John S. Dykes TIME Spotlight

TIME Spotlight

posted: April 24, 2007

I called The Arkansas Excelsior Hotel and asked if they could fax their logo to me. HA! fax. ...

Speaking of Ken Smith at TIME.... Ken art directed the Spotlight page that ran for a couple of years (early 90's to around 98??). I had sent some samples in - a series of re-created FBI Wanted posters. Ken liked them, but wanted to see how I would handle celebs and others in the news (more recognizable figures). Jack Kevorkian was on the radar at the time so I worked up his portrait, color copied it and Fedexed it Ken. My timing was right, and he liked it - but Paula Jones was also in the news... So he asked me to create P.J. Then we went back and forth between the two - I placed Kevorkian in a jail cell to make it more focused... My wife drove them in (email? whats that?) on a Saturday AM, and they published the P.J. piece. It was always great to do those 'person of the week' Spotlights... Bring 'em back, TIME!

8 comments

Tim O'Brien April 24, 2007

I think today people should post some of their Ken Smith illustrations. Great ones John!

John Dykes April 24, 2007

Thanks Tim - This was my first assignment for TIME... I was a bit nervous when he called. But he has this way of speaking that cools you right down... including relatively long pauses of complete silence (!) - he was deep in introspective thought, I guess - Ken? You still there???

Adam McCauley April 24, 2007

I remember that Paula Jones piece John!! Very iconic.

Robert Saunders April 24, 2007

The original of the Paula Jones is beautiful, John, which I've seen...too bad others can't see it here.

stephen Kroninger April 24, 2007

That was a great spot in TIME. I always looked forward to seeing who was there, what they had to say and how they said it. Ken Smith brought good instincts and intelligence for pairing up the right artist with the right story. Some interesting illustration in that space of which these are fine examples.

Dale Stephanos April 24, 2007

John, I remeber that PJ piece. Dr Jack would have been a great choice too. And your wife drove them in for you? What a rock star. That spot in Time was the best. Right up there with the back page in Rolling Stone that Anita Kunz and CF Payne used to do. Someone should suggest bringing it back. ; )

John Dykes April 24, 2007

thanks again folks... In the earlier days of the Spotlight page, they really let the artists create THEIR interpretation of the personality. I remember some great ones - including some wacky Henrik Drescher works. then, the editors started playing a stronger hand in concept devolopment, and playing things real safe to avoid nasty letters from readers....

Stephen Kroninger April 24, 2007

That's the absolute pitfall for editorial cartoonists and illustrators in mainstream publications. I was told at The Daily News once that an editorial cartoon must not offend even one subscriber because bottom line is they can't afford to lose them. They can afford to lose editorial cartoonists as many papers have over the last few years.