Illustration Throwback Thursday #17
Hoo boy, this is humbling. I came across this moldie oldie going through some of my mom’s old storage boxes. This was a tri-fold promo brochure I did as a project back in my last year of college, circa 1989. I updated it with my new address after my new bride The Lovely Anna and I moved to the Atlanta Georgia area to run a theme park caricature operation for Fasen Arts that summer… thus the Austell GA address. Here’s the back:
I remember this as being the first piece of art I ever inked with real ink, as opposed to markers or pens. I use primarily a brush with a few touches of crow quill (I think). Some truly horrible caricatures here. That’s supposed to be Cher above Sam Kinison. Clint Eastwood looks like an Oompa-Loompa. My best likeness is A.L.F. Funny how you can date this by the celebrities who where big at the time. Kinison, Devine, Dr. Ruth, Bobby McFarren, Robin Givens and Mike Tyson (he used to be a boxer, you know)… definitely late 80’s.
If I ever start getting a big head about my work, I can always just pull out some of this old stuff and get real humble again. Ooof.
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It’s fascinating to see an artists growth process. I look at Mort Drucker’s earliest Mad work, and see someone with promise, but no one could guess it would become as good as it did years or decades later. Rockwell’s early Post cover’s had none of the confidence, or ability to give the character’s the strong personalities, as well as the story telling skills, drama, and humor he gave them many years later. Your Cracked work was at a level many would be happy to have achieved, but like all of these folk’s, (I’m guessing), you asked yourself every day, how can I become more satisfied with my powers of observation, and what new influences and overall life experiences can help to raise the bar on my work. This promo piece shows skill, determination, and joy.
Thanks for this post Tom. It is great to see how someone as talented as yourself, also comes from humble beginnings. It gives hope to people like me!
Reading this from Austell. I work across from that Six Flags.
I used to live in the Calgary Glenn apartments just up the hill from Six Flags.
Always fun to look back at a professional’s early work. I see a little Drucker, but even more so, a lot of Tulka! Thanks for sharing your work/pain!