Illustration, “Are You Superstitious?” Parade Sunday newspaper supplement, December 8, 1957 (from tearsheet).

Pen & ink on sketch pad paper, early- to mid-1990s

Google yourself. Discover forgotten incidents from your past—like this 2005 interview by Coury Turczyn for PopCult magazine. The occasion was the publication of The Mischievous Art of Jim Flora, and tho the interview is dotted with Flora iconography, it also touches on outsider music, record collecting, the Langley Schools Music Project, R. Stevie Moore, and Shooby Taylor, the Human Horn. Three years later Cory wrote an incisive cover story about Flora for Knoxville’s Metro Pulse.

Say it with Flora’s: KISSED — screen print from the Primer for Prophets alphabet series: an iconic 1954 illustration by Flora commemorating romantic commitment through the exchange of luxurious merchandise. Order before Feb. 10 and we’ll (almost) guarantee delivery by the 14th. Meaning, it’ll be shipped in time and — barring climate interference or courier screw-up — will arrive in time for thrilling your significant something-or-other. Order here.

“I’m making a list of things not to do!” Charlie was writing on paper. “It will help me stay out of trouble. Whenever I think of something I want to do, I’ll just look and see if it is on this list. If it is, I won’t do it.” “Things Not To Do,” detail, My Friend Charlie (1964, Harcourt, Brace & World, Inc.)

Middle of three tiers from sketchbook tempera, ca. 1963-65

Just released by Euclid Records, a new 45 rpm single by Terry Adams & the Whole Wheat Horns whose sleeve features a Jim Flora musician montage. The chaotic combo, which incorporates cartoonish players from numerous Flora 1940s and 1950s sources, was created by Barbara Economon and yrs trly for our second book, The Curiously Sinister Art of Jim Flora. The calamitous crew evolved from a trio to include as many as eleven figures, until our…

Flora would have turned 95 today. His centennial is on the horizon. The above tempera and pencil illustration on card stock, found in the archives, dates from the early- to mid-1940s, the original purpose unknown. The re-purposing is known: Happy Birthday, Mr. Flora. From “the editors.”

Our 2009 Jim Flora fine art print series kicks off with a limited-edition, archival-quality giclee of a classic Columbia Records album cover, Kid Ory and His Creole Jazz Band. The oversized (15-3/4″ x 15-1/2″) print image is larger than the original album cover. The album was released in 1947 as a 78 rpm four-disc set, and was part of Columbia’s Hot Jazz series. Trombonist Edward “Kid” Ory (1886-1973) was a legendary pioneer in the development…

Duos, a collection of works by Charles Wuorinen composed for two musicians, is now available from Albany Records. The untitled Flora cover art, licensed for this release (by Howard Stokar), is from an early- to mid-1960s sketchbook.