I’m saddened by the news of John “Jack” Warren Freas’ passing yesterday, December 29 th .   Freas was one of Richard Amsel’s art teachers at the Philadelphia College of Art (later renamed The University of the Arts, which closed in 2024). An accomplished artist and illustrator himself, he was also an avid book collector, and ran a longstanding antiquarian bookstore, Tamerlane Books, from his home in Havertown, PA.   I met Freas there in June of 2017, along with his lovely wif

As 2025 comes to a close, it’s time I reach out again for support towards the project’s completion funds. I’ve never been very good at making such pitches. My time is so preoccupied between working on the film and my new teaching job, that fundraising efforts easily fall by the wayside.   It’s been an eventful year, with clips from the film being showcased at the Muzeo Museum in Anaheim, California, as well as our receiving accolades from the Communicator Awards, Telly Awards

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...

AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR OF THE LOST ART is now a Silver Winner at this year's TELLY AWARDS. Work done for the forthcoming AMSEL: ILLUSTRATOR...

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...

R.I.P.: RICHARD CHAMBERLAIN, the dashing, handsome Hollywood star known for his roles as "Dr. Kildare", and epic miniseries "Shogun" and...

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...

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,...

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...

"Doctor Jones... Again we see there is nothing you can possess which I can not take away." Such a thrill and honor to interview the great...

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...

As University of the Arts closes, estate of late “Indiana Jones” artist alleges fraudulent copyright filings, and demands access to original

June is LGBTQ+ PRIDE MONTH, which has become a tradition in the United States following the Stonewall riots' gay liberation protests in...

This project has taken me so long because so many things have been at play concerning the ownership of Richard Amsel’s original work. And...

My most recent interview, filmed less than two weeks ago, was with artist and poster illustrator Robert Tanenbaum. Tanenbaum’s work...

I’m still eager to catch up on writing about some recent interviews done for the film. One example, filmed just a few weeks ago, was with...

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...

When I first announced the documentary in late 2015, I was immediately bombarded with scores of messages resembling one of the following:...

The interviews done for the documentary include some distinguished names in the advertising world, from Spiros Angelikas to Mike...