Issue link: https://digital.copcomm.com/i/1490572
1 2 6 P E R S P E C T I V E | J A N U A R Y / F E B R U A R Y 2 0 2 3 lay eyes upon. He peered over his reading glasses, broke into a big smile and gave me one of his trademark, "HEEEEYYY"s…as he waved me over. He dropped his glasses on the table and stood to give me a hug. I then first laid eyes on a Jim Murakami drawing, bathed in cool fluorescent light, as my own forgotten tube of collected work, carefully assembled for the interview, fell from my hand. I truly think it takes a draftsman, one at any level of skill or proficiency, to recognize a great pencil sketch or drawing. The nearly completed drawing, of soft graphite on vellum, was neither precise nor pristine. But the lines could best be described as lyrical. They flowed, collided, intersected and converged across the paper. Their weight and opacity varied gracefully. I could literally FEEL what the drawing intended—and could only hope that what was built from this image managed to capture the subtle character and quality of his work. Whatever I eventually showed him, he must have seen some potential in it. I came aboard and was so fortunate to have a long run and touch so many elements of that film. His mentorship and guidance forever transformed and defined how I draw today. Jimmy hired me to be his Art Director when he assumed duties as Clint Eastwood's Production Designer, succeeding the great Henry Bumstead. We settled into a comfortable and fulfilling professional collaboration and a deepening friendship. We'd sit for hours as he told me A. PENCIL SKETCH BY MURAKAMI OF A BOWLING ALLEY EXTERIOR FROM JERSEY BOYS, 2014. B. PENCIL SKETCH BY MURAKAMI OF A PLAN, ELEVATION AND SIDE VIEW OF A STAGE FOR JERSEY BOYS. C. J. EDGAR. 2011 PRODUCTION STILL. A B C