James Bama's SAVAGE Paintings

The Man of Bronze?

What's going on here? Did Bama's original Doc have hair?

The Majii

The Midas Man

The Terror in the Navy

BAMA Interview (1969) - Part 2

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As we continue from yesterday, I have another admission. I had no idea James Bama had painted the cover for the first Star Trek book - a cover I have long admired. Sheesh. I need to look into what else he's done.

Once again, this interview, conducted by Bob Napier & Bob Jaunillo, appeared in their 1969 zine Comickazi. Over to you, Bob, Bob, and Bama . . . . . .

Do you work at home or in a studio?
I worked in a studio for fourteen years, but I have worked at home for the last four.

Who would you say has inspired your work more than anyone else?
Norman Rockwell and Andrew Wyeth.

What do you think about the comics of your youth compared to those of today?
I really have no thoughts on comics except that when I was a kid they seemed more exciting. We had no TV then, and I loved Flash Gordon, Tarzan, Mandrake, the Phantom, Terry and the Pirates and Buck Rogers. I think they were better and more heroic than today’s strips.

A glance at any bookstand reveals quite a plethora of “Bama covers”. You must be kept real busy since you are so well known.
I am too well known. I had an unlisted number in New York and I still got business calls every week. I could have worked 200 hours a day. I get at the least, a fan letter a week. In my chosen field, I was too well known and that’s why I left New York; to live a more normal life and do what I want in art.

In that case you must command a good sum for your work. Can you tell us how much you usually get for a cover painting?
No, I have a personal contract and I can not divulge my prices.

That’s understandable. How about schooling? Did you ever attend art school?
Yes. I studied at the Art Student League in New York for three and half years with Frank J. Reilly after World War II.

How do you get your ideas for your paperback covers?
Either from a client conference, or, as in the case of the Doc Savages, by reading the book.

Do you ever do ghost work?
No.

Wat do you think of the sudden rash of artists who mimic your style?
I think it’s flattering.

The illustrator we think comes closest to your style is Peter Carras (Carras did the KKK cover at left - Ed.). Do you know him?
He’s one of my best friends.

What do you think is the best way for an artist to break into cover illustrating?
Do good realism and watch the trends; then make the rounds.




Any other advice for prospective young artists?
There’s always room for a good realistic artist.

What do you consider to be the greatest example of your work to date?
My own paintings done out here.

Care to tell us your full name?
James E. Bama.

Do you have any closing words to add?
Guess that’s it!

©1969 Jaunillo-Napier

Ed. Note: The cover below, for The Toyman Rides Again, is a non-Bama. Too bad. Had Mr. B known his old

pen-pal Bob was in need of a cavalry cover, he doubtless would have jumped at the chance. Still, Five Star did a fine job. In this one, the eagerly-awaited sequel to Love, Death and the Toyman, Tacoma toy dealer Jack Lorentz is recruited to join a troop of reenactors on their way to the Little Bighorn. Threats have been made on the troop's "Custer", and the notoriety Jack gained from his previous case makes him the best man for the job. Watch out, Jack! There may still be angry Sioux on the loose. The book is due out next month and now available for pre-order.

BAMA Interview (1969) - Part 1

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Me talking: I've been a James Bama fan since I was 14 and bought my first Doc Savage paperback. Over the years it came to my attention he'd done some western covers, and later moved into serious western painting. But until I started hunting up artwork to accompany this interview, I didn't know he'd done pulps. And I sure didn't know he'd painted the box art for all those great Aurora monster models.

Cap'n Bob Napier and his co-editor Bob Jaunillo conducted this interview by mail for their first and only issue of Comickazi, published in 1969. It's reprinted here by kind permission of Mr. Napier. Here goes . . . . . .

For openers let’s find out a little bit about yourself, like where you were born and when.
I was born on April 28, 1928 in New York City.

Do you still live there?
No, I now make my home in Cody, Wyoming.

What hobbies or interests do you have outside of art?
Sports - I still play basketball, hike, ride and lift weights.

How about your art? When did you first become interested in it?
I’ve been interested in art ever since childhood.

Do you remember where your first printed work appeared?
Yes, it was in Sporting News when I was 15 years old.

What was your first professional job as an artist?
I have always free-lanced.

Did you ever think of following a career other than art?
I had always planned to be an artist.

You have the ability to use colors more effectively than most of the other cover illustrators working today. What techniques to you employ and what materials do you use?
Well, I try to put every cover in a color mood so it will read easily. I use oil paints on illustration board prepared with Shiva underpainting white.

As an artist, do you have a goal that you want to reach?
Yes, I want to do heroic, meaningful paintings in fine art.

Who are your personal favorites in the field of art and why?
Andrew Wyeth is the artist I most admire. He is the complete painter: conception and execution. Rembrandt is my all-time hero. He put life on canvas better than anyone ever did.

What is your opinion as to the direction art is taking today?
Modern art is really entertainment, “show business”, and requires a new act all the time. Good realism always has a permanent market.

You’ve painted most of the Doc Savage covers to date. Do you ever read the contents?
I’ve read all of the Doc Savages and I also conceived the covers for them.

Generally, what kind of reading material do you favor?
The classics, and the Sunday Times in New York.

While we are at it, who are your favorite authors?
Dostoyevsky, Dickens, etc.

OK, to get back to art, how long does it take you to produce a cover painting for a paperback book?
About five days.

Would you rather continue as you are now or go on to something else, say a strip or commercial work?
I have done commercial work for twenty years and I hate it! I will never do it again. I haven’t wanted to do a strip since I was seventeen years old, when Alex Raymond was my hero. I only do book covers now and paint for myself.

©1969 Jaunillo-Napier

Part 2 (The End) tomorrow. 

COOL BAMA LINKS:

Doc Savage Covers
Western Art

Note: Killer Bait is from the collection of Mr. James Reasoner