Event Reminder: After enjoying a wonderful afternoon last year with Tom Cull of Artistic License Renewed and Jon Lys Turner at the Curious Arts festival to celebrate Jon's book about 007 illustrator Richard Chopping and artist Denis Wirth-Miller, I'm happy to see the Ian Fleming connection continue this summer. The festival has announced a special program of James Bond music with the Royal Philharmonic! From the press release: "We are thrilled to announce that the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be closing this year’s Curious Arts Festival with a sensational evening celebrating over 50 thrilling years of iconic songs and themes from films about everyone’s favourite secret service agent – 007! This is a night of 00Heaven featuring musical highlights from some of the best Bond films ever such as ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Licence to Kill’, ‘You Only Live Twice’, ‘Diamonds are Forever’, Live and Let Die’,‘Goldeneye’, ‘From Russia with Love’, ‘Skyfall’, ‘Casino Royale’ and many more. The concert will take place in the Gorse Tent on Sunday 23rd July – approximate start time 7.15pm. Tickets are strictly limited for this performance. " I found this to be a pretty unusual festival last year. Events were hosted in large tents scattered throughout a bucolic field, and there seemed to be a caravan of food trucks, massage tables, fortunes, kids activities, etc circling the main encampment. At the center was a marvelous book tent. I must point out that the organizers rightly state Curious Arts is an "experience, not just a few tents in a field." It was cool to see so many authors doing readings and book signings. There was something for everyone. I was even lucky to find sushi there! This year's line-up includes a long list of authors, poets, musicians, and comedians. If Spy Vibers can make it, I recommend bundling up in layers in case of cold weather and wind. It's a beautiful drive through the New Forest, but go slowly and make sure to say hello to the many friendly donkeys who roam the area. More info at Curious Arts Festival. In other news, my episodes of the Cocktail Nation radio show are now live: Episode #1 (Danger Man) and Episode #2 (The 10th Victim), Epsiode #3 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service) Episode #4 (Roger Moore/The Saint). Enjoy!
Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Spy Vibe Radio 4, 1960s Pop Models, Batman Gallants, Adam West R.I.P., Village Triangle, Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Fahrenheit 451 50th, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview:Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art.
Upcoming Event: After enjoying a wonderful afternoon last year with Tom Cull of Artistic License Renewed and Jon Lys Turner at the Curious Arts festival to celebrate Jon's book about 007 illustrator Richard Chopping and artist Denis Wirth-Miller, I'm happy to see the Ian Fleming connection continue this summer. The festival has just announced a special program of James Bond music with the Royal Philharmonic! From the press release: "We are thrilled to announce that the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra will be closing this year’s Curious Arts Festival with a sensational evening celebrating over 50 thrilling years of iconic songs and themes from films about everyone’s favourite secret service agent – 007! This is a night of 00Heaven featuring musical highlights from some of the best Bond films ever such as ‘Goldfinger’, ‘Licence to Kill’, ‘You Only Live Twice’, ‘Diamonds are Forever’, Live and Let Die’,‘Goldeneye’, ‘From Russia with Love’, ‘Skyfall’, ‘Casino Royale’ and many more. The concert will take place in the Gorse Tent on Sunday 23rd July – approximate start time 7.15pm. Tickets are strictly limited for this performance. " I found this to be a pretty unusual festival last year. Events were hosted in large tents scattered throughout a bucolic field, and there seemed to be a caravan of food trucks, massage tables, fortunes, kids activities, etc circling the main encampment. At the center was a marvelous book tent. I must point out that the organizers rightly state Curious Arts is an "experience, not just a few tents in a field." It was cool to see so many authors doing readings and book signings. There was something for everyone. I was even lucky to find sushi there! This year's line-up includes a long list of authors, poets, musicians, and comedians. If Spy Vibers can make it, I recommend bundling up in layers in case of cold weather and wind. It's a beautiful drive through the New Forest, but go slowly and make sure to say hello to the many friendly donkeys who roam the area. More info at Curious Arts Festival. Spy Vibers, have you heard my new radio show with Cocktail Nation? Episode #4 is coming up. Here are info links for Episode #1 (Danger Man) and Episode #2 (The 10th Victim), Epsiode #3 (On Her Majesty's Secret Service).
Selected Spy Vibe Posts: Roger Moore R.I.P., Spy Vibe Radio 3, Sgt Pepper 50th, Satanik Kriminal OST, 60s Overdrive, Make Love in London, Spy Vibe Radio 2, Spy Vibe Radio 1, James Bond Strips, Propaganda Mabuse, Fahrenheit 451 50th, Interview: Police Surgeon, XTC Avengers, 1966 Pep Spies, Batman Book Interview, Exclusive Fleming Interview, Avengers Comic Strips, Robert Vaughn RIP, UNCLE Fashions, Thunderbirds Are Pop!, Interview:Spy Film Guide, Lost Avengers Found, The Callan File, Mission Impossible 50th, Green Hornet 50th, Star Trek 50th, Portmeirion Photography 1, Filming the Prisoner, Gaiman McGinnins Project, Ian Fleming Grave, Revolver at 50, Karen Romanko Interview, Mod Tales 2, Umbrella Man: Patrick Macnee, New Beatles Film, The Curious Camera, Esterel Fashion 1966, Exclusive Ian Ogilvy Interview, 007 Tribute Covers, The Phantom Avon novels return, Ian Fleming Festival, Argoman Design, Sylvia Anderson R.I.P., Ken Adam R.I.P., George Martin R.I.P., The New Avengers Comics, Trina Robbins Interview, The Phantom at 80, 007 Manga, Avengerworld Book, Diana Rigg Auto Show, The Prisoner Audio Drama Review, David McCallum novel, Andre Courreges R.I.P., Who's Talking on Spy Vibe, UFO Blu-ray, Avengers Pop Art.
New release: Richard Chopping's famous cover for Goldfinger is featured in an interesting new art book called Popular Skullture. Skeleton graphics have haunted the front of mystery and pulp fiction titles for decades. The use of a macabre grin or boney finger offered designers and illustrators an instantly understood symbol of danger and intrigue. Looking back at some of my own favorites from my Diabolikal image archive, I'd say The Shadow and the various detective pulps win the award for most skeletons employed. See my collage below for some faves from the world of James Bond, as well. I haven't seen a copy of Popular Skullture yet, but I would expect many of the images below appear in the collection. Book details from Bud's Art Books: "Edited and designed by award-winning art director Monte
Beauchamp- with an introduction by graphic design luminary Steven Heller. Consumers embrace the skull: Nike, Calvin Klein, Zippo, and
Crystal Head Vodka feature them as product lines. Skulls adorn artwork,
sneakers, candy, skateboards, jewelry, and even wallpaper. The skull is
everywhere in pop culture! Never before has a book addressed the skull as a
cover motif during the Golden Age of American publishing, from the 1930s
through the mid-50s. Monte Beauchamp is an award-winning art director and graphic
designer whose work has appeared in Graphis, Communication Arts, SPDA, Print,
American Illustration, and The Society of Illustrators Annual. He has received
numerous awards and honors, and has served as a juror for both American
Illustration and The Society of Illustrators. He is the founder and editor of the
graphics-illustration-comics annual BLAB! His books include: The Life &
Times of R. Crumb (St. Martin’s Press), Striking Images: Vintage Matchbook
Cover Art (Chronicle Books), The Devil in Design (Fantagraphics), New &
Used BLAB! (Chronicle Books) and many more." Below: Pupular Skullture cover, favorite skull images from Spy Vibe's Diabolikal image archive on Pinterest, and some favorite Bond designs with the skeleton motif. After hearing that Sting wrote the Synchronicity album at Ian Fleming's Goldeneye, I've often wondered if he was inspired by Richard Chopping's designs when he wrote the line, "There's a skeleton choking on a crust of bread." How about it, Sting? Popular Skullture Amazon page here.
Selected Spy Vibe posts: New Gerry Anderson Sets, New SECRET AGENT set, Art of Modesty, Avengers Blu-ray update, Tokyo Beat 1964, Polaroid Spy, Modesty Monday, Feraud Mod Fashion, Flint Scores!, Bond Danish, Home Movies, New Richard Sala Book, New 007 Comics, Designing Bond Books, Green Hornet Manga, Margaret Nolan Art, No 6 Festival, Barbarella Returns, 007 Audio Books Return, Designer: Gene Winfield, Avengers Interview: Michael Richardson, Ian Fleming: Wicked Grin, Jane Bond Hong Kong Records, Ryan Heshka Interview, Comics Week: Man From R.I.V.E.R.D.A.L.E., Comics Week: Archie, Comics Week: Robots, Comics Week: Cold War Atomic, Comics Week: SPYMAN, Comics Week: Jimmy Olsen, Rare Avengers Scripts, Man From Uncle UK Comics, Mattel X-15, Thunderbirds Comics, Shakespeare Spies: Diana Rigg, Shakespeare Spies I, Rodney Marshall Avengers Interview, Avengers Book: Bowler Hats & Kinky Boots, George Lois Design & Mad Men, Richard Sala: Super-Enigmatix, Danger Diabolik Soundtrack, Cold War Archie, Playboy Bunny Interview, The 10th Victim Japanese and Kindle, U.N.C.L.E. Japanese Books, The 10th Victim German Edition, The Saint books return, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton.
Our series For Your Shelf Only has given us a chance to hear from a number of collectors about their prized treasures and their history with Ian Fleming and 007. We've talked with Bond continuation author Raymond Benson, spy novelist Jeremy Duns, and many others. I always enjoy connecting with our guests over our mutual love of spy adventure, and today I had the rare opportunity to sit in the interview seat myself! Artistic License Renewed, a wonderful website that focusses on Ian Fleming, Richard Chopping, and the Bond novels, invited me in for a virtual chat about my collection. Here's a sneak preview of my answers: "The editions I tend to collect more actively now are books
about Fleming or Fleming’s non-Bond work. Some gems include early (sometimes
first) work serialized in magazines, early collection catalogs, The London
Magazine in the 1950s, Horizon in the 1940s, contributions to Room 3603,
Counterpoint, Motor Car, To Catch a Spy, and Jonathan Cape Publisher. Books
about Fleming, like Ivar Bryce,
the memorial address, Letters of
Ann Fleming, and reference books like SMERSH. I was able to add a
couple of rare Fleming appearances to Jon Gilbert’s
Bibliography." When did I start reading Fleming and what's my favorite Bond story? Read the full interview here. For Your Shelf Only links on Spy Vibe: Jon Gilbert, Raymond Benson, Jeremy Duns, Peter Lorenz, David Foster, Rob Mallows, Roger Langley, Craig Arthur, Fleming Short, Matt Sherman, Alan Stephenson, rare Ian Fleming, rare Fleming short.
Spy Vibe is having a spring sale on eBay. New items added very few days and include rare Beatles autographs, James Bond, rare books, music, and comics. Details here.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, new poster announced, 007 Audio Books Update, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Fleming Letters Mystery, Double 007 Book Designs, Double 007 designs II, rare Ian Fleming edition, Book Design Dopplegangers, Turkish Bond design, Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Spy exhibit at the Pacific Science Center, Ian Fleming: Mt. Demon Hell Japan, 007 Audio Books Update, Sylvia Anderson, Appropriating Bond Exhibit, Trina Robbins Interview, Catsuits, Batman '66 Green Hornet Interview: Ralph Garman Ty Templeton, Solar & Bionic Man Return, The Saint Library Released, DC Fontana Prisoner Video, James Bond Comic Event, Turkish James Bond Design, Edward Gorey's 1960s, Ipcress File cinematography, 007 SOLO cover designs, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Shane Glines Batman.
Book covers are forever. They set the tone for our reading experience, and often endure in the mind as visual symbols of our favorite stories. Ian Fleming Publications announced today the new jacket designs for the paperback editions of the new James Bond novel, Solo. The UK version will be released on May 8th and combines the hardcover typeface with a photographic image that aligns the release with last year's 007 Contemporary Vintage Series. Fleming Publications suggests the single eye motif is reminiscent of the original For Your Eyes Only design by Chopping. To my two eyes, the design seems oddly top-heavy with too many circles stacked off-center to the iris. Perhaps it captures a contemporary look, but I wonder if it will date quickly? Those 1980s silhouette covers looked similarly slick and modern at the time, but have not aged well. The US and Canadian editions will arrive on June 3rd. Based on the hardcover design, the paperback gets an icy blue makeover. I prefer this to the UK cover, but I'm not sure it evokes "James Bond" to me. Perhaps a contemporary well-pressed Bond- or maybe a cigarette-package design? I admit that I prefer my 007 to have a vintage flair, and the covers by Chopping, Hawkey, and the geometric patterns by Amazon all set the mood for timeless adventure. Solo is set at the end of the 1960s and I wonder if the jacket captures that flavor? The original hardcover was more elegant, with negative space in the upper half and the typeface seeping out from a collective black stripe on pale yellow (comparison below). It will be fun to look back on these covers in ten years and see how they stand up. In the meantime, enjoy Solo and congratulations to Fleming Publications on the new James Bond adventure! Below: UK paperback, US/Canada paperback, US hardcover.
Recent Spy Vibe posts: Batman Valentines cards, Saturday Cartoons: Marine Boy, Mary Quant, Patrick Macnee, Gloria Steinem and Denny O'Neil on MOD Wonder Woman, Win Scott Eckert interview, Siegel and Shuster's SPY, David McCallum: Son of Batman, Jon Gilbert talks Fleming, Barbarella TV series, Meet the Beatles 50th, Wonderwall comes to Blu-ray, Batman Strips, David Bowie at 67, Kevin Dart talks Ringo & Powerpuff Girls, Sherlock Exhibit, Fu Manchu history panel, Andy Warhol box set, Six-Million Dollar Man, Striped Light Nude, Buckminster Fuller, Dylan at Newport, Jane and Serge, The Goldfinger Variations, Mod Tales Interview, Pete Seeger, Kraftwerk returns to US, Beatles BBC on Fresh Air, Steranko S.H.I.E.L.D. Artist Editions, David Tennant's Ian Fleming audio books, Atomic Art, Modern Architecture LP, Julius Shulman, Shane Glines Batman, The Prisoner and Captain Scarlet, Diego Fortunato and Verner Panton, Saturday Morning Cartoons, Assassination Bureau on DVD, new Young Bond series, new Hercule Poirot novel, Early Beatles image archive, Julie Newmar, Erno Goldfinger, Hitchcock tribute.
Recent Ian Fleming posts on Spy Vibe: Ian Fleming Letters, Erno Goldfinger, Ian Fleming Music Series links: Noel Coward, Whispering Jack Smith, Hawaiian Guitar, Joe Fingers Carr, new Ian Fleming Catalog, Jon Gilbert interview, Double 007 Designs, Bond audio book reissues, discovery of one of Ian Fleming's WWII Commandos, James Bond book covers, Ian Fleming's Playboy interview for Kindle, Spy Vibe's discovery of a rare Ian Fleming serialization, rare View to a Kill, Fleming's Royal gold typewriter, Ian Fleming's memorial address, Spy Vibe's Ian Fleming image archive.
