Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird (2013)
Gahan Wilson: Born Dead, Still Weird is an insightful profile of the legendary cartoonist. For over fifty years, Gahan Wilson has been known for his ghoulish, twisted visions that combine horrific elements with comedy, as well as political and ecological cartoons. His cartoons have appeared in Playboy Magazine, The New Yorker, National Lampoon, The New York Times, Colliers, and Look. Wilson sees monsters and irony in ordinary, everyday situations and turns them into explosive cartoons. The documentary takes an intimate look at Wilson's bizarre and personal inspirations, the inner workings of the cartoon world, and how his quirky creations have profoundly affected legions of fans, including some surprising celebrities.
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Like his contemporary Charles Addams, Gahan Wilson had his own unique take on things- and, like Addams, it was more often than not ghoulish. As a kid, I marveled at Wilson's almost Basil Wolvertone-like renderings (which seem ridiculously simple until you try to emulate them)- and marveled even more at the bald-faced TRUTH of most of his observations; sometimes sarcastic, sometimes poignant, but always right on the money. If you haven't leafed through a Gahan Wilson collection, I recommend (as does Lewis Black in this documentary) you do so at the first opportunity: you WON'T be disappointed. (Footnote: Wilson can be seen in the 1990 remake of George Romero's NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD as one of the zombies who crowd around the heroes as they attempt to make it to the gas pump: he reaches over another zombie to try to get at a torch-wielding Tony Todd, and then clearly RECOILS as the torch sweeps past him.)