HOLMES Randolph

HOLMES Randolph (Rand)

He was born February 22, 1942 in Turo Nova Scotia but grew up in Edmonton Alberta. After he left school he got married and took a job as a sign painter. In an interview he was to say, “That’s how I learned brushwork and lettering.” After about five years: “ In 1968 my brother turned me on to psychedelics – I woke up – left my wife and job and split for the west coast, grew my hair down to my ass, moved into a commune and vowed never again to do anything I didn’t want to do, especially for money – after I made that simple decision I was suddenly free.”

He moved to Vancouver in 1969. He created the cartoon strip “Harold Hedd” which became a regular feature in the Georgia Straight. He finally discontinued the strip because, “an era had come to an end. Harold Hedd was part of that era and I had nothing left to say about it..”

He continued to do editorial cartoons and the occasional cover for Georgia Straight. He also contributed to White Lunch Comix, and Fog City Comics among others.

In 1982 he with his second wife moved from Vancouver to Lasqueti Island. In the 1980’s he created a final “Harold Hedd” series “Hitler’s Cocaine” and did art work for science fiction comics like Twisted Tales and Alien Worlds. In his last years he concentrated on oil painting.

He died in Nanaimo March 15, 2002 at age sixty from Hodgkin’s lymphoma.

His major influences were Wood (mid-fifties Mad), and Will Eisner.

WORKS:

CARTOONIST:

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC:

Content novella & Cover front:

Harold Hedd – Hilter’s Cocaine, 1, Kitchen Sink Press, 1984.

Harold Hedd – Hilter’s Cocaine, 2, Kitchen Sink Press, 1984.

Content story & Cover front:

Harold Hedd. 2, December 1973, “Harold Hedd in Wings over Tijuana.” Print run 10,000 copies, no publisher named. Distributed in Canada only by Greater Vancouver News Ltd.,

Harold Hedd. 2, 1973: “Harold Hedd in Wings over Tijuana.” Last Gasp Eco-Funnies. Identical format as above.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story & Cover front :

All Canadian Beaver Comix,1, no date: “The Continuing Adventures of Harold Hedd”.                                                                     “Harold Hedd’s Bike Song.”

Content story & Cover front

Fog City Comics, 1, Sept. 1977: “Nip & Tuck in Animal Antics”.

Content story & Cover front & front inside:

Fog City Comics, 2, Oct.1978: “Close Encounter of the T*rd Kind”: Back cover.                                                                 “Killer Planet”.                                                                                                                      Advertisement: inside back cover

Fog City Comics, 3, June 1979: “And here he is … the artist himself”: 1 -7.                                                                          Advertisement: 9.                                                                                                              “Merry Christmas …to all”: 18.                                                                                            “Lobotomy”: 64.

Content story & Cover wrap around:

White Lunch Comix, no. 1, 1972: “Baldric the Barbarian”                                                                                                       “Vegetable of the Week”: Inside back cover.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC COLLECTION:

Content strip cartoon & Cover front:

Harold Hedd, 1, Berkley: Last Gasp Eco-Funnies, 1973. A collection from Georgia Straight.

NEWSPAPER:

Content strip cartoon:

Georgia Straight, 5-185, July 20-21 1971:1 & 9. Georgia Straight, 5-193, Aug. 17-20 1971: 8.

Georgia Straight, 5-195, Aug. 24-27 1971:19.

Georgia Straight, 5-199, Sept. 7-11 1971:24.

Georgia Straight, 5-201, Sept. 14-17, 1971:24.

Georgia Straight, 5-203, Sept. 21-24 1971:1+

Georgia Straight, 5-211, Oct. 19-22 1971: 1+.

Georgia Straight, 5-217, Nov. 18-25 1971: 1+

Georgia Straight, 6-224, Jan. 13-20 1972: 1 & 24.

Georgia Straight, 6-225, Jan. 20-27 1972: 1&4.

Georgia Straight, 6-226, Jan. 27 – Feb. 3 1972:8

Georgia Straight, 6-227, Feb. 3-10 1972:5

Georgia Straight, 6-228, Feb.10 – 17 1972: 5.

Georgia Straight, 6-229, Feb.17-24 1972: 2.

Georgia Straight, 6-230, Feb. 24-Mar 2 1972:3

Georgia Straight, 6-231, Mar. 2-9 1972: 5. Georgia Straight, 6-233, Mar.16-23 1972: 5.

ILLUSTRATOR:

BOOK TEXT & GRAPHIC:

Cover book wrap around:

A History of Underground Comics. Writ., Mark J. Estren. Straight Arrow Books, 1974.

PERIODICAL GRAPHIC ANTHOLOGY:

Content story:

Alien Worlds, 1-8, Nov. 1984: “Stoney End.” Writ., Jan Strand. Let., Carrie McCarthy. Col., Chris Miller: 23-30.

SOURCE:

Book:

Rand Holmes: The Artist Himself. Writ. & Com., Patrick Rosenkranz, Introd. Rand Holmes. Fantagraphic Books Inc., 2010.

Article book:

A History of Underground Comic. Writ., Mark James Estern. Straight Arrow Books, 1974:106 – 107, 152, 234.

Article periodical:

Cannabis Culture Magazine. 18 Aug. 2002. “‘Harold Hedd’ creator dies.” Writ., Larsen, Dana.

Fog City Comics, 2, Oct.1978: “Dwellers in the Fog: Rand Holmes.” Writ., Ted Hamilton..

GALLERY:

C:\Users\Robert\Documents\CARTOONING ILLUSTRATION ANIMATION\IMAGE BY CARTOONIST\H\HOLMES Rand, Alien Worlds, 1-8, Nov. 1984, 25.jpgAlien Worlds, 1-8, Nov. 1984: “Stoney End”: 25.

C:\Users\Robert\Documents\CARTOONING ILLUSTRATION ANIMATION\IMAGE BY CARTOONIST\H\HOLMES Rand, Alien Worlds, 1-8, Nov. 1984, 26..jpgAlien Worlds, 1-8, Nov. 1984: “Stoney End”: 26.