Movie Poster Resources

CineArtistes
IMP Awards
Movie Goods
Movie Poster DB
Posterwire

Poster Artists

John Alvin

Saul Bass
John Berkey
David Edward Byrd
Jack Davis
Bernie Fuchs
Bill Gold
Hildebrandt Bros.
Terry Lamb
Birney Lettick
J.C. Leyendecker
Maxfield Parrish
Bob Peak
Bob Peak prints @ The Sanguine Fine Art Gallery
Matthew Joseph Peak
Alex Ross
William Stout
John Solie
Drew Struzan
Howard Terpning
Frank Vertizzo


 

 



Just as J.C. Leyendecker and Norman Rockwell did with their covers for The Saturday Evening Post, Richard Amsel established a lengthy and fruitful relationship with TV Guide, illustrating more covers than any other artist.

Thirty-seven of Amsel's covers were published, while another three were unused. Amsel also contributed illustrations featured inside the entertainment magazine.

For more information on the art of TV Guide, check out Jerry Alten's book (left), which includes information on Amsel's contributions.



Here is a full, verified list of the 37 published Amsel
covers, all of which can be viewed here:

1 16-Dec-72 Duke & Duchess of Windsor
2 19-May-73 Mary Tyler Moore
3 16-Mar-74 Carole Burnett & Vicki Lawrence
4 6-Jul-74 Lucille Ball
5 2-Aug-75 Mike Douglas
6 17-Jan-76 Angie Dickinson & Earl Holliman
7 6-Nov-76 Clark Gable & Vivien Leigh
8 11-Dec-76 Valerie Harper
9 8-Oct-77 Donny Osmond & Marie Osmond
10 19-Nov-77 Frank Sinatra
11 8-Apr-78 Alice
12 20-May-78 Three's Company
13 4-Nov-78 John Travolta
14 27-Jan-79 Katharine Hepburn
15 19-May-79 Cindy Williams & Penny Marshall

16 1-Sep-79 Miss America
17 10-May-80 One Day at a Time
18 21-Jun-80 Robert Wagner & Stephanie Powers
19 6-Sep-80 Richard Chamberlain / Shogun

20 28-Mar-81 Johnny Carson
21 25-Jul-81 Prince Charles & Lady Diana
22 19-Sep-81 Kate Mulgrew
23 24-Apr-82 Ingrid Bergman
24 3-Jul-82 Ted Knight/Too Close for Comfort
25 5-Feb-83 Cheryl Ladd
26 9-Apr-83 Elvis Presley
27 30-Apr-83 Tom Selleck
28
21-May-83 Bob Hope
29 3-Sep-83 All in the Family
30 24-Sep-83 Three's Company
31 12-Nov-83 The Kennedys
32 21-Apr-84 The Far Pavillions
33 29-Sep-84 Mary Tyler Moore & James Garner
34 2-Feb-85 Sharon Gless & Tyne Daly
35 22-Jun-85 Nancy Reagan
36 27-Jul-85 Miami Vice
37 26-Oct-85 Brokaw, Jennings & Rather

...and to see one of Amsel's unpublished covers, CLICK HERE.

COVERS 1-15

All images were scanned from TV Guide: The Official Collectors Guide (5), except where noted.
Click on each image for enlarged version.


Dec. 16, 1972

May 19, 1973

March 16, 1974

July 6, 1974

Aug. 2, 1975

Jan. 17, 1976

Nov. 6, 1976

Dec. 11, 1976

Oct. 8, 1977

Nov. 19, 1977

April 8, 1978

May 20, 1978

Nov. 4, 1978

Jan. 27, 1979

May 19, 1979

 

BENEATH THE COVERS...

TV Guide: Dec. 16, 1972

I found this image on a Japanese website.


The Jan. 23-Feb. 5, 2012 issue of TV GUIDE includes an interview with Mary Tyler Moore, and looks back at a number of covers that featured her. Amsel's portrait of the actress (for May 19, 1973) is among her very favorites. "What I like about this is that I look absolutely gorgeous," Moore says. "Not that I'm a prima donna; it's just that this was a nice change of pace."


TV Guide: July 6, 1974

Perhaps the most beloved of all his TV Guide covers, Amsel's portrait of Lucille Ball heralded an article about the comedienne's retirement from series television, and a retrospective of her 23-year career on the small screen.

"I did not want the portrait to be of Lucy Ricardo," Amsel explained, "but I didn't want a modern-day Lucy Carter either. I wanted it to have the same timeless sense of glamour that Lucy herself has. She is, after all, a former Goldwyn Girl. I hoped to capture the essence of all this."

Amsel's work so impressed Ms. Ball that the artwork was later prominently featured in the opening credits of a two-hour television tribute, CBS Salutes Lucy: The First 25 Years.

Here are Amsel's preliminary color studies for the above TV Guide cover.
Lucille Ball (12)
1974
Pencils on glassine
Size unknown.
Lucille Ball (3)
1974
Colored pencils on glassine
11 x 14 1/2 in.

TV Guide: Aug. 2, 1975

I found this image on eBay. Mike Douglas apparently sent out autographs with this image to fans; obviously, he must have been a fan himself of Amsel's artwork.

TV Guide: Nov. 6, 1976 (11)

The airing of GONE WITH THE WIND was a significant television event in 1976. Notice the stark contrast in color variations between the scanned TV Guide issue above, and the warm vs. cool tones from two different scans.



Dec. 11, 1976

Sketch for the art at left. (12)


May 20, 1978


Preliminary sketch. (12)


The final art. (12)


Nov. 4, 1978

TV Guide: Nov. 4, 1974
(3)
The original art.

TV Guide: Jan. 27, 1979 (11)
Colored pencil, airbrush on paper
26.5 x 21 in.
This is one of my favorites of all Amsel's work -- and seeing the original in person (as opposed to TV GUIDE's
reproduction) made me better appreciate the
softer, more delicate colors Amsel used.