Last summer I had the pleasure of interviewing the amazingly talented Andrea Alvin at her lovely home in Rhinebeck, New York. She provided wonderful comments on Richard Amsel's work, as well as the artistic legacy of her late husband, John Alvin.

(My blog on that meeting can be found here.)

I wanted to help spread the word of a new gallery show of the Alvins' creative oeuvre that opens today. Any art and movie lovers near New York should definitely check it out!

From the HUDSON VALLEY MAGAZINE:

Rhinebeck resident Andrea Alvin, together with her husband John Alvin, produced some of the most iconic movie posters of the last 50 years. From Young Frankenstein to Goonies, E.T. The Extra Terrestrial, Blade Runner, and The Lion King, his illustrations and her designs are indelibly imprinted on the...

It’s been over three years since I filmed my first interview for the documentary, and I realize that a day must soon come when it’s time for me to show people something. There’s certainly plenty to talk about in the meantime, too – including a large number of interviews with people whom I have yet to give a proper writeup. I can’t be coy about it anymore, and I know a point must come when I’m ready to work on the film full time.

But first, let me backtrack a bit to the time when my Richard Amsel fansite (www.richardamsel.info) was initially underway. I had interviewed only a small number of people for it, as so little information was available to me back then. My initial drafts of the artist’s tribute and biography were completed on February 8, 2008. I remember that date well, for it was so...

The latest INDY CAST Indiana Jones podcast (episode 266) features an interview with author Mark O'Connell about his book, WATCHING SKIES -- a valentine to films and pop culture of the 1970s and 80s, particularly Spielberg and Lucas lore. 

I've yet to pick up O'Connell's book, but eagerly look forward to reading it. In the podcast, O'Connell mentions his particular fondness for Richard Amsel's poster art, and the sense of magic they inspired.

The last few weeks have been pretty crazy. I just got back from a second trip to the east coast in the last four months; while I did film more interviews while there, most of my time has been preoccupied with an ill family member, and I'll likely need to go back later in the summer or early fall.

There have been a lot of interviews I've yet to write about, and certain names I've yet to reveal, but all will have to be in due time. I'm still doing more interviews, but need to slow down a bit as I prioritize other things. For now, however, I've been keeping busy working with people on both the film's motion graphics and the monumental task of researching archival and historical video footage and photos to incorporate into the film.. (A lot more will be discussed about that later -- and I look...

The poster dates back to the early 19th century, and since its early days with the work of Henry Toulouse-Latrec, it has continually evolved. From the Art Nouveau period of Alphonse Mucha and Henry van de Velde, to the age of Erté and Art Deco, to Andy Warhol and pop art, to today’s Shephard Fairey and his contemporaries, the poster has become the leading form of art for the Modern Age -- both respected in artistic circles, and appreciated worldwide by the commercial masses.

Film is an art form now in its second century, and for nearly as long as there have been movies, there have been posters to promote them. It may take considerably longer for the movie poster to garner the same degree of artistic appreciation, but it has its due champions.

It also has its creative titans. Rene Carron, R...

At long, long last, it's here: the documentary 24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters, Kevin Burke's loving valentine to movie art.

David Byrd and I interviewed for the film three years ago, but haven't been able to see it until now. The film has been making the rounds at film festivals for the past year, and it's finally available on DVD, BluRay, and digital download.

Kevin's documentary is primarily focused on how today's generation of artists have taken it upon themselves to resurrect illustrated movie posters, but the opening chapter offers a very concise overview of its history, and the key figures behind it. The work of Roger Kastel, John Alvin, Drew Struzan, and Richard Amsel are all mentioned...and David Byrd gives a great, quick synopsis of the origins of the poster, and the different p...

Cavan Scott's Creative Bloq has placed Amsel's rerelease poster for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK at the very top of his 25 top movie posters of all time. Who am I to argue?

The list includes work from illustrators John Alvin, Drew Struzan, Roger Kastel, and Tom Jung, along with a number of digitally made photographic selections.

The Raiders trilogy harked back to a time when men were real men, women were real women, and swarthy racial stereotypes were real swarthy racial stereotypes. This comic-book style poster design by Richard Amsel is a young boy's dream – full of swashbuckling adventure, foreign devils and a splash of romance.

Amsel, who died in 1985, also created iconic poster art for 1980s blockbusters Flash Gordon and The Dark Crystal. "If I paint or draw something that takes people into t...

Last Thursday I did a Skype interview with Ed Dolista for the Indycast blog. We discussed the Amsel documentary at length, and it was great to reconnect with Ed and the show again. The podcast is now live... You can listen to it here.

We discussed artists whom Amsel admired, later artists who were inspired by his work, and other wonderful people who've participated in the film. (Name dropping time: David Byrd, Drew Struzan, Bob Peak, Mark Raats, Paul Shipper, William Stout, Sam Jones, John Alvin, Steve Chorney, Bruce Vilanch, Judy Goldman and more.) I also talk about Erik Sharkey and Kevin Burke's respective documentaries on movie poster artists, to give credit where credit is due.

I was recovering from a respiratory infection, so listening to the broadcast makes for a great drinking game --...

Throughout the past year, everyone I had interviewed for the film was more or less a contemporary of Richard Amsel, including close friends, associates, and colleagues. But there remained an important subject heretofore unaddressed – and a critical one in honoring Richard Amsel’s enduring legacy.

While the Golden Age of traditional poster illustration may be over, a new generation of artists and illustrators have sprung in its wake. Kids who grew up in the ‘80s remember fondly the works of Peak, Amsel, Alvin and Struzan, and some of them have moved on to creative careers of their own.

The first person in my mind who I felt could best speak for this new generation was, without question, the great Paul Shipper – an English illustrator whom I’ve known since we were both in our early twenties. S...