Drew Friedman is the great portrait artist of our time. He's always had an interest in the eccentric and the oddball, focusing on D-list celebrities like Swedish professional wrestler and actor Tor Johnson and late night monster movie hostess Vampira.
His Old Jewish Comedians trio of books is a tribute to Jewish funnymen (and a few funnywomen) born before 1930.
You might think that exaggerated liver spots, bulging eyeballs, sweat-glistened foreheads, and sagging flesh would be insulting to the well-known and obscure entertainers presented here, but they are so masterfully depicted by Friedman that they become badges of honor and humanity. These emotionally powerful books made me want to smile and cry at the same time.
See sample pages from this book at Wink.
