Other Half; Sons of Champlin; Mouse, Stanley; Kelley, Alton

Original Concert Poster: Other Half, Sons of Champlin (November 10-11, 1967)

San Francisco, CA: Family Dog Productions, 1967. First Edition. Single Sheet. A poster (appx. 13" x 22&1/2") announcing a series of two concerts headlined by the Other Half, along with the Sons of Champlin, at a venue in Denver, Colorado identified only by its address, "1601 W(est) Evans (Street)," during November 10-11, 1967. Per King, the artworks & graphics reproduced here were created by the acclaimed American artist Stanley Mouse (b. Stanley George Miller, 1940), in collaboration with the noted American poster & album cover artist Alton Kelley (1940-2008, known as "Kelley")- though no reference to Mouse, Kelley &/or Mouse Studios appears present to us (see image). Credited for "Lights" is the "Diogenes L(antern) W(orks)," named after the lantern-bearing ancient Greek Cynicism-founding philosopher, of which we have not been able to obtain information. According to the Talmudic scholarship we have consulted regarding this poster, it is a first-&-only printing. King, FD-D11-OP-1, pg. 209. King writes: "The central image is an early drawing of the character who eventually was developed into Alfred E. Newman (sic, usually spelled "Neuman"), the logo of Mad Magazine. On the left is a mushroom cloud from a nuclear explosion, and on the right is an ordinary mushroom. If there was any one element of the '50s that foreshadowed the subversive counterculture of the '60s, it was Mad Magazine. All the psychedelic poster artists had read it and had been influenced by it, and it is appropriate that Alfred E. Newman be given his due homage in the form of an appearance on a poster for a San francisco (-style) psychedelic rock concert." (pg. 209) With due respect to King, & while we certainly acknowledge the importance of Mad Magazine (a childhood favorite of this writer) as an inspiration for the 1960s counterculture, we note that the lives & works of the Beat Generation writers were quite more of an influence, & bridge, between the 1950s & 1960s. A wonderful exemplar of the Mouse-Kelley psychedelic style from the autumn following the "Summer of Love" in its singularly rarest contemporary form. From the collection of Dion Wright (b. 1937), a most Highly (wink) respected artiste & sculptor who was at the center of the scene that produced this & the many other outstanding posters that symbolize a fabled time & (in this case near-) place (see Wright's memoir, Tempus Fugitive, item No. 5916). In our sharp-eyed & seasoned estimation, this poster is in relatively near-fine-veering-toward-fine condition, & priced accordingly, with mild rubbing, browning, creasing & areas of slight waving at mostly blank white outer margins/edges; mild wear, some tiny bumps, creases & a few short, closed tears at edges & corners esp. upper edge. The entire printed recto central image appears mostly bright & with only some very light rubbing esp. at gold-colored areas. this item is too delicate to be rolled & must be shipped flat to assure no damage, therefore extra shipping costs will be required. Near Fine- Fine. [Item #6147]

Price: $150.00