tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post4275452305968593038..comments2024-03-19T06:12:18.701-04:00Comments on Today's Inspiration: Al Parker: "more freshness, charm and vitality... than any other living illustrator"leifpenghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-81309909580636763722009-07-20T17:39:10.315-04:002009-07-20T17:39:10.315-04:00Me too...tell me where to send the dollar.
And t...Me too...tell me where to send the dollar. <br /><br />And then where to order the Parker book.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246196432986734587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-58188743937384329672009-07-17T16:48:43.425-04:002009-07-17T16:48:43.425-04:00Done. Just tell me where to send my buck.Done. Just tell me where to send my buck.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-61282901168000230212009-07-17T16:44:41.780-04:002009-07-17T16:44:41.780-04:00Hah... well then, I guess its time to launch my pl...Hah... well then, I guess its time to launch my plans to make Today's Inspiration a subscriber service. At a buck per person, that's a million, bazillion bucks -- enough for me to retire from the drudgery of drawing storyboards and devote myself full-time to producing low-print-run books about forgotten illustrators.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-91748128666175922272009-07-17T16:37:14.059-04:002009-07-17T16:37:14.059-04:00Leif, it's your duty! Don't make me put i...Leif, it's your duty! Don't make me put it to a vote, because you know darn well that every one of your bazillion squintillion fans would agree with me.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-87447421680558927382009-07-17T16:01:59.020-04:002009-07-17T16:01:59.020-04:00... because Leif clearly has too much free time on...... because Leif clearly has too much free time on his hands! ;^)leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-67926750650426869082009-07-17T15:56:24.858-04:002009-07-17T15:56:24.858-04:00Daniel--
"I do think he deserves more exposu...Daniel--<br /><br />"I do think he deserves more exposure and someone should make a big fat book on him."<br /><br />I agree 100%, and there's only person I know who is fit for the job. I nominate Leif!David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-13436824959974429032009-07-17T09:49:31.246-04:002009-07-17T09:49:31.246-04:00Parker's fantastic! I always loved his stuff....Parker's fantastic! I always loved his stuff. Right now there's a discussion on my blog about the Mexico piece you see here. Specifically, was the native girl in the foreground an afterthought that the client insisted upon? Anyone know the answer?<br /><br />http://web.mac.com/mikejstudio/iWeb/TEST%20SITE/BLOG/5C8DAEB9-8F07-4D6C-855C-D00B56CC0A1A.htmlMikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13508160581796229105noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-10617988805898698502009-07-15T18:25:08.974-04:002009-07-15T18:25:08.974-04:00Parker is in a very large and amazing group of ill...Parker is in a very large and amazing group of illustrators that are virtually unknown outside of the business. Very influential on generations after him. Thanks for this post!Martin Patehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13671177179848767873noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-76766236098071585382009-07-15T15:08:24.810-04:002009-07-15T15:08:24.810-04:00David-
A thought came to me when reading your com...David-<br /><br />A thought came to me when reading your comment. Two more reasons why Parker isn't well known today could be because:<br /><br />1. There are no books on him (that I know of) which makes it difficult to track down his work <br /><br />and<br /><br />2. His subject matter. One of his most famous subjects was a Mother and her daugther. That stuff isn't as popular today as it was back when he illustrated it.<br /><br />Having said that I do think he deserves more exposure and someone should make a big fat book on him.Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246196432986734587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-19003542461668139582009-07-15T10:28:19.245-04:002009-07-15T10:28:19.245-04:00Leif-
Thank you for the link and for your post on...Leif-<br /><br />Thank you for the link and for your post on Parker. Great stuff!Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246196432986734587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-33456204862861557032009-07-14T17:44:42.168-04:002009-07-14T17:44:42.168-04:00I'm with tj-- I want to see that 1948 issue of...I'm with tj-- I want to see that 1948 issue of the LHJ (although if Rockwell was reading it on February 25, it may have been from the March '48 issue.) <br /><br />I always thought that Parker's stature in the eyes of the public was diminished by his chameleon style. You could always tell when you were looking at a Leyendecker or a Maxfield Parrish or a Rockwell or a James Montgomery Flagg, but Parker tried on different styles the way that ladies tried on shoes, so he never accumulated that body of recognizable work for the public.<br /><br />But I agree with your other commenters, there's no question that the people who knew what they were looking for idolized him. I once got in a lot of trouble for claiming that Parker was more of an innovator in the field of illustraton than Robert Weaver (measured by impact.) When you talk to the great illustrators who were in art school in the early '50s, they knew what days the new magazines would appear on the stands and they would hurry out of class at lunch to see what in the world Al Parker was up to that month.David Apatoffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11293486149879229016noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-47342281208225284252009-07-14T17:03:47.447-04:002009-07-14T17:03:47.447-04:00It turns out I did have the February 1948 issue of...It turns out I did have the February 1948 issue of Ladies Home Journal, however there was no Al Parker illustration on page 34. Parker did a DPS that appeared on pages 42-43, which I have added to the top of this post.<br /><br />I suppose its possible that Rockwell was writing about the January or March '48 issue... neither of which I have.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-70390470624241723152009-07-14T16:10:02.394-04:002009-07-14T16:10:02.394-04:00Tom;
The Rockwell Museum and Washington U Collect...Tom;<br /><br />The Rockwell Museum and Washington U Collection date the letter as being from 1948... so I assume its the Feb. 48 issue of LHJ. I will check my collection to see if I have that issue.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-43966279600425208002009-07-14T15:59:29.354-04:002009-07-14T15:59:29.354-04:00The clues in the "Dear Al" letter from R...The clues in the "Dear Al" letter from Rockwell are the date, Feb 25, and the reference to Page 34 of the Ladies Home Journal.But there is no year mentioned. <br /><br />Does any one know what illustration prompted Rockwell to write this fan letter to Al Parker?<br /><br />Tom Johnsontjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12029412602888195610noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-36247445989639263432009-07-14T15:26:48.269-04:002009-07-14T15:26:48.269-04:00Thank you all for your comments :^)
Daniel; the C...Thank you all for your comments :^)<br /><br />Daniel; the Cosmo series is in my Al Parker Flickr set. Begin here:<br /><br />http://ow.ly/hgEL<br /><br />... and click the right thumbnail image to scroll through the entire series. The date and publication info is included below each image.leifpenghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07232334860061949895noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-22139747757618211912009-07-14T15:20:01.854-04:002009-07-14T15:20:01.854-04:00What's the issue date for the Cosmopolitan mag...What's the issue date for the Cosmopolitan magazine that he did the entire issue of?Danielhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14246196432986734587noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-22699470525968525622009-07-14T15:19:57.679-04:002009-07-14T15:19:57.679-04:00In advance of your 1000th Post I'd like to tha...In advance of your 1000th Post I'd like to thank you Lief for your dedication to inspiring us. You couldn't have made a better choice to represent this milestone. As always I look forward to this weeks post.larryhttp://www.roibal.net/blog/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-53507790576032909122009-07-14T15:14:49.552-04:002009-07-14T15:14:49.552-04:00Al Parker remains the most influential illustrator...Al Parker remains the most influential illustrator of his generation--creating a wave of emulators in his own time, and laying down the groundwork for the last hurrah of American Illustration, from Bob Peak to Richard Amsel, from Bernie Fuchs to Robert Heindel.<br /><br />From the hat trick of illustrating an entire issue of COSMOPOLITAN in seven different styles, under seven pseudonyms, to the incredible pieces he did for LITHOPINION on redesigning popular magazines of the day and Jazz, to filling in for Gus Arriola on GORDO, the guy was a god.<br /><br />Thanks, Lief for once more shining a light on this astonishing talent.Howard Chaykinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-48402091267513548012009-07-14T15:02:10.298-04:002009-07-14T15:02:10.298-04:00Al Parker is far and away one of my favorite class...Al Parker is far and away one of my favorite classic magazine illustrators! I am SO looking forward to this week!Joe Juskohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00372481990907532158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18907156.post-33403967853812995582009-07-14T15:01:00.754-04:002009-07-14T15:01:00.754-04:00Always loved Parker's work.
He was a great D...Always loved Parker's work. <br /><br />He was a great Designer as well as a great Illustrator. His layouts were so inventive.<br /><br />Wish someone would put out a book of his work.<br /><br />Any takers ;-)Dominic Bugattohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12038691868661688196noreply@blogger.com