Tag: john alvin

Disney+’s Willow uses John Alvin’s Title Treatment for New Series

The new Willow live action original series has a premiere date of November 30th on Disney+, which is not as far away as it seems, and fans of the classic 1988 feature film are starting to get excited. That premiere date was announced at the Star Wars Celebration in May, along with a teaser trailer:

WIllow Teaser trailer released in May of 2022 at Star Wars Celebration

As many already know, this new series will be picking up some 20 years after the events of the movie, and introduces a number of new characters. Obviously Willow Ufgood (Warwick Davis, reprising his role from the film) and the new cast will get up to some magical adventures.

Here is a “Meet the Cast” video, released in November of 2021:

You may not recognize these folks, but allow me to jog your memory of where you’ve seen some of them. Starring in the Willow cast are Rosabell Laurenti Sellers (Tyene Sand in Game of Thrones), Erin Kellyman (of The Green Knight and The Falcon and the Winter Soldier), Tony Revolori (known as Flash in Spiderman: Homecoming and Zero in The Grand Budapest Hotel). Actors you may not know but are likely to become household names include actor/writer/directors Amar Chadha-Patel and Dempsey Bryk and Ruby Cruz, last seen in Mare of Easttown.

The official synopsis from the Disney+ page reads:

“An epic period fantasy series with a modern sensibility set in an enchanted land of breathtaking beauty, “Willow” features a diverse international cast with Jonathan Kasdan, Ron Howard, Wendy Mericle, Kathleen Kennedy, and Michelle Rejwan serving as executive producers. The story began with an aspiring magician from a Nelwyn village and an infant girl destined to unite the realms, who together helped destroy an evil queen and banish the forces of darkness. Now, in a magical world where brownies, sorcerers, trolls, and other mystical creatures flourish, the adventure continues, as an unlikely group of heroes set off on a dangerous quest to places far beyond their home, where they must face their inner demons and come together to save their world.”

(Disney+)

John Alvin’s logo treatment and image of his teaser poster is featured here!

Originally, John M. Chu would have helmed the pilot episode, but after both he and his replacement Jonathan Entwistle exited the project due to scheduling conflicts, director Stephen Woolfenden (Outlander) stepped in for the first two episodes. Four of the eight episodes are directed by female filmmakers, two by writer/director Philippa Lowthorpe (The Crown, Call the Midwife), and two by writer/director Debs Paterson (A Discovery of Witches, Harlots).

One of the most exciting aspects of the show to me and to the Alvin family, is the fact that they are using John Alvin’s logo treatment from the original feature film, which he hand-designed, to promote the film and as its title:

Willow title, using the original design created by John Alvin for 1988’s Willow

On the left is John Alvin’s Willow advance poster, and the second and third are posters used around the world at the film’s release.

He designed it pretty early on in the work for the 1988 Willow poster:

This is an early design from the Alvin estate of work by John Alvin on the Willow poster.

The three above images are comps for the Willow advance poster. John has already designed the typography and is using it as an integral part of the design.

The original Willow film was released in 1988, and though it wasn’t an immediate triumph at the box office, it became a huge cult classic, leading to the creation of a board game and a number of computer games. 

John Alvin was brought in quite early in the 1988 production, and in those days, John, who was already storied for creating the E.T., Blade Runner, and Cocoon posters, had a lot of interaction with both Ron Howard and producer George Lucas. The Alvin key art for the Cocoon movie, which was also directed by Ron Howard, who was set to direct Willow, is a perfect example of that “Alvin-izing”, that drew fans to films with ‘the promise of a great experience’. 

John Alvin’s Cocoon movie poster

Here is another example of John’s typography, which he was integrating into his marketing design in a complex image including all the main characters.

Concept work for the Willow marketing campaign

Below are several images based in iconic archetype imagery, one that used that emotional and dramatic shadowing, and the other that included more of the kitchen sink style that showed the lead characters more distinctly.

Here are some good examples of comps for the “kitchen sink” poster that included all the lead characters featured in the film. Of course the title treatments are in evidence in all the images. Creative kitchen sink designs were used beautifully by Bob Peak and Richard Amsel, two other greats of film history. 

Although Val Kilmer made a cameo appearance in Top Gun: Maverick, there has been no indication that he’ll do the same for the Willow series, something Warwick Davis has mentioned he hoped would happen.

Here for fans of the Val Kilmer-starring original, and for those who have no idea why Willow is such an enduring cult classic, is the official trailer for the 1988 Ron Howard film:

John Alvin’s logo treatment and image of his teaser poster is featured here!

We celebrate John Alvin every day. When you watch the new series, think of his contribution to the beloved classic, and to the whole of film history.

*The estate of John Alvin is currently not accepting offers for purchase of single images from his Willow art collection. For more information about the work and art of John Alvin, contact Artinsights. 

One Legend Paints Another: Carol Channing, John Alvin, and the play Lorelei

We were saddened by the passing today of a Broadway, film legend, and certified character Carol Channing, who died at 97.

Known for her raspy singing voice, her huge smile, she is most remembered for her role as Dolly Levi in the musical Hello Dolly, but she was nominated for a Best Supporting Oscar when she brought her sass to the 1967 film Thoroughly Modern Millie, which starred Mary Tyler Moore. She won a Lifetime Tony Award and was inducted to the American Theater Hall of Fame.

For a new show called Lorelei, in 1973, Channing reprised the role of Lorelei Lee, which she originated in the 1949 play Gentlemen Prefer Blondes.  The now famous classic film where Marylin Monroe sings Diamonds Are A Girl’s Best Friend was based on the play, and Channing sang it first. Subtitled Gentlemen Still Prefer Blondes, it picked up with Lorelei, now a wealthy widow, setting sail on the SS Ile de France. It proved a popular show, often selling out, but it was more about Channing’s charm and star quality than it was about strong songs or plot, but at 51, she made it work.

John Alvin was hired to create the original play poster for a special charity engagement of Lorelei that happened as they were working out the kinks in the play early on, and he was told she absolutely loved the image he created celebrating her. He was a big fan of her work. He loved strong, engaging women on and off the screen, as anyone who has ever met his wife Andrea would attest.

We spoke to Andrea about the art, and she wrote, “John had graduated from Art Center College of Design a year earlier, and was just starting a freelance illustration career. He met a designer named Anthony Goldschmidt at a trade show, and Anthony had a job that he thought perfect for John. It was a poster for a  production of Lorelei starring Carol Channing. John had done one other play poster with Anthony for Dori Previn’s “Mary C. Brown and the Hollywood Sign.”

The technique that John used was based on a series of paintings he did his last semester of Art Center. It was highly influenced by the Art Nouveaux poster artist Alphonse Mucha. He did a very refined drawing and then had a sepia toned print made of it.  For this particular image, he used some of the handmade crow quill paper for the background. He then used transparent dyes to paint the image with his airbrush. It is a very subtle but pretty technique. He also designed and hand lettered the title art. “

As an early example of the art of John Alvin, who was already creating beautiful work in his mid-twenties, and as a lasting monument to the talent of Broadway legend Carol Channing, Lorelei certainly fits the (play)bill.

This art is available for purchase HERE.

Here are the pieces from Art Center John created that inspired Lorelei:

Artist Insights: Andrea Alvin talks about her new work “Samuel’s Candy Canes”

I have enormous respect for contemporary artist and former partner in Alvin and Associates with famed cinema artist John Alvin, Andrea Alvin, and so I spoke to her about her great new piece, Samuel’s Candy Canes.

She has been actively working as both a commercial and contemporary artist since the 70s. With her partner John, she was part of creating iconic movie posters like the ones for Blazing Saddles and Young Frankenstein and more recently, the advance for Tim Burton’s Batman.  All the while, she was honing her style and aesthetic as a contemporary artist focusing on nostalgic imagery.  After losing John suddenly to a heart attack in 2008, she wrote a successful book about his career, The Art of John Alvin, and is now slowly getting back to her own work. Andrea Alvin is creating intensely evocative paintings of objects that bring us back to our childhood memories, through visually considering and sharing memories of her own.

Her new image called “Samuel’s Candy Canes”, inspired by candy in Samuel’s Sweet Shop, in Rhinebeck, New York,  is both a celebration of the season, and a choice to lean into joy, regardless of the time of year or the darkness of our current circumstances.  I spoke to Andrea about this new piece, her career, working with her famous husband John Alvin, and her perspective still creating, 40 years later, while continuing to change as a person and an artist:

LC: You went to school with John, right?

Andrea Alvin: Yes, I went to Art Center College of Design, and actually I was a few years ahead of him.

LC: How did your aesthetic develop for nostalgic realism? Or is that how you’d describe your art?

AA: When I first started coming back to painting, I was stuck.  I didn’t know what to paint.  A friend of mine said, “Oh my god, your house is so full of stuff! Collectibles, and all kinds of things everywhere…why don’t you just paint your stuff?” That’s how I started just going around with my camera and editing through the camera and taking pictures and painting those scenes.  In a lot of them it just was a view of homey-ness and somebody’s things. We had a lot of collectibles and toys around the house, so it started that way. As I started to refine it, I started thinking about what made me happy to look at, and what I wanted to say, I realized having my major in school in advertising design, I’ve always been focused on popular culture as it relates to advertising, and growing up as a kid in the 50s it made a real mark on me.  One of the things I realized is there are a lot of iconic things in  our everyday lives that were iconic then and are iconic even now. That’s where I started trying to focus on Americana and what was very American.  What makes us who we are. What was interesting to me and special to me as a kid and what is also special to my daughter, or a younger generation.  Or my grandson.

LC: When you say you were returning to painting, what do you mean?

AA: I graduated from school, and worked in animation up until John’s career started taking off, and then I had my daughter Farah.  When she was able to go to school for a couple of hours a day, is when I started painting again.  So that was in the late 70s.

LC: What did you see as nostalgic then?

AA: I don’t know about nostalgia then, because the things that were nostalgic to me where going back to the 50s. What happened inadvertently was some of the paintings I painted then are still or maybe even more evocative now. Like “Wow! I remember Peanut Butter Boppers!” Those are gone now.  Or “That wallpaper sure is ugly but boy, do I remember it being popular in the 70s”…those things are very nostalgic now.

LC: How did or does being a women in art influence your style or perspective, would you say, or does it?

AA: I never thought about it that there was a limitation for me. The only limitation that I thought of was I didn’t want to be a teacher. That’s what I was told repeatedly as a woman in art. I had to be a teacher. When I was a teenager, and came to New York on a visit, pretty much one of the only artists I remember seeing was Marisol, who you barely hear about any more.  There just were very few woman artists around. I still never thought I couldn’t do it because I was a woman.

LC: What about working with or at the same time as John. He was such a well-known artist in his industry.  That had to be interesting, or a challenge. There are a lot of elements in the finished posters of his or of Alvin and Associates that are your work.

AA: Right.  I’m the “Associates”…It was very difficult.  John was the kind of artist as an illustrator, that if you asked him to paint a train in perspective coming over a hill with a haunted house, he’d just sit down and sketch it, and it looked pretty good! I can’t do that, or maybe I could if I concentrated really, really hard, but that’s not how I worked.

I’m have to be more deliberate and know how I’ll proceed. It made me nervous about painting because if I was going to paint, what was it going to be, and if I paint realism with John around, how is that going to work? Am I going to be compared to him? I just had to put blinders on and paint.  We had different approaches. He would say to me, “Why don’t you do several sketches and then do them in color and go from there?” and I’d just think I would never get anywhere that way! I’d never get the painting done.  So I’d say “Good idea” to him and “No.” to myself and keep my blinders on and go on to how I wanted to do it.  Where being around him was super helpful and what I miss horribly every day is having that other set of eyes when I could say “I’m stuck. I know I need something. Something’s wrong and I can’t figure out what it is.” or the other thing was asking “Is this painting finished?” It’s always a tough call for artists and it’s so important to have someone you respect you can ask about that.

LC: I do remember John speaking of your talent often with respect and appreciation.  He was, as many artists are, a bundle of neuroses, but always very clear about his belief in you.

AA:  I think the big difference in our approaches is that John always wanted to be an illustrator.  He wanted to tell stories.  That’s why he was so well-suited for the movies. I don’t have a problem coming up with and painting things I wanted to paint, whereas when he was left completely open like that, I think he struggled.

LC: You’ve had some success creating official images for Disney and Warner Brothers, but you have found so much more freedom in creating your own work with imagery that sings to you and speaks to your own memories.  Can you talk a bit about the new painting “Samuel’s Candy Canes” and how that came together?

AA: What’s so interesting is that is was just last night that there was a festival in Rhinebeck called Sinterklaas where there are thousands of people coming into our little town and there are activities for children and carolers and it turns the town into a Norman Rockwell Christmas and it’s really beautiful and then there’s a parade.  It’s like a Mardi Gras parade, with giant puppets done by Sinterklaas creator Jeanne Fleming, the same woman that does them for the Greenwich Village Halloween parade. One of the first years I went to Sinterklaas was shortly after John had died.  I brought my 35mm camera and I was taking a lot of pictures. It was just kind of a magical night.  One friend I went with earlier in the evening and then she had to go, and I found other friends who walked with me for a while, and just when I was about to go home, another friend asked me to go to dinner.  It was one of those incredible nights where I was worried about being alone and people just showed up for me.  I took some great pictures that night. I dug them back up.  I was trying to figure out where to go next in terms of subject, because I was tired of coming in really close like the cupcake or the cookie, so I went back to those old photos. There was this great quality of light in them.  The candy canes were inside a store called Samuel’s, which was owned by a guy names Ira.  We were just visiting with Ira and went in and took pictures in the candy store and Ira then passed away a few years ago in a very similar way that John had. He was close to the same age, had a heart attack, he was getting his life together…so it was a perfect thing to create art from being with him that night and those beautiful candies.

The store was bought by Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Paul Rudd.  They own the candy store now.  They wanted to keep the store as Samuels, keep it the same and they figured if they didn’t buy it, someone else would buy it and turn it into something else and it would be gone forever.  So I think that, by them, was motivated by nostalgia and just loving what the store stood for and what it meant to the town. That’s kind of the story.  I went in there last night, and the bucket that they were in was still there. It’s different, but it’s still there.

LC: One of the great aspects of the art is it doesn’t just speak of the holidays.  There’s an element of speaking to holding on to joy and of optimism.  I also see an interesting connection to the time you were still in the midst of grief and found kindness.

AA: I realize inadvertently looking back at my work that lighting, especially since I moved to New York, lighting is very important in the paintings.  Most of the photo-realism, and it’s difficult to call my work photo-realism, but most of the realists I know aren’t concerned with that, they’re concerned with the surface quality. I always have some background light that’s enveloping the subject.  Yes, it’s happy, because you see that it’s candy canes and holiday, but the lighting is warm.  It’s like fireside lighting.  There’s a warmth to the lighting that’s different than if I were saying, “Look!  This is a happy, happy candy cane painting.”  It’s warm.  Most things I see around the holidays with that subject matter would be in bright light, very Christmas-y kind of colors.  This is darker than that.  It’s almost like we’re sitting by the fireside, not at Christmas, but rather, reminiscing about holidays gone by, and holding on to those memories.

LC: Was that a conscious thing, to create an image that is about moving forward in the face of loss?

AA: Honestly, I don’t know.

LC: I think as artists, you guys sometimes get to a place with a piece, not knowing when you start, where you meant to go, but having gotten there, you realize that was the intention all along.  Like the idea of knowing when it’s done, somewhat comes from having gotten the message into the art, and seeing it fully formed.   I know you have a deluxe giclee that is hand-embellished, and you’re doing it, when often artists farm out embellishments.  Why is it important to you to do it yourself? I know John was the same way about doing his own.

AA: It’s my work and I really wouldn’t want someone else going in and doing some kind of odd interpretation on it.  John and I were both very hands-on. It’s why we wanted to be the people who created the art instead of the art director who guided someone else doing the art. We’ve both been art directors. I think that I look at it from the beginning from that point of view.  On compositions, I have a tendency to push the boundaries of the canvas. There’s almost a tangency to the sides. I think my compositions can be unusual.  It comes from my design background.

LC: In “Samuel’s Candy Canes”, you get two different feelings visually, one up close and one a bit further away.  That’s cool, and that’s part of your style.

AA: Right. Great! I want people to see the brushstrokes.  I don’t want to have it look like a photograph when you see the art in person.  It looks like a photograph online. It looks very photographic, and they resolve photographically when you stand back from my work.  When you go up close, you see all the brushwork, I’m not trying to hide it, I want it to be part of the image.

Spotlight on Studio Art: FOUND! Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

We just unearthed this set of Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin!  A fan asked us about availability of art from Gremlins, so we started researching the archives of the Estate of John Alvin, and lo and behold: a full set of storyboards for a finished advanced movie trailer!

Each one of the 17 images, posted below in sequence, were painted by hand as 5 x 7 fully executed paintings. The script is below the paintings and is original from the time, of course! If that doesn’t show us all just how much the movie and illustration worlds have changed, I don’t know what would! Beyond how great and exciting these are for fans of Gremlins, seeing the actual teaser trailer and finding exact moments captured from the storyboards…that’s just ultra-cool for movie geeks, especially when those storyboards were done by John Alvin, who did the official one-sheet for the film!

Sad to say, John did do some other sets of storyboards that became trailers, but the art from them has gone the way of whatever art director he was working with at the time. Notably, he did several of them for Jurassic Park. Two sets were used for the finished promotional trailers for the film, but none of the art survived.

Here is the Gremlins trailer, though, which you can watch to see his paintings come to life, and enjoy the messaging recreated in voiceover.  (Here is a link if you can’t see the video here.)

For those with interest in purchasing this set, I’m happy to report (and sorry to break it to interested parties) that we sold the whole set to a big fan and they are thrilled to add it to their collection!

Whether you might have been in the market or not, we’re betting it’s still going to be the coolest Christmas movie production art you’ll see this year!

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboard by John Alvin

 

A screenshot of the advance trailer, which follows John Alvin’s storyboards very closely!

 

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Eggs making a mess in the advance trailer, as in John’s storyboards.

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

A broken clock is about to strike 12 am, as in John’s storyboard.

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

The clock strikes! The shadows on the finished trailer are the same as in John’s storyboards.

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Discovery is imminent, as indicated in John’s storyboards.

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

John’s storyboard was used, right down to the box with holes. COOL!

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

Gremlins Teaser Trailer Storyboards by John Alvin

“Mom’s gonna kill us!” as created in John’s storyboards.

Wouldn’t it be so great if more of this historic art existed now, having survived the process of filming and campaigning the movies of our youth?  At least here we have a great example of hand painted campaign art by John Alvin for 1984’s Gremlins, a true Christmas cult classic!

ArtInsights Celebrates Aladdin Turning 25 with John Alvin, John Rowe, and Rodel Art

Today, on November 25th, the Disney classic of the new Golden Age of Animation Aladdin turns 25.  Who doesn’t love and remember Robin Williams as the Genie?

Walt Disney Classics Collection sculpture of Aladdin’s The Genie.

This “Magic at Your Fingertips” Walt Disney Classics Collection sculpture by Ruben Procopio captures him perfectly.  So many artists worked on the film that got and deserved credit…we can look back and point to lead animators like Eric Goldberg, who was in charge of developing the genie, and the co-directors Ron Clements and John Musker, who had Robin Williams in mind and approached him with fingers crossed that he would do it.

The characters of Aladdin and Jasmine have continued to resonate far beyond the release of the film.  Aladdin had yet another animation superstar, Glen Keane as supervising animator, who also developed Ariel in The Little Mermaid and Beast from Beauty and the Beast.

Jasmine’s singing voice was provided by Broadway performer Lea Salonga (who was hired based on her work in Miss Saigon) and had female character specialist Mark Henn as lead animator.  His influences for her included his own sister and actress Jennifer Connelly.

We remember going to the Sotheby’s auction and the enthusiasm for the work of these animators.  Aladdin is one of the wonderful films in which we can really see these 2D animators do their best.

Also, for the Aladdin poster, our friend and consummate movie poster artist John Alvin was tapped to do the entire adult campaign.  We have some wonderful examples of his process in the gallery, and not only did John Alvin create the advance, but actually several images used around the world to promote the film.

Click on the art for all Aladdin art available from ArtInsights, including John Alvin’s art!

Disney wanted to see lots of images before they decided which ones to use, so John Alvin had various sizes of fully rendered art.  Here is one example:

We have a large image close to one of John Alvin’s finishes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Endless Diamond Sky by John Rowe
Endless Diamond Sky

Check out all our Aladdin art at ArtInsights.  Meanwhile, we congratulate all those involved with this classic film and are so glad to know only the animators who build the film, but also some great artists who have done official interpretive art, like John Rowe’s Endless Diamond Sky and Rodel Gonzalez’s Flight Over Agrabah.

Flight Over Agrabah by Rodel Gonzalez
Flight Over Agrabah

 

 

 

Go celebrate Robin Williams and traditional 2D animation today, on Aladdin’s 25th anniversary!

John Alvin’s E.T. Phones in the Worth of Traditional Illustration Art

et-poster-john-alvin

Heritage Auctions just sold the original key art by John Alvin from E.T. for $394,000 after the buyer’s premium.  The bidding was brisk and committed, and started way above the lowest required bid.  Though the buyer wanted to remain anonymous, there’s no question a number of collectors were willing to go into the hundreds of thousands to obtain this original art from the recent sci-fi classic. Speaking as not only Cinema Siren, but also the owner of ArtInsights, the gallery that represents the estate of illustrator and movie poster artist John Alvin, the news of the hammer price came less as a surprise than a reaffirmation of the value of both traditionally illustrated film art and of the work of the renowned artist. 

Unfortunately, the artist’s estate was not the owner of the art at time of auction, as is often the case with original film art, especially key art.  With the insane timeline of deadlines, and the teams working to promote films ever turning towards the next project, even when the art remained the property of the artist, often the original art created during the campaign was never returned to them.  This was rarely intentional. Sometimes the director or producer asked for it, and sometimes someone in the design firm just put it in a flat file and forgot about it, because the focus by everyone involved had turned to the next film.  Little did everyone know traditionally illustrated film art was, even in the early 80’s, a dying art form. 

That’s not to say Andrea Alvin, John Alvin’s widow and artistic partner in Alvin and Associates, wasn’t thrilled to see such public confirmation of the value of her husband’s work. To her it reaffirmed the increased embrace of his legacy as one of the foremost artists in the history of film.  With the over 200 campaigns he worked on during his lifetime, John Alvin was one of the most prolific film artists, certainly, and not only recognizable, but so famed for his movie magic, the term “Alvin-izing” was coined by studio executives in referencing his style.  

There are many around the world who have been collecting the art of John Alvin or supporting his legacy as a fine artist through their mentions of his work on their movie blogs, or as in the case of Kevin Burke’s new documentary “24 x 36”, through film.  They know, unequivocally that those willing to pay nearly $400k represent far more than just fans of E.T.  Those collectors were vying for the art of John Alvin as much as for the iconic image he created.  That, after all, was what he was known for.  The posters he made were splashed across every platform.  His images were used throughout the world. 

lion-king

leroilion

Whether, for example, you saw The Lion King in Pasadena or Paris, the poster depicting a majestic lion in the sky was probably partly responsible for getting you into the theater.  That light-suffused and very emotionally evocative painting that was Alvin’s trademark was used for The Lion King poster, as well as the E.T., Aladdin, Cocoon, Empire of the Sun, Willow, and many more.  

The $400,000 hammer price for the art of E.T is not only a celebration of the love of movies, but also a celebration of the acceptance of John Alvin as a preeminent film artist and indeed as a fine artist. It suggests that original film art, which is an art form largely relegated to history, is indeed fine art.  It also shows, in a strange yet really real way,  his work continues to have relevance.  The estate recognized that phenomenon through the discovery of graphites John used in the making of two of the Pokemon movies. Who knew between that and every article on Blade Runner II using his famous poster for the original film, images attributed to John would continue to be used so frequently? 

We who represent the estate of John Alvin are very excited about our plans for the future.  We are busy with plans for museum shows, and with continuing to help people around the world acquire those pieces his family members are willing to sell to fine art collectors and film fans.  Fortunately for Andrea Alvin, she does have a few pieces of key art that will be kept in the family and handed down to future generations. John’s art for movie campaigns capture the essence of who he was, and even casual observers can see he put his heart into every image.  Every piece was personal.  The E.T. image is a perfect example; his daughter Farah’s hand was the model for that of Elliott’s as he reaches to touch E.T., Sistine Chapel-style, in the poster. 

john-alvin-cover-342x450

If you want to know more about John Alvin, of course there’s the great book released in 2014 written by his wife Andrea Alvin, which you can get here:

https://www.amazon.com/Art-John-Alvin-Andrea/dp/0857689290

and you can see the art available for sale through his estate HERE, as well as a series of chats with John Alvin.  

https://artinsights.com/artists/alvin-john/

ArtInsights in Movie Poster Doc “Twenty Four by Thirty Six”

24368good

So, yes.  If it is indeed a documentary about movie posters, at least in those released in the United States, it should really be called “Twenty Seven by Forty One”…which is the approximate size of a one sheet.  However, when Kevin Burke started out, he had been inspired by his love for movie posters that had been hand illustrated and drawn, like those of our great John Alvin, as well as the likes of Bob Peak and Richard Amsel.  When the studios switched to all photoshopped and photographic images, making the posters lackluster and boring, and largely devoid of artistry, he turned to Mondo and other companies creating after-market fan inspired, fan-made posters for movie lovers who already knew the movies, and enjoyed art that played on aspects of a movie that true fans would appreciate…

These pieces are created by artists who have more of a graphics and comic illustrator background, and they are not meant to SELL a movie.  They are meant to be enjoyed by people who have already seen them.  These posters are mainly sized at 24 x 36, hence the movie’s name.

(as example of subject matter, imagine a big black poster with just one small image in the center, featuring a tiny red sled.  This would be something fans of Citizen Kane would appreciate, but would not inspire anyone who hadn’t seen the movie to seek it out.)

Kevin informed me during the day we talked and his crew filmed me for his documentary, when we at ArtInsights and he started a dialogue, he realized he could interview artists who either still actively illustrate traditionally or who had been working when posters were designed by professional artists to actively get movie fans to go see something in a theater.  We helped him get in contact with those in the know, and we also talked a lot about getting traditionally illustrated movie posters made again for movies in the future.  (BECAUSE WE FEEL PASSIONATE ABOUT THIS!)

24366good

There are tons of artists working for the companies making alternate posters that will be part of the movie, many of which as seriously great–(OLLY & LAURENT, I’M LOOKING AT YOU!)

There are also some great artists we know who have been working inside the studios and in Hollywood and are working with them too, they are masters at the art of movie posters..these folks are actually making the movie posters that get people to get to see the movies.

and we are so excited about the idea of them making many more new images for new movies, and have plans…stay tuned!

We are so looking forward to this movie now, although wish we could change the name 😉

John Alvin for Every Collector

With the release of The Art of John Alvinart lovers everywhere are eager to collect John’s work while they still can. ArtInsights is your exclusive source of John Alvin’s original artwork, and we also have the biggest collection of his limited editions. No matter what your budget, we have something by John that will enhance your walls that you will love!

Price Range: $150.00 – $450.00

Star Wars: The Cold of HothStar Wars – The Cold of Hoth LE Giclee on Paper ($150) Blade Runner - I've Seen ThingsI’ve Seen Things LE Giclee on Paper ($150) or Canvas ($450) Alien LE Giclee on Paper ($300)

 

Price Range: $475.00 – $1000.00

Ariel (by John Alvin)Ariel LE Giclee on Canvas ($495) Jabba and Friends by John AlvinThere Will Be No Bargain LE Giclee on Canvas ($595) Star Wars Episode IV Decade IIIOfficial Star Wars Celebration Episode IV Decade III Lithograph ($750)

Price Range: $4000.00 – $5500.00

Pinocchio: Blue Fairy - original production concept artPinocchio: Blue Fairy Original Production Concept Art ($4500) Kuzco and Bridge - original production color concept artKuzco and Bridge Original Production Concept Art ($5500) E.T. Small Hands 6 - original production concept artE.T. Sketch Small Hands Production Concept Art ($4800)

Price Range: $8,000+

JAOM0173 Revenge of the Jedi #5Revenge of the Jedi: McQuarrie Graphite Comp ($8800) JAOM0189 Bittersweet EmbraceBittersweet Embrace (Call for price) Star Wars Concert poster on toned paperStar Wars Concert Poster Production Art ($18,000)

 

For a more comprehensive selection of John’s artwork, please visit here.

ARTINSIGHTS SHOWS ART AND PRESS FOR THE ART OF JOHN ALVIN!

Here is the new rehung gallery section, a tiny bit of the original art we have of John Alvin, along with his red shoes
Here is a little bit of our John Alvin original art and posters, just a small percentage of the original art we have of John Alvin, along with his red shoes, and the gorgeous new book! WE LOVE TRADITIONAL ILLUSTRATION ART! WE LOVE YOU, JOHN!

As some of you who follow The Art of John Alvin, not the book, but the actual art, which is represented by ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery, know quite well, Andrea Alvin has been working for several years writing, compiling, and getting permissions for a (hopefully first) book on John Alvin’s career and art.  It is being released by Titan Books.   We have been thrilled to see not only the attention that Titan has given it in terms of promotion, but also the interest, well deserved, by the press worldwide.

Author Andrea Alvin and Leslie of ArtInsights at San Diego Comic-Con
Author Andrea Alvin and Leslie of ArtInsights at San Diego Comic-Con

John Alvin in ArtInsights with members of the Empire...
John Alvin in ArtInsights with members of the Empire…

We are told this is only the first round, and more articles will appear as the actual release date happens, but we are going to keep a list of all the articles and reviews, good or (goddess forbid!) bad, right here.  We hope this will not only allow for long overdue recognition of John as one of the foremost artists who ever worked in the film industry, but also wider acceptance of traditional illustration not only as important in film history, but also as a viable option today to promote and brand new movies in an artistic and creative way. There is and was only one man who painted like John Alvin.  He was able to do that thing everyone at Disney called Alvin-izing.

This is the cover of the awesome book releasing from Titan
This is the cover of the awesome book releasing from Titan.

My friend Travis of Punch Drunk Critics has a connection with Amazon and gets a teeny bit back from you buying from him and we like to support him…so if you’re buying from Amazon, click here!    Here are the links so far, and we’ll be adding to them as we find more, please let us know if you find one we don’t know about!

http://www.wired.com/2014/08/alvin-movie-poster-art/

http://www.theverge.com/2014/8/8/5979879/john-alvin-movie-posters

http://www.slashfilm.com/unused-jurassic-park-posters-john-alvin/

http://www.trektoday.com/content/2014/08/the-art-of-john-alvin/

http://parade.condenast.com/325199/viannguyen/exclusive-never-before-seen-alternate-movie-posters-for-e-t-jurassic-park-the-goonies-and-more/

http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/heat-vision/unseen-jurassic-park-batman-posters-724001

http://flavorwire.com/471037/flavorwire-exclusive-the-art-of-john-alvin-showcases-movie-poster-rarities-from-blade-runner-to-jurassic-park

http://moviepilot.com/posts/2014/08/08/unused-jurassic-park-and-other-posters-by-john-alvin-2171692?lt_source=external,manual#!byDA6k

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/08/07/check-out-these-incredible-unused-jurassic-park-posters

http://www.411mania.com/movies/news/331343/More-Unused-John-Alvin-Posters-Hit-The-Internet:-Batman-Forever,-Darkman,-More.htm

http://www.movies.com/movie-news/john-alvin-unused-posters-jurassic-park/16494

http://www.geeksofdoom.com/2014/08/07/must-see-unused-jurassic-park-posters

http://screencrush.com/unused-jurassic-park-posters/

http://www.joblo.com/movie-news/check-out-these-fantastic-unused-jurassic-park-posters-222

http://collider.com/unused-jurassic-park-posters-batman-posters/

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/JoshWildingNewsAndReviews/news/?a=105541

http://www.firstshowing.net/2014/check-out-a-bunch-of-old-unused-poster-designs-for-jurassic-park/

http://batman-news.com/2014/08/07/exclusive-never-seen-poster-design-tim-burtons-batman/

https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/unseen-jurassic-park-batman-posters-unveiled-book-203503448.html

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/check-out-unused-poster-design-for-tim-burtons-batman-20140807

https://ca.movies.yahoo.com/news/unseen-jurassic-park-batman-posters-unveiled-book-203503448.html

http://thefilmstage.com/news/over-two-dozen-never-before-seen-unused-posters-for-steven-spielbergs-jurassic-park/

http://uk.ign.com/articles/2014/08/07/check-out-these-never-before-seen-posters-for-blade-runner-batman-forever-and-more

http://www.punchdrunkcritics.com/2014/08/awesome-unseen-jurassic-park-and-batman.html

http://www.comicbookmovie.com/fansites/KingPatel/news/?a=105565

http://www.empireonline.com/features/John-Alvin-Posters

Some images of the art we have in the gallery and corresponding pages in the book with the art:

starwars concert art at ArtInsights by john alvin
Original Star Wars Concert art at ArtInsights ~ The Art of John Alvin

predator art at ArtInisights by john alvin
Predator Finish at ArtInsights ~ The Art of John Alvin

beauty and the beast johnalvin
Beauty and the Beast at ArtInsights Gallery ~ The Art of John Alvin

aladdin art at ArtInsights by John Alvin
Aladdin art at ArtInsights ~ The Art of John Alvin

pinocchio by johnalvin at ArtInsights
Pinocchio graphite at ArtInsights ~ The Art of John Alvin

lion king graphite by johnalvin at ArtInsights
The Lion King graphite at ArtInsights ~ The Art of John Alvin

The reviews for The Art of John Alvin are starting to come in (as it just got released in England, and will be released in the states August 28th), and they are GREAT!

OUR FAVORITE although they are ALL AWESOME!!:
ROGER EBERT SITE
http://www.rogerebert.com/balder-and-dash/the-art-of-john-alvin-captures-lost-art-of-movie-poster-magic

YAY go Den of Geek!! They know quality when they see it…
DEN OF GEEK
http://www.denofgeek.com/books-comics/john-alvin/31803/the-art-of-john-alvin-review

CITY OF FILMS
http://www.cityoffilms.com/reel-news/book-review-the-art-of-john-alvin/

FILMORIA
http://www.filmoria.co.uk/2014/08/the-art-of-john-alvin-book-review/

BGG AFTER DARK
http://bggafterdark.biogamergirl.com/2014/08/the-art-of-john-alvin-book-review.html

RETROIST
http://www.retroist.com/2014/08/25/the-art-of-john-alvin-review/

ROTOSCOPERS
http://www.rotoscopers.com/2014/08/25/review-the-art-of-john-alvin/

ADVENTURES IN POOR TASTE
http://www.adventuresinpoortaste.com/2014/08/25/the-art-of-john-alvin-review/

GIANT FREAKING ROBOT
http://www.giantfreakinrobot.com/scifi/book-review-art-john-alvin.html

ANIMATION SCOOP on INDIEWIRE
http://blogs.indiewire.com/animationscoop/book-review-the-art-of-john-alvin-20140826

HYPABLE!
http://www.hypable.com/2014/08/26/the-art-of-john-alvin-book-review/

ArtInsights partners with Habitat for Humanity and Warner Bros. for a Wizard of Oz Anniversary show

Wizard of Oz by John Alvin

Reston, Va – ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia for an exhibit and sale of official The Wizard of Oz art, showing interpretive artwork from the classic movie by carefully selected film artists chosen to represent a wide diversity of imagery and artistic styles. In honor of the Hollywood premiere of The Wizard of Oz on August 15, 1939, all are invited to an open house from 10:00 a.m. until 6:00 p.m. on Friday, August 15, as well as to an event featuring official Warner Bros. artist Andrea Alvin on Sunday, August 17, from 5:00 p.m. to 9:00 p.m. at ArtInsights, located in the Reston Town Center in Reston, VA.  Ten percent of profits from sales of The Wizard of Oz art sold during the exhibit will be donated to Habitat for Humanity, as well as all money raised from the raffle and silent auction during its opening weekend.   The exhibit, entitled “There’s No Place Like Home,” will be on display through September 15.  For more information, please contact ArtInsights at 703-478-0778 or visit www.ArtInsights.com.

Through Warner Bros., a collection of highly regarded artists have been commissioned to create images inspired by the film for art collectors and film fans.  John Alvin, cinema artist responsible for the movie posters for E.T., Blade Runner, and The Lion King, created images prior to his death in 2008, and they will now be seen in public for the first time at this special exhibit at ArtInsights.  His wife and partner at Alvin & Associates, Andrea Alvin, has also created art and will make a special guest appearance during the opening weekend of the exhibit and sale.  She has hand-embellished two of her The Wizard of Oz limited edition art pieces, making them unique and highly collectible.  One of the art pieces, “Startling Stories: Wicked Witch,” will be part of the raffle and the other, “Startling Stories: Tin Man,” will be available through the silent auction.  Other artists on exhibit include Steve Chorney, the poster artist for the Who Framed Roger Rabbit? one-sheet, and Dan Killen, concept artist on Space Jam and The Iron Giant.

“We are proud and excited to be the gallery celebrating the actual anniversary of such a classic film,” says ArtInsights owner Leslie Combemale. “The quote, ‘There’s no place like home,’ has so much resonance when thinking of affordable housing.  We always love involving charity in our exhibits, now collectors can enjoy inspiring images from one of their favorite films and do good at the same time.”  ArtInsights adds the official art of The Wizard of Oz to a collection of film art, all created by licensed and most distinguished artists working in the film industry today.

For more information about the gallery exhibit and opening benefitting Habitat for Humanity, go to artinsights.com.  Find out more about the “There’s No Place Like Home” campaign at http://thewizardofoz.com/Habitat .  To buy raffle tickets or find out more about Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia, go to http://habitatnova.org/.

ABOUT HABITAT FOR HUMANITY OF NORTHERN VIRGINIA
Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia’s unique model of affordable housing is focused on home ownership. Habitat homeowners secure a no-interest mortgage, while the non-profit secures corporate sponsorship, in-kind donations, and volunteer labor to make the home affordable. Habitat for Humanity of Northern Virginia (Habitat NOVA) was founded in 1990, and to date has built 80 homes, rehabilitated 4 homes and repaired 20 homes, benefiting more than 400 people. As a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, Habitat NOVA serves the counties of Fairfax and Arlington and the Cities of Falls Church, Fairfax, and Alexandria. More information is available at www.habitatnova.org.

ABOUT ARTINSIGHTS ANIMATION AND FILM ART GALLERY
ArtInsights, established in 1994, is a privately owned gallery located just outside of Washington, DC at Reston Town Center, in Virginia. The gallery presents important images from the 20th and 21st century film art genre, including original art from the masters of film and moving entertainment. From film campaign artists to concept and layout artists to animators, ArtInsights represents a wide collection from the giants and up and comers of film art. With over 30 years experience, the owners work with their worldwide collector base to build and insure the integrity of their collections. They sell rare images used in production as well as original commissions which are often used to create official limited editions.  ArtInsights exclusively represents the original art of John Alvin, Casey Robin, and Ben Curtis Jones, and also exhibits Tim Rogerson, Jim Salvati, Mike Kungl, Chuck Jones, Christian Waggoner, Steve Chorney, Mary Grandpre and and many other artists made famous by their work for the major Hollywood studios. Featured studios include Disney, Warner Bros., Paramount, and 20th Century Fox, in a display of images from the best classic movies and animated features of the last 100 years as well as newer classics like Star Wars, Harry Potter, and Star Trek. You can see more on their website, and learn more on their web magazine, as well as hear movie reviews by owner Leslie Combemale’s alter ego, Cinema Siren, on over 600 Patch sites nationwide or through artinsightsmagazine.com.  ArtInsights Animation and Film Art Gallery is located at 20907 Medinah Court, Ashburn, VA 20137. For more information, call 703-478-0778 and visit https://artinsights.com/production/wizard-of-oz-1939/ for images from Wizard of Oz.

ABOUT WARNER BROS. CONSUMER PRODUCTS
Warner Bros. Consumer Products, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, is one of the leading licensing and retail merchandising organizations in the world.

THE WIZARD OF OZ and all related characters and elements are trademarks of and © Turner Entertainment Co.
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For press info contact Leslie Combemale at the gallery.