Collaboration With Passion
Two drawings of Nickie Rhodes-Hill
I was just about drawing in the late 80’s and had watercolours and paper still around. One of the drawings of Nickie Rhodes-Hill was produced on a restaurant napkin, probably using a childs crayon set.
Peter Hill and Muhammad Ali
Champions Forever - The Video
Again I was called in for another big project, this time the launch of a boxing video! I had to find a way of curving the main logo to look like the EVERLAST logo seen on all American sporting clothes.I used a special company called the Light Brigade. There were many companies who produced special bits of headline photo setting.
Muhammad Ali and I
The launch party for Champions Forever with Muhammad Ali
Champions Forever video sleeve 1986
After the launch there was a get together and I was fortunate enough to meet my all time hero, MUHAMMAD ALI, and Joe Frazier and George Foreman!!
The Champs - George Foreman, Joe Frazier, Muhammad Ali, Ken Norton and Larry Holmes.
5 other Boxing video sleeves that I designed!
Wienerworld - The Decade of Music Video.
About 1987 I started to work for IAN WIENER of WIENERWORLD. I had been designing for him through the Video Collection at first because they were distributing for Wienerworld.he wanted a more personal relationship with his designer, so I went to meet him at his office in Stanmore.
The Decade of Music Video poster
Ian had prepared up an ambitious series of 10 videos, this was called THE DECADE OF MUSIC VIDEO. I prepared a design and it was accepted straight away, and work began!
Ian was an incredible marketeer and no expense was spared, gold ink and special incentives to buy all 10 videos were incorporated in the design.
The first 5 sleeves
The second batch of 5 sleeves - The Decade of Music Video.
Seen from the side, on a shelf, the sleeves spell EIGHTIES - The Decade of Music Video.
Can you imagine how hard the printer had to work to ensure the correct type did not creep over etc, and the manufacturers had to concentrate when putting the sleeves in the cases!
I have shown 1 back of the sleeves, to show the typography involved, as the songs had all the writer and publisher credits on the back on show.
Fortunately I used really good typesetters - I remember Star from Wardour Street did the typesetting on this project.
Dick Tracy full page trade ad
In 1990, Ian asked me to work on 4 original Dick Tracy films, that he had licensed from RKO Radio Pictures Inc.! The first job was to re-artwork the profile drawing of Dick Tracy.
We Used dayglo ink on all the sleeves to highlight the drawing. This was possible because our printers could print in 5 colours!
A full video sleeve for Dick Tracy -VS- Cueball, showing the complex promotions etc!
3 Original posters to collect, this extra paper made the sleeve 3 times as thick to put in the slip cases. Note all the extra t-shirt offers and coupons etc.
Each sleeve had to also advertise the other 3 available videos on the back. A further purchasing incentive was a small free poster, included with each video, and coupons to collect. The coupons were to help with purchasing a T-shirt / Sweat shirt at reduced prices!
The other 3 Dick Tracy Original Black and White films on Video.
Also in 1990, I designed 2 sleeves for The Shoe People, I had designed 50 odd cartoon video sleeves for the Video Collection, so was asked by Ian to help with The Shoe People Project! Lots of extras were included, Fan Club, Comics, Free Posters and special offer Writing Set! No marketing stone was left unturned!
James Driscoll’s Great Adventures of The Shoe People.