Thrift Store Finds

Every now and then...I get lucky and find something good at the local thrift stores here in Long Beach. Well, last night was one of those times. I was going through the local Salvation Army when I saw 2...what appeared to be framed pictures in a basket. Upon closer inspection...I discovered that there were actually 2 hand drawn cartoon illustrations done in pencil. I really couldn't make out the signatures...and there was no date on either.

I paid the princely sum of $10 for the both of them and headed home. I examined them further and noticed both were professionally mounted and framed with matting and that both had same gallery sticker on the back.
The first drawing was of a cartoonish stork with a long neck and a small frog sitting on his bill. The words "Every problem can be looked in the eye" were written off to the right. I examined the signature closely and it appeared to say, Thurmen. I could find nothing under this name of the web.

The next drawing was larger and a panel showing a small, but happy bear, finding a small airplane...and eventually flying it. It consisted of 4 separate bear drawings within that panel. Written off to the right was the words "for the boys". And under his signature was written "flight to Finland". I studied this signature for some time when it finally dawned on me what it was. I punched in the name on Google...and bingo! I found a ton of information on this artist.

His name is Phil Mendez, and I discovered that he was the first black man to be hired for Disney Animation Studios back in 1969. He also worked for many years at Hanna-Barbera and had his own company. He is quite famous. I searched the web for some examples of his work and soon found some. The signatures were the same...so I knew these were from him. I did some more checking and discovered that he had an active email address. I wrote him about the drawings last night. Low and behold...today I get an email from him and he remembered both drawings and of whom they were given to. That's the provenence I was looking for...verification that they were authentic.

One of my best finds yet. Mr. Mendez has done work on a number of animated films over the years...Disney's animated Robin Hood, The secret of NIMH 2, and Clifford the Big Red Dog movie...to name a few. Each work is probably worth several hundred dollars at least...not a bad return on 10 bucks!

A happy Easter indeed.