KEVIN DART: POWERPUFF GIRLS

If your vibe is 1960s Fab icons and cool animation, tune in to Cartoon Network on January 20th for a special Powerpuff Girls event featuring Ringo Starr! The Beatles drummer will appear as a "flamboyant mathematician" named Fibonacci Sequins. The original series aired from 1998-2005 and featured an irresistible cocktail of retro-style animation and fast-paced heroics and hilarity inspired by Japanese Anime. The new episode, Dance Pantsed, will reunite all of the voice actors under the directorial helm of original series storyboard artist and writer, Dave Smith (Craig McCracken is currently working on Wonder Over Yonder). Spy Vibers will be especially pleased to learn that local-hero Kevin Dart (Yuki 7) came aboard the Powerpuff Girls reunion as art director and character designer. Kevin's love for retro-spy illustrations and movie posters always brings an exciting flair to his projects. He sat down with me today for a brief interview.

Does the new CGI format of the Powerpuff Girls special retain the basic retro look of the original series?

I’ll let you be the judge of that!  It’s clearly not the same look as the original series, but I feel like we tried really hard to honor a lot of the existing iconography of the Powerpuff Girls world and just put our own spin on it.

How was it working with Ringo? How did he get involved and how did the I Want to be a Powerpuff Girl song come about? Did you work on that video?

Ringo was absolutely amazing and I had the experience of a lifetime in meeting him and seeing him perform with his All-Star band! He is inspiring and seemed to have all of the same energy as he did 50 some years ago! I art directed the music video and even had the pleasure of designing Mr. Starr’s cartoon counterpart. The video was directed by Dave Smith, who also wrote the song that Ringo later recorded. The animation was done by the amazing Polygon Pictures in Japan, who were incredible creative partners in the process :)

What else is in the pipeline for you? Will we see more of Yuki 7?

Yes I am eagerly working on Yuki’s next adventures, though I’m not sure yet what form it will take. Besides that, I directed an animated sequence in the new Spike Jonze movie Her, which you can see in theatres this Friday. And I also art directed the first half of the first season of Steven Universe, which is starting to air again this coming Monday on Cartoon Network!

Congrats to Kevin for his great work on so many interesting projects! I look forward to seeing the new special and to the return of Yuki 7 in the future. Kevin Dart discusses Yuki 7 with Spy Vibe here. Speaking of cool female Japanese agents, my new spy novel featuring my character Miki Zero will be coming later this year. Thank you to the many Spy Vibers out there who have been asking for updates about the book.

A marathon of 10 classic Powerpuff Girls episodes will air on January 19th to prime the reunion special, and Ringo has made this fun cartoon video (below) for the event. Ringo Starr has enjoyed a long career as an actor, including children's programming in The Point, Shining Time Station, and Thomas and Friends. Cartoon Network has not revealed whether there will be a new Powerpuff Girls series, nor has there been an announcement regarding Beware the Batman, which went on hiatus mid-season this fall. You can read Spy Vibe's interview with Beware the Batman designer Shane Glines here. 

Recent Spy Vibe posts: 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 nominated for Grammy,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. 

YUKI 7 IS BACK!

Our man Kevin Dart has been working with a team of creators to bring us a new YUKI 7 book this summer! Spy Vibers will likely remember our interview with Kevin Dart back in July 2009, when we discussed his love of retro movie posters, Yuki 7, and his fave spy films. The launch of his character and the collection of his illustrations was a major event among retro/spy fans. The first book, Seductive Espionage, implied wonderful narrative through the "movie posters" and information about the fictional career of Yuki 7. The new book, Looks That Kill, will feature developed Yuki 7 stories by Elizabeth Ito. Dart is also working on a new animation trailer for the project. Incidentally, there is also a collection of Spy Vibe fiction in the works. I look forward to telling you more about that project soon. In the meantime, keep your surveillance on Yuki 7 and Spy Vibe for updates. From the Yuki 7 blog:


'This summer will see the release of Looks That Kill, the first "Official Yuki 7 Adventure Book". It's being written by Elizabeth Ito, and is a full-blown spy story with loads of intrigue and gadgets and awesome fashion! Above you can see a snippet of the cover, which was designed by myself and a really talented young kid named Matthew Edwards, who's helping me with the book layout. The official release date will be July 16th, and we're planning an awesome release party to happen at Q Pop! There's also going to be a new short film in the vein of the Kiss From Tokyo trailer.' Find out more at Yuki 7.

NEW YUKI 7 PRINTS

Illustrator Kevin Dart has unveiled new Yuki 7 prints that I think Spy Vibers will enjoy. Kevin continues to mine the fab world of retro movie posters and the aesthetics of films like Deadlier Than the Male and You Only Live Twice to create cool Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls merchandise. You can visit the Yuki 7 website here. Read Spy Vibe's interview with Kevin here.

YUKI 7 WEB

Spy Vibe fave illustrator, Kevin Dart, has launched a website for his FAB character YUKI 7 and her swinging world of 1960s-inspired movie posters. Kevin's images are packed with implied fun and narrative with a host of iconic elements: evil lairs, spear gun wielding femme fatales, modern design, and exotic locations. From Kevin's website:

We've finally launched the official website for Yuki 7 and the Gadget Girls! There's some pretty neat stuff to see on there, like this awesome Yuki 7 sculpture by Damon Bard! There's also an official Yuki 7 Shop now, which has some awesome new items like this set of Gadget Girl mini prints. And also this new print of Yuki sleeping in her stylish bachelorette pad. Yuki even has her very own Twitter account now so you can keep up with her exciting life of espionage and couture fashion!

KEVIN DART: YUKI 7 RETURNS

KEVIN DART: YUKI 7 RETURNS
Illustrator/Designer Kevin Dart has created a special universe around his character Yuki 7 and her ensemble of Tokyo HQ cohorts, The Gadget Girls. By using the form of retro movie posters, Kevin creates a world that promisses swingin' Spy Vibe action. Like a B-movie mogul, he ignites our imaginations simply through the advertising. His images are rich in spy conventions and suggest plot and thrills (I'd jump at a chance to write a Yuki 7 screenplay!). Last year we saw the publication of Seductive Espionage and Kevin joined us on Spy Vibe for an interview about Yuki 7 and his fave spies. Kevin has continued to develop Yuki 7 projects and his website sports a cool Looks That Kill poster along with a time-elapse of his illustration process. Dart hints that there's a second Yuki 7 book in the works, as well as a new short animation!

KEVIN DART INTERVIEW

On the eve of the 2009 San Diego Comic-Con, Spy Vibe had a chance to ask Kevin Dart a few questions about the exhibit for his new book Seductive Espionage: The World of Yuki 7, his all-time favorite illustrations and films, his projects, and about his plans for this week's convention. Click to see larger images.

Congratulations on your recent exhibition and book signing. From the photos, it looks like it was really fun. Are there other exhibits planned?
Thanks! The show at Nucleus was a blast, and went way beyond my expectations. There’s no concrete plans for future exhibits yet, but we are looking to launch a book of stories and art inspired by Jules Verne around December 2010, with a coinciding gallery show.

Where will you be located during Comic-Con? What will you have for sale or presentation?
We’re going to be in a different place than usual, in Booth 1316. This is our first year with a full booth, which we decided to upgrade to because of all the new products we’re releasing this year! We will of course have the Yuki 7 book for sale, as well as the limited Collector’s Edition. There will also be a bunch of Yuki prints, brand new screenprinted posters, and an awesome shirt featuring the French poster for “A Kiss From Tokyo”. My friend Chris Turnham (the other half of Fleet Street Scandal), is also going to have a great lineup of prints for sale including a new poster he did for The Decemberists and a hot new illustration inspired by “Around the World in 80 Days”.

How did you first become interested in retro spy design? What was your introduction to spy films and soundtracks?
I can’t remember a time when I wasn’t interested in spy films. My parents were both James Bond fans and I grew up with those movies. Later I discovered the Avengers and mid-century thrillers like North by Northwest and Charade, which had a big influence on me. I think all of those movies molded my tastes so that I began seeking out more inspiration from 50’s and 60’s architecture, fashion, and furniture design, as well as music.

Do you collect old posters and albums?
I can’t say that I do, I’ve never been much of a collector. If I bought every single thing that inspired me I’d probably be broke and buried in a mountain of posters and prints. But I do obsessively catalog cool images and songs on my computer for reference. I also love books – one of my favorites is a book I found at a second hand store several years ago that collects all of the vintage newspaper comic strips from “The Man With the Golden Gun” and “The Living Daylights”. They’re some of the most beautifully drawn comics I’ve ever seen.


Did any specific illustrations or illustrators inspire your pieces?
Definitely the biggest influences were Bob Peak, Robert McGinnis, and John Hench. Their work is so stylish, textured, and experimental while still being completely representational. It embodies everything about that time period that I find so cool.

You list fellow artists/collaborators on your website. Tell us more about the team you work with and about what each of them bring to the projects.
The number one thing my friends bring is support. I don’t know if I could’ve finished this project without all of their encouragement. Beyond that, I have my longtime friend and business partner, Chris Turnham, who always offers advice on my work and helps figure out how we’re going to produce and sell these things. Then there’s my girlfriend Elizabeth Ito, who was the whole inspiration for Yuki and also has lots of great insight. On this project, our friend Ada Cole wrote the whole book in her really charming style, and her husband Dan helped with a lot of the technical aspects of production as well as photography. Stephane Coedel, a friend of mine from London, was of course invaluable as the animator and compositor of the Kiss From Tokyo trailer, and also helped me out with some French translation. Finally, there is the long list of people who were generous enough to contribute some of their own original artwork to the book: Bill Presing, Brigette Barrager, Daniel Arriaga, Don Shank, Horia Dociu, Jon Klassen, Josh Parpan, Justin Parpan, Megan Brain, Scott Morse, Ted Mathot, and Victoria Ying.

Your images are incredibly strong and capture so much of the cool and wit of spy adventure. Do you also create sequential narrative pieces? Or is it similar to my film students who make trailers? Everyone wants to see the movies, but the trailers are the movies.
I have a hard time doing sequential art, but I like telling stories. I try to capture as much story as I can in a single image, which is why the movie poster is a natural outlet. But you can only put so much in there, and I’ve always wanted to delve deeper into those stories, which is kind of the reason this book came about. I wanted to finally take one of my illustrated posters and really get to know the characters I was drawing, their backgrounds, their personalities, and find out what kinds of adventures they went on. I really feel like were able to accomplish that with this book.

How did the short animation come about? Fans are asking for more. Are there plans to try to produce animations in the future?
The trailer began for no other reason than I really wanted to do it. Once the spark hit me I just thought “That would be really cool.” I didn’t know how we would use it, whether it would be profitable, or anything. But the same could be said about the book or my prints or any other project I’ve ever undertaken. I knew that if we made it, and if it turned out anything like what I was imagining, that it could only lead to good things. So we made it and it turned out to be an incredibly effective way of introducing this new character to the world and promoting our book. I would love to create more, not just to appease all of Yuki’s fans but for myself as well. I see the trailer as a launching pad for a number of things. I think the project could take on a life of its own and translate into any number of mediums, and it already has in a lot of ways. My dream right now is to turn it into a live-action movie.


What are your top five favorite spy movies and why?
Deadlier Than the Male – Impossible to turn away after the opening mid-air assassination sequence. This movie delivers everything you dream of in a spy flick.

You Only Live Twice – Nancy Sinatra alone sells this movie, but the volcano lair/ninja battle finale just puts it over the top.

Danger: Diabolik – Favorite things about this one are the colors, sets, and cars.

Thunderball – Jetpacks, underwater battles, bad guy with an eye patch… this movie is jam-packed!

Temptress of a Thousand Faces – I haven’t actually seen this film from Hong Kong, but the bits I’ve found are so inspiring that I’m willing to put it in my top 5. Please, if anyone knows where I can see the full film, let me know!

What are your top five favorite movie posters?
The Man With the Golden Gun
You Only Live Twice
My Fair Lady
The Assassination Bureau, Ltd
One Million Years B.C.

If you were a super villain, what would you choose as your evil lair?
I would turn all of Brasilia into my own evil compound.


Spy Vibers should definitely check out Kevin's website for more information about projects, prints and books for sale, and for links to additional interviews. You can talk with Kevin and buy his work directly during Comicon this week at booth 1316. Dart illustrations here on Spy Vibe are copyright Kevin Dart. Around the World in 80 Days illustration by Chris Turnham. Portrait photo by Dan Cole. Thank you to Kevin for his time, inspiring illustrations, and for sharing his thoughts with Spy Vibe readers! Click here for a previous announcement and animation of Kevin's work on the Spy Vibe blog, here for the Kevin Dart page on the Spy Vibe website, here for the fantastic book review of Seductive Espionage on Double O Section, and here for the Seductive Espionage announcement on Bish's Beat.