Richard Stine, artist

A few weeks ago, I wrote about the Australian cartoonist Michael Leunig. There, I mentioned that I was actually hoping to post about a cartoonist whose work I discovered in the 1970s, Richard Stine, but I couldn't find him then. (Not sure why. He was super easy to find today.)

So here are a few of his drawings, mostly about his "mad" and/or "zen" dogs. I enjoy his sardonically whimsical humor—or is it whimsically sardonic? "Face to Face with the Second Step" is one of my favorite works of art ever—I can almost see the dog's mind spinning, saying, "What now? What now? What do I really want?" (a dilemma I can identify with). I wish I had an original of that piece . . . I had a chance, back in the 1970s, when I met Mr. Stine at an art fair in Westwood Village, Los Angeles—but I was a poor student, and "original art" wasn't in my budget. I did buy a ring-bound, cardboard-covered book of his work, though (see second entry below)—which I need to dig out of the garage. Putting it on the list.