Not Your Usual Caricature Artist: Frightfully Funny

Halloween is celebrated later this month. And not just by little kids trick-or-treating around the neighborhood for candy. It’s celebrated by our economy which, in 2015, saw Americans spending roughly $6.9 billion on costumes, decorations and, of course, the sweet stuff.

Next to Christmas, Halloween is the biggest money generating holiday on our calendar.

Welcome to the October issue of “Not Your Usual Caricature Artist” from Caricatures by Joel.

Horror movies are a big part of the “fun” during this period, as well. And pull in some pretty big numbers on their own. The most profitable “horror film” (though maybe more of a “ghost” flick – a nuanced distinction) is “The Sixth Sense,” at $293 million. Number 2 is “Jaws” (though I considered it more of a gory adventure film) at $260 million. Number 3 is the original “Ghostbusters” at $242 million. Number 4 is “The Exorcist” with earnings of $232 million, followed by the horror comedy “Scary Movie,” at $157 million.

Horror films have been ripe for parodying and satirizing in humor magazines like Mad for decades. Assisting in bringing these fright flicks down a peg or two from their scary perches are the caricature artists who have illustrated these fun pieces.

Artists like one of my very faves who, just a couple of months ago, passed away -- Jack Davis, (art at the top), with his take on Universal Pictures icons Frankenstein, Dracula, Creature from The Black Lagoon and The Invisible Man.

And then there's product of the UK Paul Garner, with his version of Bela Lugosi's Dracula and Silent Screen star Lon Chaney, Sr.'s vampire:

The great Mad (among other media outlet pubs) artist Tom Richmond is featured here with yet another vampire, German Silent Screener Max Schreck's "Nosferatu."

Here's artist Cowboy-Lucas's rendition of horror superstar Vincent Price:

Now I don't have any works depicting horror movie stars... But I do have caricatures done of kids and adults enjoying, respectively, a Halloween party at Trump National Golf Club, and a Halloween-themed wedding reception!