FRANKFORT--James. Noted painter and cartoonist known as JAF, died July 22 of a heart attack in his home state, Oregon. He was a veteran of the Korean war. He is survived by his children Michele, Jacob, Reina, Madrone and Simon, two grandchildren, Simon and Ceder, and sister Terry and her husband Herbert Starr. He will be missed by all that knew him. Grief is the price we pay for love.

James had a friend, Ted Pilger. He did a cartoon I like too.
Apparently, in the 1960's Jaf was also part of a commune at one time, Sunnyridge
The following comments were written by Jim Frankfort, an avid artist caught somewhere between the Beatnik era and the renaissance of the Hippy Movement. Jim had a great influence on many of us during the time he lived in New Paltz. His cartoons (amazing statements on life) appeared in the Village Voice from 1955 - 1974 under the pen name JAF (see Ellen Sue's Retrospect in the photo albums section).
More to come ... Ellen Sue
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"in 1967 we, priscilla, clem, rachel, michelle and i moved to newpaltz ny and rented a farm house on pioneer trail....that for me, was the begining of my freedom from the onslaught of materialism and polution that overwelmed my family.....i was now on the threshold of the life style i longed for and was trying to formulate in nyc.....an organic existance with an extended family........and that started to gell in newpaltz...since the idea of commune was in the air and all our friends of that time were yearning for the same union....together we decided to meet up in the southwest and there we formed a caravan...a few at first, allan, reva and their two kids....and later larry, barbara, beany, jane and their children.....priscilla and i decided to go to mexico and later rejoin the group....as it turned out the group was expanding and ended up in oregon, which was the destination we had planned in ny for the commune...priscilla and i returned to newpaltz on our way back to the westcoast and there, as it was already developing, lived in a sort of communal situation and met more and more people who were developing similar ideologies...there were a lot of us......in 1968 we recieved a post card from barbara w. that a place had been found, and to join them....that winter i took my van with rachel, michelle and barbara barry who dropped off to join her kids in colorado....and finaly got to the mining claim (Sunnyridge) ...i was totally relieved and stayed on for ever...." JAF
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"......we know everything....limited only by our wakefulness......the voyage on this planet, is as good as the accommodations we asked for.......before and after......a budding rose......" JAF
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How did you experience male and female roles?
".....that was a matter of how each individual felt....the direction i
believe was to liberate everyone from the old male female
concepts....." JAF
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On Food, Sex, Drugs, Work at SR
"that was individual choices and taste....we ate, some liked the
food and some did not, others cooked and some did not....at first there were
few residents and with the food commodities and our garden and the canning
there was always enough...later when we expanded it wasn't as easy, we always
managed. some liked it, some did not....sex...some liked it
some did not....smokes were grown on the premises, until we got busted....lsd,
peyote...all were used.....live music every evening....crafts in building, lodging,making
spoons and other household items.....beautiful gardens....hot summers living
totally outside...work shared by everyone, some liked it some did not...." JAF
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cave junction (town) banned us from movies, restaurants....etc....the local
sheriff was a pain.....the straight world, i left it behind in nyc..... JAF
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What effect did commune life have on the rest of your life?
"simplification and respect" JAF