Monday, June 18, 2012

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

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9 comments:

  1. Michael DooneyJune 18, 2012 at 4:16 PM

    TV guide used to be packed with great illustrations! I remember the show and "Bring 'em Back Alive" was a similar program and was out around the same time period.

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  2. SmurfswackerJune 18, 2012 at 6:54 PM

    I never saw this before. Great work! I agree with M. Doonan...there was a lot of good illustration in TV Guide. When I was taking classes at Art Center back in the day, getting a TV Guide cover assignment was one of the ways you knew you'd arrived. That all changed when Triangle Publications was sold to NewsCorp.

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  3. AnonymousJune 19, 2012 at 12:54 AM

    Correct me if I'm wrong. Drew Struzan is the guy who created the Sabbath Bloody Sabbath's artwork. Here there's a good expose:

    http://www.originalalbumcoverart.com/struzan/sabbath-bloody-sabbath.php

    CV

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  4. M. D. JacksonJune 19, 2012 at 6:30 AM

    I watched that show every week until it was cancelled. I don't think it even made a full season. It was a great show, though.

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  5. joe ackermanJune 19, 2012 at 3:09 PM

    that's what it was called!!! yes! I love you, Thom!

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  6. Thomas Haller BuchananJune 19, 2012 at 4:57 PM

    Joe! Let's run away together! Or apart! Let's just run away!

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  7. BobJune 20, 2012 at 9:59 AM

    I loved that show -- and still have the TV Guide pages from my boyhood!

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  8. joe ackermanJune 20, 2012 at 12:55 PM

    ha! I'm outta here!

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  9. jasonJune 20, 2012 at 5:09 PM

    I loved Tales of the Gold Monkey and remember these ads well! (I think I may even have a couple of them somewhere in my basement.) I had no idea Struzan had done them... you learn something cool everyday!

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