Monday, December 9, 2013

MEAD folders from the 90's

someone is selling my originals on ebay---and it is NOT me
http://www.ebay.com/sch/i.html?_odkw=&_dcat=551&_osacat=551&Subject=Sports%2520%2526%2520Recreation&_trksid=p2045573.m570.l1313.TR0.TRC0.XGary+Locke&_nkw=Gary+Locke&_sacat=551&_from=R40



kinda wierd

4 comments:

Bret A. Melvin said...

Dude, I hate to admit how much I'd love to own an original. Are you concerned that they're fake or are you just puzzled as to how on earth they got ahold of them?

Gary Locke said...

no----just commenting---they ( MEAD ) paid for a full buyout----so i have no recourse in the matter---it's just kinda sad---plus----i would SO do these better today than back then..........man---these are weak illustrations.

Bret A. Melvin said...

Man, I still remember these from when I was in school. Is it sad that I just bought one? Because I kinda just bought the skateboarder one (only one I could afford - gonna have to sell some plasma).

Quick story...

Back when I was going to school, we had NO money. I mean NOOOOO money. All the other kids had the fancy trapper keepers and fancy book covers. Not me, my friend, it was the ballad of brown paper. Carried my lunch to school in brown bags, had my books covered in brown grocery paper, and although my school folders weren't brown, they were the cheapest 3 prong folders you could find.

I remember going to the drug store to pick up prescriptions for my grandma and while my mom was waiting, I'd always go to the office supply aisle and absolutely DROOL over the Mead and Trapper keeper artwork (and of course I'd peruse their selection of Ziggy paraphernalia). When my Aunt bought one for me at the beginning of the school year (I think in 6th grade), I can't begin to tell you how exciting it was to finally have a cool folder like everyone else. I kid you not, I carried that thing everywhere. We were supposed to have a different folder for each subject, but I didn't care, I probably stuffed every subject I had into that folder because I thought it was so cool.

The artwork was of a screaming baseball. I don't know if it was one of yours, or Mark Fredrickson, or maybe someone whose work looked similar, but I remember just staring at that thing and trying to copy that crazy screaming baseball as many times as I could. (I probably drew it a hundred times).

So, it's probably super weird that I just bought one, but those Mead folders were one of the big reasons I wanted to learn to draw and are still one of my best memories from school. :)

I've been trying to slowly collect pieces from folks that influenced me when I was learning. I just picked up an original from Doug Tennapel recently as well (an India ink sketch he did of Earthworm Jim). It was kind of the same story with him. I'd sit down with my GamePro magazine and draw Earthworm Jim during class, so when the opportunity came up to get one, it was a huge honor. Plus he's a fellow Christian guy which is SUPER awesome. (Been on Greg Koukl's show a time or two)

Anyway, just thought I'd share the story, man. I know these goofy folders and stuff seem silly, but if I dug up my notes from middle and high school I can pretty much guarantee you they'd be filled with extreme skateboarders, heroic earthworms, and screaming baseballs. Great memories!

Stay warm!

Gary Locke said...

great story!!! that is so cool.I had norman rockwell, Jack Davis, Mort Drucker, Sam Viviano to look at...that was pretty much it. All we could get in small town middle of Kansas.