Nina Paley put out a call looking for an "Art of the Yellow Submarine" book.
We have a slim volume I picked up for a dollar several years ago. It's mostly photos of the Fab Four hanging around life sized cuts off themselves and a full scale Blue Meanie doll, but there are a few photos of production artists, a shot or two of pre-production art and a fun little section of merchandise using art from (and inspired by) the film.
For academics sake, we'll post a few of these images. Some today, then a second batch later in the week.
None of the photos are credited (the photographer is: Tony Gale). Maybe this is Hans Eidelmann. Was he left handed? Could he draw, look pensively at the camera and operate a Nagra all at the same time?
Could this be Al Broadax? Or just another big wig? What could he be commenting on -its a pan cel, its already painted. He's obviously not the checker -no exposure sheets in sight and more importantly NO GLOVES. Any smudgey fingerprints are your fault, pal!I tried to speak with Mr. Broadax several years ago while writing about Fred Mogubgub for ASIFA. His wife answered the phone and was very cold. He never called back.
Left handed cel painter working without gloves.I'd be pissed if I were the production coordinator. I'd turn down the heat.
Film artfully hung in the opaquing department.
Paint jars with no lids.
Pencilling on a cel.They did things a little different on this picture.
This lady is a better actor, with the fingers cut of the glove and all.
Although it looks like the cel is face up. Maybe she's top painting John's moustache.
Cel set ups and the author's description of his relationship with the rock band.
R. O. Blechman told me a story about Al Broadax visiting him in his studio in 1967. The producer had been recommended to Bob as a possible designer for the film.Bob begged off, saying he was not the guy for the job but he knew who was -and a gave him a stack of Pushpin Graphics and Seymour Chwast's phone number.
Who knows if that influenced the direction of the film, but the great Hans Eidelman's visual kinship to the seminal design group is irrefutable.
4 comments:
Interesting photos.
Yeah, most look as if they were posed after-the-fact with whatever spare cels and stuff they had hanging around ( "here, pose with this paint brush and cel ... look busy" ) .
The one shot where the artist is "penciling" on top of the cel could be somewhat authentic if it's one of those grease pencils that were being widely used in British studios at the time (Halas & Batchelor, Richard Williams) . Those things would put down a nice line on top of a cel (not as grainy and waxy as a standard "China marker" , much nicer line quality.) I think the good ones were made by Koh-I-Noor. They don't make them anymore.
The guy with the glasses obviously knows what he's doing...Look at those sharp bends in the cell!!!
Were you at the ASIFA-East event in 2004 or so where I interviewed Al Brodax at SVA? He also filled out a short interview for my first book. A colorful character, he is. Fun fact: He's worked a lot with Jimmy Picker.
That was an interesting night. I remember attending, but not much of what transpired.
I do recall having to run out right after the interview ended and not being able to talk with him because of that.
It was a very Yellow Submarine-centric discussion, though, and I probably wouldn't have asked something which the rest of the audience wasn't all that interested in.
It makes sense that he's worked with Jimmy Picker. They both worked on "Make A Wish", if I'm not mistaken.
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