Anyone who knows me knows I love art, whether it is illustration, comic sequential work, paint, water colors or just creative doodles on a restaurant napkin. So when I get an opportunity to look at the creative process behind a piece of artwork, I eat it up.
As you also have learned about me, I’m a huge fan of AMC’s Mad Men. So when you get a chance to put these two loves together, it’s as good as chocolate and peanut butter.
The network has been pretty mum on what to expect when the new season kicks off this Sunday. But a few weeks back they released this promotional image for the show that had many people speculating.
Brian Saunders who was one of the original artists of that era whose work had been an inspiration for show creator Matthew Wiener did the piece. Great thing is, Brian Saunders is still doing that work. This article by the New York Times goes deeper into some of the thinking behind the piece as well as this gallery on the official Mad Men website.
I won’t embarrass myself by revealing how long I looked at and studied the piece trying to find hidden clues that may reveal any plot points for the upcoming season. But I will say that it was something that immediately drew me in and did exactly what it was supposed to in making me crave the start of the new season so much more.
There are so many things that impressed me such as the obvious juxtaposition of Don Draper walking away from Madison Avenue while another “Don” is walking towards it. Will this revisit the Don vs. Dick subplot from previous seasons? Who are the people in the background? One looks a bit like Roger Sterling and another like Peggy Olsen, but why would they be together? Who’s hand is Don holding? While he’s still married to Megan, the outfit is something that Betty would have worn. And what does the inclusion of the police mean? Does something sinister happen that puts one of the characters under suspicion?
Then there’s just the use of color, the stylization of the piece and the overall tone.
UGH!! Will the season just start already??
With some of my other favorite Sunday shows like The Walking Dead and House of Lies already done for their seasons, Mad Men is returning just in time to keep my Sunday nights active and my social networks on fire.
So who’s bringing the popcorn Sunday night?
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