Category Archives: Artists & Illustrators

Ferracci Friday!

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René Ferracci (1927-1982) was like the Ferrari (or Gucci, if you prefer handbags) of French movie poster artists back in the late 1960s — because at the time, nobody had seen anything like him! Similar to Sergei Eisenstein who invented montage on film with The Battleship Potemkin, Ferracci was one of the early pioneers to introduce photo-montage/collage designs into his posters, mixing color illustrations with black-and-white photography (or vice versa) and offset printing.

And it worked out very well for him as Ferracci became a brand name in the movie poster world — as well as a marketing expert in branding — by being one of the first artists to stamp (not sign) his name on each of his posters.

Jouineau Bourduge

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No, this post is not a clever take on Woody Allen’s famous “Juneau, Alaska” quip or even about a fancy bordeaux — rather, it’s the name of a prominent French movie poster artist who signed his work with the nom de plume, Jouineau Bourduge.

And like the film/art gallery mentioned a few months ago, Jouineau Bourduge, along with René Ferraci, were two French designers who led the charge in the late 1960s and 1970s when movie studios made the transition from illustration to photography for the majority of artwork on their marketing materials. Plus, JB’s in MoMA, so he must be good!

Chinatown Smackdown!

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One of the greatest movies of all-time, Chinatown, also happens to have one of the coolest movie posters of all-time. My personal fave is the US version by Jim Pearsall, but the German version done by American artist, Richard Amsel, has its share of loyal fans, too. The French version, unfortunately, is uncredited, but I just had to feature it since this was a world class smackdown!

Jean Mascii Movie Posters!

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Yesterday, I mentioned French poster artist, Jean Mascii — and if you aren’t familiar with his work, he is basically to 1960s dramas and westerns what Robert McGinnis is to James Bond’s US movie posters. In fact, he even did his own French rendition of Goldfinger.

But of course, Mascii was no one-hit wonder as we all can attest by admiring his bold, rich colorful portfolio of International one-sheets below…

Remake Monday: Ripley Posters

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Purple Noon (1960) vs. the much more Talented Mr. Ripley (1999). (The far left affiche was done by French movie poster artist legend, Jean Mascii.)

They’ve Got Personality!

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Back in the mid-1940’s, Paramount hired Roger Soubie to do a series of French Personality Posters to promote its stars in Europe, most notably Veronica Lake, Fred MacMurray, Dorothy Lamour, and Ray Milland.

And if any movie studio needed someone that could highlight the beauty, radiance, and charm of its “product” — it’s apparent that Soubie was the right artist for the job.

Vintage Disney

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This past weekend, I finally got a chance to see The Walt Disney Family Museum in San Francisco. And while I never was a huge Disney fan growing up (okay, maybe The Seven Dwarves were kinda cool), it’s hard not to be impressed with how this humble Midwestern kid turned his little animation studio into an international entertainment giant. (No cryogenics jokes, please!)

The legacy of Mr. Disney has been handled with great care as the museum features a smart layout of spotless exhibit rooms, archival videos, and interactive games — but what appealed to me the most was the classic collection of vintage Disneyland posters that mimic the simple, clean lines of French travel posters and have clearly stood the test of time…and no doubt inspired the Pixar animators during the making of The Incredibles.

Meatballs Movie Poster Maker

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Morgan Kane, most familiar to me personally because of his work on the Meatballs movie poster, got his start in the graphic design biz way back during World War II when he was assigned to the Office of Flying Safety where he illustrated flying manuals and safety posters. But then after the war, he moved to Chicago doing commercial work and was published in magazines like Esquire, McCall’s, Ladies Home Journal, and The Saturday Evening Post (which may explain his Rockwell-esque style of drawing in some samples).

In 1963, he opened his own photo studio and it wasn’t long before the movie studios came calling and he created the classic James Bond For Your Eyes Only poster as well as hundreds of others. And on a side note, he later took up hypnosis as a hobby and became President of the National Federation of Hypnotists…which may explain why his work is so transfixing!

Oh yeah, and if you haven’t had the pleasure of seeing Meatballs, check out this classic scene with Bill Murray…

Release the McMacken!

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No, this post is not a Clash of the Titans spoof — rather, it’s a celebration of the movie poster work of artist, David McMacken, who I stumbled onto the other day while admiring his fantastical Farewell, My Lovely poster.

Besides his memorable movie posters, he’s still working hard, designing amazing vintage-styled travel advertising illustrations up at his shop in the Pacific Northwest.