Thursday, July 26
4:00-5:30 The Golden and Silver Age of Comics—Comic-Con has a long tradition of seeking out talent from the early years of comics, and this year is no exception. Along with comics stalwarts Dick Ayers, Gene Colan, and George Gladir, moderator Mark Evanier interviews first-time special guests Allen Bellman, Mel Keefer, and Lily Renée Phillips about their lives and careers in comics. Room 8
Friday, July 27
1:00-2:00 Spotlight on Mel Keefer—First-time Comic-Con special guest Mel Keefer spent most of his career in the world of newspaper syndicated comics, drawing strips such as Perry Mason, Mac Divot, and Rick O’Shay. Mark Evanier talks to Keefer about his work, including as a layout and character design artist in animation and his “starring” role as the artist behind Jack Lemmon’s cartoonist in the 1965 movie How to Murder Your Wife. Room 8
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 Beginning in the early nineteen fifties BC (Before Computers), Mel Keefer brought characters to life with the simplicity and clarity of pen and ink. With comic strips, comic books, book illustrations, advertising art, and television and film, Mel captured the times for posterity and delivered them as entertainment. His Mac Divot golf series, syndicated by the Chicago Tribune to run in 150 papers nationwide and internationally, taught us how to play golf while bringing the stories of sport stars and celebrities into our kitchens and living rooms for 22 years.
Whether sharing the challenges of the US Marines in the comic Monty Hall, or drawing Dragnet, Gene Autry, Perry Mason, Superman, Batman, Zorro, Tales of the Texas Rangers, Thorn McBride, Strange Adventures, Dale Evans, Uncle Martin the Martian, Johnny Quest, Rick O’ Shay, or The Swamp Fox, Mel’s fine detail and distinct world view gave audiences the opportunity to lose themselves in adventure, drama, and fantasy. Part of his impressive client list included, Hanna-Barbera, Disney, Filmation, Petersen Publications, Ziff-Davis Comics, DC Comics, the New York News Syndicate, Copley Syndicate, Times-Mirror, Dell Publications, and the Chicago Tribune.
This is a constanly growing collection of Mel Keefer's original art, sketches, books, etc. If you have an original or rare copy of Mel Keefer's art work and would like it displayed here, please contact Mel.
NOTE: If you are interested in purchasing some of Mel's art, please contact Mel.
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