Hey, at least I didn't put a hospital gown on it! Click to open 'er up in a larger size.
C H O P — This is a fake ad for a real Mini. Back in the halcyon days of Autoweek's Combustion Chamber Forum, before it combusted for realz, one of the posters there bought a brand new Mini Cooper (sorry, can't remember his forum name!). He posted several photos of his new baby online. One night, instead of doing any modifications to the car itself, I decided to create a few ads for the new car. This one, "Say, Ah" was a natural when I saw the diminutive sports hatch with every orifice wide open, lol.
I've never worked in the advertising side of the art world, preferring to stay on the editorial side of publishing. As I used to so cunningly say, "I preferred to tell the story, rather than sell the story." Apparently I also preferred socks with holes in them rather than socks with argyles on them. Editorial art directors never made anywhere near the salaries of our advertising counterparts, but I never was sorry for my decision. Working in newspapers, magazines and books, had been a lifelong dream for me, well until it wasn't anymore and I started working on my own art. Early on, I fell in love with the joys of journalism, bringing people's stories to the fore, their tragedies and their triumphs, teachable moments in many cases to use the vernacular of the day, I still do on a freelance basis. I always felt it was the 'honest' side of publishing, scrupulously honest as opposed to trying to 'put one over' on unsuspecting customers, but the decline of that honesty in the past decade or so is sad to me. I've worked with some of the best reporters, editors, publishers and authors of their day, and for that I'll be eternally grateful. That's a post for another day...
I've modified this ad slightly from its AWCC origins. My friend June owns a British Racing Green Mini Cooper, and since today is her birthday (why didn't her parents name her July, lol?) I thought I'd 'paint' this Cooper's original dark gray finish BRG to look just like her cheeky little car. Happy Birthday, June!
