Ahh classic Albedo, makes me glad I met you in the flesh a few times and got a few commissions. I hope you find where he went but I suspect might be another *retired* furson from the fandom ;/.

Gaia bless and well wishes to you
Pakesh_De
Retired Chaircritter

With Roz's mention, I now seem to recall that he dropped out of everything. I'd also regard him not so much a "furry" creator/fan, as he came out of SF/F art and comics-that-happen-to-have-funny-animals.

Great Original School Funny Animals design and execution.

That man could do color so well. I wonder sometimes what happened to him as well. It's sad to see someone with talent like that just give up on using it.

Gorgeous!! This is the stuff that I saw on the comic shop shelves when I was a kid that got me thinking of funny animal characters as seething more than just cartoons for little kids. Love it!

Did he make the Contractors cover as well? That was a neat cover.

Yes he did! Really fun comic, that one.

Is that Rocket Raccoon in the background there ?????

Nahhh...Gun's not big enough.

That brings back memories,

For Sure. I used to haunt Cosmic Comics in downtown Cleveland hoping the New Albedo or Elfquest would be out. Back when there was stuff being published worth reading...

Amazing that a person with this much talent and skill would simply throw it away, then no one knows what caused him to make such a decision.

A good investment portfolio and retirement plan?

I could never stop writing, even if I won a triple digit millions lottery. That is what i cannot understand, money isn't happiness.

you know what i think i have this one ill have to go digging!

How long has it been? 20 years? 30? You never realize how time flies until something like this pops up and makes you nostalgic.

The cover is from 1986.

Almost 30. I still have that issue, too.

I have a copy of his Dr Watchstop book (1989) - a quarter of a century ago. Also from the same year: The Weasel Patrol ("They Protect! They Serve! They Run Away!") by Lela Dowling - my copy has a drawing by Lela of one of the Weasels brightly saying "?".

Inquiring of Mr Google just now, I found Lela is still active in art illustrations, but I'm not so sure of Ken, unless the fellow who is doing all those huge peculiar concrete sculptures is "our" Ken Macklin. I can't say I think much of them, but whatever.

Oh man this is so awesome.

Simply Vintage.

Wherever did Ken Macklin go?

Good question. He used to be in the Bay area, but I wonder if he went back to ?Alberta?

He was from Alberta? I read a number of comments relating to the question of Ken Macklin, and it's surprising how little seems to be known. But there were a whole lot of artists and writers from the 1980s who don't seem to have been deeply embedded in the fandom, who jsut drifted away somewhere. Presumably, the lack of opportunties for them to develop a career in anthropomorphics had a lot to do with that.

Venues for furry largely didn't exist in the '80s, so yeah, as well as some of those talents of the time were more along the lines of artists and writers who happened to do things with funny animals (but not nessisarily furry fans) and could and did do other things. I'd consider Ken very much of that ilk. Most of the current career furry pros came up from furry fannish beginnings that had not yet jelled back in the day.

If Ken isn't using his talent anymore, can I have it? That's gorgeous...

Oh! I know this cover! Never knew who the artist was.

…at least I know now.

The man was a master at watercolour.

Ah, memories...

I remember having to pass this up way back when. I didn't have a ton of money then (or now lol), and my aunt wasn't too fond of me reading comics. Still, the store owner always let me read stuff as long as I went and fetched coffee or pizza for the folks at the comic shop.

This kind of thing is why I'm into art in the first place. I didn't feel so bad about wanting to draw cartoons because I saw that even some adults enjoyed it. That went a long way in helping me not feel as crappy about myself as I did when I was a kid.

I have this title

Just msged with Lela. Ken quit art to spend time building a house in Nevada City, but recently moved to Cotati, dabbling in occational private commission.

Custer's Last Stand... with furries and rayguns!

That is superb stuff.

I always loved this image.

I, too, have a copy of this issue; probably in a copy-paper carton in the attic. Bought new in the day (thank you, Ziesing Brothers Book Emporium, RIP).

I’m a bit late to this thread but thought I’d share for anyone interested.

https://kenfivefiftyfive.artstation.com/

Wow! Thanks!

:)