From: jittlov@gumby.cs.caltech.edu (Mike Jittlov)
Newsgroups: alt.fan.mike-jittlov
Subject: WIZARD MOVIE Poster FAQ
Date: 19 Nov 1992 09:00:45 GMT
Organization: California Institute of Technology, Pasadena
NNTP-Posting-Host: gumby.cs.caltech.edu
Summary: Kelly Freas Wizard Posters Still Available..
Keywords: Kelly Freas, Wizard, Posters, Movie memorabilia, Jittlov



      THE INCREDIBLY COLORFUL AND PERSONALLY AUTOGRAPHED
                  FRANK KELLY FREAS POSTERS
                            OF
                THE WIZARD OF SPEED AND TIME!


                A Brief History of the Poster

Frank Kelly Freas is one of the fantasy and science fiction
worlds' most beloved and acclaimed artists - and one who really
makes/lets all of his real-life subjects look their best. He
has painted beautiful portraits of the original STAR TREK cast,
as well as the Saints of South America, many covers for ARGOSY
and MAD Magazines.  And he is a 10-time Hugo Award Winner.
(Always wondered what he did with 10 of those little cars...)

In mid-1984, Frank Kelly Freas was commissioned to paint a
fantasy poster of my "Wizard of Speed and Time" personnum.
Kelly took several Polaroids of me, and prepped for a portrait.

This painting wasn't my idea, and I was reluctant.  The movie
was already enough to brand me an ego-maniac, so I felt uneasy
about my face all over a canvas.  I drew a sketch from the new
WIZARD RUN's opening (which ia still unfilmed, that observatory
is a temp shot)...how about the full wizard, flying through new
realities, taking energy from his own world and giving "magic"
to the poster-viewer?  Minimize my face, concentrate on the
fantasy elements, and I'd like to see our leading lady's image
in the largest planet, etc etc.

Instead of reeling from the fool filmmaker's requests, Kelly
actually listened to me - and then really got into the spirit
of the movie.  He not only created a knock-out poster, but even
added a lot of subliminals throughout:

* Paige's dreamy face (and a kind of curled up nude behind her)
  is up there in the planet - which is an odd taffy-pull thing
  (with "Polly", Kelly's first wife & model, woven in the forms
  - and maybe more).
* Below it is a portrait of Einstein (which I sometimes see -
  maybe it's an IQ indicator).
* Down across the entire bottom, the nebulae create a vague but
  readable "Here Comes Mike Jittlov" (awwww).
* Above that, is a cat-faced planet.  (Maybe for our 23-year-old
  housecat...I didn't ask.) (But I _like_ cats.)
* The entire star-spread behind the Wizard looks like a heart,
  upside-down - matching the wiz-hood shape.
* In the star-stream to the right, 5" above the title, is a
  teeny-tiny Happy-Face (since I am credited/blamed by some for
  creating it in the early 60's).  (Actually arose from several
  people, synchronically - and maybe from that type-glyphed :-)
* In the star-stream to the right (8" N, 3" W), there's teeny
  tiny Pac-Man, which I did NOT in any way invent or create, and
  which is brashly depicted here without a copyright.
* Above the Wizard, to the right, is a Cackling Spider Planet
  (- a presagent to Meriday Beth's jumpy spider <*>^<*>?)
* At the fingertips of the Wizard's left hand (as a wink to the
  author of "Subliminal Seduction"), the lightning bolts form
  the letters SEX (or SFX, depending on your upbringing)
* And there's gotta be more sublims that even _I_ can't find!
  (because Kelly just grins when I ask him...)

I also did the WIZ titles at bottom, designing and Xacto-cutting
letters from a sheet of yellow Pantone paper, after my filmmaking
production hours.  Looks fairly professional.  Kelly was delighted.
And he said the painting original was mine to keep, as his gift.

Shortly after my esteamed business partner (who also played the
evil, slimey, embezzling, sociopathic producer in our WIZARD film)
locked me out of our office (I'm only the corporation President),
I did demand the Freas original artwork - but e.b.p. said it was
gone, he had no idea where it was.  The original oil painting, its
four-color separations, my title-treatment - all have vanished.
[Let me know if you see anyone with these, as I'd really like them
returned.  The original is about 20x30 - smaller than the poster.]

Well, before you could say "Restraining Order", the e.b.p. then
vanished with all our office equipment, video machines, supplies
and records, without a forwarding address.  The only thing left
behind was the small, unwieldy pile of these posters - the last of
the already small 4,000 print-run.  Many of these survivors were
bent, torn, scored or otherwise damaged.  But not all of them...

                      INSERT SHAMELESS AD:

I have saved the perfect ones, and culled out any printing errors.
These are the same posters that we sold at WorldCon 1984, and they
are still in brilliant mint condition.

They are FAR from your dime-a-dozen, ordinary, commercial, tissue
-thin, theatrical one-sheets (the ones that crazed collectors are
paying Big $$$$ for)!  THESE are all lithograph-printed on heavy
duty 80-lb. Nova-coat gloss cover-stock!  And they will endure.

They are rare.  They are the original.  They are the last of their
kind.  (Jeeze - can I identify with that..)  Suitable for framing.

And they are STILL a measily $25!  Not available in stores!  Not
on TV!  Nor anywhere else!!  Some people are already reselling
them for $100!  That's insane!  Buy them from the Source, & save!!

Act now (like, while I'm still alive) and you can even get my
legendary 20-minute autograph for FREE - and without waiting in
a 5-hour sci-fi convention line!

And unlike most of the other movie-star-director-writer-producer-
editor-animator types, my signature is actually LEGIBLE.  Unlike
most busy Hollywood moguls (Walt Disney), my signature is actually
REAL!  Furthermore and in conclusion, it's calligraphied in gold
ink (in a subliminal-free space) (I think) to YOU PERSONALLY!
(Goshes - i should write one to MYSELF, while there's still TIME!)

 -*- What to DO -*- What to DO -*- What to DO -*- What to DO -*-

A) Send me money - $25 American, in cashable check form. 
B) Send me a poster tube, 2-3 feet long, at least 2" in diameter
   - the heavier the better (the USPO does crush these things, I
   cannot guarantee condition, so send to me the best - which you
   may find at your local art supply or hardware store, for $3-$6)
C) Send me sufficient return postage (usually $2.90 - or whatever
   you've paid to send it), in US stamps (no machine-stamps, the
   Los Angeles PO won't accept them)
D) Enclose Your LEGIBLY-written name and return address
E) OR - Pick it up personally at the Wiz-House for $25 in cash,
   and forget steps A) thru D)

E-mail me with preferences for how you'd like it autographed or
dedicated.  (G-rated, please, and nothing untrue [ie: "To My
Constant Companion.."].  I don't just sign my name - it has to be
TO somebody, to You or to One You desire.)  And LEGIBLY - please!!
The sig-phrase below (from the movie's birthday song) is a 
favorite, as is "Nothing Stops the Creative Spirit" (the sublim
seen on a single frame in the WIZ RUN, where the Wall comes down).

If you send any letters or tapes, anything you want a response on
or want returned - please enclose self-addressed-stamped-envelopes
or mailers, and your patience (because it's just me, here - no
secretary, staff or funding).

If you want me to call you (collect!), email a number and the best
time (which is tween 2pm and midnight, Hollywood Standard Time).  

_________________________________________ ___._`.*.'_._ ________
 Mike Jittlov - Wizard, etc        .   . +  * .o   o.* `.`. +.  
  902 North Maltman Avenue        '   *  . ' ' |\^/|  `. * .  *
  Hollywood, CA 90026-2714     (: May All Your  \V/  Good Dreams
jittlov@gumby.cs.caltech.edu   and Fine Wishes  /_\  Come True:)
============================================== _/ \_ ===========

(AD COMPLETED - We return you to your Newsgroup, in progress...)

                            -+<*>+-

Someone asked about the OTHER poster - seen on the VHS and laserdisk
packaging.  There's a long story about that...  but for now:

I am not selling any of my Shapiro Glickenhaus Ent >:P posters.
Yet.  I prefer to wait until that company goes physically bankrupt,
first, and the principle devils wind up in the hottest region of
their appropriate hereafter, to be cursed with eternal gas attacks.

Newsgroups: alt.fan.mike-jittlov