Note – original painting is 48″ X 60″. Started working on this painting in early September and put the final touches on the painting in April. Had a lot of fun painting this – the large G.I. Joe soldiers were similar to ones I used to play with when I was a kid. The blond-haired ones in the center and top-center of the painting are the ones with “real” crew cuts. And some of the soldiers are the ones with the special kung fu grip. My brother and I used to play with similar soldiers for hours. And, I’ve included comic books with covers painted by Frank Frazetta, my boyhood idol and early art inspiration. Frank Frazetta is the guy who, among other things, invented Conan’s look. Prior to Frazetta, Conan looked more like Flash Gordon – short hair and squeaky clean. In fact, the cover near the right-center of the painting, the one with the grimacing soldier shooting a gun while holding a wounded comrade is a Frank Frazetta painting I copied when I was in high school. Brought back memories recreating it here. Special thanks to my Uncle Joe for lending me some of his vintage comic books. Also, the red-coat soldier pins are part of a bowling set my wife played with when she was a kid. And, couldn’t resist including and posing the little green army men, another childhood favorite. Hope you experience similar nostalgic feelings viewing this painting.
