2002 - 06/2002 Meeting

Page Created: 09/23/10. Last Update: 09/23/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 05/24/08.

GREG HILDEBRANDT. TIM HILDEBRANDT.

Books:

The Brothers Hildebrandt: Their Tolkien Years

Their website is: http://brothershildebrandt.com/.

Their lisenced agent is: http://www.spiderwebart.com/.

MEETING SUMMARY:

Meeting Date: June 8, 2002.

Meeting Site: Borders Books & Music, Ramsey, New Jersey.

Official Attendance: 43.

Meeting Program: Talk & Art Display by Fantasy Artists.

Notes:

Meeting Memories:

Newsletter Account:

The June meeting of the Science Fiction Association of Bergen County was held on Saturday, June 8, 2002 at Borders Books & Music in Ramsey, New Jersey. Artists Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were the meeting's guest speakers.

Borders surprised us by informing us when we arrived that the event had been relocated to the cafe because the store had recently rearranged and compressed its floorspace. There was nothing to do but try to make the best of it. Actually, things didn't work out too badly except when the steamed milk machine was used.

Although Borders is the closest superstore to the club’s normal meeting site, most club members had never been there. This cut down on attendance at the Final Frontier's discussion of ENTERPRISE. People kept arriving and going shopping for books, movies and music. The small group that huddled in the front to discuss the show reported having a good time.

Like many other young lads of their generation, twin brothers Greg and Tim Hildebrandt were entranced with science fiction and horror comics, animation, movies, and other weirdness. They recounted tales of doing stop action animation and super 8 movies as kids. Their guardian angels must have worked overtime to prevent them from burning down the house, blowing up the barn, and incurring serious harm from their early cinematic efforts.

Surving into young adulthood with both their enthusiasm and bodies intact, the duo moved to Chicago and found jobs with a studio that produced training films for businesses and the government. While there, they met and learned from artists who had once worked for Fleisher Studios.

This led to documentary work for Archbishop Fulton Sheen and a relocation to New York City. The boys had a falling out with the Church while producing a documentary about problems in Africa. They had in the interim, however, made contacts in the New York advertising community.

The brothers started illustrating children's books in the 60's. Although their work was technically proficient, they felt stifled because they were asked to copy the style of other children's book artists.

This all changed when they saw the first Tolkien calendar. The last page contained a notice inviting artists to submit their portfolios for consideration for the following year's calendar. The brothers were already Tolkien fans, Tim having been introduced to THE HOBBIT by Bishop Sheen. They blew the competition away, doing three consecutive Lord of the Rings calendars, and became genre superstars.

A different milestone in their career was the movie poster for the first STAR WARS film. While visiting an advertising agency, they saw black and white stills from the forthcoming Mel Brooks flick, YOUNG FRANKENSTEIN. They were entranced, and begged to be given a shot at the movie poster. The deadline for submissions was in 36 hours, and the other artists who were under consideration had had weeks to polish their pitch. The brothers worked non stop to beat the deadline. The assignment went to another artist, though.

The agency remembered the Hildebrandt's ability to deliver good work under tight deadlines. When things fell apart at the last minute for the poster for STAR WARS, the boys were called in to save the day. They were told that the actors were no names and worked without photo reference. Since no one was expecting a smash, they were not only told to sign the poster--a rarity for artists doing these assignments, but that they would also make their names prominent in order to help sell tickets.