My original Roger Kastel watercolored pencil sketch of JAWS

Plasticfan

Active Member
Here is an item I sincerely treasure, as it not only represents my favorite film, but is the authentic handiwork of the master artist Roger Kastel, who has become a personal friend. This is a hand drawn sketch he did years ago which he then watercolored over. As far as I know it is the ONLY color artistic rendering of his iconic JAWS image he's done since the original. What makes it even more special is that he used the exact shark reference photograph he used for the original to draw this from and executed it on the same artist easel. (In this iteration, he chose to depict the scene in which the shark trolls the Orca at night - which I think is just brilliant!

Roger is also known for his masterpiece "Gone With the Wind" style poster art for The Empire Strikes Back. He's done lots of novel cover work, and is one of a small few surviving master novel and movie poster illustrators of the last generation.

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TFS with us that beautiful painting:cool I always liked his Art work and the ESB poster is one of my fav!
 
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Here are some shots of my time with Roger at his home (at the time - 2006) in New York State. As a lifelong fan of his iconic Jaws artwork, this was an unbelievable privilege for me to experience. I became a professional graphic designer partly because of his work - that inspired me to want to create book covers and movie posters. In fact, Peter Benchley's JAWS was the first novel I ever read as a child - all because of his amazing cover. In these pictures you can see the very easel he used for all his work throughout his career. It was upon this slab of wood that the posters for Jaws and The Empire Strikes Back were born. Just looking at the abundant oil paint marks covering every square inch of its surface - I found myself wondering which ones were the result of over-paint marks from these two masterpieces.

I had brought for him a copy of the novel MEG: PRIMAL WATERS by Steve Alten, for which I did the cover art - showing a massive megalodon about to devour a terrified scuba diver. He actually asked me to autograph it. I was staggered by the irony and flattered beyond comprehension at his request. I told him I was honored simply by him asking - the man who inspired me from such an early age. I told him how I had drawn his image more times than I could count - on notebooks, in yearbooks, in sketchpads, etc. throughout my entire youth, so for me to be standing there "autographing" my little book cover on the very easel where this train started from the very beginning... speechless.

To this day, it has been one of the most fan-fulfilling moments of my life. And I'm grateful to say that Roger and I have kept in touch over the years. He and his wife Grace are friends who remain dear to my heart.
 
How magnificent! This is every collectors' dream to meet such an iconic artist!
It's great to see him in his studio! Thanks for sharing your experiences! You must be quite an artist yourself!

 
How magnificent! This is every collectors' dream to meet such an iconic artist!
It's great to see him in his studio! Thanks for sharing your experiences! You must be quite an artist yourself!


Yes. It is a bit surreal when I look back at the events that lead to such an amazing meeting. Ironically, as it turns out... the MEG novel series (by Steve Alten) - for which I've done the majority of covers and of which I signed the cover for Roger - is getting a major feature film adaptation by Warner Bros to be released this August in theaters. (Titled The Meg - starring Jason Statham) So to share the commonality of being a novel cover artist for a shark fiction paperback-to-be-a-motion picture with Mr. Kastel is an honor that my 12-year old self could never have dreamed.
 
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Here are a few amazing sketches from Roger that he did several years ago which he sold to fans. I just LOVE his style!!!!! I actually own the one shown above of the original of the ESB poster with Solo and Leia. I soooo wish there were more artists like Roger doing movie posters these days.

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That's a true treasure, congrats!! and thanks for sharing :)

You're most welcome. I just posted a few images you might enjoy!
 

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Hey Plasticfan ! Thank you for sharing the link from the Roger Kastel thread in the Star Wars Forum, I would have missed this otherwise. These pencil drawings of his are fantastic!
 
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Here's something...

I'm not an autograph hound, though I used to be in my younger days, but I have to say one of my prize Jaws possessions has to be this print of Roger Kastel's painting which I personally had signed by every Jaws movie participant we personally interviewed for THE SHARK IS STILL WORKING documentary back in 2005. I carried the same gold metallic pen for each to sign - giving it a nice coherent look. I imagine there are probably few, if any, Jaws related artifacts that have as many signatures as this. So this is a treasure for sure. Thought I'd include it here since we're talking Kastel and all! :)

It is a bit hard to read without the benefit of the metallic ink's sheen in a real-life viewing so the autographs are from the following...(reading top-to-bottom)

Steven Spielberg - Director
Susan Murphy - Boat wrangler
Jonathan Filley - Cassidy - young man chasing Chrissie
Lynn C. Murphy - Boat Wrangler
Hershel West - Quint's first mate
Carla Hogendyk - Artist girl on the beach ("Shark in the Pond!")
Allison Maher Stern - model who posed for swimming girl (Kastel's reference photograph) on Jaws poster
Jay Mello - Sean Brody
Susan Backlinie - Chrissie
Marc Gilpin - Sean Brody (Jaws 2)
Tom Dunlop - Timmy (Jaws 2)
Bill Gilmore - Production executive
Percy Rodrigues - Voice-over artist for Jaws trailers
Jeffrey Voorhees - Alex Kintner
Eric Ropke - Set assistant
Lorraine Gary - Ellen Brody
Lee Fierro - Mrs. Kintner
Dick Young - "Pratt" - Tiger shark fisherman #1 ("A Whaaaaat?")
Roy Scheider - Chief Martin Brody
Peter Benchley - Jaws Novel author/Amity news reporter
Carl Gottlieb - Jaws screenwriter/Meadows
Henry Carriero - "Felix" - Tiger shark fisherman #2 (Aaaah, Ya walk straight ahead!")
Edith Blake - Set photographer
Bill Butler - Cinematographer
Jonathan Searle - Fin hoax boy during Fourth of July ("He made me do it!")
Richard Dreyfuss - Matt Hooper
Jeffrey Kramer - Deputy Hendricks
Belle McDonald - Selectman's reluctant wife (please...tan in the water!")
Carol Fligor - Kid wrangler on set/extra
Richard D. Zanuck - Producer
Dick Warlock - Hooper stunt double for cage attack scene
John Williams - Composer
Will Pflüger - bounty seeking boater - ("Yeah, I got a paddle")
Kevin Pike - Production assistant/shark crew
Joe Alves - Production Designer/Art director
David Brown - Producer
Roy Arbogast - Mechanical shark supervisor
Shari Rhodes - Casting director
Michael Haydn - Guitar player on beach in opening scene
Sid Sheinberg - Universal Executive overseer
Joanna Shaw Myer - Robert Shaw's sister
Roger Kastel - Jaws poster artist

- I do also have personally-obtained signatures on different items from the following players - four of whom had passed away prior to this autograph project...

Craig Kingsbury - Ben Gardner
Chris Rebello - Michael Brody
Dr. Robert Nevin - Medical Examiner
Phil Dube - Town Hall Selectman ("Well..I just put some suntan lotion on and I'm trying to absorb some sun...)
Teddy Grossman - Estuary victim / Brody stunt double

Anyway, for those interested in this stuff, like me, there it is.
Because... Jaws.
 
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This is amazing! Love Roger's work, and this is a fantastic piece, must have been a great experience. It's also amazing to see that plaque with the sketch and the photos that he used as reference. Are these pencil sketches initial prototypes of the original poster or sketches that were drawn subsequently to the movie's release and the poster's approval?
 
This is amazing! Love Roger's work, and this is a fantastic piece, must have been a great experience. It's also amazing to see that plaque with the sketch and the photos that he used as reference. Are these pencil sketches initial prototypes of the original poster or sketches that were drawn subsequently to the movie's release and the poster's approval?

No, they were not done prior (as prototypes). Done years later. For a short while he was doing them to sell from his website, but has long since stopped doing it. They were never made into prints. They were one-of-a-kind hand-drawn sketches. I had been trying to coax him into doing a second full-treatment oil-painting reiteration of the Jaws painting (perhaps doing a film-accurate version showing Chrissie at night with the buoy in the distance) He entertained the idea briefly, but then decided against it - Which I don't blame him. It'd be like repainting the Mona Lisa in my opinion.

He told me many times about how stressful it was to create the ESB artwork, due to numerous revisions requested by Lucas... He told me he really got sick of doing it. And at one point, even threatened to reject the job, but was talked into going the distance by his wife Grace, if I recall correctly. It was without a doubt the most micro-managed painting he'd ever been commissioned to do. But WOW! I'm glad he went the distance. It remains in my view, the best SW poster to this day.
 
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Here are some pics taken in the loft of his barn - where his old painting studio used to be before he moved it into his house. It was in this small space where he painted both the JAWS and ESB paintings. The alligator painting was for a novel called "Creatures" by Richard Masson in the seventies.
 
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Firstly, my profound thanks to you for sharing these. Roger is a doyen of movie poster and illustrative art and seeing these and hearing your stories is an unadulterated treat. Roger in one of the unsung legends of illustration history and the original JAWS poster is in my opinion one of the best movie posters of its genre ever produced - not a layout filled with floating heads, but a simple solution that with a single image tells the viewer all about the story, the threat and the horror. The tale of the original JAWS painting and of its fate is one of the most intriguing mysteries in modern art history and I'd be interested in hearing if there have been any updates regarding what happened to it...

He told me many times about how stressful it was to create the ESB artwork, due to numerous revisions requested by Lucas... He told me he really got sick of doing it. And at one point, even threatened to reject the job, but was talked into going the distance by his wife Grace, if I recall correctly. It was without a doubt the most micro-managed painting he'd ever been commissioned to do. But WOW! I'm glad he went the distance. It remains in my view, the best SW poster to this day.

I couldn't agree more with your opinion on his ESB piece, its unique and unbeaten. I do feel his pain though because as someone who has worked for Lucasfilm for decades myself and having enjoyed the privilege of doing movie poster art for both Indiana Jones and Star Wars, it can be a massive challenge doing these and the constant changes are notorious... Interestingly, although it was sometimes as frustrating as Roger describes, I generally found it simpler dealing with Lucasfilm when George himself was involved because he generally made the decisions himself.

Nowadays, the process has become far more complicated because its not a single point of approval that needs to be met, but an entire football team of opinionated yes-men that needs to be appeased - and this is before the final sign-off is given by the top dogs at Disney and Lucasfilm.

Thank you again, I have subscribed to this thread in case there are more updates..

Highest regards,
MARK
 
Firstly, my profound thanks to you for sharing these. Roger is a doyen of movie poster and illustrative art and seeing these and hearing your stories is an unadulterated treat. Roger in one of the unsung legends of illustration history and the original JAWS poster is in my opinion one of the best movie posters of its genre ever produced - not a layout filled with floating heads, but a simple solution that with a single image tells the viewer all about the story, the threat and the horror. The tale of the original JAWS painting and of its fate is one of the most intriguing mysteries in modern art history and I'd be interested in hearing if there have been any updates regarding what happened to it...



I couldn't agree more with your opinion on his ESB piece, its unique and unbeaten. I do feel his pain though because as someone who has worked for Lucasfilm for decades myself and having enjoyed the privilege of doing movie poster art for both Indiana Jones and Star Wars, it can be a massive challenge doing these and the constant changes are notorious... Interestingly, although it was sometimes as frustrating as Roger describes, I generally found it simpler dealing with Lucasfilm when George himself was involved because he generally made the decisions himself.

Nowadays, the process has become far more complicated because its not a single point of approval that needs to be met, but an entire football team of opinionated yes-men that needs to be appeased - and this is before the final sign-off is given by the top dogs at Disney and Lucasfilm.

Thank you again, I have subscribed to this thread in case there are more updates..

Highest regards,
MARK

Is this Mark Raats? I was just looking at your artwork online. COMPLETELY STUNNING work, my friend. You are the heir apparent to Drew Struzan as far as I'm concerned. Well done! I wish movie one sheets were still the chief venue for true artwork like yours - as they were in the seventies and eighties. But Photoshop. Perhaps it will be the case again. If so, I'm sure you'll be very busy indeed! I'm not knocking Photoshop or digital painting software - since as a photographer and graphic designer who works almost exclusively in it, I haven't room to be too critical, but I always am more "drawn" in when I view physically crafted art as there will never be a more beautiful, pure visual expression of imagery - with thousands of years of cultural history to attest to it.

As to the whereabouts of the Jaws painting. Roger is mystified and would like to have it back. It is, after all, his property legally - as its creator - who never gave it away to anyone. I'm sure someone has it out there, and most likely will never reveal the fact publicly.

I recently had a conversation with the model who posed for the swimmer for Roger. I told her if there was ever a "Mona Lisa" of movie posters, I'd be hard pressed to find any other to claim that title. She laughed and said she has virtually never been recognized for it, and it was not something she ever considered very significant. Naturally, I differed. She signed by original Jaws one-sheet in the same gold marker that Roger has done previously - making it the only Jaws poster on earth signed by the both of them.

Nice to meet you. Keep up the truly amazing work! I hope you get lots of it!
Best, Erik

PS: As a shark fan myself, I've been thrilled to do the covers for Steve Alten's MEG series for over a decade. Now WB is releasing a major motion picture based on it called "The Meg" starring Jason Statham - the trailer just came out online a few days ago. Though I was not considered for the poster by Warner Bros, they did use my customized title graphic, so I'm a little stoked about that. Here are some of my MEG covers and other books... No candle to your work. :) but for what its worth...

MEG_NOVEL_FULL_FINAL_ErikWebCoveronly_2_800.jpg ErikWebCoverfront_800.jpg OtherIslandsCoverErikWeb.jpg OTHEROCEANSerikwebsharper_3_o.jpg La_Premiere_ErikWeb copy_o.jpg JAWS_MEMORIES_TITANWeb_1_o.jpg AnaedorFrontErikWeb_o.jpg MASTER_JONAH_BOOKtentativeflatFRONTONLY_1123.jpg GrizzlyPark1ErikWeb_o.jpg ErikWeb_smallerPAINTEFFECT.jpg ConciliatorsCoverErikWeb_1265.jpg ErikWeb_OPTIC_DREAMS_o.jpg LionPosterErikWeb_o.jpg
 
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Nice to meet you. Keep up the truly amazing work! I hope you get lots of it!
Best, Erik

PS: As a shark fan myself, I've been thrilled to do the covers for Steve Alten's MEG series for over a decade. Now WB is releasing a major motion picture based on it called "The Meg" starring Jason Statham - the trailer just came out online a few days ago. Though I was not considered for the poster by Warner Bros, they did use my customized title graphic, so I'm a little stoked about that. Here are some of my MEG covers and other books... No candle to your work. :) but for what its worth...

LOL, yep its me, cheers Erik and great to make your acquaintance mate.

Thanks for sharing your work, I can easily see that you are a serious scholar of Movie poster art because they are stunning and the first MEG poster you show here is especially striking - I'm delighted they used your title treatment although I believe you should have been given a shot at the poster too, congratulations.

I've never had the privilege of meeting Roger but Drew and the late John Alvin are friends and colleagues of mine so your comment about me being Drew's 'hair apparent' are words of the highest praise - thank you. In truth the heady days of hand-painted poster art are long gone and the likes of legends like Peak, Drew, Roger and Alvin (to name but a few) will never be seen again because as you rightly say, the studios prefer digital solutions these days and if I have to be honest, I can (mostly) understand why. Its also somewhat ironic that the demise of traditional art for movie posters is because digital solutions because, I was very involved in the development of both software and hardware solutions to the infant CG world back in 1983 onwards - so, in a way a person could argue that I helped its demise...

Although I started in CG long before PS existed (and still use it today in other work I do), I made a conscious decision when I started illustrating for Lucasfilm that my work would all be traditional. Although the studios encourage me to change my method of working to digital - which I can do with my eye's closed - I firmly believe as you do, that movie posters should always be executed in pencils and paint. Its a futile and often stubborn attitude on my part but since I am on the verge of retiring myself, I don't feel the need to push the issue with the studios. If I get the opportunity to do a traditional piece for a movie then I am happy but I'm far too old and grumpy to fight with the studios for the privilege.

Its not to say that traditional poster art is dead because its not if you're lucky. The Indy, Stan Lee and Star Wars posters I've done over the years are cases in point and interestingly, I am in the process of putting the final touches to another poster that is going to be used for an upcoming movie in a couple of weeks.

Thank you again for sharing these gems and thank you for allowing me to derail your thread - its sincerely appreciated...

Highest regards,
MARK
 
LOL, yep its me, cheers Erik and great to make your acquaintance mate.

Thanks for sharing your work, I can easily see that you are a serious scholar of Movie poster art because they are stunning and the first MEG poster you show here is especially striking - I'm delighted they used your title treatment although I believe you should have been given a shot at the poster too, congratulations.

I've never had the privilege of meeting Roger but Drew and the late John Alvin are friends and colleagues of mine so your comment about me being Drew's 'hair apparent' are words of the highest praise - thank you. In truth the heady days of hand-painted poster art are long gone and the likes of legends like Peak, Drew, Roger and Alvin (to name but a few) will never be seen again because as you rightly say, the studios prefer digital solutions these days and if I have to be honest, I can (mostly) understand why. Its also somewhat ironic that the demise of traditional art for movie posters is because digital solutions because, I was very involved in the development of both software and hardware solutions to the infant CG world back in 1983 onwards - so, in a way a person could argue that I helped its demise...

Although I started in CG long before PS existed (and still use it today in other work I do), I made a conscious decision when I started illustrating for Lucasfilm that my work would all be traditional. Although the studios encourage me to change my method of working to digital - which I can do with my eye's closed - I firmly believe as you do, that movie posters should always be executed in pencils and paint. Its a futile and often stubborn attitude on my part but since I am on the verge of retiring myself, I don't feel the need to push the issue with the studios. If I get the opportunity to do a traditional piece for a movie then I am happy but I'm far too old and grumpy to fight with the studios for the privilege.

Its not to say that traditional poster art is dead because its not if you're lucky. The Indy, Stan Lee and Star Wars posters I've done over the years are cases in point and interestingly, I am in the process of putting the final touches to another poster that is going to be used for an upcoming movie in a couple of weeks.

Thank you again for sharing these gems and thank you for allowing me to derail your thread - its sincerely appreciated...

Highest regards,
MARK

Thanks Mark for your kind compliments on my work - I consider THAT high praise indeed coming from you. I am grateful there are still amazing painters like yourself who are passionate about cinema. I revel in looking up-close at the colors and brushstrokes of masters like yourself, Drew, Peak, Amsel, Kastel and others - and contemplating how they are orchestrated to compose a richer-than-life yet utterly realistic image. Consider me a solid admirer you and your crazy mad skills.

Just curious - By any chance, have you ever done a JAWS-related painting?

Best, Erik
 
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