Tuesday, October 21, 2008

LEFT IN SPACE!

No....not the astronaut on an early spacewalk back in 1965. He returned in fine shape. I did not!


This Telephone illustration was on my drawing board at the time, the upper sky and astronaut 95% completed. My youngest daughter and I went over to a nearby grassy hillside where her horse was pastured. Supplemental oats were needed at that late summer time of year. Will skip the sad details, and my lack of 'horse sense', but I ended up on the ground with a right forearm broken in two places. Fortunately, the lightning fast kick hit between my elbow and wrist....either of those blows could have been a career ending event!

The two breaks were set, a heavy plaster cast, hand to upper arm, plus sling, installed. Then....what to do? Decided to finish the lower half of the illustration left handed....hence....'left in space!' It took three days to finish what should have been a half day's work. Please try working with the 'wrong' hand sometime....it's just sheer torture! The ad was completed, a tad late...followed by four months of 'early retirement', plus several weeks of rehab, before returning to working efficiency. At the time I was overloaded with work....and over stressed. Maybe a good thing!


To stay with a theme, will include a few other space subjects, very much in the news in those days....the 50's and 60's.


The first three, Telephone News mailers, once again.


Then, the scientist stepping into space, for National Oil Seals....and I still get a bit of vertigo when I see it occasionally.


Finally, a NASA subject showing early space and satellite efforts for Vought Aircraft, down Texas way.


* All of these images can be seen at full size in Charlie Allen's Flickr set.

3 comments:

Anthony said...

Your work is beautiful and inspiring. Thanks for posting it. I'm a storyboard artist working in Hollywood -- very fun, and one of the few jobs these days that will pay you for drawing, advertising being almost entirely photographic. Your talent is astonishing and rare these days; please tell me you still paint! Thanks again!

Anonymous said...

Late reply, Anthony.... No, I don't still paint....or illustrate. Does Willy Mays (my age) still make running outfield catches look easy? Good art takes a lot of time,energy, and dedication....and I'm a bit short on those. Thanks, and hang in with a great profession.

Tone. said...

These are all simply amazing.