Hilton Obenzinger

American, born 1947

Explore selected works

This is a drawing of a humorous scene on the cover of a magazine titled "If the Shoe Fits". The cover features a cartoonish illustration where a clownish figure with a red nose is holding a sign that lists various contributors to the magazine. On either side of this figure, there are two individuals pouring liquids from yellow pitchers into his outstretched shoes. The background is vibrant yellow with large red polka dots, adding to the playful tone of the image. The exaggerated expressions and bold colors contribute to the lighthearted nature of the illustration. The cover indicates the issue number as "No. 2" and a price of fifty cents in the top right corner, with a layout and typography from a vintage comic magazine.
Fits Collective, Bill Griffith, Spain Rodriguez, Jim Osborne, Nancy Senauke, Alan Senauke, Michael Brownstein, Darryl De Vore, Lewis MacAdams, Kim Deitch, Bobbie Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Gordon Ball, Alice Notley, Sally Cruikshank, Kenneth Greene, Nancy Griffith, Justin Green, Bill Berkson, Joe Brainard, Larry Nahem, Neke Carson, Lewis MacAdams, Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Cranium Press, Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, Rory Hayes, Hilton Obenzinger, David Anderson, Diane Di Prima, Mike Gray, John Sinclair, Robert Crumb, Various Artists, Fits No. 2, 1972, paperback bound volume with half-tone and offset lithograph illustrations on wove paper, with cover in full color, Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts, 2014.126.70

Fits No. 2

Fits Collective, Bill Griffith, Spain Rodriguez, Jim Osborne, Nancy Senauke, Alan Senauke, Michael Brownstein, Darryl De Vore, Lewis MacAdams, Kim Deitch, Bobbie Creeley, Allen Ginsberg, Gordon Ball, Alice Notley, Sally Cruikshank, Kenneth Greene, Nancy Griffith, Justin Green, Bill Berkson, Joe Brainard, Larry Nahem, Neke Carson, Lewis MacAdams, Judy Grahn, Audre Lorde, Cranium Press, Shanta Nimbark Sacharoff, Rory Hayes, Hilton Obenzinger, David Anderson, Diane Di Prima, Mike Gray, John Sinclair, Robert Crumb, Various Artists · 1972 · paperback bound volume with half-tone and offset lithograph illustrations on wove paper, with cover in full color ·  Accession ID  2014.126.70

Three monstrous faces with gaping jaws lined with sharp teeth are stacked in this vertical lithograph. The creatures are canary yellow shaded heavily with pale and grass green. The bottom face, which is the largest and closest to us, has beads of sweat running down each side of the furrowed forehead. This creature’s lips are pulled up into a cavernous smile, and liquid drips from the lower lip. A ruffle around the neck could be a collar, and the creature is flanked to each side by scale-patterned forms that could be the body of the creature behind. This middle creature’s pale blue eyes slope down, and the bottom corners of the open mouth pull down, too. This creature has horns and gill-like forms around the mouth. The third creature, at the top and farthest away, leans back with taloned hands reaching to each side. The drooping eyes appear to look up, and wings spread from the creature’s back. The background is sky blue dotted with white.
Various Artists, 7 Freds Press, Fits Collective, Rory Hayes, Robert Crumb, Alan Senauke, Jon Meyer, Cynthia Meyer, Charlie Vermont, Kenneth Greene, Tom Clark, Downtown Peace Coalition, Ron Padgett, George Schneeman, Mitch Sisskind, Les Gottesman, Andrei Codrescu, Alice Codrescu, Hilton Obenzinger, Britt Wilkie, David Anderson, Tom Veitch, Anne Waldman, Lewis Marsh, Judy Grahn, Peter O'Keefe, Dick Cogswell, John Brown, Greg Irons, John Giorno, Simon Deitch, Fits No. 1, 1971, paperback bound volume with half-tone and offset lithograph illustrations on wove paper, with cover in full color, Gift of William and Abigail Gerdts, 2014.126.53

Fits No. 1

Various Artists, 7 Freds Press, Fits Collective, Rory Hayes, Robert Crumb, Alan Senauke, Jon Meyer, Cynthia Meyer, Charlie Vermont, Kenneth Greene, Tom Clark, Downtown Peace Coalition, Ron Padgett, George Schneeman, Mitch Sisskind, Les Gottesman, Andrei Codrescu, Alice Codrescu, Hilton Obenzinger, Britt Wilkie, David Anderson, Tom Veitch, Anne Waldman, Lewis Marsh, Judy Grahn, Peter O'Keefe, Dick Cogswell, John Brown, Greg Irons, John Giorno, Simon Deitch · 1971 · paperback bound volume with half-tone and offset lithograph illustrations on wove paper, with cover in full color ·  Accession ID  2014.126.53