PITTSBURGH SOCIETY OF ILLUSTRATORS NEWS AND EVENTS www.pittsburghillustrators.org February, 2009 My Spot by Anni Matsick News Flashes From Our Members Okay, so I missed Seven Questions Over Members Distribute the Super Breakfast and Cigars Scholarship Awards Bowl, while Ever wondered what a successful Current PSI President Mark Brewer in transit children’s illustrator eats (and smokes) and PSI Past President Fred Carlson from the for breakfast? That, and lots more, is served February 2 on a scholarship annual revealed about John Manders as he jury that awarded $30,000 in scholar- SCBWI expounds on seven questions at this ships to prospective high schoolers Winter popular blogsite: http://blaine.org/ considering applying to the Art Institute sevenimpossiblethings/?p=1559 Conference in New York City, and of Pittsburgh for their higher education. couldn’t bear to watch the final min- The jurying was part of a show of this utes when I got in. I heard the results student work on display at the Mall at from my husband, who called the Robinson. good news upstairs to my studio where I was hunkered. At least then I Dare to Dream was able to relax and enjoy the tele- Ron Magnes just finished this vised celebration and replays. Herein, Obama/King image for use on post- we have our own exciting post-game ers & t-shirts for his CafePress shop: feature, where you can read the tales of two of PSI’s world-class sports art- www.cafepress.com/magnesgallery. ists who have long experience in por- “I was looking to create more of an traying Steelers images. The reports inspirational message rather than a are direct from the sidelines and in political statement with this image.” their own words. You can also read John and his pal Sherman sharing coffee my post-conference report on the John also shares his sure-fire test for Illustrators Intensive, which holds its guaranteeing his package of artwork own brand of excitement. will survive transit to the publisher. This month’s question reveals other celebrity related connections, further Technical Made Tangible testament to one of the more enjoy- Fred Carlson’s show “Science and able and rewarding aspects of our Technology Illustrated” has been field of enterprise. mounted in the Moench Hall Galleries at Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology in Terre Haute, Indiana and will remain through May. 75 pieces including sketches, comps and finishes reveal Fred’s process in showing technical themes in illustration, making complex data understandable. Fred will be on campus in Terre Haute, Indiana April Editor: Anni Matsick 1-3 giving talks on his work and con- Design/Production: Ron Magnes ducting workshops with the students to improve their communication of com- All images within this publication are copyrighted by the artists and may not be used without their plex data. written permission. 1 FEATURE That summer of ‘66 I was transferred to GEORGE GAADT their branch office in Pittsburgh and have In this PSI exclusive, George looks been here ever since. back on his 25 year career of working While working in two art studios in ten with the National Football League and years I had built a portion of my portfolio the Pittsburgh Steelers. with many football samples. The Steelers, Cleveland Browns, and my high school teammate Fred Biletnikoff of the Oakland Raiders indirectly played a roll in the NFL Creative Services giving me my first NFL project in 1969. I was an illustrator for NFL Properties for the next 25 years and Eastern Regional photographer for 20 of those years. During the summer of 1965 as a junior at Columbus College of Art and Design, I spent ten weeks in a training program at Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, MO, with the intention of returning after graduation. But in July, the local newspaper head- line read, “President Johnson calls up 250,000 soldiers” and I had a feel- ing I was earmarked in that to NFL Properties to introduce them to number. In April, In 1968, a friend at a print- my photography along with sideline por- 1966 I was ing company gave me his traits and action of Woody Hayes days at drafted by game field pass since he Ohio State. Not long after that I received the Marine was going out of town a phone call from David Boss, founder Corps and so I photographed of NFL Creative Services, who asked if would be my first NFL game I would be interested in photographing gone ten days between the Steelers a few Steeler games because they liked after gradua- and the Browns at my view of the game. Dave Boss became tion. For many Pitt Stadium. Three not only my NFL boss but one of my years I’d had Rivers Stadium was favorite people in the business world. back problems under construction and played foot- across from the ball through the Point. I had an pain so after an old WWII Leica extensive medical camera and examination a 1Y mili- was on the field tary deferment came trying to get through. So instead of pictures of my a military career I grad- old favorite uated in June and two Browns play- weeks later my art career ers, having grown up in began at an advertising Erie, PA supporting the Browns. studio in Cleveland, Ohio. Six years later, in 1974, I sent 40 slides Rocky Bleier with George continued on page 3 2 FEATURE continued I shot at least a quarter of a million frames in those 20 years on the field as Eastern Regional photographer. Of those, 15 were also at the Canton Hall of Fame Games and induction ceremonies. I was fortunate to have met many of the great- est players in the history of the game at their most honored moment. I walked away from the game in 1995 which was also the 75th Anniversary of the National Football League and I never looked back. 25 years of Artwork Created for the NFL 1970–1995 Approximately 60 paintings/illustrations Dan Rooney and Art Rooney, Sr., • Pro Magazine, Prolog Magazine, • Pittsburgh Steelers 50th Anniversary with George in 1982 Gameday Magazine, and book poster covers • Buffalo Bills 25th Anniversary poster • Super Bowl X program • The Professionals–portraits of NFL • Program feature–Super Bowl stars by America’s most prominent Most Valuable Players–7 pages illustrators–six paintings • Super Bowl XVIII program • Eight NFL assignments of Fred • Greenbay Packers Pro Football Biletnikoff Hall of Fame inductees • Pittsburgh Steelers 75th Anniversary • Super Bowl 25th Anniversary book poster/prints featuring the Oakland Raiders • Seagram 7 (client) Jim Thorpe • Six Pro Football Hall of Fame painting hanging in the Pro Football program covers Hall of Fame • Pro Football Hall of Fame 25th • Gameday Mag2 features Jim Anniversary cover–Fred Biletnikoff Thorpe and the Orange Indians Club induction 3 FEATURE continued rain and there was a long RON MAHONEY line to get in Alexander’s, Ron shares this lively report on his pro- and there was Franco lific career in covering many areas of Harris standing in line with sports related art, including our beloved an umbrella like everyone Steelers. else when he could have come up to the door (I’m sure the doorman would have let him in). I thought that was a class act. I had another restaurant in Market Square called Mick McGuire’s and some of the Steelers were custom- ers there, too. That whole group of guys on the 70s team were great! By the Even though I was born in Cleveland, I’ve been a Steeler fan since I moved here many years ago. I started to do art for the Steelers during the great 70s ball and basketball and the Pittsburgh and worked with Joe Gordon who was way, PSI member Penguins. While living in Florida, I did the promotions director at the time. I’ve Lynne Cannoy did almost everything pertaining to illustra- always loved doing sports illustration and the signs and menus tion for the NFL Alumni in Ft. Lauderdale, am especially proud of my Steeler for Mick McGuire’s and I also did their Player of the Year connection. and another bar I had in Market Square awards for about eight years. These are During called Mrs. Schmickle’s awards given to young players that the the 70s Speakeasy. (I had a older players vote for, and they are pre- I owned lot of bars. Two of the sented to them at the NFL Player of the a restau- toughest jobs in the Year awards banquet the night before the rant in world – art and running Super Bowl. Also I did quite a few illus- downtown a restaurant – and trations of Steelers, Pirates and coaches Pittsburgh dummy me had to try called doing both of them at Alexander’s the same time.) Graham Bell, and When NFL great quite a few of Mike Webster the Steelers passed away, I would come was honored to in. Merlin Olsen be asked by and ABC filmed Mike’s family to there during the do a portrait of Super Bowl in him which was 1979. That was auctioned off quite an experi- at the open- ence – when Merlin ing of a new Olsen was inter- high school stadium in viewing me I felt like Rhinelander, Wisconsin, where Mike I was talking into his belt lived. I’ve also done illustrations for the buckle because he was so big. I also Football Hall of Fame in Canton, Ohio, remember one night it was pouring down of Joe Greene, John Henry Johnson and Marion Motley and posters for Pitt foot- continued on page 5 4 ing cards for Pinnacle called their Gold Card Series which included 13 players, two of which were Steelers, Rod Woodson and Barry Foster.