The Long Morrow
Me, my art, and the stuff that moves me.
Monday, April 15, 2024
PEKING OPERA BLUES
Friday, March 22, 2024
Send in the CLONES
This is a commissioned piece done for the cover of a publication. Since it focused on actors imitating Bruce Lee's appearance and martial arts movements (commonly refered to as "Bruceploitation") in the wake of his untimely passing, I tried to mimic the style of those cheaply painted film posters of the era. Complete with folds and sun damage.
The four actors, professionally known as, (clockwise) Dragon Lee, Bruce Li, Bruce Leung, Bruce Le, are seen flexing in the looming shadow of Master Bruce. Set against a swirling sunset. The monlythic text, another retro design element, reflects the GAME OF DEATH jumpsuit styling, along with another silhouette of Lee from his statue, posing along the Tsim Sha Tsui waterfront in Hong Kong. Woooooah Hi-Yaah!
The clones may have faded, but Bruce Lee's "shadow" still looms large in the pop culture zeitgeist long after his sunset.
Sunday, December 31, 2023
STRIKE While the Fist is Hot
Angela Mao returns to the silver screen with 1973's WHEN TAEKWONDO STRIKES. My art for this package takes it's cue from the visual theme I established for a previous double feature of her films. Whereas the main characters were rendered in gray tones for the cover and in-color for the interior booklet of that release, this time I reversed that approach and put more color on the cover.
The layering of characters, splattering of paint, and the angled, dimensional title text gives it some depth, without implying the film is presented in 3D.
For the booklet the focus is shifted to Jhoon Rhee. I grew up near his dojo in Washington D.C., so his television commercials with that famous music and "NOBODY BAHDAHS ME, EDAH" slogan was ingrained in my impressionable brain from childhood. It's unfortunate he didn't do more films. But at least this one is getting an HD re-release.
Saturday, December 30, 2023
Welcome to the Cult
There was some marketing at the time of this release that accidently, and hilariously, mis-titled the film KUNG FU COLT MASTER. I remember the Hong Kong VCD was notrious in this regard. Now THAT'S a movie I'd like to see. The story of a horse who practices martial arts. Somebody get Roger Corman on the phone.
Thursday, November 30, 2023
Urban Action Showcase
I designed this piece for the cover of a publication which showcased black actors/martial artists who flourished in the kung fu/martial arts action film craze that Bruce Lee helped kick off in the early 1970s. In fact, three of them (Jim Kelly, Donnie Williams and Steve Muhammad) appeared in ENTER THE DRAGON which celebrated it's 50th anniversary this year.
Sammo Hung's protégé, Robert Samuels (DON'T GIVE A DAMN), and Taimak (THE LAST DARGON) round out the composition, along with the 'Little Dragon' himself watching over them.
For fun, I gave it a slight 1970s feel, with "racetrack" borders in green and orange. And I further aged it with some distressing as it was to be used for a limited edition t-shirt as well.
Tuesday, November 28, 2023
Deadly Strike!
Here's an illustration I did for a cover of a publication featuring Taiwanese actor/director Lu Feng, star of the 1978 Shaw Brothers film FIVE DEADLY VENOMS. (It might be fun to do a full series of these sometime.)
Lu is the deadly centipede coiled and ready to strike. Do centipedes actually coil? And are they even deadly? Well, I'm not going to find out. His blade looks pretty sharp to me.
And this is piece I did for a friend. Karen Campbell and Cynthia Rothrock getting their kicks. (The Welsh and Chinese dragons approve.)
The butt kicking continues... nex ttime.
Sunday, October 29, 2023
Female Fighting Frenzy
This is a piece I illustrated a while ago for the cover of a new publication. It's now finally coming out so I can share it here. The lighting design and color palette help to tie the elements together while giving it a unique look. I enjoyed the subect matter so this was a fun piece to do.
Not a whole lot to say about it other than... for those fools who underestimate Sally's knuckle guns, she also has a absurdly large rocket launcher concealed in her arm. Like all good robot women should.