Exotica. Kitsch. Les Baxter. 1950s. Safari on Saturn.

Safari on Saturn. The song that Les Baxter should have recorded. Exotica, Retro, Kitsch, there's nothing wrong with any of it as far as I'm concerned, so let's go on "Safari on Saturn".

Blokkhed

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Atomic Power. Nuclear. 1950s. Our friend Mr Atom.

When the oil finally runs out Mr Atom may well be our friend. The future is coming and Mr Atom will save us, or will he?

Blokkhed

www.blokkhed.com

Las Vegas, Nevada. Sin City. Atomic Blast. Cocktails.

Las Vegas, Nevada. Personally I can't get enough of that Retro style , not because I think it's kitch, I actually really, really like it. Anything from 1951 to around 1982ish is good for me. Each decade has something to interest me, with this image it's the 50s. Not being around in that particular decade means it is distant enough to be a strange and exotic place for me. I'm gradually exploring some of these things in my work and there's a lot more to look at. So in this case its Las Vegas, Sin City and cocktails while the bombs explode. Imagine it, Las Vegas used to advertise that you could go there and see the Atomic tests going off in the desert, what a selling point!
An excellent book about America in the 1950s is Bill Brysons "The Life and times of the Thunderbolt Kid" , as good a book about a childhood as you'll ever read. I read it a couple of weeks ago in a weekend and it fitted perfectly with the Rock Shore 'Cody Jet' character I'm working on. A naive decade in some respects and no less charming for that, even if there was Cold War and nuclear bunkers were everywhere, but you knew that heroes like Captain Video [never saw this one here in England, but I'm watching the DVD as I write], Casey Jones and Roy Rogers would save us-either from aliens or commies or bandits.
Get yourself an Atomic Cocktail from Slim Gaillard and wait for the wind to blow...

Blokkhed

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HotRods and Horror. "The HotRod from Hell" 1959

The HotRod from Hell. 1959 An Epic/MotoRama production cashing in on the Hotrod, Rock and Roll and horror exploitation genres. This was Rocky in his late teens and trying to get away from potential typecasting as a child actor.
We hope to uncover more imagery from this time and Rockys earlier works in 1950s TV and film appearances-such as: Teenagers from Space [1954], Cowboy Cody Jet [1955]. . .

Blokkhed
www.blokkhed.com

Sci-fi Movie Poster "Crash Landing"

Crash Landing. The first poster in the Kid from Space serial. It shows the space suited Cody having walked from his crashed ship. It was a bit of a teaser so they kept Rockies face a secret.


Blokkhed

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Robot, Metal Man, 1950s Sci-fi poster.

Another poster from the "Kid from Space". As you can see it's the second chapter "The Metal Man". Produced by Epic Pictures, the serial was made in twelve parts. Interestingly it stars Chad "Rocky" Shore, the Chad was dropped in the later posters [see previous post]. Actually the previous post shows the poster for the European release-which wasn't in serial form but put together as a full movie, this was quite common to edit together serials to make a complete movie.
This poster shows evidence of ageing, it's dis-coloured and creased. Still a good copy though and very, very rare. It looks like most of the series posters will become available to view in the near future, although a few episodes are missing presumed lost.
There's more material to come from the Cody Jet movies as well as more of Rocky Shore in his other movies in the 50s and 60s.

Blokkhed

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Dan Dare, Hero with a Square Jaw

Dan Dare at the Science Museum in London. An excellent [but not massive] exhibition that looks at the new technological world of the 1950s that Frank Hampsons creation [from the Eagle comic] reflected. I like the optimistic viewpoint that the imagery has. The future was positive-and Nuclear! This was the atomic age and would solve all our problems [ironically with oil shortages it is coming back] Of course it was part of the post-war rebuilding and obviously people were literally starting again after the horrors of the war. The festival of Britain in 1951 was part of that and I love Abram games work for the festival. Dan Dare was a square jawed hero who would become out dated when the anti-heroes of the 1960s came along, but the boys own heroics and Frank hampsons moral standpoint is something that we could do with today. It was a shame that they never made a film of it-imagine the 1950s retro styling, fantastic!
We could do with heroes like Dan now, but they would probably claim Dan and Digby were gay! I suppose we live in a cynical age and heroes are made in shades of grey and nothing is black and white anymore-apart from Michael jackson of course..

Blokkhed
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Classic Film Poster "The Kid from Space"

Just discovered this poster dated 1952 and used for the European release [we think]. This really emphasises Motaman and his part in the success of the movie. Its a bit faded and worn but a beauty anyway-very rare, in fact it was thought that none actually existed!
Blokkhed
www.Blokkhed.com

Rocky Shore is an Alien "The Kid from Space"

Here he is, Rocky Shore a 1950s child actor in his first movie from 1951. "The kid from Space" is about an alien boy who lands on a small farm in the mid-west with his robot friend "Motaman". Rocky stars as "Cody Jet" the space kid and the film shows how Cody fits in [or doesn't] with his neighbours and his new family [who are hypnotised by motaman into thinking Cody is their son].
The film is a classic piece of Cold war sci-fi, looking at the fear and paranoia of the time but it also explores how American society was at that time and shows that maybe we are all a bit weird really and who is to say what is alien and what is not, or as Cody says "Golly jet Motaman but these people are out of this world!".
Believe in Cody Jet, The Kid from Space !
For positive space age imagery look at Chesley Bonestell hed did the concepts, matte paintings and backdrops for Forbidden Planet.
Blokkhed
www.blokkhed.com

Retro Blokkhed

I've added a new gallery to the website. Its all about retro imagery, I wanted to explore some more pure 'illustration' that was more figurative than anything I've produced so far. The new images were made over May so its been quick work [for me that is]. I have a few themes that I want to work on and its going to be fun exploring them. The 50s space race and 'modern' design are influences. From Tiki [buy this book by Sven Kirsten, its superb]to the 'atomic age' imagery, I just love it all. A particular character I'm working on is Rocky Shore [or maybe Shaw], I've put him into his first film "The Kid from Space" from 1951 [see website], and I intend doing a series where he appears in different types of movies throughout the 50s-70s. This will allow me to do various types of imagery and styles. How much fun is that?

Blokkhed
www.Blokkhed.com

BLOKKHED. Satan takes a Holiday

Its been too long since I blogged on here. The other life I lead [that is in education, not as a superhero] has taken away most of may, but now that june is with is us I felt it was time to get back to some other work. I'm going to add new galleries to the site soon highlighting some new work. I'm working on various things at present but here's a taste of where I'm going at the moment. That is until I change direction again, which could happen any minute !
Ps I'm not a satanist don't worry. "Satan takes a holiday" is a song title that I liked the sound of.

www.Blokkhed.com

BLOKKHED loves Dan Dare

Dan Dare created by Frank Hampson is simply the best. Created in a fascinating era when the space race was beginning and the future didn't seem to be too far away. Go and see the exhibition at the Science Museum in London. It looks at the fifties and the growth of new technologies. Urban redevelopment from pre-fab housing to washing machines and jet planes its a fascinating look at a time period that Dan Dare was created in. The designs Hampson made are wonderful, with true attention to detail. They built detailed models that were then photographed to do the drawings from.
Frank Hampson was "the man who drew tomorrow" [which is an excellent book by the way]

www.blokkhed.com