At long last! The book I and my co-writer have been working on for the last 7 years is finally nearing completion.
Wesley Morse was my father-in-law. He glorified the American Girl for the Ziegfeld Follies and drew some of the most infamous Tijuana Bibles. His Copacabana art is an icon of the golden age of 1940s nightclubs, and his pin-up art is equal to that of Alberto Vargas and George Petty. Yet until now, little has been known about Wesley Morse, the man. Such mystery surrounds him that he has often been called the J.D. Salinger of the art world. But he was very much a man of the time—the golden age of nightclubs and speakeasies—and more importantly, the place—New York City.
The book follows his life and artwork from the colorful world of the Ziegfeld Follies, to the decadent world of New York City during Prohibition and the stylish nightclub scene of the 1940s and 50s, and features rare and unseen artwork from the creator of the world famous Bazooka Joe comics and 80 exclusive, previously unpublished, full-color illustrations from the Taylor-Morse Collection. It reveals how a tragedy led to the creation of Bazooka Joe and gives a glimpse into the life of a private man whose art became his voice.
Wesley Morse was my father-in-law. He glorified the American Girl for the Ziegfeld Follies and drew some of the most infamous Tijuana Bibles. His Copacabana art is an icon of the golden age of 1940s nightclubs, and his pin-up art is equal to that of Alberto Vargas and George Petty. Yet until now, little has been known about Wesley Morse, the man. Such mystery surrounds him that he has often been called the J.D. Salinger of the art world. But he was very much a man of the time—the golden age of nightclubs and speakeasies—and more importantly, the place—New York City.
The book follows his life and artwork from the colorful world of the Ziegfeld Follies, to the decadent world of New York City during Prohibition and the stylish nightclub scene of the 1940s and 50s, and features rare and unseen artwork from the creator of the world famous Bazooka Joe comics and 80 exclusive, previously unpublished, full-color illustrations from the Taylor-Morse Collection. It reveals how a tragedy led to the creation of Bazooka Joe and gives a glimpse into the life of a private man whose art became his voice.
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