'Motorcross Cat' of 10 November 1974.
Tony Bell was a U.S. comic artist, painter, sculptor and poster artist. In the early 1960s, he was most notable as Gilbert Shelton's first assistant artist and inker on his underground comic series 'Wonder Wart-Hog', and also contributed to some of Shelton's 'Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers' stories. During the 1970s and 1980s, Bell had a comic series of his own, 'Motocross Cat', which appeared in the specialized magazine Cycle News. The cartoonist Tony Bell should not be confused with Belgian comedian Tony Bell (1913-2006).
Early life and career
Larry Kirk "Tony" Bell was born in 1940 in Terry County, Texas. In the early 1960s, he studied at the University of Texas, where met Gilbert Shelton. Together, they edited the college magazine The Texas Ranger, where their comics and cartoons appeared between 1962 and 1963. Bell designed an armadillo as the magazine mascot. After graduation with honors in 1964, he worked for the Peace Corps for a year, being stationed in Lagos, Nigeria.
'The Adventures of Bull O'Fuzz' by Shelton & Bell.
Work with Gilbert Shelton
Back in civilian life, Bell first moved to California, but quickly returned to Texas. From 1965 on, he drew and inked stories with Gilbert Shelton's superhero parody comic 'Wonder Wart-Hog' for Pete Millar's magazine Drag Cartoons. For this magazine, Shelton and Bell also created the 'Bull O'Fuzz' feature. In 1967, two issues of 'Wonder Wart-Hog Quarterly' were published, and the two creators used the money from the royalty sales to open Austin's first head shop, Underground City Hall. Later on, Bell was also credited on some of Shelton's 'Fabulous Furry Freak Brothers' stories. In addition, Bell drew posters for the Vulcan Gas Company, a dance hall on Congress Avenue. In 1981, Bell, Shelton and Joe Brown finished the fifty-page 'Wonder Wart-Hog' story they had started fourteen years earlier.
'Wonder Wart-Hog' by Shelton & Bell.
Motocross Cat
In the early 1970s and as late as the mid-1980s, Bell drew 'Motocross Cat', a weekly gag comic printed in Cycle News, a nationally syndicated magazine devoted to motorcycle racing. It starred an anthropomorphic cat who enjoys motorcycles, but isn't very skilled. In 1979, a book with Bell's single-panel cartoons, 'The Great State of Texas', was released by Great State Publishing.
'Motocross Cat' of 18 December 1985.
Final years and death
After another sojourn in California during the late 1960s, Bell again returned to South Austin, Texas in 1970, where he made models for architectural and courtroom use. One depicted Fort Alamo, on display in the museum in the Alamo. In 1993, the artist died at his vacation home in Caye Caulker, Belize. He was 52 years old. A month later, an already planned retrospective art show of Bell's cartoons, watercolors, oil paintings and sculptures took place in Butch Hancock's Lubbock or Leave It Gallery.
'The Adventures of Motorcross Cat'.