Ray Patin Model Sheets

Dug through the archives and pulled out this little group of mimeographed model sheets from Ray Patin commercials. Fun stuff

Mr Toast's House

Stop by if you are in the neighborhood.

Ice Cream Signs

The ice cream parlor of the 1960's must have been a wondrous place. I remember all the great signs that were displayed every month at the Baskin Robbins 31 flavors but the signs from the 60's are my favorites. Tastee Freez, Humdinger and Eat-It-All promote ice cream as larger then life.

Carnation Breakfast Bars

I would guess that these were one of the first attempts at the nutrition bar. This box is from about 1976-7 and has some really groovy graphics on the side panels and check out the bacon as part of the complete breakfast on the front. The three flavors of the boxes I have are Peanut Butter & Granola, Peanut Butter Crunch and Chocolate Crunch.

Play-doh photos

Lets take a trip into the past of Play-doh. Rainbow Crafts came up with the idea in 1956 of Modeling Compound for kids. By 1958 it was in the hands of kids and 100 Million cans had been produced by 1964. Today it is stilling going strong from its humble beginnings in Cincinatti, Ohio.

Fishin' Photo

This photo is stamped on the back Aug 26, 1955. My guess is that it was from the LA County Fair where kids could catch their own goldfish. I really like the calm intensity and focus in the kids faces as they try to manuever their nets.

Trade Show Booths

I love the modern design influence that occurred in 1960's trade show booths. Modular design and information cubes which come right out of the 1964 World's Fair. In one of these photos it even looks like they are using Architectural Pottery as part of the decor. A space age wonderland constructed to sell sparkplugs and bank checks.

Mr Toast Pitch

Well yesterday I did my Mr Toast pitch. It was hard to tell if it went well. They asked me some tough questions about who the characters were. The way I create my artwork is such that things are not always real defined in a literal sense. Mr Toast is about adventure, determination, wonder, exploration, fun and many other intangible things. And my show concept has always been very loose, not following formulaic pattern. They also asked why he was a piece of toast to which I had no answer but in retrospect I do have an answer and the reason is because he is based on the classic animated pitch characters of the 1950's. While that is where he came from, I think he has evolved beyond that, until now I think of him as more akin to classic 1950's and 60's cartoon characters. He is meant to be adaptable to any situation so one day he will be running the circus and the next exploring outerspace with no elaborate set up as to why he is doing things. I am more interested in capturing the classic spirit of the circus then showing Mr Toast buying the circus and then having to make ends meet to keep it in business. But at the end of the pitch one of the guys said that Mr Toast was very original and not like anything out there, which I took as a great compliment. Now it remains to be seen whether or not they are looking for something that isn't quite like everything else.

Busted

NY Comic Con

It is just one month till the NY Comic Con. It is Feb 24-26 at the Javits Center in New York. I will be there and hopefully a few Mr Toast fans will swing by and say hi. I think my booth number is #472 which is near the back of the hall in the center.

NY COMIC CON

Happy Radish Day

Cereal Box concept art

These great little sketches were rough ideas for Post cereal boxes. Such great 1960's styling and done in such a quick sure way. They almost feel like little pop art paintings.

Slide Roundup

Yesterday I went through a bunch of slides and scanned a few of the nicest ones. Above is the Seal pool at Marineland (I think). Below is the Medicine Show at Knott's Berry Farm in the 1950's and the Prehistoric skeletons at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County in the early 60's. The Ape bust is from the San Diego Zoo. Also a parade, a circus elephant ride and a lady painting in her dog smock.