An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini

by Eldon Dedini

Eldon Dedini has been one of Playboy's most recognizable full-page gag cartoonists. With a masterful watercolor technique that burlesques a broad range of subjects, from East and West Coast urban and suburban adult-hipster to classical Japanese erotic prints, Dedini's most personal cartoons rely on mythology and legend. They evoke a bucolic sexually-liberated paradise that leaves his readers lingering over the imagery long after the gag registers. The Art of Playboy's Eldon Dedini is the first retrospective collection of his work, and gathers in one volume the most sophisticated, elegant, and funny gag panels of the past six decades.

Genres: Comics, Cartoon, Art

240 pages, Hardcover

First published November 15, 2006

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 3 out of 5]

While Eldon's cartoons themselves easily rank a 5 out of 5 stars, I was somewhat disappointed in this book's lack of focus on the man himself, rather than the cartoons. Only perhaps 10 of the 220 pages are devoted to biography...the rest is all cartoons. I should add that I'm reading only the book (the accompanying CD is vanished) and that it's possible this lack is fleshed out on the disc, but I'm more of a book person than a cd person anyway...if I'd wanted to watch a CD I would have bought a movie. I like my books to be books.

And, back to the book, I was also bothered by how Dedini's cartoons were gathered into themes. I wish cartoon editors would cease that annoying system of compilation. If I'm reading a themed section of cartoons entitled, "Parents and Offspring" then I know that, without doubt, the next page will hold a cartoon of that theme. And that robs cartoons / gags/ jokes of their spontaneity. Humor is largely based on catching you off guard, twisting expectations, and any attempt to categorize humor necessarily robs a reader of that element.

But, man, them's some beautiful cartoons.

[Parka · Rating 4 out of 5]

(More pictures at parkablogs.com)

Besides Playboy, Eldon Dedini has worked for Disney, Esquire and New Yorker. An Orgy of Playboy's Eldon Dedini is filled with over 200 cartoons drawn by Eldon Dedini for Playboy magazine.

His work is raunchy and humorous, but never pornographic. The watercolour is really colourful and his ladies curvy. Unfortunately I wasn't able to catch all the jokes inside. There's also a section of cartoons created in the style of Ukiyo-e, Japanese woodblock print.

The accompanying DVD that comes with the book has a wonderful documentary on the cartoonist and his family.

This book is a nice tribute to Eldon Dedini.

[MB Taylor · Rating 3 out of 5]

A fun collection of cartoons. I've always enjoyed Dedini's cartoons featuring satyrs and other mythological fauna and this collection contains a fair number (although I would have preferred more). There’s even a few that I remember from when I used to read Playboy.

[টক দইয়ের চা · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a fun read.

[Robert · Rating 5 out of 5]

An impressive collection of a man with a 60-year track record of magazine work bringing smiles rather than confusion with his one-panel art.

[PMP · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jaunty, innocent cartoons like these are about my favourite genre of erotica. I'd be grateful for any recommendations.