Page Created: 09/25/10. Last Updated: 10/29/10. Last Google Group Page Update: 12/07/07.
TOM KIDD
His website is: http://spellcaster.com/tomkidd/
MEETING SUMMARY:
Meeting Date: October 14, 2006.
Meeting Site: Saddle River Valley Cultural Center.
Official Attendance: 21.
Meeting Program: Viewing of Science Fiction Artwork.
Notes:
Meeting Memories:
Newsletter Account:
The following information is reprinted with permission from THE STARSHIP EXPRESS Copyright 2006 Philip J De Parto.
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Science fiction illustrator Tom Kidd was the evening's speaker. A reconstruction of Philip De Parto's introduction of Tom follows:
"Of the early life of Tom Kidd, little is known with certainty. Tales of his origin are all exotic, and all contradictory. One popular theory traces his lineage to an abandoned government research station in Canada's Northwest Territories. Another avers that he was raised by wolves in remote Tibet.
"The first definite sighting of Mr Kidd occurred in 1969, chained to a stone altar in Nepal by Yetis who were preparing to sacrifice him and read his entrails. He was saved by his brave, beautiful, and extremely directionally challenged future wife, Andrea Montague, who had gotten separated from her party while hiking in New Hampshire.
"Tom's rugged good looks and lack of social graces soon made him one of the nation's top models. When another model told him that he ought to be in pictures, Kidd took the advice to heart. He purchased paint and canvas, and was soon doing body art by diving off a ladder onto a paint-covered canvas.
"This proved to be a questionable decision on his part, as Mr Kidd quickly discovered that he was allergic to paint. Andrea again saved the day by suggesting that her husband use a paint brush. The rest is history.
"As you can see from the early book covers I am passing around, Tom followed the adage of painting what you know. The paintings are of dinosaurs, aliens and monsters. And so I give you our guest, Tom Kidd."
Tom stated that I had got almost everything right except that Andrea has a very good sense of direction.
For the second month in a row, the low turnout for the evening worked in our favor. Technical difficulties prevented the use of the club's 26" monitor, so Tom displayed his slide show on his laptop.
The topic of Tom's presentation was failure. Specifically, his failure to sell his magnum opus, the Gnemo project. This requires a bit of explanation.
Tom had been a successful book cover illustrator for about eight years when he conceived the idea for Gnemo. Gnemo is an artist who has been transported to a fantasy world where he has earned a living illustrating the exotic people and creatures he found there.
Like fellow artist Jim Gurney's Dinotopia, the world of Gnemo would be the creation and vision of an artist who would be the owner of the property and not a hired hand working for a commission. Mr Kidd developed a back story for the artist and the world, and soon had many of the essential elements in place: lighter than air flying machines, rugged mountains, Olympic monuments, flying lizards, and so on.
The concept and visuals were impressive enough to interest many parties in the project, but something always seemed to go wrong. Thus there is no Gnemo television series, no movies, no theme park, not even a book devoted to his artwork.
But if Gnemo has been a failure, it has been a most curious failure. Several companies have commissioned book covers by "Gnemo." It was instrumental in landing him a job at Disney doing design work for TREASURE PLANET. It helped him get an assignment to do over a dozen full color illustrations for both THE WAR OF THE WORLDS and THE THREE MUSKETEERS.
The artist brought prints and books for sale, and paintings for examination. KIDDOGRAPHY: THE ART & LIFE OF TOM KIDD, a hardcover available from Paper Titer (ISBM 1-84340-201-7) for $ 29.95 is a recommended purchase.