Monday, November 9, 2009

Robert McGinnis




The cover art for the best selling Peter Benchley book Jaws was so perfect, so memorable, the illustration was also used for the film poster. Robert McGinnis, the artist, created many posters for Hollywood films, notably several 007 titles. Supposedly, it was McGinnis that first illustrated James Bond with his gun locked, loaded and pointed skyward.

It's his book cover work that interests me; he created hundreds over several decades. Despite their silly titles, the art is beautifully rendered with dynamic layout, dramatic lighting and graceful figures. Those gorgeous, decadent cover girls are the Goddesses of pulp fiction. If they could talk, they might borrow from the Disney character Jessica Rabbit who said, "I'm not bad, I'm just drawn that way."


No comments: