Month: September 2015

“My name is Franchesco – And I love to draw…”

Award Winning creator of popular graphic novel ANARCHY and one of the foremost pin-up talents in the business, fan-favourite artist Franchesco! and Flash Gordon are a match made in pop-culture heaven –

GORDON’S ALIVE is proud to showcase the first of what will hopefully become a grand portfolio of works based on the movie leading to a permanent gallery on the site. With just one illustration Franchesco’s amazing dynamic style had already caught the attention of fans but would ultimately lead to an endorsement from Flash Gordon himself!  Franchesco shares his story with GORDON’S ALIVE below;

“Unfortunately, I missed the boat on seeing Flash Gordon in its original release. In spite of not having seen it, I was still very aware of of the Film, even more so, once I became a professional artist – Its a testament to just how strongly it has permeated our Popular Culture.

So a couple of months ago, I created the Flash Gordon image in conjunction of an event in the Midwest called Indy PopCon, where Sam Jones would be in attendance. I not only got to see Flash Gordon on the big screen for the first time, in one of the most beautiful, classic, and iconic Theaters – it looked like something straight out of a Norman Rockwell Painting – I got to see Flash Gordon, WITH Flash Gordon himself – 

Sam could not have been more kind and gracious, as he and I were driving down to the theater in the same limo. Of course I didn’t need a ride, since I was already floating on air. It was one of those experiences I will never forget. Sam was gracious enough to take me under his wing, and invited me to create the Official Movie Poster for his Documentary LIFE AFTER FLASH as a direct result of that magical weekend!

I’ve met some amazing people as a result of that one image… yourself included, Martin. Thank you for saving every one of us just now. And by every one of us… I mean me..!”

More exclusives to come in future posts – go here to support Franchesco! and the future of the arts on Patreon.

A genuine piece of vintage collectable kitsch worthy of its source material, this European paper doll (released only in Spain) has cult status all its own –

A curiously non-superhero addition to the Super-Heroes en Accion range (comprising of Spider-Man, The Hulk, Thor, Captain America and Conan The Barbarian), the 8-piece cardboard kit (marketed by Producciones Internationales) was the only direct adaptation from the big-screen version of the character (featuring a Sam Jones likeness and wielding his iconic sword ) rather than its comic-book counterpart.

Sold boarded in a flimsy plastic bag with accompanying header card (top pic), this fragile kit was held together with small plastic plugs when assembled (bottom pic) and would maybe have survived 10 minutes of play by its intended audience, making this scarce mint example recently added to the collection of Gordon’s Alive all the more desirable over thirty years later…

GORDON’S ALIVE! is proud to present the first of what will become complete archive of features on Flash Gordon from the vintage pages of the phenomenal Starlog magazine.

Indispensable in its day for the genre fan and now fondly referred to as the Internet of its age, the ‘Magazine of the future’ would chronicle a pioneering age of Science Fiction in movies and television by way of compelling journalism complimented by exciting imagery.

Well established as of issue #41, the format shown above would change little over the years and the prospect of an all-new motion picture based on a beloved comic-book character/movie serial star was a hugely exciting prospect and more than worthy of the cover story (top pic).

The Starlog Interview with cocky young superstar-in-the-making Sam J. Jones is typically thorough coverage – providing a fascinating insight into the production of the film while pulling no punches with its inset summary of the infamous legal issues that would ultimately result in Sam’s performance being looped by another actor..

Coming Soon – A harmony with Melody…