Merry Christmas everyone!
Bigfoot, Nessie and now... flying Reindeer?
Untouched photo taken in Portland Oregon, Nov. 2007.
Merry Christmas everyone!
Merry Christmas everyone!
Scrooge
My perfect Scrooge would mix the Burgermeister Meister Burger, Danny Devito and Billy Bob Thornton in a blender...
I see Scrooge as foul on the outside as he is inside. He'd let his clothes rot before spending money on buying new ones. He washed once a month saving money on water.
I imagine a post Christmas Scrooge that didn't change his frugal personal hygiene habits. He now uses the saved money on others.
Years later, Scrooge invented the "derby" hat when he wanted a cheaper "top" hat that used less money for material.
I see Scrooge as foul on the outside as he is inside. He'd let his clothes rot before spending money on buying new ones. He washed once a month saving money on water.
I imagine a post Christmas Scrooge that didn't change his frugal personal hygiene habits. He now uses the saved money on others.
Years later, Scrooge invented the "derby" hat when he wanted a cheaper "top" hat that used less money for material.
Saturday Morning Video
My brother in law Kirk Scott got a job in Portland Oregon last year. He and my sister Monica moved there just months after being married. I'm concerned for my sister's well being now. Please Kirk, get a real job with people who don't play with puppets all day. Click on this link to see what I mean... THIS IS WHAT HE SPENDS HIS DAY WORKING ON?
I hate Kirk's job...I really do.
I hate Kirk's job...I really do.
I like our cats, but...
it really weirds me out when I just happen to look across the room and catch one just staring at me.
Santa Claus? Government Cover Up?
A very old illustration for a 1989 TV Christmas special called...THERE IS A SANTA CLAUS.
Pen/ink, watercolor, colored pencil
Pen/ink, watercolor, colored pencil
12 Days of Grover ...day 6
On the sixth day of Christmas.
My dog gave to me.
Six feet of garland.
My dog gave to me.
Six feet of garland.
Five dug holes.
Four scared squirrels.
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
Four scared squirrels.
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
The 12 Days of Grover ...day 5
On the fifth day of Christmas.
My dog gave to me.
Five dug holes...
Four scared squirrels.
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
My dog gave to me.
Five dug holes...
Four scared squirrels.
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
The 12 Days of Grover ...day 4
On the fourth day of Christmas.
My dog gave to me.
Four scared squirrels...
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
My dog gave to me.
Four scared squirrels...
Three chewed socks.
Two shredded slippers
and a converse under a tree.
I Know That Look...
Here's a picture I discovered of my fiancee at 5 years old...
She had her silent "I'm angry with you" look even then.
It's subtle, she's never been a dramatic type. It's in the eyes.
She has the same glare now when needed. She doesn't suffer fools well.
She still holds a pen up like that writing notes. She loves making notes.
I do something stupid almost everyday. I know that glare well.
A friendly warning...if you ever get this look from her and it's followed by a raised eyebrow... may God help you.
She had her silent "I'm angry with you" look even then.
It's subtle, she's never been a dramatic type. It's in the eyes.
She has the same glare now when needed. She doesn't suffer fools well.
She still holds a pen up like that writing notes. She loves making notes.
I do something stupid almost everyday. I know that glare well.
A friendly warning...if you ever get this look from her and it's followed by a raised eyebrow... may God help you.
The 12 Days of Grover...day 2
On the second day of Christmas.
The dog gave to me.
Two shredded slippers...
and a converse under a tree.
The dog gave to me.
Two shredded slippers...
and a converse under a tree.
The 12 Days of Grover...
On the first day of Christmas.
The dog gave to me.
A converse under a tree...
SCI FI BUZZ - the first set
There were 3 incarnations of the SCI FI BUZZ set I designed in the years it was on the air. . This is part 1.
In 1992, my first real TV job (beyond being a production assistant) was as the production coordinator for the last season of Nickelodeon's original WILD AND CRAZY KIDS. I was basically the head production assistant and responsible for all the other P.A.'s on staff. We were needed to make real and practical all the games the producer's came up with. Looking back, I was actually the art director and all the P.A.'s were prop people but I didn't know any better then. We should of been payed art dept. wages...but TV work was fairly new to me and I had no thoughts of a career in it.
I should of saw the future when I wanted filming to wait on a game till all 10 red balloons filled with whip cream where the same size.
That season's director Dave Garrison called me a few weeks after it was over. He was producing and directing for a unknown cable network called SCI FI Channel. He wondered if I wanted to design the set for a weekly "entertainment tonight" styled show about all things science fiction.
Of course I said yes. I then talked with executive producer, Dick Crew about details and dove head first into the project. I soon realized with no set design experience...I had no idea of what I was doing.
Thankfully, I had become good friends with, Gregg Holliman, a P.A. from Wild and Crazy kids. Greg was the "go to" guy for any building or carpentry on that show. He had experience working in many scenic shops around town. Greg said to me...
"Designing a set is no different than drawing a picture of a room or someplace from your imagination. You just have to build it and I can build anything you think up "
Hearing those words opened a new world for me. SCI FI BUZZ became the first TV set I ever designed.
The first SCI FI BUZZ season was to be filmed in the Dick Crew production office. It was hoped to look like a busy office full of people in cubicles focused on all things sci fi . We would film 4 episodes on a Saturday or Sunday once a month. Staff members were to be on camera as extras.
I had to transform a boring production office, that looked drab...into a cool space that seemed to be a "sci fi headquarters". The real challenge was not completely re-designing the office as people had to work there on Monday. It had to be something easy to set up, strike and store quickly once a month. Adding sci fi posters and props to the cubicles was obvious but it needed more.
The solution was creating a home base for host Mike Jerrick as the sci fi buzz team leader (and not just a talking head). I came up with a design that used 3 pre existing black shelf units in the office, pushed together, bookended by two internally lit pieces built by Greg.
I added a large Sci Fi channel "Saturn" logo made from foam core. The other stuff was furniture around the office. I'm proud of the design, it was fun and sold the show's theme. It was just "over the top" and still worked in the overall office space.
I loved working on this show! Not only as a Sci Fi fan but as a wonderful way to begin a future history in TV art direction. It spoiled me. Each month I'd have to make some fun props based on one or two of the show's segments. How many people get a call asking...
"Can you make the monolith from 2001: a Space Odyssey for next week?"
Here's a clip from season one I found online about DARK SHADOWS (note that the whole office became the set...even the company office tape storage.)
If you looked quick there was a Indiana Jones tribute. A bullwhip, leather jacket and fedora was on the wall. I'd add things like that from time to time as fun details.
Sci Fi Buzz was a great show because it treated fans with respect. It was the only show about all things in the genre without snide commentary or aside remarks. It was full of self effacing humor, but the words... dork, geek and nerd... were never used. As in this clip I also found online (first season director and producer Dave Garrison is the correspondent).
Mike Jerrick and the crew never made fun of the subject matter either when filming on the set. Everyone was a nostaligic sci fi genre lover at heart. I remember all standing around going..."oooh aahhh" when beloved collector Bob Burns brought the original King Kong to the set one day for a segment about it. The executive producer had to be the bad guy and demand all to focus and get back to filming the show.
Everyone working on SCI FI BUZZ made a show they wanted to watch as fans.
Greg Holliman taught me a designer is nothing without a good team or carpenter. They are often the one's forgotten as someone else gets the credit. Greg made many a crazy idea I had real and practical for years after. Life happens and we've drifted apart. We see each other now and again around town and catch up. I always run into him at some hardware store. Ironic, as the places we spent the most time when working together.
The SCI FI BUZZ set grew bigger in time over the next few seasons. For part 2, click here.
In 1992, my first real TV job (beyond being a production assistant) was as the production coordinator for the last season of Nickelodeon's original WILD AND CRAZY KIDS. I was basically the head production assistant and responsible for all the other P.A.'s on staff. We were needed to make real and practical all the games the producer's came up with. Looking back, I was actually the art director and all the P.A.'s were prop people but I didn't know any better then. We should of been payed art dept. wages...but TV work was fairly new to me and I had no thoughts of a career in it.
I should of saw the future when I wanted filming to wait on a game till all 10 red balloons filled with whip cream where the same size.
That season's director Dave Garrison called me a few weeks after it was over. He was producing and directing for a unknown cable network called SCI FI Channel. He wondered if I wanted to design the set for a weekly "entertainment tonight" styled show about all things science fiction.
Of course I said yes. I then talked with executive producer, Dick Crew about details and dove head first into the project. I soon realized with no set design experience...I had no idea of what I was doing.
Thankfully, I had become good friends with, Gregg Holliman, a P.A. from Wild and Crazy kids. Greg was the "go to" guy for any building or carpentry on that show. He had experience working in many scenic shops around town. Greg said to me...
"Designing a set is no different than drawing a picture of a room or someplace from your imagination. You just have to build it and I can build anything you think up "
Hearing those words opened a new world for me. SCI FI BUZZ became the first TV set I ever designed.
The first SCI FI BUZZ season was to be filmed in the Dick Crew production office. It was hoped to look like a busy office full of people in cubicles focused on all things sci fi . We would film 4 episodes on a Saturday or Sunday once a month. Staff members were to be on camera as extras.
I had to transform a boring production office, that looked drab...into a cool space that seemed to be a "sci fi headquarters". The real challenge was not completely re-designing the office as people had to work there on Monday. It had to be something easy to set up, strike and store quickly once a month. Adding sci fi posters and props to the cubicles was obvious but it needed more.
The solution was creating a home base for host Mike Jerrick as the sci fi buzz team leader (and not just a talking head). I came up with a design that used 3 pre existing black shelf units in the office, pushed together, bookended by two internally lit pieces built by Greg.
I added a large Sci Fi channel "Saturn" logo made from foam core. The other stuff was furniture around the office. I'm proud of the design, it was fun and sold the show's theme. It was just "over the top" and still worked in the overall office space.
I loved working on this show! Not only as a Sci Fi fan but as a wonderful way to begin a future history in TV art direction. It spoiled me. Each month I'd have to make some fun props based on one or two of the show's segments. How many people get a call asking...
"Can you make the monolith from 2001: a Space Odyssey for next week?"
Here's a clip from season one I found online about DARK SHADOWS (note that the whole office became the set...even the company office tape storage.)
If you looked quick there was a Indiana Jones tribute. A bullwhip, leather jacket and fedora was on the wall. I'd add things like that from time to time as fun details.
Sci Fi Buzz was a great show because it treated fans with respect. It was the only show about all things in the genre without snide commentary or aside remarks. It was full of self effacing humor, but the words... dork, geek and nerd... were never used. As in this clip I also found online (first season director and producer Dave Garrison is the correspondent).
Mike Jerrick and the crew never made fun of the subject matter either when filming on the set. Everyone was a nostaligic sci fi genre lover at heart. I remember all standing around going..."oooh aahhh" when beloved collector Bob Burns brought the original King Kong to the set one day for a segment about it. The executive producer had to be the bad guy and demand all to focus and get back to filming the show.
Everyone working on SCI FI BUZZ made a show they wanted to watch as fans.
Greg Holliman taught me a designer is nothing without a good team or carpenter. They are often the one's forgotten as someone else gets the credit. Greg made many a crazy idea I had real and practical for years after. Life happens and we've drifted apart. We see each other now and again around town and catch up. I always run into him at some hardware store. Ironic, as the places we spent the most time when working together.
The SCI FI BUZZ set grew bigger in time over the next few seasons. For part 2, click here.
Drew Struzan
There are very few illustrators who's work defines a generation.
Charles Gibson created early 1900's female style.
Howard Pyle created the classic pirate.
N.C. Wyeth created the vision of all great adventure stories.
Norman Rockwell created the perfect nostalgic American family life.
Frank Frazetta created the texture of modern epic fantasy.
Drew Struzan created a cult of late century pop culture film geeks.
His movie posters made any film look better than they were...
Struzan's art is as famous as the film's themselves. In the 80's and early 90's it seemed like he illustrated the poster for every movie. Below is a small sample of his classics ...
In a world of photoshop, Struzan remains a craftsman. His art is done at actual poster size ( around 27" x 40") in acrylic and colored pencil on gesso'ed board.
Yesterday morning I checked my e-mail as usual and my friend Rene sent me this image of the newest Drew poster...
It was a great way to start the day. I like that it's reminiscent of the teaser poster from TEMPLE of DOOM, one of my favorite Indy ads...
I love the TEMPLE of DOOM poster because it's so pulp novel/magazine cover feeling, perfect for the period of an Indiana Jones adventure.
It's iconic, Indy is posed as if he's a statue to worship in the temple he's about to enter. This poster was cool because it was the first time you saw the name "Indiana Jones" as the now classic logo. Contrary to Lucasfilm revisionist history on the DVDs...the first movie was "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and not "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark".
It made me feel the movie was going to be something special and not just RAIDERS II.
Can anyone tell me who the illustrator of the above TEMPLE of DOOM poster was? I'm serious, I don't know.
Charles Gibson created early 1900's female style.
Howard Pyle created the classic pirate.
N.C. Wyeth created the vision of all great adventure stories.
Norman Rockwell created the perfect nostalgic American family life.
Frank Frazetta created the texture of modern epic fantasy.
Drew Struzan created a cult of late century pop culture film geeks.
His movie posters made any film look better than they were...
Struzan's art is as famous as the film's themselves. In the 80's and early 90's it seemed like he illustrated the poster for every movie. Below is a small sample of his classics ...
In a world of photoshop, Struzan remains a craftsman. His art is done at actual poster size ( around 27" x 40") in acrylic and colored pencil on gesso'ed board.
Yesterday morning I checked my e-mail as usual and my friend Rene sent me this image of the newest Drew poster...
It was a great way to start the day. I like that it's reminiscent of the teaser poster from TEMPLE of DOOM, one of my favorite Indy ads...
I love the TEMPLE of DOOM poster because it's so pulp novel/magazine cover feeling, perfect for the period of an Indiana Jones adventure.
It's iconic, Indy is posed as if he's a statue to worship in the temple he's about to enter. This poster was cool because it was the first time you saw the name "Indiana Jones" as the now classic logo. Contrary to Lucasfilm revisionist history on the DVDs...the first movie was "Raiders of the Lost Ark" and not "Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Ark".
It made me feel the movie was going to be something special and not just RAIDERS II.
Can anyone tell me who the illustrator of the above TEMPLE of DOOM poster was? I'm serious, I don't know.
Devin's SHINING new Christmas tree.
A Christmas video I did 3 years back for the family.
My niece Devin, sister Megan and brother in law Paul, headed out to get their tree. My Dad and I tagged along. While in the lot, Devin loved running through the aisles of evergreen.
It reminded me of a classic Kubrick film and Stephen King novel... if it had a fun ending with a grandfather.
My niece Devin, sister Megan and brother in law Paul, headed out to get their tree. My Dad and I tagged along. While in the lot, Devin loved running through the aisles of evergreen.
It reminded me of a classic Kubrick film and Stephen King novel... if it had a fun ending with a grandfather.
Company Christmas Card
The final illustration for Screen Door Entertainment's Christmas card. The company logo is the wave.
If breakfast has a name, it must be...
Part of an archeologist's complete breakfast including toast, juice and shankara stones. Indy's only 6 months away and the merchandise is going to start hitting stores soon, gotta clear off some shelves.
Check out these new pics just released on the official web page, Harrison Ford looks great...
This movie is going to be huge...for one reason...my own Father is willing to wait on line for however long it takes, to go to the first screening on the first day, even if it's a midnight show!