High Road to Adventure

Way back in 1982 there was a tv show, Tales of the Gold Monkey, that shared the same high road to adventure that Indiana Jones had just recently taken. The show had actually been conceived a lot earlier than anyone had even heard of Indy, but was a hard sell to the networks because it was 'adventure in the 1930s'. But along came the blockbuster film and THEN the network execs sat up and took notice.

Of course just the words 'adventure in the 1930s' sets my tail to wagging and I remember enjoying the show when it first aired. Stephen Collins as Jake Cutter and a Jack Russell terrier as Jack were fun to watch.

Of course then the choice of having Drew Struzan create the promotional art for the teevee show helped to connect it to the Indiana Jones movie's success. I LOVE Struzan's graphic talents and would love to see him illustrate ANYthing, and he certainly caught the essence of Jake and Jack on their high road to adventure!

Drew Struzan — Tales of the Gold Monkey — 1982

Drew Struzan — Tales of the Gold Monkey — 1982

I Never Would Have Guessed

If it wasn't for the signature on this intense portrait study, I never would have guessed it was by Gustav Klimt — an early experimentation of his, quite modern in an illustrative way. It looks rather like a 1960s' Time magazine cover illustration of a famous conductor or architect, maybe by Barron Storey, or Bernie Fuchs or Bob Peak — with its concentrated coloration and characterization.

Gustav Klimt — Study of a Blind Man — 1896

The One True Bond

Connery. Sean Connery. The one true Bond for me. Oh, I like Daniel Craig, but in my book, Connery is the man. He's one of those actors that we could like more and more the older he got. Best choice ever for Indy's dad.

Robert McGinnis — You Only Live Twice — 1967

Lucky Dad

It's a great responsibility and privilege to be a father. I'm such a lucky dad to have such a great kid! Happy Father's Day to all you other lucky dads!

Norman Rockwell — Father's Day — 1935

Barsoomian Expedition

It only takes a simple Krenkel sketch to spark the imagination . . .

Roy G. Krenkel — Barsoomian Expedition

Serpent and Sirene

Another encounter between serpent and sirene. Eden, I think not.

Charles Ricketts — 1886

Fruit of the Tree of Knowledge?

This was a painting used for the cover of a Heavy Metal extra edition. You can see how cropping the tail could make a difference in how one might interpret the meaning of the painting.

Pamela Lee — 1983

Pamela Lee — Bride of Heavy Metal — March 1985

The Artists' Life

The artists' life hasn't changed much since paleolithic times — he still has naked women applauding him and clients telling him how great his art is, but he needs to "make it smaller and change the color, oh and actually could you make it face the other direction?" *

Paul Jamin — A Painter in the Stone Age — 1903

* actually, that's why I like digital art — all those things can be changed in seconds. And naked women still applaud.

Out of This World

For all their imperfections, comic books are still out of this world for primary color entertainment. This is a nice panel.

John Giunta — Crom the Barbarian - panel detail

Out of This World comics

Mythopia

I could gaze at a Kinuko Craft painting til the ravens come home, especially the ones detailed like this mythopia — looking akin to, but so much more elevated than, medieval illuminations.

Kinuko Craft — Isabo & the Mystery of Aislin House — 2008

Peacock's Tail

Move in close to admire this clever drawing . . .

Leo & Diane Dillon — The Peacock's Tail — 1965

Outdoor Living Room

You may be tempted to follow the plans, above, for your very own outdoor living room. But be careful, uninvited guests may drop in:

Charles Soulacroix — Spring

Operation Deep Freeze

I love expository schematic perspectives, fueling my imagination to walk into the scene. I want to hang out in the Sky Lab and Lounge!

Fred Wolff —Popular Science — August 1971

'Operation Deep Freeze'

Oh, How I Lust

Oh, how I lust for the designs of yesteryear . . .

1932 Cabriolet Roadster Hupmobile

Morning of the World

This painting has a nice atmospheric quality that evokes an ancient day in the morning of the world . . . if it just wasn't for that jet vapor trail disintegrating in the upper atmosphere . . .

E. René Ménard — Le Jugement de Paris — ca 1908

Book Project

Just a reminder that we're sharing some of our studio's art over on Snippets and Bibbets, pulling from 30 years of creating art for kids. The image below is a drawing in progress for a current book project that's in its final deadline phase.

©2012 Haller-Buchanan — Mountain Town Main Street, ca 1920

Memories

Memory is such a mysterious human power that most of us take for granted. I can dredge up memories from so many points of my life, yet other points are seemingly lost forever.

A minor note: I do not ever remember eating lunch during my high school years. I didn't skip the meal, I'm sure, I just have no recollection in the least of ever eating lunch during high school. I can't even picture the school cafeteria in my mind, yet I can picture every other detail of the school's layout. And still I can remember specific days, events, smells and feelings as far back as when I was four and five years old (I remember several specific lunches from when I was 4).

Such a mysterious power we have.

Harold Nelson — Memories — early XXth century

Catherine the Great

Staying in a Russian frame of mind for another minute, Marlene Dietrich makes a stunning Catherine the Great in the 1934 The Scarlet Empress, ala Josef von Sternberg. Sam Jaffe makes quite an impression as well, in his own way.

The Scarlet Empress — 1934

Godunov Decor

Designs for theater are always wonderful to see, as the artist is usually compelled to use a rich palette with a fanciful interpretation of reality.

These two decor designs are for Boris Godunov, one of the 1913 stagings of the opera by Modest Mussorgsky. I'm such a low level geek that I can never hear the name Boris Godunov without thinking of Boris Badenov, the no-goodnik villain from Rocky and Bullwinkle.

But I digress.

Leon Bakst — Decor for Boris Godunov — 1913

Leon Bakst — Decor for Boris Godunov — 1913

Fantasy ala Finlay

Virgil Finlay — from The Ship of Ishtar — 1949

It is Just As I Feared

Donn P. Crane — There Was an Old Man — 1930s

City Above the Abyss

How utterly wonderful that artists' and writers' talents can transport us anywhere in time and space to locales undreamt of . . .

Rene Benezech — 1930s

Il bâtit une ville suspendue au-dessus des abîmes.

He built a city suspended above the abyss.

General's Favorite Film

This, of course, is the delightful and fanciful background set piece for the circus train scene in the 1941 'Dumbo', the general's favorite film in the Spielberg film '1941'.

Animation background — Dumbo — 1941

© Walt Disney Studio

YAY, It's Watergun Weather!

James McMullan — Graphis 213

The Heart of the Whole Round World

A nice demonstration of the centric point of view.

Fruit Vendor

Even after 95 years, that watermelon looks tasty.

John William Godward — The Fruit Vendor — 1917

The Gift

Ray Bradbury was one of those few science fiction writers embraced by a mainstream audience as well as the SF/Sci-Fi geeks. His work spanned from pulps and comics to elite hardback books and glossy magazines, from The Saturday Evening Post to Playboy and Esquire.

He was a gift and was embraced by all.

"An Interpretation of Ray Bradbury's Christmas Story — The Gift

Painted Especially for Esquire by Ren Wicks" — December 1952

Roaming the Eons

This is a favorite photo of our dearly departed Ray Bradbury, sitting in the original time machine from the classic film, around 1960.

I'd like to think that he is somewhere roaming the eons.

photo © 2001 Ray Bradbury

On a Pedestal

I'm not a fan of most pin-up art, much of it contrived and, pardon the word, vulgar. I sparingly use that word because I'm not a prude and have an open mind to anything but violence. But sexuality, in my opinion, deserves more than superficial lust.

Zoe Mozert is a favorite pin-up artist, and the art below is one of my top favorites of hers. It seems wholesome, healthy AND sexy—placing this woman on a pedestal where some women rightly belong (though I'm sure that's a sexist statement, and I mean it in the sense that I adore women in general).

Zoe Mozert

Little Jewel

Edmund Dulac was one of THE classic illustrators of the Golden Age of illustration. Over time his style evolved to a simpler, more antiquarian effect. But even into the mid-century when other artists' styles had taken divergent paths, Dulac's was distinct with an aura of the Golden Age.

This little jewel of an edition was commissioned by The Limited Editions Club for The George Macy Companies and was the last of Dulac's books published prior to his death in 1953.

Edmund Dulac — The Marriage of Cupid and Psyche — 1951

Gorgeous

I'm not overly fond of cat posters, but this image by Jeff Haynie is gorgeous, gorgeous, GORGeous! Check out Mr. Haynie's website here!

©2011 Jeff Haynie — Black Cat Ball

Tragedy of a Nest

Wow, such dynamic energy for an engraving . . .

engraving by Elbridge Kingsley — A Tragedy of a Nest

late 19th century

Refined and Tender

Maurice Lalau is an illustrator that has been largely overlooked in the general history of the medium, even though his work was elegant and evocative of a Renaissance sensibility.

Once upon a time I rescued a L'illustration periodical from oblivion—in sad shape and ready to be thrown out, and several of the illustrations were by Lalau. This is one of them, so refined and tender, the date I do not know, and the title has the strangest 'g' I've ever encountered.

Maurice Lalau — Légende de St Gens — early 20th century

below, detail

Eden

Howard Chandler Christy painted a number of murals and large canvases where he celebrated the female form. This is one of them.

Howard Chandler Christy — Garden of Eden — 1925

An Inferior Divinity

Such elegant design.

Leon Bakst — Costume Design for an Inferior Divinity

'Narcisse' — 1911

A Love They Dared Not Touch

This film was controversial for its time, with racial implications, but the poster itself doesn't seem like it could have played in Boston or most anywhere else, what with Barbara Stanwyck's revealing outfit.

The Bitter Tea of General Yen — 1933

Waterside

A simple, yet fanciful, rendering of waterside architecture by Tim Kirk from way long ago. Since then Kirk has scaled the heights of success in design and illustration, with his studio link here.

Tim Kirk — 1970

The Avant-Garde Composer

Ronald Searle — mid 1950s

Willy Nilly Conceits

We're finally into the month of June where I can get past my silly conceit of posting stuff relating to the month of May for 31 days. I can now get back to my usual eclecticism of willy nilly conceits.

Below is a photograph of "one of the most unconventional female artists of the 20th century. Lee Miller was admired for her classical beauty, intelligence, and photographic talent."

Edward Steichen —Lee Miller — 1928