Artist's Notebook: Remembering National Lampoon

One of my favorite memories from childhood was peeking at my parent's National Lampoon Magazines.  I remember my dad laughing over "Mrs. Agnew's Diary," from which my own "Mrs. Gingrich's Diary" is flat out stolen.  I was thinking about NatLamp this weekend while hanging out with a fellow artist.

"Oh my god, I just had an awful awful thought," I said, laughing.

"What?" he said.

I put my hand to my heart.  "Oh no, you'll think less of me."

"Oh goody."  He said.

"Okay.  Do you recollect that National Lampoon cover, 'buy this magazine or we'll shoot this dog?' "

"I think so."

I continued.  "Okay, I admit this is just awful. What if it was The National Review and Katherine Jean Lopez was on the cover?"

He smiled.  "I love you."

"Yeah, but you can't call a woman a dog.  You just can't."

I kept thinking out loud..."plus, there's the whole gun thing.  You can't show a woman or any human, actually,  with a gun.  Not anymore."

He was, as usual, supportive.  "You'll play with Photoshop and think of something."