artist who sadly isn’t with us anymore. He also designed and drew the “escucheon” for the international Laurel and Hardy appreciation society, The Sons of the Desert (named after one of their films). He also made some nice drawings of Stan Laurel and Oliver Hardy, and is fondly remembered by many L&H fans. Thank you for sharing this comic strip on your blog. If you have any more examples of Mr. Kilgore’s work, please post them.