#4 - Be Don Draper
I'm prone to hyperbole, and with the second season over as of this past Sunday, I'm tempted to declare Mad Men the Best Show On Television right now, as so many others before me have. But I'm a LOST fan through and through - and comparing the two shows is a classic Apples v. Oranges scenario - so I'll just have to say that Mad Men more than lives up to all the hype. And Lord knows there has been a growing snowball of hype.
I'm expecting the backlash to begin with the next season, but that's just because that's the way these things seem to go with popular shows. Creator Matthew Weiner has an impossibly good* product on his hands however, and if they stay focused, they'll weather the storm just fine. Everything from the actors - particularly show lead Jon Hamm as advertising/woman guru Don Draper - to the 1960s period set dressing is spot on and demands constant attention. And just when you can't figure out why you should care about someone as lecherous as Draper, you find yourself sympathizing with him and wishing you could hang out with the guy during one of his 3-hour martini lunches.
I really couldn't say much else about the show that hasn't already been praised ad nauseam, but I would suggest getting caught up on the past two seasons. Hell, I might even watch them with you if you asked. About the only other incentive I could offer is a totally gratuitous picture of the lovely ladies on the show, because that's about what you expect from the IHoB, isn't it?The title for this post comes from this great video short from last weekend's Hamm-hosted Saturday Night Live.
*That's how you do hyperbole right there.
A note about the artwork: I decided to do something in the style of Roy Lichtenstein's famous paintings, because that seemed to be the shorthand that everyone understands. But I really referenced a lot of work by comic greats of the '60s like John Romita, one of the many artists that Lichtenstein essentially ripped off. Sorry Art Lovers... the precious pop art guy was a hack. This explains it better than I could.
Labels: Mad Men, McGone sketches, Pop Art
posted by McGone at Tuesday, October 28, 2008
13 Comments:
I don't know about the Madmen craze you are going on about but... the art KICKS ASS! The moire pattern caught my eye for one...Genius McGone!
LOOOOOVE Mad Men. I started watching with episode one. This season has really been phenomenal.
It's too true. We should go back to wearing fedoras, dammit.
Wow, that link to Lichtenstein's swipe file was amazing. It was like Andy Warhol making art out of Campbell's soup cans, except he was making art out of something that was already art. It actually pisses me off, if you want to know the truth.
*shaking it off*
Your work here is amazing. It makes me want to see the show even more now. I was wondering if you were watching the SNL bit and if you thought it was funny.
First of all, the art is fantastic, so well done.
Secondly, I will catch up on this show, but I'll do it when I always do it: ten years after it's gone off the air and nobody talks about it anymore. Hell, I think the Wire was the best show ever, and I still only watched the first two seasons, despite owning the whole series on DVD. I'm just really, really lazy about television.
I just watched the finale last night. Whoa. That scene with Peggy and Pete was phenomenal. I think they have so many directions to take the show, it should be okay for at least the next season.
The show may be over hyped, but few people are still watching it (I think it gets less than 2 million viewers or something), so I say, hype away!
Also, excellent artwork. If I weren't so adverse to paying compliments to men I'd say you are incredibly talented.
Mad Men is wonderful.
And the SNL skit was hilarious!
Great post today, Gorgeous!
I haven't seen Mad Men yet (I know, scandalous) but those ladies make me want to drag out my vintage cocktail dresses and wear them to the grocery store or somewhere equally exciting in my daily life.
Va-va-voom, indeed.
You are so freakin' talented, McGone. I am constantly in awe.
In other news, my word ver ends in "peniz," which is totally awesome.
Um, your art is AWESOME!!! I love it. I want to see more of this exact style but on other TV shows, pleeeeease?!
sorry to get off subject, but did I mention that the Phillies are the World Series Champions?
I don't watch the show, but I did see the sketch on SNL, and it was pretty cool.
I like your artwork.
...makes me want to see the show now... the artwork rocks!
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