Jack Davis: "Commercial Folk Artist"

After last week's look at the work of Lynd Ward, my good pal Bill Peckmann sent a note:

"It would be fun to do a book or list of artists with Lynd Ward's sensitivities and sympathies. Like we talked about, Thomas Hart Benton, Grant Wood, Al Dorne, Norman Rockwell, Bill Peet, Jack Davis, John Severin - I'm sure there's a host of SEP guys I'm not even thinking of - they all just had a reality about their work with people and places, they made you feel like you were looking at the "real deal", I just love 'em all!"

To illustrate his point, Bill inundated me with scans of gorgeous 1960s artwork by the one and only, Jack Davis.



Some pages from this book were reproduced not long ago in a spectacular new Jack Davis collection from Fantagraphics, but not the double page spreads which Bill sent.



Bill wrote, "I don't know what it is, but I find these DP's more intriguing than the single page illo's that Fantagraphics ran. It also seems like Jack had more fun with these, the DP's might not have had all of the editorial dictates that the one pagers had."



"IMHO," Bill declared, "Mr.Davis might be THE BEST commercial folk artist of all time!"



With that, here's the rest of the scans from Bill - for your consideration and, I have no doubt, viewing pleasure.

































Many thanks to Bill Peckmann for starting this week off with a bang! Fellow fans (and those just discovering the master's work) be sure to look for Fantagraphics soon-to-be reprinted collection, Jack Davis: Drawing American Pop Culture - A Career Retrospective