This is the start of a new series: an extensive collection of the most inspiring and hard-to-find retro-futuristic images. We will try to stay away from the well-known American pulp and book cover illustrations and instead will focus on the artwork from some rather unlikely sources: Soviet and Eastern Bloc "popular tech & science" magazines, German, Italian, British fantastic illustrations and promotional literature - all from the Golden Age of Retro-Future (from 1930s to 1970s). Wait for images to load.
Part 1. Space never looked better... and perhaps never will
Retro-futuristic art, in a way, can be called a double-fantasy: imaginary future wrapped in imaginary past. Which makes this style doubly interesting, if not doubly obsolete... In this part we will showcase rarely seen art, done in 1930s to 1970s, mostly from "Teknika Molodezhi" (TM), "Yuny Tekhnik", "DetGiz" (Russia) and German retro-future sites.
Very cool! I have 40-50 old Perry Rhodans and have long thought it would be great to scan them and share them with the internets. Maybe someday. Thanks for sharing!
The one by Ed Emshwiller, with the guy in a red space suit and the girl holding a doll behind him, not suited up, with the lunar landscape visible outside, lookes like an illustration I've never seen before for Heinlein's "Have SPacesuit, Will Travel."
It looks to me like Kip and Peewee with Madame Pompadour.
Very nice illustrations. Interesting to note Soviet symbols (flags, stars, etc.) figure prominently in some of the artwork. Nevertheless I suspect not a few Soviet artists were drawn to science fiction since it provided a respite from dreary socialist realism and also a chance to cover normally forbidden subjects (note that several of the magazine covers were produced during the 1930's-1950's, while Stalin was in power).
Noel Sickles for "Rocket to the Moon", 1949; pretty decent look at cramped conditions in such a rocket.
"To Other Worlds!", Detgiz, Russia, 1939 - Is that the moon? Again, no obvious problems with it. The craters are done well.
"Mars Snooper" by Frank Tinsley, 1959 - Has nothing to do with Mars. The planet, or moon, in the sky doesn't look like Mars or Deimos or Phobos. The planet in the foreground has channels - which might make it Mars, viewed at night.
(Perry Rhodan, Jan. 1962) - ah yes, the old jungle volcanic Venus. Clark Ashton Smith had a couple of 'em. So did Asimov. At least they were right about the volcanos. "The air you breathe is a poisonous flame, not with ten thousand men could you do this"
(TM cover, Russia 1954) - A non-Titan moon of Saturn. Rhea? Dione? Those midsized moons have large cracks in 'em. So far this gets my "realism" award (the Moon-shots being disqualified because - well, everyone knew what going to the Moon would be like). Mind you I don't know the moons' axial tilt vs. Saturn's ecliptic.
art by Nikolai Nedbailo - looks more like "art from FiendFolio". That is a lot of ugly.
"First Contact", by Nikolai Nedbailo - Nedbailo takes three tabs of acid, grabs a paintbrush.
The picture of the painting by Art Emshwiller is cover art to Robert Heinlein's 1958 novel Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, showing Kip Russel in the foreground with Peewee in the background. It was the cover art for the August 1958 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, where the serialization of the novel appeared.
Did anyone else notice that the back cover art for ELO's album Out of the Blue looks a lot like Klaus Burgle's work? Anyone know if there's a connection?
The second picture after "Bigger Moon base," showing the Earth in the sky, a tall rocket, and a streamlined Moon crawler, looks to me like the style of Alex Schomburg.
Actually, one of those isn't a "classic" - it was my first piece I ever did in Photoshop, must be about 12 years ago now. It's the one with the rocket on the moon with the open hatch and the moon buggy in the foreground. I've always been meaning to redo it.
Loved these pix but am really surprised, given the time they were done, that there wasn't more in the way of propagandizing Soviet Russia's logos and imagery on the space vehicles...e.g., red stars or CCCP on the spaceships, etc.
Does anybody else remember seeing a series of ads by BF Goodrich in Reader's Digest around, I don't know, early 1970s maybe? They had some quite futuristic pictures, featuring vehicles with amazing fat tyres, that left me quite impressed at that tender age.
i actually owned some of these magazines! in soviet union they were sure they will be able to land and live on mars by 1980 ( i was sure about that too when i was a kid :D )
"TM cover, Russia 1954 - A non-Titan moon of Saturn. Rhea? Dione?" Thanks, I wouldn't have known how to put it. But is it only me who thinks it a bit odd that there are three people in the picture wearing suits - perhaps suggesting a non-breathable atmosphere - and yet the camera crew are standing there happily without so much as an oxygen tank and helmet? What's going on there?
The pictures of the eruption with the yellow flowers in the foreground where incredible. I'd like to use one of them as wallpaper but I can't find a good size of the the image. Does anyone know where to look?
I am pretty sure the last sign, the one with the two empty circles, means that everyone should drive witht their car lights no matter the time of the day
Your second "mystery sign" looks like the helmet worn by the original version of the comic book character "The Flash", which suggests that one not take flash photographs.
It's nice to see that Torontonians hold firmly to the myth of Canadian politeness. In future installments, please try to date and locate the items wherever possible.
the one with the "bogus" brand names is actually pretty funny; all of them are Japanese puns: "kani" means crab, "uuma", horse; in "sakedas", "sake" is salmon; in "kanidas", "kani" is crab again; "kuma" is bear.
Here is a better translation to the sign in Hebrew:
"Relieving yourself freely (burping and farting) is allowed (and desirable) in this room. The release will help calming down the stomachaches that appear after the medical exam."
A red circle always signifies (or should signify) something you are not allowed to do. So the two lights in a red circle should, on the contrary, mean that you must not continue beyond this signs with your headlights on, i. e. you must switch them off.
I have the can of dehydrated water, they were given out at a food show years ago. I keep mine in the the kitchen cabinet with the rest of the canned goods.
the sign with "free wireless.." on it, is from the Hans Brinker budget hotel, i've worked there a couple of days, and yes i'm from holland, so i'm srry for my bad english
That Easter Island head is an advertisement at the airport in Berlin. It's interesting to get off the plane and see it going around on the baggage claim, but finding out that it's really just an ad for a travel company is dissapointing.
I agree the P1800 is perfect as well, especially considering you can get a restored one for around 15000. The tipo 33 is gorgeous but completely unobtainable.
I wouldn't say that the Alfa is beholden to the E Type Jaguar. Its style is really evolutionary from the late 40's early 50's Disco series http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alfa_Romeo_Disco_Volante, and you can even see some of these styling hints in the touring cars from the 30s like the great 2900 8c coupes. I would say if anything Jaguar was behind the times when you compare say the XJ120 to a Disco Volante, though I love the Jaguar for any other dozens of reasons.
Joe, here is a link to a lot of historical Alfa Romeo cars that were either concept cars or especially reflective of a design from specific models. http://www.conceptcarz.com/view/model/6/Alfa%20Romeo/model.aspx
One great thing about Alfa is that they used a lot of different designers and were not afraid of taking chances. Not a great business model, but a treasure for us car buffs.
I really like that Type 33. I like the new Alfa C8 too. Why isn't the Ferrari 275GTB in on THE list? I would never say that the 904 wasn't a beautiful car, I've lusted for one since the day I first saw and sat in one. BUT, i would say that the 906 is more beautiful. And while we're at it, A Lotus Eleven was sensual as well. AND while the "E" type is beautiful, you must look back to the "C" and "D" types....They were truly "Sex on wheels". And those Elise's are seducing me at this very moment...Gotta go.......
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28 Comments:
Very cool! I have 40-50 old Perry Rhodans and have long thought it would be great to scan them and share them with the internets. Maybe someday. Thanks for sharing!
Oh, these are just gorgeous. I could cover a wall with them!
Great stuff!
The one by Ed Emshwiller, with the guy in a red space suit and the girl holding a doll behind him, not suited up, with the lunar landscape visible outside, lookes like an illustration I've never seen before for Heinlein's "Have SPacesuit, Will Travel."
It looks to me like Kip and Peewee with Madame Pompadour.
Very nice illustrations. Interesting to note Soviet symbols (flags, stars, etc.) figure prominently in some of the artwork. Nevertheless I suspect not a few Soviet artists were drawn to science fiction since it provided a respite from dreary socialist realism and also a chance to cover normally forbidden subjects (note that several of the magazine covers were produced during the 1930's-1950's, while Stalin was in power).
That one, mostly in black and orange with a rocket on the right and a moon crawler on the left; from retro-futurismus.
Looks like something Batman would own -- the Bat-rocket and the Bat-moonmobile.
Re:Newscaper.
Iirc, that illustration was from the magazine serialization of Have Spacesuit... I first saw it probably 20 years ago, at least. Nice to see it again.
Wonderful selection! Thanks so much.
Noel Sickles for "Rocket to the Moon", 1949; pretty decent look at cramped conditions in such a rocket.
"To Other Worlds!", Detgiz, Russia, 1939 - Is that the moon? Again, no obvious problems with it. The craters are done well.
"Mars Snooper" by Frank Tinsley, 1959 - Has nothing to do with Mars. The planet, or moon, in the sky doesn't look like Mars or Deimos or Phobos. The planet in the foreground has channels - which might make it Mars, viewed at night.
(Perry Rhodan, Jan. 1962) - ah yes, the old jungle volcanic Venus. Clark Ashton Smith had a couple of 'em. So did Asimov. At least they were right about the volcanos. "The air you breathe is a poisonous flame, not with ten thousand men could you do this"
(TM cover, Russia 1954) - A non-Titan moon of Saturn. Rhea? Dione? Those midsized moons have large cracks in 'em. So far this gets my "realism" award (the Moon-shots being disqualified because - well, everyone knew what going to the Moon would be like). Mind you I don't know the moons' axial tilt vs. Saturn's ecliptic.
art by Nikolai Nedbailo - looks more like "art from FiendFolio". That is a lot of ugly.
"First Contact", by Nikolai Nedbailo - Nedbailo takes three tabs of acid, grabs a paintbrush.
And more wackiness to follow.
Thanks for the pics!
Perry Rhodan is German, not Russian.
The picture of the painting by Art Emshwiller is cover art to Robert Heinlein's 1958 novel Have Spacesuit, Will Travel, showing Kip Russel in the foreground with Peewee in the background. It was the cover art for the August 1958 issue of The Magazine of Fantasy & Science Fiction, where the serialization of the novel appeared.
Did anyone else notice that the back cover art for ELO's album Out of the Blue looks a lot like Klaus Burgle's work? Anyone know if there's a connection?
Magusxxx: good observation!
... i love that ELO album :)
Is it possible to purchase a print of "Galactic Manoeuvre" by Nikolai Nedbailo? Who/what should one contact about that?
Love the 'Socialist Space Workers' image, so... wistful and optimistic.
check out clip of a tv sci-fi sitcom pilot w/same feel --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=57o0USuiYBw
The second picture after "Bigger Moon base," showing the Earth in the sky, a tall rocket, and a streamlined Moon crawler, looks to me like the style of Alex Schomburg.
Actually, one of those isn't a "classic" - it was my first piece I ever did in Photoshop, must be about 12 years ago now. It's the one with the rocket on the moon with the open hatch and the moon buggy in the foreground. I've always been meaning to redo it.
Nice. Now if only a lot of the older eastern block science fiction movies would become more readily available I would be happy.
http://cool-mo-dee.blogspot.com/
I love Russia
Loved these pix but am really surprised, given the time they were done, that there wasn't more in the way of propagandizing Soviet Russia's logos and imagery on the space vehicles...e.g., red stars or CCCP on the spaceships, etc.
Aah, love this sort of stuff.
Does anybody else remember seeing a series of ads by BF Goodrich in Reader's Digest around, I don't know, early 1970s maybe? They had some quite futuristic pictures, featuring vehicles with amazing fat tyres, that left me quite impressed at that tender age.
absolute win
i actually owned some of these magazines! in soviet union they were sure they will be able to land and live on mars by 1980 ( i was sure about that too when i was a kid :D )
Wow! Amazing images, thanks posting.
Bob: thanks for linking to it
Cheers!
"TM cover, Russia 1954 - A non-Titan moon of Saturn. Rhea? Dione?" Thanks, I wouldn't have known how to put it.
But is it only me who thinks it a bit odd that there are three people in the picture wearing suits - perhaps suggesting a non-breathable atmosphere - and yet the camera crew are standing there happily without so much as an oxygen tank and helmet? What's going on there?
Awesome space artwork.
What beautiful visions of the future! I love these so much I've put a link to them on my Project Sword Toys blog. Hope you don't mind. Fabulous site.
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