I wanted to pay tribute to four illustrators who passed away recently. My thoughts go out to their families and friends. We’re on the cusp of losing a generation of masters. Philip Castle (1942-2026) Castle, who died last February, was the English illustrator behind such legendary movie posters as A Clockwork Orange and Full Metal Jacket for Stanley Kubrick, the concert tour campaign for Paul McCartney’s Wings, and record sleeves for albums by David Bowie, Mott the Hoop

It was April 11, 2024, when I last saw my friends David Edward Byrd and his husband Jolino Beserra at their home in Los Angeles. They were moving to New Mexico the next day, after living in California since 1981. While I was happy to wish them off into the new chapter in their lives, the goodbye was obviously bittersweet. David, who had just celebrated his 83rd birthday, was in ailing health, and as we hugged, we both suspected it could be the last time we would ever see each

I could make a fatal drinking game for every post I preface by apologizing for the lack of updates. Long story short, this year I’m now teaching both filmmaking and art classes for high schoolers, and creating the new lesson plans, while juggling day to day life events, has kept me pretty busy. But work on the Amsel documentary continues! I recently did three new interviews for the project – two of which were a long, long time coming. Since my last trip to the east coast in

I’ve been very slow to comment here on Drew Struzan , who died October 13 th at the age of 78. I heard the news within hours of his passing, and it broke my heart. Rather than write another simple blog post, I opted to film a little video on my iphone a few weeks ago. But with work at school and other commitments, I didn’t get around to editing it until tonight. I rambled on quite a bit, and had to trim out some parts where my emotions got the better of me. My deepest sy

AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART is now a Gold Award Winner at this year's DAVEY AWARDS , in the category of Social Campaigns-Arts, Culture & Lifestyle. While the film itself is still in progress, the award recognizes all the work done for the project so far -- from the teaser trailer and website, to (and especially) our news reporting about Richard Amsel's life, work, and creative legacy. I've now dedicated about 10 years to making this documentary, following even more ye

I’ve written in the past about 1980’s FLASH GORDON , which has grown hugely popular over the years, and whose poster remains one of...

I'm proud to share that my work on AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART has received a 2025 Communicator Award for Excellence, in the...

Last Thursday, March 13th, I had the great pleasure of doing a Q&A about Richard Amsel's art for RAIDERS OF THE LOST ARK, following a...

I previously wrote about a current exhibit at The MUZEO Museum and Cultural Center in Anaheim, "Painted for the Pictures: The...

David Edward Byrd – artist, genius, advocate, and one of my dearest, most cherished friends – died yesterday. I can’t write much about it, or him, right now, as I’m still processing the loss, and absorbing the terrible feeling of being in a world that no longer has him in it. I learned the news from his husband Jolino, just a few minutes after David’s passing. I wanted to give Jolino the opportunity to announce it publicly before writing anything here. Now that I am, I’m fumb

The editing of the film is still coming along. I’m still looking to do a few more interviews in the coming months (at this point,...

Last year I interviewed Clark Silva , a museum curator and art historian who has a special love of movie posters. He's been developing an...

OUR GRATITUDE As November comes to a close, I want to give thanks to all of you for your ongoing support of this project. Whether you’ve...

I recently flew yet again to the east coast to film some interviews. Barring any surprises, this will very likely be my last major trip...

(NOTE: As of 6/14/24, there is a critical update to this story. UoA's Amsel collection was transferred to Margaret Herrick Library at end...

Today marks the end of University of the Arts -- a Philadelphia institution for nearly 150 years. It's a sad day. Whatever struggles I've...

I just learned this morning that Judith Eileen Polikoff passed away last January 16th. My deepest sympathies go out to her family and...

I have a lot of catching up to do in writing about each interview filmed for the documentary. Some go back a number of years, and...

When Richard Amsel attended The University of the Arts from 1965-1969, it was then known as The Philadelphia College of Art. It’s one of...

There are a number of updates this week that I wanted to share... SPRING MATCH CAMPAIGN: Own one of Richard Amsel's personal MAD MAX...

DISNEY IN-BETWEEN Last summer I interviewed Stephen Anderson, a longtime animator, writer, and director behind such wondrous, charming...

Hey guys, now that we’re approaching the end of March, I thought it’d be better to consolidate some recent updates and news... ...

I’ve often written about my dear friend, artist David Edward Byrd, and how integral his association with the documentary has been. He and...

January has somehow completely flown me by. While I keep myself busy every day, I find myself falling behind on anticipated targets. I’ve...