Q: How did the producers of the Bond movies got in touch with you for the "Thunderball" poster artwork? A: “Through recommendation of Don Smolen, an artist/designer working at United Artists in New York City who knew of my work.”
Q: What kind of briefing or input did you receive? Photos, source material etc?
A: “Attending screenings of rushes in a New York theater. Then sent to England on location – access provided to black-and-white movie stills.”
Q: How much time did you have to create the artwork?
A: “Three to four weeks.”
Q: Can you describe the creative process in terms of composition, choice of colors etc?
A: “Art directors (United Artists) Freddie Goldberg and Don Smolen provided rough-sketch concepts and direction.”
Q: What materials do you use? (Temepera, Gouache, pencils etc…)
A: “Winsor-Newton designer colors (gouache); Shiva Casein White; Prismacolor black pencil.”
Q: What was the most fun part of creating the Thunderball artworks?
A: “Seeing the printed posters, five stories high on buildings along Times Square in New York City.”
Q: Any special anecdote associated with this artwork?
A: “On location in the great hall dining room of an English manor house. We were seated for lunch, a hush came over the crowd; appearing, dressed in black and flanked by two beauties was Sean Connery. He joined our United Artists table. Frank and I were introduced – he was a true gentleman!”
Q: Do you know what happened to the original of the artworks?
A: “They were owned by United Artists and secretly drifted away.”
Thank you for the interview, also to Kyle for his help!
