The Mad Peck’s Influences
John Peck wasn’t prone to detailing those who influenced him in his creative life, so it can take a bit of archeological excavation and (hopefully) learned assumptions to make a determination or two. Still, there can be no doubt that cartoonist Matt Baker, widely viewed as among the very best “good girl” artists in comics — particularly in the romance genre — is a Peck favorite. Robert Crumb, perhaps the greatest of all the underground cartoonists, certainly made an impact on Peck at a formative time (and it’s important to note that Peck and Crumb exchanged letters in the early years of comix. Perhaps more speculative is to call Walt Disney and Andy Warhol direct influences on Peck, but it’s a fair bet that their respective impact on popular culture earned respect, maybe grudging, (if not a little envy) from The Mad Peck.
MATT BAKER: Clarence Matthew Baker (Dec. 10, 1921 – Aug. 11, 1959) was an American comic book artist and illustrator, best known for drawing early comics heroines such as the costumed crimefighter Phantom Lady, and romance comics. Active in the 1940s and 1950s Golden Age of comic books, he is one of the first known African-American artists to find success in the comic-book industry. He also penciled St. John Publications' digest-sized "picture novel" It Rhymes with Lust (1950), the first graphic novel despite that term not having been coined at the time.
R. CRUMB: Robert Dennis Crumb ( born August 30, 1943) is an American artist who often signs his work simply R. Crumb. His work displays a nostalgia for American folk culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries, and satire of contemporary American culture. Crumb contributed to many of the seminal works of the underground comix movement in the 1960s, including being a founder of the first successful underground comix publication, Zap Comix, contributing to all 16 issues.
WALT DISNEY: Walter Elias Disney (December 5, 1901 – December 15, 1966) was an American animator, film producer, voice actor, and entrepreneur. A pioneer of the American animation industry, he introduced several developments in the production of cartoons. As a film producer, he holds the record for most Academy Awards earned (22) and nominations (59) by an individual. among other honors. Several of his films are included in the National Film Registry by the Library of Congress and have also been named as some of the greatest films ever by the American Film Institute.
ANDY WARHOL: Andrew Warhola Jr. (August 6, 1928 – February 22, 1987) was an American visual artist, film director and producer. A leading figure in the pop art movement, Warhol is generally considered among the most important American artists of the second half of the 20th century. His works explore the relationship between artistic expression, advertising, and celebrity culture that flourished by the 1960s, and span a variety of media, including painting, sculpture, photography, and filmmaking.