

T

Mel Birnkrant Presents :

All of the Art on this site is one of a kind, created by CHARLES PONSTINGL, for the sheer joy of it.

He intended it as loving homage to the Great Comic Artists of former days.

The images are based upon the work of many, including some that were created by, and are

Copyright The Walt Disney Company. The writing and photography is Copyright Mel Birnkrant.



INTRODUCTION

C ould Talent be a tiny seed, sown by Fate, haphazardly? And could such a seed lie dormant for nearly 40 years, then suddenly burst forth spontaneously, and grow into a glorious tree? This is a question that I ask myself frequently, for every nook and cranny of the environment, in which I live is overflowing with the fruit of such a tree, a bountiful harvest that I am blessed to feast my eyes on every day, the Amazing Art of Charles Ponstingl.



T he concept of Talent has always fascinated me as I was accused of having some, myself, as a kid. Of course, I knew otherwise. Right from the start, I realized that what appeared to be talent in other peoples eyes was only the fact that I had bundled all my energies together, and put them all into one container. Thus, when it came to Talent, and whether or not it existed, I was a skeptic, nearly a nonbeliever.



N onetheless, like Houdini who spent his life (and death) trying to ascertain if true Magic, embodied by the Afterlife really existed, I kept my eyes open for any signs that real Talent existed too. I mean True Talent, not a mere knack or aptitude, fed and fostered in an art school, like mine, but true Raw Talent, pure and simple.



E nter, Charles Ponstingl!

N ow, where should I begin? Maybe with Charles' birth in Allentown PA, around 1935, as one of 13 children. His parents, Joseph and Anna could trace their roots to Austria. On second thought, attempting to recount Charles early history finds me in unknown territory. I would be better off beginning at the moment our paths crossed and our lives intermingled. That was over 30 years ago. From that moment on, we have been the best of friends.



H ow we met is a curious story:



CLICK ON IMAGE TO ENLARGE

W ell, actually, at this point I didnt know his name, nor did I learn it until years later. I would, in fact, have never come to know it if the antique toy dealer who discovered CP had his way. The fact that we eventually met was something of a miracle. Im convinced it was predestined, guided by the hand of Fate.