PURE ESCAPISM Renato Casaro’s poster for The NeverEnding Story captured the film’s magic using tempera and a bit of airbrushing on cardboard.
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X? O E B H March 2016 AT’S IN T AT’S H W John Alvin’s Gremlin’s illustration sparks the viewer’s curiosity and pulls you in. “Much was of E.T. kept top human hand? She was a small child at the time, and that’s her hand in the picture. secret by the studio – not John Alvin was brilliant when it came to like John Alvin, Richard Amsel, Ted CoConis, Bob Peak and Drew Struzan gave us a gateway into imaginary realms. evoking a sense of mystery. John passed away in 2005, but his daughter Farah not only grew up alongside his work, but also appeared in it. know You the famous poster in which finger E.T.’s reaches out towards a d ho
et M irect e D Terry Gilliam drew the poster Bandits Time himself, expertly conveying the film’s inter-dimensional plot. Th accomplishedAn illustrator himself,
The
here’s a special kind of nostalgia that surrounds the fantasy and sci-fi films of the 1980s. Thanks to the impetus that Star Wars gave the film
fantasy film fantasy
A whole crop genius of A whole
These were the days before Photoshop More than that, our nostalgia is tweaked of fantasy artists caught our imaginations with pencils, ink and paint too, and the posters that enticed us into the cinemas were largely hand-painted. A whole crop of genius fantasy artists caught our imaginations with pencils, ink and paint, with three-sheet or quad-sized posters going up around town whenever a new fantasy picture was on its way. on a deeper, more psychological level. Fantasy films back then weren’t just a distraction from boredom. Generation Y and hipster haircuts hadn’t been invented. Back then kids were worried. Reaganomics and Thatcherism were ravaging economies. People began to die of AIDS. Famines killed millions in Africa. And the Cold War Armageddon. assured mutually promised So we gazed at Brian Bysouth’s posters for Willow and Big Trouble in Little China. We were beckoned by the peculiar-looking Falkor, the luckdragon, on Renato Casaro’s poster for The NeverEnding Story. Artists industry in the late-1970s, effects budgets grew and grew, but because CGI was a mere twinkle in John Lasseter’s eye, the creatures and magic we witnessed were often handmade. They looked tactile, and films like The Dark Crystal and Time Bandits felt lived in and quirky, morelike real life than a cold computer screen. T The 1980s was an era of wonderful fantasy films and, as Garrick and, as Webster films fantasy wonderful of era an 1980sThe was
discovers, the poster art that accompanied them was just as astounding as just was them accompanied art that poster the discovers,
Golden Age Golden posters
© Renato Casaro - All rights reserved. FULL OF CHARACTER Jim Henson Ted CoConis rose to the challenge of incorporating over 20 characters into was a great guy. the Labyrinth poster, and Not only super Jim Henson loved it. creative, but also kind, gentle and humble
42 March 2016 20xx fantasy film posters FULL-ON MONTAGE The ins and outs Brian Bysouth’s art conveys the film’s gritty urban action, and its dark, mystical side. of Labyrinth We asked artist Ted CoConis about how his poster for Jim Henson’s Labyrinth came about… How did you land the Labyrinth poster job? The advertising campaign was handled by Seiniger Associates in LA, but it was Jim Henson himself who wanted me to do the artwork. Jim and I had known each other since 1973 when he had commissioned me to create a piece for a Muppets Valentine Special starring Mia Farrow and Thog.
What was it like working with Jim Henson? Since 1980 I had been withdrawing from the world of illustration in order to concentrate on my own art, but I was really intrigued with the idea of working with Jim again. He was a great guy. Not only super creative, but also kind, gentle and humble.
What did you get to work with? I was given the script and hundreds of photographs: black and white prints as well as 35mm slides.
What was the thinking behind the pyramidal composition with Bowie at the top, and the colour palette? It just seemed that the best way to capture the essence of the storyline and convey the charismatic omnipotence of Jareth the Goblin King was to interweave a base of interesting elements, then build outwards and upwards into a portrait of David Bowie with his crystal ball.
What media did you use? In those days I worked almost exclusively in acrylics on hot- press illustration board. My usual method was to create a strong, finely detailed drawing in graphite over which I would paint in thin layers of acrylic, allowing the drawing to show through and maintain its strength and integrity.
only the film itself, but what the With those little mogwai paws reaching characters and scenic elements looked like,” out from under the shoebox lid, John’s she explains. “John was given a sketch of artwork for Gremlins is one of the most the alien’s hand by a production designer to memorable of all time. “What was use for reference and then he took important about the Gremlins poster was to numerous Polaroids of my hand. He used indicate that this cute, delightful creature these photos and the reference for the alien had the potential to become horrible,” hand to create a composite sketch and then, explains Farah. “But the film is sort of ultimately, the painting we all know. The campy and scary, not gory, so I think he had design concept, borrowed from to walk a very careful line and play up the Michelangelo, came from the studio. All of mystery rather than the horror. You can’t the aspects of light and colour were help but look at this poster and want to ultimately a product of his creativity.” know what’s in the box! That curiosity is, of course, the downfall of the characters in the capture a film’s heart and soul film. So this poster reels you into the spirit John would often say that his job was “to and tone of the movie quite beautifully.” create the promise of a great experience” Generating intimacy with the observer is and he worked on the concepts of the something a good painter can do if they posters as much as their execution. The have a unique style. Richard Amsel died of INTO THE UNKNOWN artist sought to identify the key elements of HIV in 1985, but his poster work for films The design of E.T. was kept secret by the studio. All John a film – its heart and soul – to convey in a such as Raiders of the Lost Ark, The Dark Alvin had to work with were sketches of the alien hand. single, emotive image. Crystal and Flash Gordon continues to
March 2016 43 ART DECO Richard Amsel used a number of layers in this poster. The type is central, with the characters hinting at the story around it.
44 March 2016 © Renato Casaro - All rights reserved. something look photorealistic.” look something make to enough wasn’t it too; personalities, capturing in gifted very was “He Adam. says use “His art. Richard’s on expert an is and images. the of rendering the in clear who’s front and centre, his penetrating gaze gaze penetrating his centre, and who’s front Merciless the Ming it’s but Gordon, Flash called movie’s “The poster. Gordon Flash his in fore the to came side playful Richard’s kitsc intergalactic Munchausen combined scenes from the movie. the from scenes combined Munchausen Baron of Adventures The the for poster Casaro’s Renato MAGIC MAN Adam McDaniel works in a film studio, studio, afilm in works McDaniel Adam resonate because the artist’s hand is is hand artist’s the because resonate getting the details just right,” right,” just details the getting maintaining control and while directions, frenzied of sorts all in draw he’d as extraordinary, was pencils of h burst up from the bottom of the poster in in poster the of bottom the from up burst it around landscape broken the and crystal the housing castle The characters. strange of amontage with velum of apiece there’s layer one On creatures. its of many designed also who Froud, Brian by film the for created art logo around work the centred He time. the at innovative was and stunning, is Crystal was.” it fun silly the like look film the made and joke, the on in was He serious. look it make to out wasn’t Richard concert. rock glam a1970s of vision foggy the through seen as serials, sci-fi 1930s kitschy, wonderful, all It’s power. of ring sparkly a has and dress, asequin wears on, mascara got guy’s the “But Adam. says strike,” to ready aserpent like us, at right directed demonic character. Curry’s Tim of sketch agraphite is This poster. Legend the with evil and good of themes the with play to wanted Alvin John DARKNESS His poster for Jim Henson’s The Dark Dark The Henson’s Jim for poster His power. kitschy It’s wonderfully of ring asparkly has and dress sequin
The guy’s got mascara on, wears a a on, wears got mascara The guy’s 1930s origins. 1930s its invoking effectively elements deco art the Gordon, Flash of revival 1980 the up camped Amsel Richard great The FLAS ! A H! H -A H! without it looking too complex. The film film The complex. too looking it without together characters key the bring to Ted was for challenge the movie, the for a logotype and Labyrinth the of idea the with Supplied artwork. the for commissioned was – Hair and Roof the on Fiddler for posters done previously – who’d Ted CoConis artist the time, This characters. and creatures its from comes charm film’s the all Crystal Dark The with as and together, Labyrinth ago. long atime and legend, mythology, of Itspeaks parchment. the of front Jim Henson and Brian Froud also made made also Froud Brian and Henson Jim March 2016 March posters fantasy film is a work of art in itself: itself: in art of awork is following. acult has it today and iconic is poster its but office, box the at struggled “Every single character character single “Every
45 46 Courtesy Everett Collection/ REX/Shutterstock posters fantasy film used on the DVD case. DVD the on used still is image the of portion right-hand The cover. book a almost what’s in elements story several captures Bride Princess The of release composition for the UK unusual highly Crisp’s Steve inc characters, the intrigue and the whip. Adam whip. the McDaniel and intrigue the characters, Richard Amsel’s R that direct essence of adesign. of essence direct that to capture best how out to figure trying 1 o ncei aiders of t of aiders
of preliminary thumbnail sketches, sketches, thumbnail preliminary of scores make often would Richard v able ! poster for the 1982 re-release of Raiders of the Lost Ark perfectly embodies the film, conveying the conveying the film, the embodies perfectly Ark Lost ofthe ofRaiders re-release 1982 the for poster 20xx 2016 March on the whip arm position. arm whip the on options gave himself still he –here sketch he Los 2
he’d draw a more solid and accurate accurate and solid a more he’d draw to aroute follow, he’d chosen Once , an expert on Richard’s techniques, talks us through its creation its through us talks techniques, Richard’s on expert , an t A rk redux rk illustration. final the on embarking before approvals creative for show 3
detailed colour comp, which he would would he which comp, colour detailed arather render then would Richard TRILOGY Here’s the final teaser poster for Willow painted by John Alvin. The negative space to the left hints that there’s more to come for viewer and for the characters.
Courtesy Everett Collection/ REX/Shutterstock 4 For the final poster art Richard would start with the detailed pencils, work with washes of paint, then add coloured pencils and gouache in a back and forth process until he was happy with the results.
GRAPHITE Jim picked a handful of key figures, Here’s John Alvin’s sketch for the second of his three Willow and I was free to tie everything together posters. It depicts the journey that the characters take in the film. with whichever ones worked best
brilliantly conceived, masterfully artist, today’s posters are often devoid of constructed,” says Ted. “In the end, Jim that touch of magic. picked out a handful of key figures, and “Hand-painted artwork died in the 90s,” I was free to tie everything together with Renato laments. “To give you an idea of whichever ones worked best for the design. what we’ve lost, The Folkwang Museum in “I was completely free to do whatever Essen, which is the most important poster I thought would work best in terms of gallery in Germany, organised a big concept and design. The only client input retrospective including my movie posters. – which I had to override – was their During the exhibition they invited graphic insistence that Sarah be portrayed in blue design students to transfer my artwork into jeans. That was completely inappropriate Photoshop, and use elements of my for the look and feeling of the painting as artwork to create new posters. The results well as the movie itself. She simply had to were unsatisfactory; they were unable to be wearing the gorgeous gown she wore in capture the special magic that you need in that fabulous ballroom scene.” particular for movie posters.” How do we get some of that 80s magic missing a touch of magic back into movie poster art? Perhaps what Today, it’s easy to see photos of the some of these wonderful illustrators we’ve characters being montaged together, much talked about here lends some inspiration. A like the posters for The Lord of the Rings sense of mystery and expectation, the films. But where would be the fun in that? return of a painterly feel, evidence of a Renato Casaro, who painted painter’s hand, and a fresh injection of over 1,500 posters during his character might just help us to escape the career, including those for The pressures of the 21st century, or at least feel NeverEnding Story, believes a bit less like we’re being marketed to. that without the hand of an Artists, it’s over to you!
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