"Escape From New York"... The Plot Thickens!"

Damn, what a small world the internet creates!

I posted, a few months ago, a story about my illustrations of the seven cast members that starred in the cult film, "Escape From New York. No reason to be redundant as the story tells about my search in vain for the mystery portraits of the movie. One can read about the mysterious disappearance at:

( http://graphicgumbo3.blogspot.com/2013/03/portraits-from-escape-from-new-york.html )

Believe it or not, apparently, some one, far, far away while "url-ing" his way through life, ran across that very blog spot searching for the exact same thing that I had posted. That is, he is looking for my inset portraits for the rare poster that I could never find. This is just too weird!

Here's the email Mr. Johannson sent to me...

Hi Ben.
This is the webmaster of The Escape From New York & L.A. Page (http://www.theefnylapage.com) 

I just stumbled across your article about your Escape From New York portraits and enjoyed reading it immensely. Your portraits were actually used in the advance poster for the movie made by Stan Watts. I interviewed Barry E. Jackson who told me that he aced out Stan Watts poster at the very last second. He believes it was used in film festivals. It is a very rare poster which is very sought-after and expensive on eBay. I own a reproduction of it. Sadly only Stan Watts name is on the poster. 

( Wouldn't you know it! )

You can check out the poster here:  http://www.theefnylapage.com/posters.htm (It is US poster 2)

I would also like to ask you if I can get permission to upload your picture of your beautiful portraits on my poster page? 

( Sure, why not? I mean after all these years to deny a fan who found the guy who illustrated the portraits from a poster that did not ever exist until now and is now a collector's item... it would just be too wrong. The karma would be so powerful, it could turn me into an ant or roach in a next life... which could happen much sooner than I think, if I didn't. Does that make sense? )

It's gonna be an honor for me to give you credit for them after all these years.  

( I guess. While I appreciate the sentiment and acquiesce to the professional courtesy, it probably is as close as I'll get to becoming famous after my death, as untimely as it may be! )

Best.
- Andreas   

Now honestly, I asked, "What the hell is going on around here?" 

This goes back almost forty years, and even though I have the original portraits... somewhere, after all this time, looking for portraits to send to some art director to prove I am worthy of his attention and then, nonchalantly posting the story in a blog lamenting the fact that I was so blase about my work in Hollywood and then having some cyberspace Sherlock Holmes not only tell me, but show me the poster that had my work on it that I was told was printed, but never, ever finding it... well, it really just blows my mind to pieces.


And they say, the Lord works in mysterious ways... ha!

Copyright 2013/Ben Bensen III