1970 Plymouth Road Runner 2-Door Hardtop

For my love of magazine advertisements from the 1960s and 1970s:

«We first introduced Road Runner in '68. It was love at first sight. A performance car for people who want a car to perform. A car with a low price for people who haven't stashed away their first million yet. A car with a personality for people who don't just think of a car as a hunk of iron that moves. It all clicked. In 1969 Motor Trend named Road Runner, "Car of the Year". For 1970, we present a new Road Runner. We changed it very carefully. In the right places, for the right reasons. You'll love it. Again. The loved bird.»

(Plymouth Road Runner Magazine Advertisement from 1970, Chrysler Motors Corporation, image via Alden Jewell)

Well, and then there is the 1970 Plymouth Road Runner Superbird, here in 'Lemon Twist Yellow', but that's a different love story ... (image via FastMuscle)

Not forgetting "King" Richard Petty's #43 Plymouth Superbird in 'Petty-Blue': (image via/by Stuart Mitchell, all rights reserved)

(image via/by Stuart Mitchell, all rights reserved)

(images via/by Hemmings.com, all rights reserved)

Now, you see him

I pushed visual development things a little with this one. The idea to create a custom version of the 1969 Pontiac Cirrus for John Starduck opened into something more.

I pushed visual development things a little with this one. The idea to create a custom version of the 1969 Pontiac Cirrus for John Starduck opened into something more.

Ein Beitrag geteilt von Florian Satzinger Paperwalker (@floriansatzinger) am Jan 30, 2018 um 8:20 PST

Radar Men from the Moon

The Sky Marshal appears to defy the laws of gravity, for a moment at least, as he lands in the arms of a prop man during production of the film. Production photo, "Radar Men from the Moon," at Red Rock Canyon in the Mojave Desert, 80 miles northeast of Hollywood, Calif., Dec. 12, 1951 (via).

John Starduck References: Kurt Roeschl, space art

Kurt Roeschl (1923-1986) was an Austrian graphic artist and painter who illustrated various science-fiction stories in the 1950s.

What Carl Spitzweg saw and what I see really differs...

The Duck Inn: Hijacked

Visual Development

These are the early development sketches for John Starduck's rocket ship. The final design changed a bit since these were made but to this later ... I just wanted to share some rough concept stuff.

John Starduck Rocket Ship Shape Reference/Inspiration: Cloth Cover from 1961

First Men to the Moon, reprint (1961) (via Dreams of Space)

Reference: Photographer Chris Lord, Duck Pond, Central Park, NYC

The very first idea for having John Starduck based in New York City I had quite some time back at the Duck Pond in Central Park. The photo background here I hijacked from uber-talended photographer Chris Lord; he was looking across the duck pond from west to east with Fifth Avenue in the distance.

I saw a little more in the snow ...

(Photo: courtesy of/copyright by Chris Lord. All rights reserved.)

By the by, Lord's photo reminds me a little of Adolf Fassbender's 'White Night' painting, which dates back to 1936. A piece that I can't get enough from:

"Where Do You Get Your Ideas For Fresh Shapes From?"

Dirty Old 1970's New York City

I dig the colours, I dig... well, actually, I dig everything about this photo. (via)

Dean Ellis

I've always been a huge fan of science fiction illustrator Dean Ellis' (1920-2009) classically shaped space rocket ships. Here're two samples of my most favourite pieces by Ellis. (Please note: All images here below are copyrighted by their publishers and Dean Ellis)

John Starduck: Reference/Inspirational Photograph

NASA Lunar Landing Training Vehicle Concept With Bell 47 Cockpit (via Amunt Log; thanks Laura)

X-15, HL-10

Flying machines awesomeness from the 1960s.

John Starduck Rocket Ship: Reference Photo

Flying fortress (via)

John Starduck References: Big City Colours, Star Trek Toys And A Book Cover, from the 1960s, 1970s and early 1980s

Concept mood chart

Apropos Spinner Car

There are, of course, some LEGO scale replicas of the Spinner Car ("Blade Runner") to find too, like this lovely designed kit which comes from Oregon (US) based Ichiban Toys. I'm thinking dreaming now of a "John Starduck Rocket Ship" LEGO kit. (Photos via/©)