Just a Little Idea

Speaking of Leonardo, that Vinci guy, here he be paintin' the saint.

Rowland B. Wilson — Playboy cartoon

'70s/'80s, somewhere in there

Don't Be Nervous

I was never impressed with Playboy cartoon captions—they were always forced, stilted and unfunny. But so much of the art, created with a watercolor medium, WAS impressive.

Eldon Dedini — Playboy cartoon — 1970s? '80s?

Monumental

This is sort of related to the previous post, by a tour de force blending of monumental horse with monumental man, for a Playboy article in the 1980s, I think.

Illustrated by Mel Odom — The Stallion

Designed by Kerig Pope — Art directed by Tom Staebler

Happy January One!

Erté — Playboy cover — January 1987 (a very good year for me)

The Place is a Pandemonium

If you are offended by the sight of satanic foolery, leave this place at once. Otherwise, marvel at how Kinuko Craft can illustrate such an unsanctimonious pandemonium.

Kinuko Craft — Trial of the Warlock — Playboy magazine

The Robots are Coming

I really am coming back to Fantasia soon. I'm just making some formatting decisions. In the meantime, I want to keep posting stuff, so I'll take this opportunity to again have a potpourri of odds 'n' ends, just to satisfy your hunger for images (as if you don't get enough from tumblr sites).

Here we have a true homage of the classic Forbidden Planet poster, by Kinuko Craft for a Playboy magazine article from some years ago, when it was actually a halfway decent periodical. That was actually a catty comment since I haven't even seen an issue for many years.

It's interesting to compare details, as Craft made changes here and there, but seemingly not on the girl. I know that's supposed to be Ann Francis in the poster, but eh, well, you know—artistic license prevails (NOT a dis to Ms. Francis!).

Channeling

Kinuko Craft, great modern illustrator, channels great illustrators of the past, here a cross between Edmund Dulac and Charles Robinson, with a little Rene Bull in the mix. Illustration for a story in Playboy—but of course—didja think Boy's Life?

Discovery of the Golden Age of Comics

I started reading Playboy when I was 13. Yes, really—reading it. Oh sure, the pictorials were eye openers and cleared up a lot of mysteries for me, but I was reading John Updike and Ian Fleming and enjoying Shel Silverstein's journal drawings of Fire Island. I loved the James Bond serials, and because of that, went out to buy the paperback 007 novels. I truly was a 'mature reader' at 13. 

But I still loved the comics of course, and the October '65 issue of Playboy had an article about the golden age of comics by Jules Feiffer. Which showed me what I had been missing (besides what the pictorials were showing me). It was the first time I had seen the golden age heroes. Iconic panels of the heroes were printed in full bright colors, with a great text by Feiffer. It was promoting a book that I just had to have.

The first Playboy I ever bought—right off the newsstand at my local drugstore. I must have looked old for my age, or else the clerk didn't give a $#*@. Playboy covers in the 60's were lovely—very well designed and executed, with the bunny logo being artfully incorporated in each cover. They were sexy and classy. Art Paul was a fabulous art director. In the 70s he gave me a nice motivational interview, but never gave me a job. C'est la vie. 

Fleming, Ian Fleming.

Probably the best playmate of the year ever.

An interview with Peter O'toole. Very cool.

This is the issue that introduced the golden age of heroes to me. Jules Feiffer was a terrific contributor of text and cartoons with his own inimitable style. I had all of his books of cartoons, like Sick, Sick, Sick and all the diatribes of Bernard Merganthaler—was that his name? I'm winging this from memory, having divested myself of those books decades ago.