All posts by Carl V. Anderson

Art/Photography, Friday Favorites

Friday Favorites: Robert McGinnis

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(Today’s post is a click-fest. Click almost all the pictures and you’ll find the paperback cover featuring this artwork. Most links will take you to further pictures as well. Click away! Not only is it interesting to see the artwork on the actual covers, but you will also discover some very melodramatic, entertaining tag lines.)


(Redheads in artistic images are my favorite and McGinnis captures the look so well.)

Today’s Friday Favorite features the incredible paperback cover art of Robert McGinnis. A few years ago while surfing the internet I discovered the work of Robert McGinnis and had an instant deja vu experience. The artwork looked so familiar. Starting with his first cover in 1958, Robert McGinnis has painted almost 1,100 paperback covers. Eleven hundred!!! No wonder his works looked familiar. Gracing the covers of mysteries, detective stories, westerns, romance, gothic tales and adventure stories the work of McGinnis was all over the place when I was growing up.


(I love the creepy hand shadow looming on the wall!)

Good book illustration draws one to the book and it is easy to see that McGinnis’ images are eye-cathcers. Like Frank Frazetta, the prolific nature of Robert McGinnis has made his work recognizable to the point that his female illustration style is referred to as the McGinnis Woman. There is so much detail in his characters, usually juxtaposed against a very sparse background which keeps the emphasis where it should be.


(I love how the yellow and white tones balance out the composition. There is almost a ying and yang thing going on there.)

And his use of lighting is masterful. Many of his illustrations demonstrate just how well he understands light and shadow and he uses it so perfectly to emphasize just the right areas of each painting.


(There’s a sexy Casablanca feel to this one.)

With nearly eleven hundred works to choose from it was difficult to decide on the art for today’s post. To my knowledge all McGinnis’ works are not online but thanks to the dedication of Graeme Flanagan there is a proliferation of images out there from which to choose. Mr. Flanagan was gracious enough to allow me permission to use artwork from his page and every book cover you see when you click on the various pictures is from his site. Graeme’s site is a gold mine of images and information about Robert McGinnis, a site for both the casual and hard core McGinnis fan to enjoy. The main images used on this post are from the Painted Anvil site. Visit both sites for a much greater appreciation of the talent of Robert McGinnis.


(The blue lends such depth and focus to this piece)

The colors used by Robert McGinnis no doubt reflect the era in which he was doing them and they create such a sense of nostalgia for me.

His use of color and light and the positioning of the subjects creates great mood and atmosphere in each piece.

Most of McGinnis’ covers lean more towards stylized but realistic images though some of the less polished works look to me like the kind of art that would have influenced comic creators like Joe Chiodo and J. Scott Campbell.

Whether it is grizzled detectives or sultry seductresses, it is obvious why Robert McGinnis’ art lives on so many paperback covers the world over.

Like many similarly composed novel covers of that era I had always assumed that the interior stories would not hold up to the same quality as the artwork that sold them. Thankfully due to the blog sites of authors like James Reasoner and Bill Crider I have been discovering that there are some really good books out there and I actually own a few of them. I now look forward to giving them a good read.

It is amazing to me that anyone can paint this well. McGinnis’ attention to detail, from individual strands of hair to the light glinting off lip-stick covered lips or the cold steel of a revolver make each piece seem so alive.

Although many of my favorite images come from the detective and mystery novels, Robert McGinnis has done a great deal of other types of cover work. Of the gothic romance novels that feature his art, my favorite is here. Of the more popular books that feature artwork by Robert McGinnis you may recognize that of Where the Red Fern Grows and my second favorite of the Anne of Green Gables series, Rainbow Valley.

In addition to his book cover work Robert McGinnis has done a vast number of movie poster work including How to Steal A Million:

and the iconic Breakfast at Tiffany’s:

both of which tie in quite well with yesterday’s post! Robert McGinnis can capture such great likenesses as evidenced in this Bond poster featuring Sean Connery.

In wanting to find out more about him I recently purchased the excellent Art Scott/Dr. Wallace Maynard book The Paperback Covers of Robert McGinnis. In addition to 250 examples of McGinnis’ published works there are rough sketches, model reference shots, and the entire bibliography of the 1,068 books he had done covers for up until the year 2000. Robert McGinnis’ body of work has continued to grow since then and despite being 80 years of age he has recently produced covers for a number of new and reprinted works coming out under the Hard Case Crime label. These latest works can be seen here: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5.

There are also some novels with some hilarious, over-dramatic tag lines that I just had to include (click on titles for the image), my favorites are: Girl on the Prowl, Don’t Speak To Strange Girls, The Homicidal Virgin, and Francesca. Reading the tag lines aloud in the movie-tone voice brings about the desired humorous effect.

There are a few other sites besides the ones linked to above in which to satiate your desire for more McGinnis goodness: Vintage Paperbacks and Leifpeng’s Photo Set.

The art of Robert McGinnis: his sexy women, suave detectives, gothic romantic damsels, western portraits and his other many and varied works won him induction into the Society of Illustrator’s Hall of Fame in 1993 and it is well deserved.

The work of Robert McGinnis is recognizable for his iconic femme-fatales and its retro sexy appeal and I have enjoyed bringing his work to you (twice…explained in the comments section). I hope you all have a wonderful Friday and a fantastic weekend!

Home

Audrey and the Creative Spirit

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People, even more than things, have to be restored, renewed, revived, reclaimed, and redeemed; never throw out anyone.
~Audrey Hepburn.

Today marks the anniversary of the birthdate of the lovely Audrey Hepburn. I posted about my connection with Audrey Hepburn in my Portrait of a Lady post last year on this date and my admiration has not changed. I just wanted to honor her with a brief mention today. She was born in 1929 and died in 1993. Her grace and compassion are sorely missing in today’s Hollywood. Happy Birthday, Audrey.

I was born with an enormous need for affection, and a terrible need to give it.
~Audrey Hepburn.
_________________________

Just for fun, in anticipation of tomorrow’s Friday Favorites post I thought I’d do a brief recap of the artists featured thus far. If you’ve missed any or want to revisit simply click on the picture to go to the post featuring said artist. I have used pictures not featured in my posts for something new for you to look at. Enjoy.

I am looking forward to sharing another Friday Favorite with you tomorrow.

Home

Spring has Sprung, do you know where your Uberlist is?

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(art by Brian Despain)

I haven’t posted an Uberlist update in the last couple months and decided that this rainy humpday in the heart of spring would be as good a time as ever to reflect on the year thus far. Reading accomplishments have tapered off some over the last 2 months though I’m still holding steady. I have read 8 books over the past 2 months and am currently at 21 books for the year, well on my way to the 50 for the year goal. One of the highlights of the last few months has been me FINALLY reading Harper Lee’s To Kill a Mockingbird.

A few months prior to her birthday Mary and I got into an exchange of views when I said that I had no desire to read this book…I didn’t know at the time it is one of her favorites. She had even offered to read it to me and I refused. I must admit that I had a very definite view of what the book was about and didn’t really feel like that was the kind of reading entertainment that I wanted. I then decided as a birthday gift to buy her the nice 40th anniversary edition hardback and to swallow my pride and actually read it. I was blown away. What a wonderful story. It was not anything like I expected it to be and I was so moved by how great the story was. I would highly recommend it but no doubt the lot of you are more sophisticated in your reading than I and have already read it! Its nice to be wrong and admit it once in awhile and I was really wrong about this one!

I accomplished my goal of paying off Red as you all know.

I have done some of the beginning landscaping that needs to be done this spring and, weather permitting, will get the rest of it finished within the next few weeks.

I have managed to keep up with my phone call list throughout the past 4 months.

Areas I need to improve: exercise, as always, although Mary and I are getting out more and eating healthier as we tend to do in spring and summer; letter writing (I’m way behind on this), and I have multiple projects that are half way done that need completing. I have altered completion dates for several items which is fine since I am continuing to keep these things on the list of what I want to accomplish this year. I want to have a great deal of this done by the time Mary and I take our Hermann Hill vacation in the middle of June.

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone and thanks for allowing me to bore you with Uberlist nonsense. I continue to feel the need to remain accountable and monthly updates here helps that a great deal. Thank you all!

Music

Tuesday Tunes: K.T. Tunstall

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Ever on the lookout for something new musically, and needing something on this Tuesday to ignite the blood before work, I found that K.T. Tunstall does the trick. Her latest track to get radio play here in the U.S., Black Horse and the Cherry Tree, off her debut album Eyes to the Telescope, has the toe-tapping country quality of Little Big Town’s Boondocks mixed with a smoky jazz vocals that elevate this song above the usual top 40 fair.

K.T. Tunstall was born in St. Andrews, Scotland and was christened Kate Victioria by her adoptive parents, a couple of academics who were not into music at all and loved nothing more than to pack up the family and camp out. KT grew up knowing that she was adopted and felt it added mystery to her life. Growing up in a nonmusical family it appears that music was simply in her blood as she recalls being told that even as young as the age of four she would draw guitars and attempt to draw various notes and write songs. As a child of the 80’s KT was exposed to the powerful ballads of Whitney Houston and the like but says that this music did not connect with her. It wasn’t until she was given an album of Ella Fitzgerald’s music that she realized what music could really be. KT says Ella Fitzgerald became her vocal teacher and at the age of 16 she picked up a guitar and a lesson book and taught herself to play. This led to enrollment in the Royal Holloway college to further study music, thus another female singer/songwriter was born. Not long after she convinced a friend who played the mandolin to join with her in a battle of the bands competition. They won out…over 11 goth bands! Accolades continue to this day as her debut album has won numerous awards in the U.K.

So what makes KT stand out from the pack of similar female incarnations? I personally think alot of it hearkens back to her influences. KT takes inspiration from Lou Reed, Billie Holliday, Tom Waits, and the aforementioned Ella Fitzgerald. At her very best I think these influences flow through her music. When she entered the studio to record her first album she says she literally showed up with 100 songs. It wasn’t until she was in the studio that she created what is arguably the strongest song on the album, Black Horse and the Cherry Tree. The song has what KT says is most important in a song, groove, and it has that in spades. The song also shows off her metaphoric songwriting skills. Black Horse‘s lyrics may seem vague until you are informed by KT that it is a metaphor for choices and those moments when one has an angel on one shoulder and a devil on the other. KT’s debut album is filled with a wide variety of songs showcasing her ability to write and perform a myriad of styles. I think she is at her best when the songs have a strong tempo and lean heavily on her guitar playing. KT has a rich, jazzy, sultry voice that makes for an enjoyable musical experience.

There are two places that you can go to listen to KT’s music and watch videos. If you have Rhapsody, that is the best. I encourage you to watch the video for Black Horse first and then watch the Rolling Stone live performance. Both videos are listed under the Video List heading. It is amazing to watch her perform live and experience just how strong a performer she is. She uses this unique tech set up to literally be a one-woman band that has to be seen to be believed. If you don’t have a subscription to Rhapsody you can also watch her videos on Launch here. There is a live performance on this one as well in which you can sort of see how she utilizes the peddle set-up to layer sound in her music but it is not as obvious as in the Rhapsody video. There are also interview videos in which you can listen to KT and her cool Scottish accent as she discusses her background and upbringing. With her first album just scratching the surface of her musical potential I look forward to following KT Tunstall’s growth as a musician. If you haven’t heard KT Tunstall, I encourage you to visit one of these places and watch and listen. Black Horse and the Cherry Tree will give you a shot of musical espresso to jump start the day.

Film

Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School

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(No spoilers review)

Throughout the year I keep my eyes open for those special little movies that seem to fly under the radar. Last year it was Dear Frankie and Millions. The first gem of 2006 is Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School.

Watching the trailer you might think that this is another in a long line of quirky romantic comedies featuring dancing as a plot line. If you thought that you would indeed be right….well, half right anyway. Frank Keane is a breadmaker, and a widower…one who continues to acutely feel the pain of the loss of his spouse. The therapy group that Frank attends with other widowed men appears to be going down the same road that Frank is, the road to nowhere. That is until a meeting with destiny leads Frank Keane to Marilyn Hotchkiss’ infamous Ballroom Dancing and Charm School. One lindy later Frank begins to see a possible new rhythym to his life.

That is the half of the film you see in in the trailer. The half you don’t see…the half that adds poignancy, depth, and meaning to the good but otherwise cliched tale, is the intersecting story of a character played by John Goodman. There is a reason that John Goodman is seen in the trailer in name only and to discuss this plot line more would be to ruin the experience. Suffice it to say that it is a great storyline, John Goodman is terrific and he is not alone.

For a small film Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School boasts a stellar cast of actors/actresses that must have agreed to do this film simply out of the love of making fun movies. Many of the actors/actresses in this film headline other films but here they play small but significant roles that really matter. Robert Carlyle plays Frank Keane as the kind of warm, caring everyman that you immediately embrace. Frank’s therapy group led by Rafael Horowitz (David Paymer) includes small roles by Sean Astin, Adam Arkin, Ernie Hudson, and Miguel Sandoval. They are all great but Sean Astin’s opening scene is the best. Marilyn Hotchkiss’ studio is run by her daughter Marieene, played to prim and proper perfection by the lovely Mary Steenburgen. By now you probably get the idea that this is an ensemble film. The dance class is filled with actors and actresses playing small, quirky, fun roles. Standing out in the crowd is an entertaining performance by Donnie Wahlberg as a white trash Fred Astaire wannabe and of course Marisa Tomei as the eventual love interest of our intrepid protagonist Frank. Marisa Tomei is one of those actresses who just looks beautiful no matter how made up she is and in this very understated role she really shines. Rounding out the cast is John Goodman whose opening scene pulls you into the emotional core of the film and a fun cameo by Danny Devito.

Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School started out life as a short film 15 years ago written by director Randall Miller and his wife, producer Jody Savin. What makes this interesting is that Miller uses the footage of the short film as the flashback sequences in John Goodman’s tale. The flashback scenes from Marilyn Hotchkiss’ school are shot in a grainy, home movie quality that sets the mood perfectly for those scenes. In what I think is a fun piece of symmetry in the film, Elden Henson plays a small role in the bakery and is also the child actor who played the lead role in the short film 15 years ago. I sat through the whole film thinking how remarkably alike both actors looked and was thrilled to find out that they were indeed the same person.

Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School is obviously a labor of love. It is a small film with a message that we may hear over and over in our daily lives and yet is one we should really take to heart. It is the message of embracing life. In a world where most movies are striving to be blockbusters, Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School is striving to be just that…charming. It is a fun, romantic film with a melancholy yet hopeful undertone that adds weight to the forumlaic elements of the film. From the opening song to the ending song the film just makes you feel good. The dancing is not outstanding but that isn’t the point. In one moment late in the film Marisa Tomei’s character turns to Frank and says, “You’re a good man, Frank Keane.” And that is the point. He is a good man and in his quiet way he points us towards that same path. Marilyn Hotchkiss’ Ballroom Dancing and Charm School may not win any awards but it won me over and if you see it will hopefully do the same to you.