Mel
Dietmeier (now known as Mehitabel Katze) was attending Simon's Rock
High School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, when she began her
apprenticeship at WGBH in Boston. "My parents lived in Lexington, near
Boston, so it made sense," Katze states. She began her volunteer work
with the animation department, where she met Jim
Bourne. And when
Bourne was called upon to create the artwork for the Stark Reality's
AJP debut, he asked Katze to create the cover artwork. She was but 18
years old, but she'd always loved to draw. "It's more like creating
another world," Katze states, citing Jules Pfieffer and Walt Kelly's
"Pogo" drawings amongst her influences.
Katze doesn't recall ever having heard the band's music, or of having
met the band but "I did know who Hoagy Carmichael was," she finishes.
"I was really into old films." After her commercial art debut, Katze
went on to author and illustrate two children's books in the early 70s
before embarking on a career as an illustrator. Though she's moved on
professionally, she still enjoys sketching from time to time. The
original artwork for the AJP LP was based on pictures of the band.
from Stark Reality NOW CD
notes by
Eothen "Egon"
Alapatt
Mel
Dietmeier (now known as Mehitabel Katze) was attending Simon's Rock
High School in Great Barrington, Massachusetts, when she began her
apprenticeship at WGBH in Boston. "My parents lived in Lexington, near
Boston, so it made sense," Katze states. She began her volunteer work
with the animation department, where she met 