A documentary about the 1980 accidental explosion of a Titan missile in it's silo. Provides a lot of excellent background info on just how much work it is to babysit a giant rocket in a hole in the ground!
... for a Dr. Strangelove wann-be like me; it has been a childhood dream come true to realize I have considerable talent in the Aerospace-Defense illustration field. I started out as a photojournalist, went on to spend a couple of decades shooting commercial studio work and fashion ans (somehow) in the past two years have fallen into cranking out 'photo-illustrations' of airplanes and rocket-ships. So going from hot-babes in next to nothing outfits to atomic-bombers and moon rockets is a fair trade!
The point is that it's great fun to be able to imitate and create anew the king of 'G-Whiz' illustrations that I remember from my Cold-War/ Space-Age youth. It is a chance to make the sort of images that I wish existed - and now do!
...can't resist a post of 'Dutch' Holland and the 'Stratojet' for 'Strategic Air Command'
... the M-50 'Bounder' was as a desperate attempt to produce a Soviet supersonic-bomber. Only two prototypes were built. They were very big, cool looking and had very under-performing engines. But; Boris and Natasha (after large amounts of Vodka were consumed) managed to convince an editor for 'Aviation Week' that the 'Bounder' was really a Nuclear-Powered strategic bomber. Ha-ha- stoopid Capitalist Pig Fools!
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
... yes - the Short-Solent did not actually participate in the Berlin airlift. Sunderlands did; but there were no high quality photographs to use as reference.
So squint your eyes a little- or have a stiff scotch - and pretend it's a Sunderland!
... here's a shameless self-promotion for all of you Cold-War buffs out there to Buy My Art!
You can get it in beautiful framed art pieces for your wall - or totally crass sell-out commercial forms like t-shirts, coffee cups and shower curtains! (shower curtains?) Be the first on your block to have a B-52 shower curtain!
... come to beautiful New Mexico; land of enchantment, 110 degrees in the shade, scorpions and tarantulas! Recruitment ads for the nuclear weapons and research industry (early 1950's?). Originally started as a super-secret collection of super-brains in the middle of god-foresaken nowhere; Los Alamos National Labs is just the place for you and the wife and kids to pack-up and settle!
... a lot of Cold War blogs have come and gone. This one keeps going. Spread the good word. Let your fellow odd and idiosyncratic comrades know of this site and the wondrous treasures within!
... did several new pieces to be included in a new video of my Cold-War artwork that I am putting together. These are part of my promotions for my commercial work. Yes- art imitates life - or is it the other way around?
Once upon a time I had the second best job in the world; photographing beautiful women for magazines and department stores. Now I have the number one job in the world; making artwork of rocket-ships and airplanes!
all images- Right click- open in New Window or Tab = super colossal size!
... after much public clamoring ( crowds of grumbling peasants with torches at the door) I have a place that you can go to get very nice prints of my artwork. You can also order fun things like t-shirts, coffee mugs and ... shower curtains(?)
... another of the pieces I created for a promotional video of my commercial illustration work. The Lockheed F-104 'Starfighter'. One of designer Kelly Johnson's brainchildren. Often criticized as being dangerous to fly. It very successfully achieved it's design parameters: climb very quickly and go very fast.The most desired attributes when you want to shoot down Soviet bombers.
Somewhere underneath all of that digital paint is a photo of a gaudily painted 'gate-guard'. wiki
... in the heyday of the Regan era (1984) the movie 'Red Dawn' was released. Basically a souped up made for TV movie. But it hit a resonant nerve in millions of teenage boys who fantasized that battle with the Evil Empire of the bear would bring them glory... and even possibly sex! And who can resist the idea of Russkie paratroopers blowing-up your high school?
