Michael Gross recently put up an online portfolio of his work. As expected, it includes covers he designed during his years as art director of National Lampoon, his work at Esquire, in the movies (including his famous Ghostbusters logo design), and as an illustrator. Less well known are his paintings and photographs (note: some of the photos are not “work safe”). I was particularly taken with his “places” photographs. Just amazing. Update: Michael died in 2015 and his portfolio site is gone now. But I’ve replaced all the links thanks to the Wayback Machine archives so you can still access his site that way. His Facebook page still exists, and has more of his work.

National Lampoon‘s original art director Peter Bramley has died at the age of 60. Peter and fellow Massachusetts College of Art graduate Bill Skurski co-founded Cloud Studio in 1967. Cloud Studio was hired by National Lampoon to produce the magazine during its first year. He created the “duck” mascot that debuted on the cover of the first issue and was used for a while in the magazine, and did a perfect Peter Max parody on the cover of the second issue. After Michael Gross replaced him as art director with issue number 8, Bramley continued to contribute illustrations and cartoons to the magazine through the mid-seventies. Among his classic pieces were “Sextraterrestrials” and “Toilets of the Extraterrestrials” (both written by Henry Beard), and the recurring comic strip “Vinny Shinblind, The Invisible Sex Maniac.” (Some of these can be seen on the official NatLamp website here.)

Just last summer I received a brief email from Peter which he closed with, “…give my regards to all the little Lampoonatics. Vaya con carne, Pete.” R.I.P.

Peter’s Obituary in The Boston Globe

Profile of Peter by Steven Heller in the New York Times (from the archives–fee required to view. Alternate link.)

Tribute on the official National Lampoon site

Update: Sadly, except for the NYT obit, most of these links have died as well.

“Hugo Flesch” is not a pseudonym used by Henry Beard, as I previously stated on Beard’s bio page. Hugo Flesch is a real and talented writer who wrote a number of very funny articles for National Lampoon (sometimes collaborating with Beard) including such classics as “Chums In the Dark,” “Printout: The Magazine Written by Computers for Computers,” and “Does the Name Pavlov Ring a Bell?” I based my erroneous assertion on some admittedly thin circumstantial evidence in the way certain articles in the magazine were credited. It’s not my habit to make such bold, baseless assertions, but in this case, that’s exactly what I did. My apologies to Hugo, and also to his sister Abigail who was understandably upset and brought this to my attention.

Better known as the National Lampoon Sunday Newspaper Parody, The Dacron Republican-Democrat has been reissued in book form. One of the funniest publications to come out of NatLampCo, this follow-up to the equally funny and phenomenally successful National Lampoon 1964 High School Yearbook Parody was first published in 1978. It was printed on real newsprint and assembled like a real newspaper (although smaller in size than the real thing) with a cover date of February 12, 1978. Fictional Dacron, Ohio was also the home of C. Estes Kefauver High School (of the yearbook parody) and there are many references to people and places from the earlier work.

Includes things like a full-color comics section, the Swillmart advertising supplement, Pomade and Sunday Week “magazine” supplements, and endless side-splitting ad parodies.

The hardcover reprint is printed about the same size, but on glossy white paper instead of newsprint. It’s still rolling-on-the-floor funny, but who ever heard of a glossy newspaper? Weird.

Norman Rose, the voice-over announcer who appeared on the National Lampoon Radio Dinner LP (doing the Lorne Greene part on “Deteriorata” among other things) and the National Lampoon Radio Hour, died on November 12 at the age of 87. (Obit)

A number of classic National Lampoon Radio Hour shows (see listings here) are scheduled to become available for download October 1 at Audible.com, one show per week. This is just over a year’s worth, so $44.95 for a one year subscription to the service would be the best deal if you want to hear all of them. (Otherwise, it’s $4.95 a show.)

In related news, Uproar Entertainment has released a “best of” collection from the new National Lampoon Radio Hour (starring Richard Belzer) which should be in stores this week and has already been nominated for a Grammy. Update: I’ve updated the Uproar link with a Wayback Machine archive, but don’t try to order the collection. It appears to be out of print.

Former NatLamp art director Michael Gross has entered the adult entertainment business. According to Gross, he and David Kaestle (his co-art director at National Lampoon) were working on a magazine proposal that would approach sex in a way Eros magazine did in the ’60s, but with an updated, more in-your-face, 2004 approach. The internet changed all that and instead he has launched an online adult e-zine. “Some would call it porn,” says Gross, “and, yes, I guess it is. But it reflects a love of the subject for me and I think it is smarter than the average adult site (not to mention funnier). After all, I was the one who added much of the sexiest visuals and art (in particular, comics) to the National Lampoon. My first former NatLamp contributor to the site is Randy Enos, and several other NatLamp artists and writers have agreed to come on board as well.” His site is called Mikey and Mandy’s Most Original Porn Emporium (www.mikeyandmandy.com). Enter at your own risk, and don’t even look unless you are over 18. Update: Although the site still exists, it seems to be defunct. Michael died in 2015 so I don’t know who is running it, assuming someone is running it.

Most familiar to National Lampoon fans as the voice of the game show host on Radio Dinner’s “Catch It and You Keep It,” Jackson Beck passed away recently. (Thanks to reader Rich Drees for the tip. Rich has posted a rememberence on his site.)

According to National Lampoon Radio Hour producer Alan Donnes, the entire library of classic NLRH shows will be available via subscription download on Audible.com within two months. After all these years, I will finally have an answer for the hundreds of people who have emailed me over the years looking for “The Mad Vandal” and dozens of other bits from the show.

This looks promising: www.nationallampoonstore.com. Grand opening is August 1. Update: Dead as a doornail.