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| You Call This Art? A Greg Irons Retrospective | 
 enlarge | Authors: Patrick Rosenkranz, Greg Irons
Publisher: Fantagraphics Books
Category: Book
List Price: $29.95
Buy New: $15.78
You Save: $14.17 (47%)
New (17) Used (4) from $14.98
Avg. Customer Rating:  4 reviews
Sales Rank: 607496
Media: Paperback
Edition: 1st Fantagraphics Books Ed
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 288
Shipping Weight (lbs): 2.3
Dimensions (in): 9.9 x 7.8 x 0.8
ISBN: 156097754X
Dewey Decimal Number: 741.6092
EAN: 9781560977544
ASIN: 156097754X
Publication Date: August 30, 2006
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Product Description
The first-ever collection of one of the underground's greatest art rebels.
If he were alive today, he'd be a superstar. He was that good. But Greg Irons died just as his star was rising. He was only 37 years old when a speeding bus on a busy Bangkok street killed him in 1984. Irons was a psychedelic poster artist, an underground cartoonist, a book illustrator, and an emerging tattoo virtuoso who brought a new sensibility to an age-old art form.
This retrospective book spans his whole artistic career, from his earliest dance posters, to his ground breaking science fiction and horror comix, to his innovative and colorful tattoo art. Greg Irons was one of the elite among posters artists who worked for Bill Graham's Fillmore Ballroom in San Francisco during the Age of Aquarius, designing posters for Chuck Berry, Jefferson Airplane, Big Brother, and Paul Butterfield. You Call This Art?! reprints his finest psychedelic posters in full-color, as well as complete comic stories from Slow Death Funnies, Legion of Charlies, Deviant Slice, Yellow Dog, Thrilling Murder, and many other underground comic books. It also includes rarely seen album cover art for Jerry Garcia, Blue Cheer, Jefferson Starship and other counterculture musicians. Irons had a third career as an illustrator of children's coloring books, and pages from books including One Old Oxford Ox, Last of the Dinosaurs, Pirates, and Wyf of Bathe appear as well. Many examples of his tattoo art are also included.
Think you've seen it all already? Not a chance. This book reproduces not only his greatest artistic hits, but also never-before-seen pages from his private sketchbooks and journals, personal photographs, unpublished paintings, and works that appeared in obscure publications, like the San Francisco Organ, which published the lurid story that Mick Jagger tried to suppress.
This panoramic collection of superlative art is framed by Patrick Rosenkranz's extensive portrait of the artist, based on personal interviews with Irons, his friends, lovers, and colleagues. A candid and revealing depiction of a gifted artist who never abandoned the counterculture. An intimate expose of the all-too-human being behind some of the most revolutionary art in the underground.
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| Customer Reviews:
Fantastic Overview, Gigantic Talent August 18, 2007
16 out of 16 found this review helpful
In the Summer of 1974, Back in my "Starvin' Artist Daze", I had been working on 30 Pages of Comix Art for months. One August morning, I gathered up my Guts and Drove To Berkeley, and The Print Mint. Shaking like a Leaf, I walk into The Folger Ave. Office. Inside is Bob DeRita, The Owner, at his desk talking to a Lanky Young Guy with an Long, Long Blonde Hair and a Scruffy Beard. He's calling him Greg, I have walked in to the office right in the Middle of an Pay Dispute. DeRita, is not in a Good Mood (To say the least!) and Croaks: "Well, Whatta You Want"??? Well, by now I'm about to lose Breakfast, Right in The Print Mint Office, and Silently shove my Art at him. He looks it over (Quickly) and gives it back. "Two Words, Kid... Art School" was his reply. I'm lookin' at the Door, when the Other guy, Greg, say's: "Hey Man, Let me see your Stuff". At this Point I'm ready to Crawl under a rock and Die, But, I gave this Friendly Stranger my Art, kinda hoping he was the Owner of The Rip-Off Press. He looks it over for Many long minutes (Seemed like hours) and gently hands my Art back. Greg, tells me: "You are Good Man, But, you are readin' too Much Crumb, and you are trying to draw Crumb", (He had me Cold)..."But, I see a liitle of my Stuff in your Work as well". "Your Work?" I whispered. "Yeah", he continued, "Slow Death & Deviant Slice". Now, I Knew who this was, Greg Irons was Checking my Work.
Now, it's summer of 2007 and I'm readin' this Great Book, "You Call This Art?! and it's a Fitting Tribute to an Amazing Artist. Lot's of his Comic Art is in here, Many of The Filmore West Posters as well & lot's of his Tattoo Art. I had no idea that Greg had done Illustrations for Children's Books, but, they are here as well. I Own many Books about the Underground Greats...Crumb, Shelton, S. Clay, etc. BUT, "You Call This Art", is one of the Finest Publications I have seen in years, I learned a lot about the Man, as well as the Artist by reading this one.
Looking, Now at Greg's work, Three Decade's on, it's even better than I remember it way back from The Early 70's. There is a lot in that Art, You will see the EC influence, that he grew up with and he Brought that Love of Great Horror into the Underground for us to enjoy. This Book brings me Right back to that time Long Ago. Times have Changed, The Underground Comix Business is Kaput, and Greg is Gone as well.
Oh, Yeah...I attended some Art Classes, and my Comics ARE in print in a Small Mountian Newspaper in South Lake Tahoe, Ca. Greg, was a Good Guy and FANTASTIC ARTIST...This Book tells his Story with Ton's of his Wonderful Art...FIVE STARS.
Hell Yes I Call This ART!!! September 5, 2006
12 out of 12 found this review helpful
This is the book I've been waiting for, and now I can retire all my old Greg Irons undergrounds to bags and boxes and display this volume proudly on my shelf, and have it at easy access for constant consultation. About the only thing I don't like about this book is the weird day-glo cover design. For some reason it almost makes the book look like an advance copy, as it appears unfinished. Aside from that I couldn't love this book more. Mr. Rosencrantz is generous in his biographical details, family photos, snapshots and art from every phase of Mr. Irons' too short career. This book is well worth every penny it costs, and so few books are these days. If you have an interest in anything from old San Francisco Rock posters, to underground comix, to record album design to book illustration to tattoo art....This is the book for you!!! Can't recommend this book highly enough!!!!
A retrospective not to be missed! December 14, 2006
11 out of 11 found this review helpful
Cartoonist Greg Irons was killed in 1984 at age 37 by a bus in Thailand so he never received the recognition he could've achieved over the decades, but YOU CALL THIS ART?! Provides a fine collection of his entire works; from the rock posters he designed for Bill Graham to his graphic comics and examples from his children's illustration and tattoo art work. The blend of black and white and color reproductions accompanies a survey of Irons' life, talents and achievements in a retrospective not to be missed!
Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch
Fine retrospective of a life ended too early July 17, 2008
The work and personal story of a genius who's life was cut short, yet he left a legacy of artwork beyond what many could have achieved in twice the amount of time. A facinating read and inspiring illustrations.
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