Lauren

Here's an 11x14 charcoal of Lauren Bacall...

...Until next time...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Heeeeeeyyyyyyyyyyy!!!!!! Space Laaaaaaaaady!!!!!!!

                 .......To paraphrase Jerry Lewis.....

This is an 11x14 oil painting of a participant at one of the sci-fi conventions over the years...

Thank you whoever you are....

I'm making signed digital 11x17 posters available for this and several of my other paintings on heavy photographic paper @ 15 dollars each post paid.  If interested send check or money order to:

Robert L. Crosswhite

218 Frontenac Road

Marquette Heights, Illinois 61554

So far, The Space Lady and The Invasion Of The Saucer Men are available as seen below:

...Until next time....

Robert L. Crosswhite

When we wuz Cable Cops....

     I ran across this B&W piece from all the way back in 1986 when I was not necessary for the big yellow machine in Peoria, Illinois and fed the family as a cable cop in Phoenix, Arizona.  I had been in Az. for a very short time and took a job with Demented Cable.  With no knowledge of the layout of the town, I was given a large book of maps and a 40 a day disconnect route.  Surprisingly enough, there was no real rhyme or reason to the layout of the cable system as there had been several mergers of cable companies and when you disconnected someone there was a fair chance that their line was on the next street over.  Go figure.  If you were there to do an install everyone loved you, except the rich folks on the hill that just knew you were pond scum and expected all sorts of extra work done on the free, but if you had a disconnect route you were public enemy number one.

     I remember one unhappy gentleman threatening to shoot my partner and me if we disconnected his cable.  Tom and I pulled into the alley and put the ladder on the large toolbox on the back of the bed of the Ranger pickup truck we were using.  I climbed the ladder and fumbled at disconnecting the fitting on the telephone pole.  Tom was holding the ladder steady and we were both looking and listening for the inevitable gunshot that was coming our way.  About that time, as luck would have it, I dropped a seven sixteenths wrench from the top of the ladder and it hit the metal toolbox right next to poor old Tom sounding like a shot and I'm sure he needed a change of shorts.  To his credit the customer did say that maybe his disconnect notice had been lost in the mail as he had also missed that month's issue of Soldier Of Fortune.  Rut Roh!

     So... this 1986 B&W piece was done for the amusement of the poor souls that got chased by dogs, got cursed at, threatened, and made sure to check out every apartment complex's swimming pool.  I figured that after all these years it deserved to finally be properly colored, so here for the first time is also the modern colored version.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Christopher Lee R.I.P.

Here was my take on the best of the Draculas from last year.....

An excellent actor and a true gentleman in all of the interviews I've ever seen and could scare the beejeebbers out of me on the screen just with a look.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Remembering Jontar......

     Back in the early 90's I did some comics for a small company called Miller Publishing Company for publisher Billie G. Miller in Watseka, Illinois.  I got to do this through a chance meeting with The legendary underground comix creator Grass Green at a small comics convention near Chicago.  He was one of the most outgoing people you would ever meet.  He was there promoting his latest work on the book Wildman Comics and stories.  I had my portfolio of current comics samples and he was gracious enough to look at them.  He then asked me to add a sketch to a comics page jam that would appear in issue number 10 of Wildman.  That jam page became my first published comic book piece and I shared the page with many talented and creative people with George Perez being the guest of honor on the page and at the convention.

The print runs were very low, but it was a chance to see yourself published as a comics artist.  I was involved with two of the ongoing books.  One was titled Trial Run and the other was Jontar Returns.  The Character of Jontar was created and written by Bill W. Miller.  It had had a four issue run earlier as Jontar and the sequel was retitled Jontar Returns and ran for five more issues.  The last issue was published in 1992.  I did the interior art for issues 3, 4, and 5 and the covers for issues 4 and 5.

     The first full bookI did was a babtism under fire as I penciled, inked, and lettered the entire inside content of the book over the course of one weekend.

     I recently came across an unused illustration for the book and decided to play with it to create what could have been the next issues cover; the book having ended with issue number 5.

     This, with modern coloring and lettering, might have been Jontar Returns number 6 circa 1992.

                                        Robert L Crosswhite

Stooge #6 Curly Joe DeRita

This is the final Stooge member Curly-Joe DeRita who was in the feature films after the Stooge contract for the short subject two reeler films expired.  This is another 11x14 charcoal drawing.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Number 5 On The Stooge Parade!

Today's 11x14 charcoal drawing is of Shemp's replacement after his sudden passing. Here is my rendition of Joe (He'll always be Stinky) Besser.

Modern audiences of rerun television most remember him from the Abbott and Costello tv show.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Number four of the Stooge Gallery

Here's the fourth of the six Stooges, Samuel Horwitz; better known as Shemp Howard.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Hey Moe!!!

This is the 11x14 charcoal of Moses Harry Horwitz; better known to the world as Moe Howard.

Robert L. Crosswhite

Part 2 of a six part series.......

This is the second of the series of the boys.  This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of Larry Fine.

Moe details later......

Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!

Robert L. Crosswhite

Nyuk! Nyuk! Nyuk!

Here is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of one of the six members of the Three Stooges; Jerome (Curley) Howard.
The team consisted originally of Moe, Larry, and Shemp.  Curley (or Curly as he later became known) joined after Shemp left the first time.  Shemp was recruited to rejoin the team after Curley's stroke.  When Shemp passed away unexpectedly, Joe Besser was enlisted to finish their contract with Columbia Studios.  Joe parted ways with the boys and Joe (Curly Joe) DeRita became the final official Stooge member.

Robert L. Crosswhite

A Blast From The Past!

Here's a large (18x24) pen and ink of some of my Dad's stuff from years ago...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Coming to an imaginary theatre near you...

The teaser poster...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Phyllis in color

Here"s a 6x6 oil painting of yesterday's drawing of Phyllis Diller.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Phyllis Diller

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of the hilarious comedienne, Phyllis Diller.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

And now for something completely different...

This started it's life as a stain on a piece of cardboard.  One day at Ken Tiessen's studio, one of the people there thought it was a prelim for a new painting.  As we all looked at the stain we saw different things much like a psychiatrist's ink blot.  This is the second painting I've done based on the blot.

This one in entitled...

FRANKLY SCARLET...   A LOVE STORY.

Believe it or not, I also saw this in the same blot...

I called it...

CRASH AND BURN!

I inserted text with this one to simulate an old pulp magazine.

Here is the infamous blot.

What do you see?

until tomorrow...

Robert L Crosswhite

Bond 1

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of the man most people think of as the first James Bond, Sean Connery. This is from a still from the movie From Russia With Love.

Connery was, in fact, the first Bond in the movies, but Barry Nelson was the first Bond in the TV production in the 1950s of the book Casino Royale. It also featured Peter Lorre.

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

THEM!!!

When the state trooper finds a catatonic little girl wandering in the desert, he finally gets her to speak.  She is only able to scream one word...  "THEM!!!"
Later as the police and scientists return to the desert they find them.  They are giant ants that are the by-product of nuclear tests...

And they are angry...

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing from one of the great nuclear sci-fi monster films from the 50s.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

The real and forever Catwoman

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of the one and true Catwoman
of all time, Julie Newmar!

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Space Lady

This 11x14 charcoal drawing is the preliminary drawing for a larger painting down the pike.
I ran across a photo of a cosplayer from one of the many comic conventions and
knew that eventually I would do a painting of her.
Whoever she is I thank her.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

The Ballad of Dwight Frye...

This week it's Wildly Irrational Wednesday!

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of the man who gave crazy it's face in the original Dracula
film as Renfield, Dwight Frye.
Not everyone can be remembered for lines like "Why would I want to eat flies when I can have spiders?".

What a guy!!!

I recommend the Alice Cooper trilogy of songs from the "LOVE IT TO DEATH" album that begins with the song entitled "THE BALLAD OF DWIGHT FRYE".  You have to hand it to Alice; he is able to project all that insanity in those songs and make you wonder if you're not just a little crazy yourself for listening.

Good stuff!

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

That's Young Frankensteen!

Yes, it's Titanic Tuesday and what better
Titan of the Silver screen than Gene
Wilder as Young Frankensteen in an 11x14
charcoal drawing! (in glorious black and white)

IT'S ALIVE!!!

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

The Mummy

On this Monster Monday I have my take on Karloff
as the Mummy in an 11x14 charcoal drawing.

until tomorrow...

Roberrt L. Crosswhite

Sophia Painted

This is a 6x6 inch oil version of yesterday's drawing of Sophia Loren.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Sophia

This is an 11x14 charcoal drawing of Sophia Loren.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

The Wolfman

This is a 6x6 oil painting of Larry Talbot, The Wolfman!

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

Better Days Behind....

I had another great day at Ken Tiessen's studio today!
Ken's great with help, advice, and encouragement.
Thanks Ken!
I worked on a landscape for a change.  This is an 11x14 oil
painting of a barn and sheds that have seen the better days.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Mr. Warmth in color...

This is a 6x6 oil painting of Don Rickles based on an earlier sketch...

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Where wolf?

There wolf!

Here's an 11x14 charcoal sketch of the Wolfman.

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Viva Las Vegas!

This is a 12x16 charcoal sketch of Ann-Margeret as suggested by
my wife, Paula.

Thanks Paula...

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

You hockey puck!!!

This is a 12x16 charcoal sketch of Mr. Warmth himself,  Don Rickles, suggested by
my sister-in-law Karen Dechman.

Thanks Karen!

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Janis

Here's an 11x14 charcoal sketch of Janis Joplin...

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Maverick is still his name!

I'm revisiting a sketch I did a while back of Bret Maverick
with a 5x7 oil painting...

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

I TOT I TAW A SAUCERMAN!

I did!  I did!

This is an 11x17 oil painting of a sketch I posted here earlier
from the 1957 classic "Invasion Of The Saucermen"

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

The first Bond girl...

Here's a 6x6 oil portrait of the first Bond girl, Ursula Andress as Honey Ryder...

until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Say it three times...

BEETLEJUICE!  BEETLEJUICE!  BEETLEJUICE!

This is a 6x6 oil painting of the ghost with the most...

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Groucho!

This is a 5x7 oil portrait of Julius (Groucho) Marx.

Remember his words to live by...

"Whatever it is... I'm against it!"

Until tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

John Steed Revisited

Here's a 6x6 oil painting of John Steed that I
had done in charcoal before...

See you tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Mrs. Peel

I've revisited a previous sketch with this 6x6 oil
painting of Diana Rigg as The Avengers Mrs. Peel.

As always I hope to see you tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Miss Bettie

Here's the 6x6 oil version of yesterday's sketch...

See You tomorrow...

Robert L. Crosswhite

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Miss Bettie

This is an 11x14 charcoal of Bettie Page...

See you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Frankenstein's Monster II

This is a 5x7 oil painting of yesterday's charcoal drawing
of the Frankenstein's Monster...

See you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Another Monster Monday!

Here is another Monster Monday 11x14 charcoal drawing of
the big guy himself...  the original monster...

The Frankenstein Monster!!!

Feeling better...

See you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Rats!!!

Aww Rats!!!

I was on a roll making my daily piece of art

until my second bout of the flu got me

(yes, I had a flu shot).  It's been a rough winter for this

already and It's still January!

Anyhoo...

We begin at number one again and see 

how it goes...

This time we have an 11x17 charcoal 

piece depicting Bret Maverick.

If the river don't rise I'll see you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Saucermen Sketch

Today's Monster Monday 11x14  sketch is from the Invasion of the Saucermen,
from 1957 which co-starred Frank (The Riddler) Gorshin.

Truly great cinema!

Trust me...

...maybe not...

See it tomorrow in color...

See you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net

Chico II

This is the 5x7 oil version of the sketch from 2 days ago...

See you tomorrow...

Robert...

p.crosswhite@comcast.net