Cinema 65

Poster for a supposed Italain film company from the 1960s.

 

 

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Harvey Kurtzman’s “Help” Covers

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Lester Bester, the World’s Greatest Entertainer Part Two

Lester Bester was a comedian who had his own TV program in the late 1950’s early 60’s. It was a variety show called, “It’s the Show, With Lester Bester”. It followed the same tradition of “Your Show of Shows” etc.

He began his career as a  young kid working during the dying years of  theVaudeville, and continued honing his routine in dive bars and burlesque houses throughout the 40s and 50s.

Lester met Stubbs when he was finally lured out to Hollywood to pursue dreams of working in TV.

Lester is sort of a Woody Allen character crossed with Sid Ceasar, with a little dash of Jerry Stiller.

 

 

Lester’s sidekick was Stubbs the Cat, a woman-crazy, chain-smoking, hard-drinking alley cat in the tradition of Dean Martin. Stubbs is the “straight-man”.

 

Here are a couple pieces of memorabilia surrounding this comedy duo.

 

 Lester’s comedy album from 1958, “Shleping Over to Shmendrick” which was released two years before his TV variety show aired.

 

 

 A page from the “Stubbs the Cat” comic book.

 

 

 

 

Here’s an early version of Lester from last year:

 

 

Below are various sketches and designs focusing on the two main characters. There will be many more characters that work in an around the show. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Get Thee Some Pantaloons!

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