Tricky Love

There's some really snappy patter in this amusing love story. Its a bit reminiscent of one of those great Cary Grant romantic comedies - no doubt intentionally so.
"I want to learn to cook all your favorite dishes, Joe. What do you like best? Carol asked. Joe said promptly, "Canned beans"

Now that's funny!

Cooper studios alumnus, Len Steckler, does a terrific job on the art chores for this piece. I love everything about it: the contemporary look ( for the times ) of the furniture, the little details like the partially peeled and forgotten orange and the pattern on the blue cushion, Carol's modern, short hairstyle and her kicked-off shoes, the dropped cushion...

Steckler's style is like a blend of Joe De Mers and Joe Bowler, just as proficient but because he was less often called upon to do these editorial assignments ( or perhaps chose to spend his time on more lucrative advertising work? ) he is not as well known or appreciated... or so I had thought.

It turns out that Steckler has had a diverse and successful career outside of the typical mainstream illustration market as a photographer and director/cinematographer for both film and television. You can find out more about Len Steckler at his own website.

You can find the full size versions of today's scans at my Flickr.