Conceptual Illustration at WSJ, Part 2

Here is the second-half of a two-part review of the conceptual illustrations I did at the WSJ. Get ready for some cool art!

Getting to the Top

I was full of ideas for the various stories I was assigned. The above illustration presents a common problem: an aspiring businessman tries climbing the ladder, only to arrive at the bottom wrung. I thought this an elegant image… direct and to-the-point.

Under the Mattress

Above, for an article about stock-market scoffers, who preferred holding “real” assets to investing on Wall Street. This was a one-column illustration, succinct in its simplicity.

Hustler

The article for this illustration was about street-hustlers… guys selling stuff on the streets. I was likely influenced by Joe Jackson’s ‘I’m the Man’ album cover, that presented a similar image. The Rubic’s cube was a hot item at the time. This would also have been a one-column illustration in the paper.

Paperwork

Above, a play on the ubiquitous receipt-holders of those primitive years: A slab with a spike sticking up out of it, where one could slap receipts into place for counting at the end of the day. The story was about the edifice that could accumulate from the collection of these tickets.

“Cafeteria”

Another one-column illustration from the WSJ, illustrating the all-too-familiar experience of being in the office cafeteria. One has to uphold appearances in such spaces. Self-explanitory.

David Stockman Caricature

Above, my one and only caricature drawing. David Stockman was the Reagan-Administration Officer of Management and Budget. He grew disenchanted with the trickle-down,”voodoo” economics that his boss was pushing, and wrote a tell-all about his experience. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/David_Stockman

WSJ illustration-Sales Pitch

I tip my hat here to Senior-year physics class in High School. This illustration appeared in the new 2nd section of The Wall Street Journal, taking the space of two or three columns. I tried expressing the idea that the product being pitched would translate into dollars. I was thinking in terms of electromagnetism… poles and current and coils. As my boss, Steve MacDonald, would say, at the time, “Powerful Stuff!”

Computer Class Illustration

Above, a kind of jazzy riff on the rise of computers. We got on board early at the Journal — the paper bought Apple’s Macintosh machines in the early 80’s to help with charting graphics, mainly. The above illustration depicts a few students struggling to adapt to the new technology.

Space Toys

Lastly, the image above was also larger format. I got one of The Journal editors to stand on a window-sill so I could photograph his trousers and shoes… the rest, I made up. A fun drawing, utilizing the full range of black-to-white. I hope I have entertained and somewhat enlightened you, Dear Reader, as to the goings on at The Wall Street Journal in its prime.