Mark J. Cohen (November 19, 1942[1] – December 18, 1999) was an Americancollector ofcomic books and comic book art, and a prominent cartoonists' agent and dealer in original comics art. He was an occasional contributor to theGasoline Alleycomic strip.
Cohen was a native ofStockton, California. As a collector of cartoon art, he amassed an estimated 9,500 items of originalMad original art.[2] His collections of comic book art were considered among the best in the country, and parts of his collections were put on national tours.[3]
One notable part of Cohen's collection was begun in 1971, when he decided to collect cartoonists' self-caricatures. His interest was sparked upon seeing an exhibition catalog from a 1943 exhibit at San Francisco'sde Young Museum titledMeet the Artist. Eventually he assembled more than 900 of such self-caricatures. In 1998,Ohio State University's Cartoon Research Library, now known as theBilly Ireland Cartoon Library & Museum, publishedA Gallery of Rogues featuring approximately 100 cartoonists' self-caricatures from Cohen's collection. The Cartoon Research Library also mounted an exhibition ofnude self-caricatures calledThe Comic Strip in 2000. It was composed of work from Cohen's collection, made available by his widow, Cohen having died during the time the exhibit was being planned.[4]
As an agent representing cartoonists in the sale of their original comic strip art, Cohen's clientele includedCharles M. Schulz,Lynn Johnston,Pat Brady,Greg Evans andJerry Scott.[3][5]
Cohen got to know Charles Schulz, creator ofPeanuts, very well, and Schulz called Cohen his "cartoon connection" because of the many cartoonists he met through him. After Schulz' death, the cartoonist's wife started theCharles Schulz Museum, and Mark Cohen became a member of the board of directors. This truth of this statement is unlikely, since Mark Cohen died before Charles Schulz. Cohen's wife, Rose Marie McDaniel, later became director of the museum.[6]
Cohen died at 57 at his home inSanta Rosa, California on December 19. Cancer was said to be the cause of death. His obituary inThe New York Times states that Cohen's "comics collection, including about 3,000 books autographed by cartoonists -- many with original drawings -- and hundreds of other cartoon-related items, from Dick Tracy badges to Little Orphan Annie decoders, has been donated toOhio State University, the repository of theNational Cartoonists Society".[2]
His friend, the cartoonistWiley Miller, memorialized Cohen after his death by creating a superhero,Obviousman, in his syndicatedcartoon stripNon Sequitur (comic strip) whose mission in life was to wean people away from the endless stream of information in modern society and get them to think about what is really happening. Just asSuperman's "real name" was "Clark Kent," so was Obviousman's real name "Mark Cohen" and his occupation was "realtor."
CartoonistJim Scancarelli, in a 1997 interview, had credited Cohen as an unpaid collaborator who contributed a poem or story idea for aGasoline Alley Sunday page about once a month.[7] Scancarelli quietly paid tribute to Cohen with a 2009 Sunday page that featured a whimsical letter Cohen had written.[8]
{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: archived copy as title (link) Web page titled, "Reading Room Index to the Comic Art Collection" Online bibliography page of works about cartoon and comic art, University of Michigan Library Web site (Item states: "Original Cartoon Art" (Mark Cohen) p. 72-77 in Cartoonist Profiles, no. 112 (December 1996). -- In an interview conducted by Jud Hurd, Cohen describes his business of selling original art for cartoonists."), accessed December 17, 2007