James Bama: American Realist [Hardcover]

Brian M. Kane (Author), Harlan Ellison (Introduction), Len Leone (Foreword)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 2007

The illustration art of James Bama has now been collected into this impressive 160-page full color hardbound edition. James Bama: American Realist is the first book to span his entire career. Examples explore his diverse brush from magazine illustrations, paperback book covers, and advertising. Chapters examine his work in pop culture, horror, science fiction, adventure and western genres, concluding with his most recent fine art endeavors. This volume features a detailed biography exploring his noteworthy and singular career. Insightful quotes by Bama accompany many pieces. In addition, testimonials by leading artists, writers, and historians are contained throughout. During his career, Bama’s art graced many memorable pop culture paperback book covers. Among his most notable works are the 62 cover paintings for Bantam’s Doc Savage adventure series, all of which are contained within. His uncanny ability to render a multitude of genres, and under amazingly tight deadlines, made Bama highly sought after by top publishers. Combined with his exemplary work ethic, Bama’s artwork encompassed a wide spectrum of media. This, along with his unique realist approach, helped secure his place as one of the most influential artists of his time. Having achieved remarkable success in illustration, Bama changed direction, pursuing a career in fine art. His gamble led to higher acclaim. This book delves into the man, from illustrator to artist. Written and designed by Brian M. Kane in cooperation with Mr. Bama. Introduction by Harlan Ellison®. Foreword by Len Leone. 160 pages in color. Over 260 illustrations are featured, of which more than 85 are from the original art. Over 30 personal photographs of family and modeling shoots are contained within. 160 pages, 8.5x11, full color on premium glossy stock.

Editorial Reviews

From Booklist

Readers may not recognize James Bama's name, but chances are they will have seen his work. Bama was the reigning paperback cover illustrator during the 1960s and 1970s, creating hundreds of unforgettable images that grace westerns by Louis L'Amour, the Doc Savage series, and novels by William Goldman, Taylor Caldwell, Frank Conroy, Anne Tyler, and Thomas Pynchon. Bama's forte is portraying characters with an Old Master soulfulness and passionate precision to create arresting images unsurpassed in emotional authenticity and sheer animal magnetism. Kane, whose first book celebrated the work of illustrator Hal Foster, documents Bama's entire diverse, irresistible, and exciting oeuvre in both radiant reproductions and succinct commentary that includes tributes from the likes of Harlan Ellison and Ray Bradbury, as well as Bama's own reminiscences. Kane documents not only Bama's unparalleled paperback years but also his magazine and advertising work, his phenomenal achievements as a sports illustrator and military artist, and (after moving to Wyoming in 1968) his triumphs as a fine artist. This unusual and immensely pleasing blend of pop culture and art celebrates an extraordinarily dedicated, prolific, and widely appealing American artist, and a neglected yet much loved art form. Donna Seaman
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Product Details

• Hardcover: 159 pages
• Publisher: Flesk Publications (January 1, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0972375880
• ISBN-13: 978-0972375887
• Product Dimensions: 11 x 8.8 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2.4 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (15 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #273,666 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Will appeal to both pop culture fans and those who like fine art February 21, 2007

By J. Higgins

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Anyone who glanced at a rack of paperback books in the mid 60's to early 70's was bound to see at least one or two covers painted by the gifted artist James Bama. The most memorable of these covers were those for the "Doc Savage" series published by Bantam Books. These illustrations were always striking and dramatic and served to make the book stand out from the other titles next to them. When I saw a second-hand copy of "The Living Fire Menace" at a thrift store in 1973, it was the dramatic cover painting of Doc, in all his ripped-shirt glory against a background of orange flames and some kind of electric-blue sphere, that made me shell out my hard-earned 50 cents. From that day on I was hooked, and collecting the adventures of Doc became one of my hobbies. It became second nature to scan the shelves for those distinctive Bama covers, and when he stopped painting them in the mid-70's the series lost some of its appeal.

At the time, it was hard to learn much about James Bama, much less the significant role he played in making these repackaged 30's pulp stories bestsellers for a contemporary audience. Indeed, any artist who worked for the paperback market in those days had to confront the reality that the publishing world considered them hired guns at best, and getting a credit line of tiny-font text on the back of the title page was about all the acknowledgement they could expect to receive.

James Bama: American Realist is therefore a timely, and handsomely produced, overview of Bama's art. Over the course of 7 sections, it covers his work in commercial art in the 60s and early 70s, and his subsequent career in studio art since that time.... I'm sure many Baby Boomers will be nostalgic at seeing the illustrations Bama did for pop culture artifacts from their childhood reproduced here. Such as the boxes for the Aurora plastic model kits for the Universal monsters (Frankenstein, the Mummy, etc.), and the covers for bestsellers, such as "The Harrad Experiment" and the first of the "Star Trek" paperbacks by James Blish, as well as a seemingly unending series of potboilers churned out by William Goldman and Howard Fast. All 62 of the covers Bama did for the Doc Savage books are presented here as well, six to a page, with some getting full-page treatment.

The reproductions are of good quality and the layout pleasing to the eye, with the text placed to minimize encroaching on the illustrations. The introductory chapters offer an interesting account of the commercial art scene back in the era when magazines were starting to lose ground to the burgeoning paperback book as the principal format for print media. Once paperbacks became the dominant media and on-shelf competition tightened, having the right cover became increasingly important in boosting sales. Indeed, during his busiest period, Bama was producing a paperback cover painting a week, but he and his fellow freelance artists were stuck in a 'work for hire' system that rarely provided any royalties or other compensation for illustrating top-selling books. This fact of life as a commercial artist, and burn-out, may have been what led Bama to go into semi-retirement in Wyoming in the early 70's. Since then he has focused on Western art, and his paintings of cowboys and Indians are featured in the book's last section.

If the book has a weakness, it is the lack of any exposition on Bama's technique. Whether the author felt it would be out place in this particular book format, or if the artist himself was reluctant to reveal too many of his 'secrets', is unclear. Unfortunately, this means that those hoping to learn how to paint Bama-style, will have to look elsewhere. Read more ›

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bama, the whole Bama and nothing but the Bama! October 25, 2006

By B. W. Keller

Format:Hardcover

When Bama's book of Western art came out in the 1990s I gobbled it up, buying copies for family and friends. My only disappointed was that the only thing I could share was his fine art. James Bama: American Realist has rectified that problem.

Interspersed with Kane's biographical text are quotes by some pretty powerful artists, such as Evertt Raymond Kinstler (who has known Bama since they were both 15), Boris Vallejo and Mark Schultz, not to mention dozens of quotes and observations by Bama himself, but it's the color illustrations that this book is really all about.

If you're a Doc Savage fan you not only get all of Bama's amazing Doc covers, but a number of the Steve Holland photo shoots that inspired them. What I particularly like is that in many cases you can compare the photo to the painting and see what Bama adds to each; his innate sense of color and design, the way the figures in his paintings glow with some inner strength that is not present in the photos. Some people say that Bama just paints reality, this book should remove that notion from their heads.

Bama abandoned the commercial art world at the height of his career in the 1970s and this book covers both of his careers. It's dominated by his commercial work but there is plenty of his fine art work as well. Like I said, this book is complete.

You open the book and you are bowled over by a portrait of Robert Kennedy and I wonder, "How can Bama paint hope?" Maybe it's in the eyes or the gesture of the hand, whatever, it makes a immediate and powerful impact. And it's just the first of the many treasures to be found within.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars He's Not Just for Doc Savage Fans February 9, 2007

By Pete Falina

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

Cover paintings for the Bantam reprints of Doc Savage "novels" brought Mr. Bama to my attention. Later, as many others have noted, I began to spot and recognize his work elsewhere. The elegant simplicity of the title says it all: he lovingly renders each and every wrinkle and shadow in flesh and clothing.

This is an expensive book, particularly if you are going to just flip through once and put it aside. However, if you keep art books handy, and periodically take them down to re-experience them, this one is worth the price of admission. It has been produced with the same care and attention that Mr. Bama puts into his art. And, if you do know Mr. B. only from the paperback covers, there will be some surprises in this volume.

OK, so you're the flip-through type, but you've got the bucks? Buy a copy of this for your local or favorite library!

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars James Bama American Realist March 24, 2010

By Robert M. Link

Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase

this is one of the most important books for any aspiring artist. it is not an instruction book but just being able to view the fantastic works of James Bama will inspire an artist to try to raise the level of their own artwork. his works are the best examples of realistic art, even when dealing with the most fantastic subjects. when i was a child and able to buy my own books, i purchased many books just based on Bamas art on the cover. i found some good writers that way and some bad ones, but the cover art was always satisfying. it was one of Bamas covers that started me trying to draw and has inspired my art all through my life.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful book-but what's up with the Doc Savage paintings? January 7, 2010

By OC Phil

Format:Hardcover

This hardback collection of James Bama's work is a must for collectors of the realist style. Famous for his paperback covers and Aurora model covers, this book has one glaring flaw stopping it from getting five stars. Bama's most famous body of work is his 60s Doc Savage covers. Many of these are reproduced here-in the smallest format of any of the works covered. The sports and war covers are often given full page or half pages to each cover. The Doc Savages are six to a page. The Aurora Universal horror model paintings are given a full page each. Six full pages reproduction (as well as smaller ones of course) of sports, 11 war, 9 horror ans sci-fi, 3 for Doc Savage plus one title page. The rest of the covers are 6 to a page-with a third of the page taken up by text and dead space so the images are about 1/3 of a page tall. I don't know if this is because the other previous collections have these covers, but it makes them hard to see the detail. In fact, they're much smaller than the actual paperback size.