(Topic ID: 94074)

Is Gordon Morison still alive?

By PhilGreg

9 years ago


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  • 78 posts
  • 35 Pinsiders participating
  • Latest reply 3 years ago by pinwiztom
  • Topic is favorited by 3 Pinsiders

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There are 78 posts in this topic. You are on page 2 of 2.
14
#51 6 years ago

Sadly this wonderful (but also sad) toppic has dried off, so I will try to resurrect it because Mr Morison definitevely deserves it.
Have a look at this, maybe not everyone knows it.
In the upper right side you can read
GORDON MORISON
AD POSTERS 78

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#52 6 years ago

Just in case this page disappears, copied and quoted below.

But there are actually quite a lot of interesting articles, including a bunch by Russ Jensen. http://www.scholzroland.de/VPStuff/

GORDON’S MORISON’S PINBALL ART CLASS 101 SEMINAR
(PINBALL EXPO 2000)
by Russ Jensen

Rob Berk introduced the speaker for this seminar, Dr. Keith Egging, who he told us was a game designer for the Japanese game company Taito, and had been a good friend of artist Gordon Morison.

Keith began by telling us that he was going to present “a Gordon Morison pinball art class”. He then commented that designers give pinballs their “personalities”, while artists give them their “soul”. He next told us he was first going to tell a little of his personal history in the industry.

After commenting that he first got involved with pinballs about 50 years ago as a shop helper, then a mechanic, and then as an operator when he bought a Williams GUSHER, Keith told of while going to medical school operating jukeboxes and pingames on campus. He then commented that he didn’t graduate in the top of his class because of the demands of the route.

Keith next told us that Gordon started doing coin-op art on electro-mechanical games, and then on solid state. He then commented that Gordon originally used a process known as “spot color” , where certain colors were used in certain places. Later, he continued, Gordon got involved with the “4-color Process” which led to his use of computers.

We were then told that Gordon suffered a heart attack in 1980, but sometime after that he went to work for Stern, and later went to an advertising agency. Keith then told us that at the age of 70 Gordon would work 60 to 80 hours a week doing “everything” – all kinds of advertising art!

Keith next told us that he loved Gordon’s artwork, and that he was a good friend who he misses very much! He then remarked that Gordon gave the industry a “soul”. After next commenting that Gordon didn’t like to sign much of his art, Keith told us that Gordon often “lifted” the work of others, adding that he also had a “wicked sense of humor”.

We were next told that Gordon “never grew up” and that he loved comic books, cartoons, and toys. Keith then said that Gordon eventually died of lung cancer, adding that it was hard for him to go on without him. He then said that some artists today are also great. At that point Keith started showing a “slide show”, showing us some of Gordon’s non-pinball art.

Keith then told us that Gordon loved computers and wished he could have learned more about them. He then started telling a little about Gordon’s house which he said was a “strange house” with various types of art all over it, including such things as gargoyles. Keith then said Gordon also liked dragons, Egyptian things, and space.

At that point we were shown a slide showing an example of what was called the “stripping technique” in creating art. Keith then told us that he first met Gordon in Milwaukee, he then commenting that Gordon had “flexible ethics”, a term he told us that Gordon himself had coined. He next told of Gordon having to leave Adverting Posters Co. due to a flap over him “borrowing” some art involving Tarzan.

Keith next told us that Gordon owned thousands of picture books, and that he loved the cartoon character Scooby Doo, and also liked to play with toys. He then told us that Gordon was born in Indiana but claimed to be Canadian, adding that he liked to run and was married twice, the second time only three weeks before his death.

We were then given the Internet address (URL) of a website devoted to Gordon, but sadly I recently learned that that site is no longer available on the Internet. Keith next told us that Gordon said he did art work for over 200 pinballs, although he claimed a few which he didn’t do. In Gordon’s mind, he went on, he was “the only artist on the planet”, adding that Gordon believed that Art Deco gave pingames “soul”.

After then telling us that all the women depicted in Gordon’s backglasses were his girlfriends, Keith ended his presentation by telling us that Gordon’s initials were “GAM”. He then asked if we had any questions?

The first question asked was what games Keith himself had designed for Taito? He answered his only game was an advanced concept pin game for Taito Brazil and a 3D pingame for Taito Japan neither of which “saw the light of day”. He said he did however create a skill game called ICE COLD BEER for Taito America that sold over 12,000 units. The final question was what Gordon’s middle initial stood for, Keith answering “Alexander”. The seminar then ended with Keith being given a good round of applause!

2 months later
#53 5 years ago

I wish he were still around. Would love to hear more about his backglasses and what he felt were his most important/favorite/roughest/etc artworks that he worked on.

#54 5 years ago

He had an interesting "cookie cutter" cartoon style for the face and expressions.

#55 5 years ago

Gordon Morrison was to pinball art what Steve Ritchie is to pinball flow...KING.

#56 5 years ago
Quoted from PhilGreg:

Is Gordon Morison still alive?

He lives on through his art.

A noble achievement!

#57 5 years ago

He will always be my favorite artist. Strange World and Centigrade 37 are two of the greatest masterpieces ever in pinball art.

#58 5 years ago
Quoted from Frippertron:

He will always be my favorite artist. Strange World and Centigrade 37 are two of the greatest masterpieces ever in pinball art.

Spoken by a man who has never seen Now!

#59 5 years ago

Yes, where would pinball be without all the goofy faced cartoon dudes and works of art like Jungle and Team One.

#60 5 years ago
Quoted from CrazyLevi:

Spoken by a man who has never seen Now!

Quoted from o-din:

Yes, where would pinball be without all the goofy faced cartoon dudes and works of art like Jungle and Team One.

C'mon - really?!

How about Dimension, Captain Card, Jacks Open, Target Alpha, Joker Poker, and many other classic 70's backglasses that he did?

#61 5 years ago

The king of thunder thighs and giant jugs!

#62 5 years ago
Quoted from jrpinball:

The king of thunder thighs and giant jugs!

Isn't that R. Crumb?

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#63 5 years ago
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:

C'mon - really?!
How about Dimension, Captain Card, Jacks Open, Target Alpha, Joker Poker, and many other classic 70's backglasses that he did?

Put it this way. I've had a few of his, but the novelty didn't last very long. Solar City was probably here the longest. Wanted to like Surfer, but couldn't hang with the goofy faces. And the psychedelic stuff seemed more like it belonged in the 60s. Kind of glad it wasn't though.

All it took was bringing in more appealing to me pinball art such as those done by Parker, Molentin, and Stenholm, to realize what I wanted to look at every day.

Glad he has so many fans though, as that makes it easier to get the ones I care for. I don't have any more Ems from the 70s any way, so it all works out just fine.

When I did play pinball in the 70s, it was Christensen's art that attracted me the most. And still does.

#64 5 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

All it took was bringing in more appealing to me pinball art such as those done by Parker, Molentin, and Stenholm, to realize what I wanted to look at every day.

Those are my favorite pinball artists too. I was never really into Morrison's art even though he did do great work. (Everyone to their own)

#65 5 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

All it took was bringing in more appealing to me pinball art such as those done by Parker, Molentin, and Stenholm, to realize what I wanted to look at every day.
Glad he has so many fans though, as that makes it easier to get the ones I care for. I don't have any more Ems from the 70s any way, so it all works out just fine.
When I did play pinball in the 70s, it was Christensen's art that attracted me the most. And still does.

I pretty much like all EM pinball artists' work to varying degrees too, but I'd definitely trade you Christensen for Morison if it came down to it.

(tomato/tomahto)

#66 5 years ago
Quoted from Tuna_Delight:

I pretty much like all EM pinball artists' work to varying degrees too, but I'd definitely trade you Christensen for Morison if it came down to it.

It's funny as most of my friends that come over are the same way and when he sold a Morrison game, I think it was a 300, or one of those bowling games, the guy asked why he was selling it he said "I don't like the artist or the artwork and the gameplay isn't that great" He said the dude was kind of shocked. lol

Hey I like some of Christian Marche's art very much, especially the early stuff, but by the mid 70s some is just way out there with too much pointnyness. But again a win for me as my collection specializes in late 60s and prior games anyway.

You can keep pretty much all the 70s EMs now, because they came and went here already. Like I said, I'm glad the art I like the most, came on the games I like to play the most.

And remember, as always, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

#67 5 years ago
Quoted from o-din:

Wanted to like Surfer

My personal favorite backglass.

(runner up: Road Race by Art Stenholm)

#68 5 years ago

His best work was on the lamest games - Dragon, Sinbad, Torch, etc.

8 months later
#69 5 years ago

found this if anyone is interested. Talented Amazing man to do that much work on so many machines. Genie is my favorite.

https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Creator/GordonMorison

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#70 5 years ago

pinball "designer" ?!

#71 5 years ago

Gordon Morison did fantastic art for pinball. Personally my favorite is Jungle Queen. Just great stuff, the use of as Tim Arnold said garish colors in his old vhs tapes.but they really pop.

1 year later
#72 3 years ago

I like vintage snowmobile stuff and just picked up this 1969 board game. The art sure looks like the work of Gordon Morison to me? Especially in the guys face.

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#73 3 years ago

No.

#74 3 years ago
Quoted from AlexF:

I like vintage snowmobile stuff and just picked up this 1969 board game. The art sure looks like the work of Gordon Morison to me? Especially in the guys face.

Hmmm...

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#75 3 years ago

Alright, alright. Well, this work is more detailed than typical pinball art. He's got those big teeth, dimpled jowls and black eyes. A little bit of that exaggerated goofy look to him. If he had a cleft chin he'd look like some of the guys on Pro Football, Extra Inning or Pro pool. Obviously 1969 is before Gordon did pinball work but I'm sure he was a working commercial artist. Gordon isn't typically my favorite but I like the art on this game. Anyway maybe I'm reaching but he was the first thing that came to mind when I looked at that face.

#76 3 years ago

I think the face looks more like the work of Marvel/DC comic book artist the late great George Tuska.
Probably best known for his work on Iron Man and Luke Cage, Powerman,
and Superman daily comic strip and Buck Rogers in the 50s.
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#77 3 years ago

If it's not GM, they must have had the same art teacher!

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#78 3 years ago

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Self portrait??

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