Latest Macleans illo on newsstands

At least, it should be by now! I checked my local Chapters yesterday and they still had the previous week's issue out. 

The subject of the illustration was a mighty colourful character. Ljubisav "Gilbert" Lazich was born in the former Yugoslavia and immigrated to Hamilton where he opened a clothing store called Gilbert's Big and Tall (est. 1954). He was a tailor and he stood an impressive 6'11" -- He was the perfect man for the job!

The store just so happened to be across the street from a tv studio where such wrestling superstars as Hulk Hogan and Andre the Giant perfomed. They loved the clothes and the impeccable fit Lazich would create for them, not to mention Lazich's wife's steak and cabbage rolls!

Lazich's wife Stella worked by his side for decades. He wooed her with a bottle of plum brandy back in the old country.

Two of his endearing quirks were to blow cigar smoke under the doors of his kids' bedrooms to wake them up for school, and to offer their friends dollars to do chores around the store. 

I incorporated all of those things into the frame as well as putting three pins into the pincushion to symbolize his three children.

Here's the spot illustration for Macleans' iPad app!

-- Julia

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