Willie & Joe: The WWII Years

[spookythecat]

I saw this at the Fantagraphics Store in Seattle last weekend and I can say they look awesome. I think $65 is a steal for these.



Read more about the collection at the link below.

http://www.fantagraphics.com/index.php? ... &Itemid=62

[spookythecat]

I just looked it up on Amazon.com and they've for it for $40.95 with FREE Super Saver shipping.

http://www.amazon.com/Willie-Joe-Years- ... 316&sr=8-2

[Django]

THat's cool. Somewhere at my parent's house I think is an original book that was my great uncle's. I hope it didn't get lost!

[Junkyard36]

I've always been a fan of Bill Mauldin. I got the Easton Press leatherbound versions a couple of years ago. Also, if you're ever in the Oklahoma City area, the 45th Infantry Division has a really cool exhibit on Willie and Joe - with all of the cartoons displayed.

Mike

[p51]

I had no idea that have a store in Seattle. I guess that's where I'll be going this weekend! I was going to get a set signed by the editor, but dang it, I want to see it NOW! I got an advanced copy of the biography on him that also came out recently, written by the editor of the books in question here: http://www.amazon.com/Bill-Mauldin-Life ... 833&sr=8-1 I found out about this last fall and contacted the author for more info. Turns out, he said my name kept popping up during his research but he'd never contacted me (crying shame, he said, as I had a few never before published photos of Mauldin he would have loved to use) as he thought he'd had all the info he needed. He wanted me to read his book to see what I thought. Yeah, it's a tough job, so I reluctantly agreed...
The author had an unheard of access to the Mauldin collection and materials as well as almost everyone who ever knew the man. I've also been tasked to write a review of the book for more than a couple of magazines. I'm about 3/4 through it now, and I'm very impressed with it.
The author and I have discussed the possibility of me still doing my own book, as a "collector guide" or perhaps an expanded article with all the items from my collection. We'll see how that goes...
My substantial collection of Mauldin's work came out of a LOT of searching and money over a very long time and has more than once been mistaken for a large donation from the Mauldin estate from the times I've shown it at public events. I wrote a article on the works of Mauldin. PM me if you want to know where to look for it as it's not on a public web site.
If you have ever seen the "Mail Call" episode on the History Channel about Bill Mauldin, I'm the guy they brought down for the show, talking about the man and his work. I have one of the best Mauldin collections in the country, having every one of his books, several original sketches and drawings, even one of his High School yearbooks! I've written quite a bit on his life and works and have interviewed several people who worked with through the years. I also belong to the "Friends of Willie and Joe" which is the only WW2 living history group ever endorsed by Bill Mauldin.
A few years ago, our group re-created a classic Maudlin cartoon in photo:

The neat thing is that this is a father and his two sons. That's my 1919 in the background, though.
Here is the original cartoon:

[kerrys]

I too have long loved Mauldin. One of his books, A Sort of a Saga is about his younger days in New Mexico. Parts of it are incredibly funny. I used to have a copy, but it is long gone.

[p51]

I too have long loved Mauldin. One of his books, A Sort of a Saga is about his younger days in New Mexico. Parts of it are incredibly funny. I used to have a copy, but it is long gone.

I always suggest to people to get a copy of "The Brass Ring," which is about his WW2 experiences and is pretty easy to find. "Bill Mauldin's Army" is still being printed as a paperback if you don't want to spend the amount for this box set. Those two books alone will give you most of the WW2 info you'd ever want to know. I'm really looking forward to getting my copy of this box set. Todd, the editor, e-mailed me some images of a few pages and I think this will be the definitive reference for Mauldin's WW2 work. There's no way, however, it could include everything he did. The man never stopped working and after several years of collecting and researching his work, I now know no one person will ever have everything the man ever did.

[Bill Greenwood]

I really liked the one where the officer or Sgt comes over to the guys and says, "We need two volunteers wot don't owe me no money for an easy little patrol recon job" .
The humor comes as it often does by focusing or exagerating the truth in the light of reality. I wonder what the higher ups or political people thought of him since he doesn't make the party line look too convincing?

[p51]

I wonder what the higher ups or political people thought of him since he doesn't make the party line look too convincing?

He was pretty much despised higher up the food chain. Ike begrudgingly liked his work because it allowed the normal GI to blow off steam without starting a riot. Patton HATED Mauldin's work and threatened to have him arrested if he ventured into 3rd Army's AO. He also threatened to ban Stars and Stripes newspaper from the area, which is when Ike stepped in to calm the situation down. He ordered Mauldin to meet with Patton and that meeting the outlined in "The Brass Ring," very clearly.

[Robbie Roberts]

I think one of my favorites was the GI in a foxhole with a Tiger tank above him... The caption was something along the lines of "Able Fox Four, I got a target for ya, but ya gotta be patient..."

Robbie