Rick Meyerowitz began contributing illustrated articles to National Lampoon in April 1970. He painted both the poster for Animal House, and the Lampoon’s trademark visual, the Mona Gorilla, which has been called, “One of the enduring icons of American humor.” Meyerowitz’s book DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD: The Writers and Artists Who Made the National Lampoon Insanely Great was published by Abrams in 2010. Recently, Meyerowitz painted the poster for the documentary film, DRUNK STONED BRILLIANT DEAD, The Story of the National Lampoon.

Shortly after September 11, 2001 Meyerowitz and Maira Kalman created The New Yorker cover they called New Yorkistan. The New York Times wrote about their cover, “When their cover came out, a dark cloud seemed to lift.” To this, Meyerowitz responds that the lifting of one little cloud will hardly put a dent in the pall hovering over us these days, but he “doesn’t want to be a bummer.”

Image: The Raving Homeland Jingo, Rick Meyerowitz