Cracked #16 Cover 1960

This is a cover illustration by Jack Davis for Cracked Magazine. It's all brushstrokes and ink, the way he lays down his lines to show the difference between how we see ourselves and how we really are. It makes me think about the act of drawing itself – Davis, in his studio, probably laughing as he makes the face on the right so grotesque. I think he's interested in the contrast, the real and the fake, but also in how humor can cut through the BS. The humor comes from the exaggeration, but it's also in the little details – the way the overalls sag, the sly grin on the real man's face. It's like he's saying, "Yeah, we all have our flaws, but who cares?" His work reminds us to not take ourselves too seriously. Artists always learn from each other, and Davis knew how to make us laugh while making us think.