The Wall of Shame: Bill Cosby

It’s been a while since I’ve posted something from my Wall of Shame, so I thought it was high time I featured another cool item off the wall. This one is a caricature I did as a theme park sample some years ago of comedy legend Bill Cosby.

For those newer readers, the Wall of Shame is an area just outside my studio where The Lovely Anna has framed prints of various pieces I’ve done that, through MAD, good fortune or just dumb luck I’ve had signed by the subjects I’ve caricatured. You can see my other Wall of Shame piece and stories about obtaining the signatures listed here. While most of the Wall of Shame pieces stem from parodies I’ve done of TV shows or movies, this piece and story have nothing to do with MAD.

About two years ago I was contacted by a gentleman from Kentucky named Father Jim Sichko, who is the pastor of St. Mark Catholic Church in Richmond, KY. Father Jim was the organizer of an event called “An Evening Among Friends”, a kind of speaking engagement/social gathering to benefit St. Mark and other Richmond organizations and charities. Father Jim seems to have the magic touch in getting celebrity speakers to come to a small community like Richmond to be the guests of honor. In 2005 talk show host Regis Philbin was the speaker, and in May of 2006 it was Bill Cosby.

Father Jim came across my caricature of Cosby on the internet and wanted to know if he could buy the original to present to him to show their appreciation for his participation. I thought that was a little like kicking someone in the nuts for doing you a favor, but Father Jim seemed to think it was a good idea. Of course I donated the original rather than accept any money, but I did ask that Cosby sign a print I would also send with for me.

I was sorry to see he used a blue ball point pen to sign it, as it’s tough to read or even see. However as a kid I might have worn out my Bill Cosby comedy albums from playing them over and over again… my favorite routine was the one about the snowball/slushball he has made and put in the freezer to await a summer’s day to take revenge on one of the neighborhood kids when he least expected it… it was something to have his signature on a caricature of mine.

This year’s guest at “An Evening Among Friends” is Natalie Cole. No request for a caricature of her so far….