Mrs. Bill

This very early drawing by Jean-Michel Basquiat was created in the notebook of a high school friend (along with 5 other drawings) (interview with original owner on file with Long-Sharp Gallery). This work, which he called “Mrs. Bill”, speaks to the times (the late 1970s).   

“Mr. Bill” was a clay figure star of a children’s animation show created by Walter Williams. It debuted in 1974. In 1976, Mr. Bill was featured on Saturday Night Live. He became an immediate hit.  The words “Oh No!” being spoken by Mr. Bill quickly became part of popular culture.  Walter Williams started writing full-time for SNL in 1978 – the year that Jean-Michel Basquiat created this “Mrs.”

Mr. Bill was last seen on SNL in 1982 but appeared on numerous other TV shows into the 1990s.