The following images and annotations compile a series of social media posts in which I shared the 36 compositional sketches for my new book in progress which is entitled The Times Of The Times. Included here are some rough preliminary compositional sketches that are previously unseen. Now with the sketch phase complete, I'm ready to draw and refine the workups on larger paper, trace those, transfer them cleanly to illustration board and then execute the final iteration of each in full color.
Compositional Sketch No. 1 (2021)
Hello, Friends. Today is the first day of Fall in the Northern Hemisphere and the first day of Spring in the Southern Hemisphere. I’ve decided to usher in the new season in a special way. Today, with great excitement, I will begin sharing the compositional sketches for the new children’s book that I’ve been writing and illustrating. These sketches have been in the works for the past few months and I will continue to share them periodically as I move from the sketch phase toward the more formalized color versions of the illustrations that will appear in the book. As time goes on, I will be sharing different phases of the work in progress so that everyone can view some of the process that goes into the finished product. I’m also using this opportunity to announce the title of the forthcoming book, which will be called The Times Of The Times. It’s a semi-autobiographical story about time travel with a central character based on me as a young boy. In this opening sketch, we see our central character (Chris) in a 1980s shopping mall with his parents where he is about to happen upon something that alights a spark in his imagination which will (literally and figuratively) carry him through the decades: past, present and future. Yes, this seemingly mundane but life altering event actually happened to me and all that happened afterwards as a result brought me RIGHT HERE to this moment where I’m about to click a button and share this first sketch with all of you 40 years later. Get ready, friends… You’re going to be taken on QUITE a journey. As always, thanks to those who have supported all aspects of my work over the years and to those who have shown enthusiasm for this new project.
Rough Comp For Sketch 2
Compositional Sketch 2 (2021)
Having already established a sense of place with the first sketch I shared, we now see the main character (Chris) inside a shop at the mall. This interior was derived as an amalgam of several shops I remember from the early 1980s that sold kites, books, magazines, stickers and decorative gift items. The activity seen here, however, represents a very clear memory of a specific event. It was in one of these shops that I happened upon (and was bemused by) a New York City coloring book in the fall of 1981. You might be wondering if I drew the book cover from memory or if I designed one of my own. The answer is this: Shortly before starting the sketches for this project, I located a copy of that exact coloring book on eBay after a 20 year search. As a result, 40 years after my parents bought me the item that would influence so much of my later aesthetic and many of my lifelong visual interests, you are looking at a sketch of the central character holding that very same book. Cosmic timing and synchronistic alignments are real. There are no coincidences.
Rough Comp For Sketch 3
Compositional Sketch 3 (2021)
In this third compositional sketch we look over the shoulder of Chris, our main character, while he sits at his bedroom desk. Another autobiographical detail emerges here in Chris’ fascination with a line drawing of Times Square in the coloring book his parents have just bought for him. Having received such a book when I was eight years old (see captions of earlier posts for details) I can point to that moment as having started what has become 40 years of collecting vintage images and artifacts of Times Square. Another personal detail is the ABBA poster with Björn, Benny, Agnetha and Frida looking directly at (or watching over) Chris as he sits bemused by the book before him. That particular 1977 ABBA album cover graphic is a longtime favorite and a framed vintage poster with this very image hangs in my home today. With these illustrated faces, we see the start of a visual theme which will repeat across the illustrated pages of this book: Guardianship. At many moments throughout the journey that Chris is about to take, he is watched over. Ever vigilant, silent guardians are surveying every situation that Chris is placed into (whether he is aware or not) in order to ensure his safety. Many other personal considerations have been made here with the inclusion of such things as a turntable, a set of encyclopedias, a box of crayons whose packaging is influenced by one of my favorite 1960s graphics and a poster of a landscape showing The Osborne Inn on Lake Pleasant in Speculator, NY. This detail is a quiet nod to my grandparents who took me to this sweet little Adirondack village every summer for 14 years.
Rough Comp For Sketch 4
Compositional Sketch 4 (2021)
In this fourth compositional sketch we see Chris, our main character, still seated at his desk. It is here that we meet Timmy, Chris’ imaginary friend who will factor rather heavily in the remainder of the book’s narrative. Timmy bears something of a resemblance to Chris yet his hair is a different color and parted on the opposite side. For those that don’t know the autobiographical details behind Timmy’s inclusion in the book, he was my imaginary childhood friend as well as the the subject of some wild tales from nursery school onward. As far as interior details, from this angle we see more of Chris’ room which includes a poster from 2001: A Space Odyssey (one of my favorite films), a small portion of a 1964/65 New York World’s Fair poster (an event I wasn’t on the planet for but one whose imagery has fascinated me since childhood) and a poster of Debbie Harry taken from the Blondie “Autoamerican” LP sleeve. 40 years ago, I was approximately the age at which we meet Chris in this book. It was around this time that I first saw and heard Blondie on television and radio. A lifelong fascination with both Debbie and the band continues to this day so it was only fitting that Chris, a young boy in the early 1980s, would have such a poster on his wall. Here’s another nugget… We may actually see or “meet” Blondie later at some point in our story. One final detail (behind Timmy’s head) is a valet box with drawers that my grandfather built. As a toddler, I used to stare at it from my crib in my grandparents’ bedroom where it would “watch over me” from atop my grandfather’s dresser as I took naps. Nearly 50 years later, it sits upon a bookshelf in my bedroom and continues to perform the same vigilance as I sleep. Time is indeed a flat circle.
Rough Comp For Sketch 5
Compositional Sketch 5 (2021)
In the fifth compositional sketch we see Chris walking down 42nd Street in NYC with his mother and father. The derelict condition of Times Square in the early 1980s is on full display here as all three walk to a theater to see a musical. Chris is quickly discovering the great contrast between Times Square’s appearance in the coloring book and its actual appearance in real life. As for street details, I included old theaters, once grand in previous decades, shown in their well-documented 1980s states of disrepair. While I have a large storehouse of vintage images to work from, I also have a considerable amount of photo reference that I’ve shot from the early 90s onward which has definitely proven valuable in the visual development of this book. The eventual final drawings showing the area in this time period will carry much of the faded color and coarse texture that these buildings displayed. In the place of having an adult movie featured on the Rialto marquee I created a fictitious horror title called “Banshee Apocalypse”. The screaming face you see is that of none other than Siouxsie Sioux. The eyes watching over Chris and his parents from behind heart shaped sunglasses are those of Sue Lyon from the 1962 film Lolita, the second Stanley Kubrick reference I planted in the book. Stay tuned for more annotated pop culture references from the film and music worlds. Things are going to get very interesting.
Side Study Before Sketch 6
Rough Comp For Sketch 6
Compositional Sketch 6 (2021)
In the sixth compositional sketch we see early 1980s Times Square through Chris’ eyes as he walks north on the juncture of Broadway and 7th Avenue with his parents. Though the arrangement of the buildings fits the framework laid out in the black line drawing in his NYC coloring book, the signs and overall aura of the area are decidedly different than what was on the page. This is the first time the viewer sees Chris’ activity and environment from his point of view and it includes not only signage and structures but also the many colorful characters that populate the streets of Midtown Manhattan. While developing the incidental characters seen in sketch 6, I chose to reference two of my favorite films, both of which feature scenes taking place in Times Square. At left we see Iris (aka Easy) Steensma and Travis Bickle from Taxi Driver. Just right of center we see Joe Buck and Rico (aka Ratso) Rizzo in the “Hey! I’m walkin’ here!” scene from Midnight Cowboy. As Chris’ day and evening with his Mom and Dad unfold, we will continue to see multiple pop culture references from art, music and film that three-dimensionalize his present world and also set the tone for what’s to come. For now, let’s just say that Chris will soon embark on a rather complex and far reaching series of journeys.
Rough Comp For Sketch 7
Compositional Sketch 7 (2021)
In the seventh compositional sketch we see Chris and his parents in an art museum. With the disparity between what he saw in the coloring book and the area he just walked through fresh in his mind, Chris can’t help but make connections between the artworks he sees before him and the graphics on the Times Square billboards. As with other spaces in the book, the visual references in the museum nod to films and artworks. The hanging mobile at left references a set piece in the 1967 film Valley Of The Dolls. We will see this set piece as well as other VOTD references later in the story. The ongoing theme of watchfulness is dovetailed with the film theme in the form of the large eye on the canvas at far left. The painting watching over Chris and his family is a detail from a billboard for Alfred Hitchcock’s 1945 film Spellbound. We will be seeing this visual element again as the story unfolds. Stylistic elements of the 1960s work of Warhol, Rosenquist, Johns and Rauschenberg are seen in the art pieces in rear and at right. Some elements are direct lifts from billboards that Chris will encounter as his view of the world becomes exponentially expanded. My main goal in placing Chris and his family in a museum was so the viewer could watch him discover an understanding of cultural context. When seemingly mundane things are isolated, examined for their physical and aesthetic properties or considered through a new cultural lens, we not only regard them differently, we approach and regard the world around us in a much different way. Just as we see happening with our main character, it was the close examination of ads, signage and graphics in childhood that taught me the elements of art before I could name them. In keeping with the autobiographical tone of this story, I wanted Chris’ fascination with graphics to echo my own.
Rough Comp For Sketch 8
Compositional Sketch 8 (2021)
In the eighth compositional sketch we see Chris and his parents attending a theatre performance (front now seats…natch!) after their visit to the art museum. Chris’ imaginary friend Timmy has reappeared in a balcony seat, again reinforcing the ongoing theme of watchfulness and quiet, otherworldly guidance. In observing the scene before him, Chris is quick to notice that the mobile he saw in the museum has heavily influenced the design of the mobile hanging above the performer. In addition, the graphic backdrop references not only the installation art and paintings he saw but the entire production design also carries the frenetic overlapping visual energy of Times Square itself. This brings us to our second Valley Of The Dolls reference as the scene being acted out onstage is inspired by Susan Hayward’s turn as Helen Lawson. Culture is a hall of mirrors. One thing references another and in turn connects to another. For all of the new ideas we individually express, everything relates to something we’ve seen or heard whether we know it or not. Through space and time, connections between new and old are created which ensure that nothing old is ever lost and no voices are ever silenced as time progresses. All things (past, present and future) exist in a continuum with lines that branch, spiral and curl across decades and centuries yet all fixed points in that continuum coexist. Speaking of time, Chris will soon be taking a look behind the curtain of this particular dimensional illusion.
Rough Comp For Sketch 9
Compositional Sketch 9 (2021)
In this ninth compositional sketch we see Chris, our main character, lamenting over the sorry state of Times Square in the early 1980s to his imaginary friend Timmy. The two kids look at the NYC coloring book which holds the image that created Chris’ initial fascination with the square and now presents a stark contrast to the reality he just experienced when visiting the area with his parents. This moment, situated deep within the safety of a finely appointed suburban child’s bedroom, sets up a series of events that will take us into the larger story and across time and space. Having been touched upon in previous illustrations, more details of Chris’ bedroom will be visible here: A portion of the Blondie poster, the entirety of the 2001: A Space Odyssey poster, a 1964-65 World’s Fair poster bearing the iconic Unisphere and some personal effects on the bookshelf. The 1960s Tony The Tiger cookie jar is from my own collection as is the 1970s Holiday Inn sign replica. The round object on the third shelf can also be found on my own shelves today. It’s an early 1970s Weltron AM-FM / 8 track cartridge player. The turntable and vintage clock further align my interests with those of our main character, adding more autobiographical touches that secure Chris’ cultural home base before launching him into another dimension altogether.
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Rough Comp For Sketch 10
Compositional Sketch 10 (2021)
In the tenth compositional sketch we see Chris showing Timmy a postcard of Times Square that he purchased while visiting NYC with his parents. Both characters remark on the differences between the then current 1980s postcard and the illustration in the coloring book which appears to have been drawn to represent the area in the 1950s or 60s. Though this sketch is somewhat generalized and was rendered to work out character and spatial placement, the final version will of contain more details. The coloring book will be drawn fairly close to what the actual coloring book presents and the 1980s postcard (based on one of many in my collection) will be referenced closely as well. As a recap for those who may have missed it, the beginning of this story is based on actual events which occurred in the fall of 1981 when I visited the mall with my parents and was given a New York City coloring book which contained a black line illustration of Times Square. Shortly before beginning work on this book I was able to find that exact coloring book on eBay after several years of searching. Such occurrences are divinely timed and perfectly aligned. There are no coincidences, only gateways to pass through and signs to light the way as we move forward.
Rough Comp For Sketch 11
Compositional Sketch 11 (2021)
In the eleventh compositional sketch we see Chris (at left) and Timmy (at right) holding their hands over the NYC coloring book containing the vintage image of Times Square. This is being done at Timmy’s suggestion after Chris holds up the then current 1980s postcard of the area and compares it to the coloring book illustration, which we saw earlier in sketch number ten. Chris had been lamenting the sorry state of Times Square and previously expressed a desire to travel back to that part of New York City as it was depicted in the coloring book (some twenty or thirty years prior). Now, given the activity and concentrated, collective thought that Timmy has encouraged Chris to participate in, these two characters are ready to embark upon a journey through time. Buckle up, folks. Things are about to get very interesting.
Compositional Sketch 12 (2021)
In the twelfth compositional sketch Chris and Timmy find that they’ve time traveled directly into 1960s Times Square after having held their hands over a particular illustration in the NYC coloring book. By focusing their energy on the image and repeating an incantation that was led by Timmy, the boys have (much to their delight and surprise) traveled quite smoothly. As they survey their new dimensional surroundings, the sights and sounds of the decade replace the early 1980s world they came from. Regarding the image content: The billboards seen here showcase a variety of ads that were seen in Times Square throughout the mid to late 1960s with a few exceptions. One such exception is a mod, bowl cut image of Peggy Moffitt who stares out from a Maybelline Make Up billboard as the “watcher” in this frame. As previously noted, two of the themes in the book are watchfulness and guidance. At all points in their travels, be they physical or inter-dimensional, Chris and Timmy are being watched, guided and protected. This presents the following questions… What will they see now? Who will they meet next? What will they do now that they’ve traveled into the coloring book? This is the first of many time jumps they will take so stay tuned.
Compositional Sketch 13 (2021)
In the thirteenth compositional sketch Chris and Timmy meet Ruby after having just landed in 1960s Times Square. Ruby is an interdimensional character who quickly identifies the boys as time travelers. Though I’m still in the sketch phase and working out the physical characteristics of characters as they will look in the final illustrations, I’m designing Ruby to look as if she could have come from any part of the second half of the twentieth century. This serves to unify her look and energy with Chris and Timmy. Ruby will accompany the boys and act as a very important guide for the rest of their journey throughout some wildly fun adventures.
Compositional Sketch 14 (2021)
In the fourteenth compositional sketch Ruby takes Chris and Timmy on a stroll through the wildly colorful 1960s Times Square that the boys found themselves in two frames ago. Ruby explains to the boys that now that they are within this interdimensional realm, they can use their imaginations to manipulate the space / time continuum. Soon, Ruby will give Chris and Timmy a demonstration of her own skills in performing this feat. The site of what was then the Bond Clothing building (seen at right) and its attendant signage will be featured throughout the story as a visual touchpoint for multiple decades. Rather than illustrating the billboard that was featured atop this building in the late 1960s, I devised one for Crystal Clear Hairspray (a can of which I bought on eBay). An annotation at the upper left of the sketch notes that I decided to reorient and redesign the elements atop the building for the final version of this illustration. These revised details will be featured in compositional sketch number 15 and will include two mammoth hairspray cans in place of the prior decade's rather famous large Pepsi bottles, which we will be seeing later on in the story. With Ruby as their guide and Times Square as their playground, Chris and Timmy will soon find their adventure into the NYC coloring book to be far more than they bargained for.
Compositional Sketch 15 (2021)
In the fifteenth compositional sketch Ruby tells Chris and Timmy about her ability to snap her fingers and transport the whole group to another decade. This sketch contains a further refinement of the Crystal Clear Hairspray billboard I designed, complete with giant cans that spray mist into the sky over Times Square. In yet another reference to the film Valley Of The Dolls, a spokesmodel for the product will be based on Sharon Tate. The Allied Chemical Tower (in its freshly refaced 1960s iteration) is featured here as well as the NBC peacock and the Zenith TV logo however this entire scene is about to look VERY different in the next frame.
Compositional Sketch 16 (2021)
In the sixteenth compositional sketch Ruby has snapped her fingers and instantly dialed back the time code of the decade in which she, Chris and Timmy are standing. The three characters find themselves in the exact same position within Times Square, only now it’s the 1900s. The Allied Chemical Tower (which was refaced upon the armature of the original Times Tower) is replaced by its predecessor. The Bond Building has also been replaced by the Olympia building that inhabited that same block some six decades prior, containing several theatres within as well as one encased in glass and steel on its rooftop. Anyone curious about what that rooftop space might look like should stay tuned as it just may be featured in some future sketches. There’s also the possibility that our traveling trio might make some new friends too. Stay tuned and thanks for joining us as the story and sketches develop. I am very much looking forward to completing the sketch phase and drawing each detailed frame in full color.
Compositional Sketch 17 (2021)
In the seventeenth compositional sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby are continuing to walk around 1900s Times Square. The references I pulled for this preliminary sketch come straight from the era in terms of billboard placement at the north end of the square as well as womenswear of the decade. While becoming acquainted with the space and time they find themselves in (after a snap of Ruby’s fingers in sketch number 16) the kids are approached by an elegantly dressed woman who inquires “Why are you children so outlandishly dressed and why aren’t you in school?” Ruby tells her that she and her friends are from the future where everybody looks like they do and the woman is both confused and beguiled. This is another example of the kids being seen or watched over. With this type of guidance in mind, our time traveling trio is about to meet a dynamic new friend who is going to show them an unexpected treasure of sorts.
Compositional Sketch 18 (2021)
In the eighteenth compositional sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby find themselves standing near the Olympia Building again (as they were in sketch 16) however this time we see it from another angle. While strolling the square, after having met the elegant lady in the hat, they encounter a jaunty looking fellow who asks them if they’ve seen the Jardin De Paris rooftop ballroom (whose structure is visible at the upper left atop the Olympia). This gentleman, who by virtue of his styling would have been known as a “dandy” at the turn of the century, looks familiar to me but I can’t place him. Anyone have a clue who I could have based this character on? The name escapes me. Anyhow, stay tuned for more madcap mayhem and zany fun!
Compositional Sketch 19 (2021)
In the nineteenth compositional sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby are brought up to the rooftop atrium ballroom by their new friend (whose appearance may look somewhat familiar if you see my photos fairly often). Luckily, some photo reference for Times Square’s Jardin De Paris Theatre from the early 1900s exists and the few images I found have been valuable in the development of this sketch and the next. As with each image in the book, the final version will have more development in terms of characters, their physical volume and the three dimensional depth of the space. The overhead armature for the atrium’s glass enclosure will be volumetric beams with multiple planes rather than heavy lines. The slim beams seen here were drawn so that I could explore (and show myself) how much visual measurement and how many gestures were necessary to create the atrium’s basic construction lines. Since I was asked about this recently, I’ll mention that no rulers, protractors or triangles are being used in the development of these illustrations. Every line and gesture is freehand. Though I’m still in the sketch phase of the book, I can’t wait to draw and fully develop each formalized illustration for the story I’ve written.
Compositional Sketch 20 (2021)
In the twentieth compositional sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby are standing on the stage of Times Square’s Jardin De Paris rooftop atrium ballroom. The new friend who has led them there, well aware that they are time travelers, tells them that theatre is time travel, music is time travel, reading and writing is time travel and that overall the arts are time travel but the type of travel that you can control if you’re the one creating it. With that, the kids join hands and join forces to jump 4 decades into the future. What will they find in the Times Square of the 1940s?
Compositional Sketch 21 (2021)
In the twenty-first compositional sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby have jumped from the 1990s into the 1940s at will. Having instantly left the interior of the Jardin De Paris, they’ve landed back outside into another complete change of billboards, culture and a rather profound historical moment in the spring of 1945. What are they about to witness and who will they meet?
Compositional Sketch 22 (2021)
In the sketch posted yesterday, Chris, Timmy and Ruby found themselves transported back onto the streets of Times Square in 1945 after having visited one of its ballrooms in the 1900s. While taking in the cultural shifts of this four decade leap, they notice that the streets are becoming filled with an air of ecstatic celebration and stop to ask a gentleman on the street what’s happening. He holds up that day’s newspaper and tells them that World War 2 has just ended. Once again, the Bond Building acts as a visually anchor for another decade with the male kouros and female kore figures that stood high above the square for much of the 1940s. We’ve already seen this building a few times and we will be seeing more of it throughout the story. For now, let’s consider how the kids are going to celebrate this great day and with whom. Shall we?
Compositional Sketch 23 (2021)
In the twenty-third sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby are celebrating VE Day 1945 with a group of sailors who have hoisted them upon their shoulders. Here we see the south end of the square (note the opposite view of the Bond Building’s kouros and kore figures) with more signage that is authentic to the date. The large painted ad for the film Spellbound is the second reference to both Hitchcock and that film in this visual story. The first was during Chris’ art museum visit with his parents. Another cultural detail pulled from this historic moment comes in the form of the couples kissing. When designing the action in this sketch, I wanted to reference the famous photograph of the sailor kissing the nurse however I didn’t want to do a straightforward lift of that image for a couple of reasons: 1.) A “straight lift” isn’t as unique as an original interpretation or reimagining. 2.) There have been questions about whether or not that sailor’s “grab and kiss a nurse” moment was consensual. In order to sidestep any potential issues, I rendered the body language of both kissing couples to indicate a mutual embrace on behalf of the man and woman. I also wanted to present this jubilant frame with no other questions than “Where will the kids end up next?”
Compositional Sketch 24 (2021)
In the twenty-fourth sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby have jumped a decade into the 1950s. It was a short trip in terms of the space / time continuum but as with every other time jump, they’ve found themselves a world away from the 1940s and all of its attendant end of World War 2 celebration. While taking in the new era of signage and sights they find themselves in, the kids are approached by a young man who recognizes the unique aura that they project. Being a bit of an outsider himself, this man is interested in talking to anyone who seems out of place, out of space and out of time. Incidentally, his name is Jimmy. What will they talk about and what will Jimmy show the kids?
Compositional Sketch 25 (2021)
In the twenty-fifth sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby have a conversation with the character named Jimmy who recognizes them as outsiders like himself. When the kids mention that they’ve just come from prior decades during which they visited a rooftop theatre (in the building which once stood where the Bond Building stands behind them) and a VE Day celebration in the square, Jimmy offers to take them to a nearby pinball arcade. Once again, the Bond Building is a cultural signifier of the decade. This sketch was drawn on the footprint of sketch number 22 to create a “now and then” (or more appropriately a “then and then”) comparison similar to the 60 year time jump between illustrations 15 and 16. The kouros and kore figures of the 1940s have been replaced with giant Pepsi bottles however the Bond clothing store remains below. The iconic Camel Cigarettes ad with the man breathing steam onto the square is seen in part without the product or brand name visible. Within the world of this book, it’s merely a two story tall face exhaling steam. Ever stalwart, the Loew’s Stare Theatre makes another appearance as well. What will happen in the pinball arcade?
Compositional Sketch 26 (2021)
In the twenty-sixth sketch Jimmy and the kids are pictured inside one of the pinball arcades that were popular in Times Square throughout the 1950s. Timmy is at left, Chris is in the center and Ruby is on the right. The machine that Chris is playing will later be revealed as having the name “The Time Machine”. What happens if he hits a high score?
Compositional Sketch 27 (2021)
In the twenty-seventh sketch Jimmy looks on as Chris hits a high score on the game called The Time Machine. The final version of this image will show more of the machine’s graphics and a score of 2020. On this machine, a player’s score indicates the year they travel to next. What will Chris, Timmy and Ruby encounter in the year 2020?
Compositional Sketch 28 (2021)
In the twenty-eighth sketch Chris, Timmy and Ruby find themselves out on the north end of the square in the year 2020. This has occurred rather abruptly after Chris logs a score of 2020 on a pinball game called The Time Machine. They have left Jimmy and the 1950s behind and find themselves taking in the visuals of the 2020s with a great deal of awe. Since Chris began his time travel journey with his imaginary friend Timmy in what he knows to be the year 1981, this is his very first time jump into the future. I wanted to use this frame of the book to give viewers a chance to witness the kids seeing the billboards and graphic culture of 2020 (with a couple of nods to timeless, iconic figures that never go out of style). I purposely chose to establish this scene and this moment before taking both the viewer’s and the kids’ attention down to street level. What will the kids observe when they get a closer look at what New Yorkers are doing on the streets of Times Square in 2020?
Rough Comp For Sketch 29
Compositional Sketch 29 (2021)
It seems that the twenty-ninth sketch is perfectly aligned with what is happening now at the juncture of 7th Avenue and Broadway with this week’s conflagration of Omicron infections. All of my sketches were conceptualized in late June, roughed out in the fall and finalized just prior to being photographed. Adding details to this sketch as Broadway theatres and other venues were closing due to widespread infections was rather eerie. It shows Chris, Timmy and Ruby at street level in the year 2020, jumping up and down to get the attention of anybody who will explain to them what’s happening. The narrative attached to this image explains that everyone in Times Square (including the Statue Of Liberty street performers on stilts) is masked and staring at their phones. It is here that the kids figure out that there is not only a serious viral pandemic but also a social pandemic of people relating to screens rather than one another. This is the only decade they enter in which they don’t interact with people of the time period and as a result of being ignored, start a chant to activate a time jump back to the early 1980s. An image of Patti LuPone in the musical Company is visible on the monitor behind the stilted street performers, whose Statue Of Liberty masks operate as Covid masks. Around the corner from that, we see a sharply angled graphic of Glenn Close in Sunset Boulevard… an oblique reference to a legendary Broadway feud of sorts (look it up). Another reference to Sharon Tate is brought into 2020 in the form of a graphic which advertises the film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood. Leo DiCaprio is visible along with the side of Brad Pitt’s head but most prominent is Margot Robbie as Sharon Tate. Who will the kids meet when they land back in Chris’ “time space home” of the early 1980s?
Compositional Sketch 30 (2021)
The thirtieth sketch started as a very rough comp that ended up getting more attention than a rough comp normally gets so rather than start a second iteration of the scene, I developed it into a more formalized sketch. In this frame, we find the kids on the northwest corner of 42nd Street and 7th Avenue in the early 1980s. They teleported back in time here from the 2020s which they deemed boring because everyone was expressionless behind their covid masks and staring blankly at their phones. The scene looks a lot like the Times Square that Chris observed with his parents before visiting the art museum and the theatre. In fact, behind the three kids, we see the exact side of 42nd Street that Chris and his parents are seen walking on and the marquees they passed beneath in sketch number 5. As usual, direct visual references for signage and ads of the era were utilized. Deciding that they’re hungry, Chris, Timmy and Ruby decide to visit a donut shop (which I placed on the very corner where a Ferrara pastry shop once stood). Who will they meet inside?
Compositional Sketch 31 (2021)
The thirty-first sketch finds Chris, Timmy and Ruby seated inside the donut shop they spotted on 42nd Street upon traveling back to the early 1980s. Inside, they meet two employees named M and Debi. In the course of their conversation, M tells the kids that she’s a singer and dancer who’s going to be recording an album soon. Unimpressed and hearing this for the 100th time, Debi gives M the ‘ol side eye and says “Are you telling that story AGAIN? These kids don’t wanna hear that!” Ignoring Debi’s comment, M invites the kids to go “someplace really cool” with she and Debi when their shift at the donut shop is over in another hour. Where will M and Debi take the kids and what will they find there?
Compositional Sketch 32 (2021)
In the thirty-second sketch the kids are brought “someplace really cool” by M and Debi, whom they met at a donut shop. The spot is Bond’s International Casino, which was a concert venue that existed inside the vacated Bond clothing store in the early 1980s. Once again, we have circled back to the Bond Building as a visual reference point for yet another decade. It’s interesting to note that another performance venue that’s explored in the book, the Olympia Theatre (which we saw in sketches 16, 18, 19 and 20) with the Jardin De Paris rooftop ballroom stood on this very spot eight decades prior. M and Debi assure Chris, Timmy and Ruby that they can get them into the venue for tonight’s show. In addition, M tells the kids that they’re in for a real treat because the band they’re about to see has a singer that she admires a great deal. The name of the band is on the marquee.
Compositional Sketch 33 (2021)
In sketch number thirty-three M and Debi have taken Chris, Timmy and Ruby to Bond’s International Casino to see a Blondie concert. The whole group works their way down to the foot of the stage and while enjoying the show, M tells the kids something she’s told her friend Debi a thousand times: “I’m gonna be just like Debbie Harry some day!” Chris tells her “Keep believing it, keep moving towards it and you’ll see it happen.” As the band performs, Chris begins to think about everything he, his imaginary friend Timmy and their new interdimensional friend Ruby have experienced in their rapid fire time jumps throughout the decades and he begins to get an idea.
Compositional Sketch 34 (2021)
In sketch number thirty-four the kids, M and Debi are enjoying the frenetic energy of the Blondie concert at Bond’s International Casino. Chris and Timmy are on M and Debi’s shoulders respectively while another concert goer hoists Ruby upon his. M has just told the kids that she wants to be just like Debbie Harry someday and Chris has assured her that she can certainly have a great music career if she moves forward believing that it’s true. As he bounces along to the music on M’s shoulders, he also makes a declaration: “I’m gonna write and illustrate a book about this experience someday. I’m going to include Timmy, Ruby, all the people I met across the decades and all of the things I’ve seen and experienced. I’m going to tell my Times Square time travel story in words and pictures. I’m going to make it happen and THIS moment will be the climax of my book. All I have to do is stay focused and connect to the right kind of magic which will propel me to the place where it can happen.” With that, he reaches out and instinctively points a finger toward Debbie, who reaches back smiling… pointing directly at him with hers. As their fingers connect, a powerful cosmic spark is ignited. What happens as a result of this energetic connection?
Footnote: This sketch and the prior performance sketch were developed from a combination of my own live photos of the band mixed with details and fashions (notably those of Stephen Sprouse) from a number of photos of Blondie performing live in the late 70s and early 80s. None of my sketches of Debbie, M or Debi are “straight lifts” from the photography of others however archival imagery of the past was instrumental in the hybrid style creation of each of these characters.
Compositional Sketch 35 (2021)
In this sketch, we see Chris traveling through a wormhole after having declared that he will write and illustrate a book about his time travel experiences. After stating his intentions and touching fingers with Debbie (whose touch created a powerful, propulsive energetic spark that separated him from his interdimensional friends) he finds himself spiraling through a collage-like wash of images from the decades he has just traveled through. This sketch not only gives the reader a visual callback of many of the book’s narrative details, it shows Chris propelled through the manifold layers of what we call “time” on his way forward to the place where he can write and illustrate the book he has planned. Where will he land and what will happen when he gets there? The final sketch for the illustrations of the book will be shared tomorrow on the final day of 2021 (just as I had planned to do when I started these sketches in late June). It seems like there’s a parallel between what the character of Chris has declared and manifested and what I myself have done. Hmmm… Funny how these things happen.
Compositional Sketch 36 (2021)
The last sketch for the final illustration for The Times Of The Times shows us where Chris has landed after having been propelled forward through space and time. Having set his intention to write and illustrate his story, he emerges from the time spiral some 40 years later as a man in his late 40s. He is seated at his studio table with some of the imagery that fascinated him as a child (and was present in his childhood bedroom) on his walls. The coloring book that started it all is on the table as well. As a matter of fact, shortly before beginning the sketches for this project, I was able to find the coloring book that started my 40 year fascination with Times Square (and ostensibly this journey) on eBay. The timing could not have been better. Speaking of timing, when I started work on the book in June, my goal was to have the sketch phase completed and all preliminary images shared online by the end of the year. Well, it all lined up. This is the last day of 2021 and I’m about to hit a button and share the final sketch with all of you. You’ll notice that Chris has a blank page below the pencil in his hand. The reason for that is this: Everything I create starts with a blank white rectangle and a pencil. One moment there is nothing. Soon, I have something once it’s thought onto the page. Every time someone arrives at the back of this book they’ll see the artist ready to tell his story like a diver poised on the board, forever engaged in a creative loop of ideas ready for execution. This is where I leave you for now. Sketches complete, I’ll be starting the process of developing the final illustrations soon. Work up drawings on paper, tracings, transfers to final board and then line and color refinements. Thank you to all who have showed enthusiasm for this project and thank you to my publisher for suggesting I share my visual progress online. More to follow soon. I wish ALL of you a peaceful, joyful and prosperous 2022. Cheers! - CDM
