An evening's reminiscence, before heading out to the New Year's Eve party...
I've moved eight maybe ten times since leaving home for medical school. The early moves were sometimes with family, later with U-Haul, later still with the luxury service, West Side Movers in NYC, who have been up to Syracuse twice, who not only carry boxes and furniture, but while I sit and sip scotch also pack individually each glass, book... hell on one move I unwrapped on arrival a bag of garbage from the bathroom that had been well packed. Not so bad. In every move something or other has broken or suffered light damage, no matter how careful we've been-- a hobby item, electronics gear, picture frame.
So, I was charmed when unpacking yet again last month in my latest apartment to find an art card made for me when I left home for medical school in 1987. My uncle, who passed away too young, youngest in that generation of our family at 63 just two years ago, was a gifted and well known illustrator/cartoonist-- Joe Kohl (J.Kohl). He sketched the card in this photo when I headed out for school, my only work by him drawn specifically for me. It is a folded and fairly flimsy piece of sketch paper. Somehow this thing has survived 8 major and more minor moves, tossed in paper piles, hiding at bottom of boxes... unscathed save for a bit of browning at the edges.
Joe did all sorts of magazine and book cartoons, as well as illustrations for other writers. His work ranged from books for toddlers to books one must never show a child. Dad has a cartoon portrait done by him. You can find reference to his "Wacky Humor of J Kohl" on Amazon, with none in stock now. Various hospitals at which I've worked routinely lift images from his golf joke books for our annual golf outings.
I'm glad I have this sketch. Looking at it 25 years after it was done, with him gone, lends poignancy no doubt. The little kid in the image is my cousin Stephanie, who cross posts now with me here on FB time to time. Stories of Boris the Cat will wait for another day. New Years eve should be fun. Hope everyone has a nice time
regards
d
