Blast from the Past #334: Superhero idea for "Big Y" advertisements

As you may know if you've followed this blog long enough, early in my illustration career I was fortunate to get several illustrating jobs for a local chain of supermarkets called "Big Y". As I remember, the work wasn't terribly interesting (drawing platters of fruit or cheese or cold meats), but it paid pretty well.

I'm not sure why I did the following conceptual drawing back in 1981 -- I doubt I was asked to do it -- but perhaps I had developed enough of a relationship with my contact at Big Y to feel comfortable making this kind of suggestion. And it was a true comic book geek-type suggestion: Use a superhero to sell groceries!

Yeah.

As you might expect, it didn't go over that well. Too bad -- it might have been fun to work on a campaign like that. -- PL

Blast from the Past #287: Gourds on coquille board

I recently found this piece in my files, framed it, and hung it on the wall in our kitchen. It's almost certainly something I did for "Hampshire Life", but there is a remote possibility that I drew it for a "Big Y" advertisement.



I especially like the "flying saucer"-shaped gourd on the lower left -- not sure what kind that is. -- PL

Blast from the Past #279: Fruit bowls on coquille board

These two drawings, done on coquille board, were created back in the late 1970's or early 1980's for a local chain of supermarkets called "Big Y" and used in advertising circulars.





I was given two sample fuit bowls by the local Big Y supermarket to use as reference for these drawings. That was pretty nifty, as I got to eat the fruit after drawing it! For a "starving artist", that was a nice perk. -- PL