As a kid growing up in North Hollywood, we frequented (the now defunct) Dudley Do-Right's Emporium on Sunset Blvd. It was run by the late Jay Ward's family and even located on the block they resided on. This was the storefront gift shop for the Jay Ward Animation studios. That place deeply effected me. It wasn't some cheap liscensed out Bullwinkle store but it was the remains of this former TV empire. The stuff they sold was stuff they made in the 60's that went for way below what it was worth because Jay's family probably didn't know the value of it. Maybe there just wasn't a market for it in the 80's because that was the time when "vintage" just meant "old". I don't know...But they sold authentic memorabilia; Statehood for Mooselvania water decals, real felt Dudly Do-Right mountie hats, old Bullwinkle fan club newsletters and if you wanted a shirt they'd go back and Iron-transfer what style you wanted right there.
The Jay Ward style and humor is something that has (for the most part) unintentionally influenced my work from the Aquabats to what I do everyday at Paul Frank. People always tell me the the Aquabat logo looks too much like Boris Badenoff. I didn't do it that way on purpose, though that style is one of my favorite influences. You are what you eat?
Anyhow, when I stumbled across these old concepts something struck me inside that I couldn't describe. It's like E.T. finding his mothership. Enjoy!
Here's the link:
No comments:
Post a Comment