Wanted: Classic 1970's sci-fi posters and artwork

*(or $50.00 USD in Earth currency given the standard twelve sector average exchange rate, if you prefer)

I am currently decorating my personal study / man cave so I'll have a more comfortable place to work and enjoy my hobbies. One of my long time desires is to obtain the following original (aka "vintage") science fiction / science fantasy poster / art prints from the late 1970's for my collection and to frame / hang these long out of print works on the wall in the study. If you have seen this artwork or know where I can purchase it (possibly from you) then please email me and let's talk. I am offering $50.00 each for these items in very good (or better) condition (no tears, no stains, etc.) ... I'm patient, not desperate. These are some imaginative visions from my childhood which I once cherished though never actually purchased and now very much desire to own.

These posters were originally sold by the Captain Company of New York, NY and could be found offered for sale in the back of Warren's "CREEPY" and "EERIE" horror magazines, as well as the other Warren publications circa 1977 to 1983 or so. I've also been told that these posters were offered for sale in both record / music stores as well as some drug stores especially out West. These posters were produced by the classic Paper Tiger company of the UK and were from a handful of famous sci-fi artists. These art prints were definitely from the STAR WARS era and it was a wonderful revitalization of the sci-fi genre to be sure ... a real renaissance of sorts that occurred in the wake of the greatest science fantasy film of all time (at that time).

Overall, it seemed like a fool's errand ... tracking down posters (not the most sturdy of objects ever produced by pop Western civilization culture) from over three decades before ... sci-fi artwork from the decade when disco ruled, vans were cool and Star Wars hit the silver screen like a supernova. Little did I know what a grand adventure it would turn into ... a many years long (and counting) adventure / quest that put me into contact with Tim White, Bruce Pennington and Dan Goozee ... and I'm still not finished with this quest. Who knows where it will finally end or who else I'll get a chance to talk to about their work.

My personal thanks go out to Tim White for his help in identifying several of these posters (including those done by his own hand) and for the time he took to answer questions and share insights into this work. I would also like to thank Mo Connolly for his help in identifying the artists for "Star Squadron" and "Battle of the Galaxies." To all the others who have emailed comments or stories about these posters and how they either remembered them from their childhood or how these posters played a part in their childhood, I thank you as well.

My own Grail quest now is to try to track down these last two ancient posters in the hope that someone still has them, that they are willing to part with them to a very good cause and that they are willing to let these posters go up for adoption to live in a very good home where they will be taken care of, framed, mounted and cherished.

September 2003 - While on vacation, I found one of Tim White's art books in a discount book store. Flipping through it, I was amazed to see "Earth Enslaved", one of my favorite sci-fi posters of all time, listed as his work. When I returned from vacation, I looked up Tim White on the Internet, found his email address, and took a chance on contacting him. Tim was a very personable artist who took some of his busy time to talk to me at great lengths about his work and for that I am very grateful. Over the next two years, Tim White and I not only identified the artists who created these posters but solved a few mysteries about the origin of these posters as well. Tim also acted as a conduit for me to converse with Bruce Pennington.

March 2004 - I acquire "Earth Enslaved" and "Those Who Watch" (aka "Stopwatch")" on Ebay from a dealer who, of all things, claims that these posters were originally pinned to the wall of his video arcade and offered as prizes to be claimed for tokens won in various games.

May 2006 -Thanks go out to Mo Connolly for sharing the names of the artists for the posters I am looking for.

February 2007 - I found another poster from the era that I cherish, Bruce Pennington's "Children of Tomorrow" and while it wasn't on my list of "must-have" posters, it was still of the artistic quality / feel that I like and was included in the original group of posters that were sold.

April 2007 - I was just looking around Ebay to waste some time and did a search on my various artists that I am looking for. Low and behold, ONE hit came up for "Gary+Meyer" and guess what it was?! The "Star Squadron" poster! The Ebay counter says that 5 people had looked at the ad. I was the 5th person. The poster was bought "right then" with the buy it now option. You can see the poster in all its colorful glory below. I also uploaded a scan of the original advertisement that appeared in the various Warren "Eerie" and "Creepy" magazines (as well as other Warren products like "The Rook"). Overall, I considered the "Star Squadron" poster to be the hardest poster to find when I started out this quest because I knew nothing about the artist or any of his other works and I felt that the poster was probably the least ordered of all the offerings, call it a gut feeling. Even such, four years after I started my quest, "Star Squadron" is hanging on the wall in my study.

April 2008 - With a stroke of incredible luck, I secured four of these rare posters at one fell swoop on Ebay. Here is the list of the treasures that I acquired; all were in near mint condition; Tim White's "Brainwave", Dan Gozee's "Battle of the Galaxies" (Yes!), Dan Gozee's "Intergalactic Combat", and Dan Gozee's "Invasion".

The quest continues, dear friends ! The search narrows to just two posters ! Two, I say! Bruce Pennington's "The Green Brain" and Time White's "Jewel of Jahren." Onward !

Further information on these posters, the artists who painted them, links where I can find them for sale or if you have one (or more) to sell? Email me !

THE ORIGINAL BLACK AND WHITE TRADE ADVERTISEMENT
FOR THIS POP SCI-FI ARTWORK
____________________________________________________

The original advertisement circa 1977 to 1979 in various issues of Warren Publishing's classic line of black and white
illustrated horror and science fiction magazines such as "CREEPY", "EERIE", "1994" and "THE ROOK."

As a young child, the stories in these magazines and the images of these posters stoked my fertile imagination.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

POSTERS STILL AT LARGE
______________________________________________________________________________________________

________________________________

- TIM WHITE ARTWORK -
________________________________

WANTED
IN NEW OR LIKE-NEW CONDITION

$50.00
REWARD

"Jewel of Jahren"

Artwork by Tim White (UK)

________________________________

- BRUCE PENNINGTON ARTWORK -
________________________________

WANTED
IN NEW OR LIKE-NEW CONDITION

$50.00
REWARD

"Green Brain"

Art by Bruce Pennington

Cover art for the Frank Herbert
novel of the same name.

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

A collection of the Most Wanted posters
and a few that just managed to come along for the ride ...

_________________________________________________________________________________________________________

And here is a color print of the poster I purchased off of Ebay on April 10, 2008. It is so detailed, you can make out the crew in the gun turret-like blister on the attacking ship as well as smaller EVA astronauts getting caught by the explosion outside the ship being blasted. The detail is almost of Peter Elson quality.

Sometime during the holiday season of 2007, I had the pleasure of talking via email to Dan Goozee about his artwork. The artist was going to have a busy schedule visiting friends and family for the holidays and our lengthy conversation was put on hold. Perhaps one day I'll contact him again and find out the background on this image. Mr. Goozee is listed as having worked as an artist at Disney World (where his title was listed as "Imagineer") so the history of this painting, coupled with his professional career story, should be an interesting tale indeed if I can ever find the time (and he can find the time as well) to converse on things of the long past. This poster is currently framed and hung in my study next to Tim White's "Earth Enslaved." Out of all of the posters then available, I think that these two along with perhaps Gary Meyer's "Star Squadron", represent the fantastic sci-fi artwork that was being produced during the mid to late 1970's. Looking at these posters takes me back to my childhood, of a time when concerts were still cool, vinyl albums had the neatest covers and sci-fi artwork was done by hand rather than on a computer. Today's digital produced artwork lacks the soul that these artists once put into their work and it's easy to discern.

Included in the auction on April 10, 2008 I also acquired two other works by Dan Goozee. These are entitled "Intercosmic Combat" and "Invasion." Perhaps, if the artist and I talk again one day, I'll be able to pass on the story of these works to you as well. "Intercosmic Combat" has some very Battlestar Galactica (TOS) elements to it while the "Invasion" spacecraft and BEM alien seem to almost fit into the first poster's attacking spacecraft profile.

"Intercosmic Combat"

Original artwork by Dan Goozee

"INVASION"

Original artwork by Dan Goozee

The hints to the classic TV series (1970's) "Battlestar Galactica" are obvious in Goozee's "Intercosmic Combat". The tri-winged wedge shaped craft with their open snouts, gaping intake ports, wedge shaped canopies and red striped fuselages clearly had the Colonial Vipers as influences. The pilot of the lead craft looks almost Simian in his features. The pilot of the attacking craft looks somewhat insectoid. The flattened shape of the attacker with the large front canopy also hint to the old style Cylon Raider.

"Invasion" is a classic scene of 1950's era pulp-grade alien attack only beautifully updated in vibrant colors. The insectoid invader has obviously encountered some hardship and crashed its spacecraft into the middle of a swamp. The torn flight suit and shattered remains of a bubble helmet around the neck collar of the flight suit indicate that the landing was not a pleasant one. The strange energy weapon that the alien is wielding shows that it means business and that perhaps the bayou dwellers (seen in the house in the background) might be in for a rude awakening. Above, in the sky, are several more alien vessels making reentry. The "Invasion" has begun...

"Star Squadron" by artist Gary Meyer, circa 1977.
Another 30 year old sci-fi artifact rescued
from the endless rolling tides of time!

I have no information on Gary Meyer or any other artwork he might have produced.
If you have any background history on this artist, please let me know by dropping me an email.

Rescued!!! The 29 year old sci-fi art poster as it appeared for sale on Ebay.

A very special thanks goes out to Brian Goodwin who sent me the heads up on these two posters being offered on Ebay. Here was the original poster as sold on Ebay. The only damage to the poster is four pin holes, one in each corner, where the original owner of the poster used thumbtacks to secure it to the wall. Poster is mint with no wear or fading. Text across the bottom of the poster (barely able to see it in this shot) reads, L-R:

"Copyright Tim White, 1977 Dragon's World SF-6 EARTH ENSLAVED exclusively from THOUGHT FACTORY, P.O. Box 5515, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413"

Well, that's another part of the puzzle. When I last talked to Tim and brought him up to speed, he didn't remember ever selling any of his artwork in this format. Once we discovered that the artwork was apparently licensed from the Paper Tiger company, it began to make sense to Tim on how his artwork could become available in this size and market format.

I also picked up this "bonus" poster from the same offerings. It is entitled "Those who watch." and is also by Tim White, circa 1977. This poster features four pin holes as well and is in as good condition as the "Earth Enslaved" poster. The only difference on this poster's text, besides the title, is that it is listed as "SF-3." Tim informs me that the correct title of this work is "Stopwatch," not "Those Who Watch" as the poster is labeled.

The correct title, according to an email from the artist himself, is "Stopwatch."
The poster lists the title incorrectly as well.

Two 29 year old science fiction artifacts rescued from a long time ago and a generation far, far away.

Part of the collection offered by The Captain Company but not one of my faves.
Still, anything by Tim White is usually a good choice so up on the wall it goes.

Not one of the posters that I was looking for but it was part of the original offering
of posters by the Captain Company / Paper Tiger so I picked it up merely out of a completion impulse.