Introducing New Pop Culture Paper Dolls from Paper Studio Press!

Pop Culture Paper Dolls are Here!

It has been an exciting year for Paper Studio Press! A year ago at this time, I envisioned a whole new line of paper dolls inspired by all things pop culture. These new books would feature a variety of retro subjects, trivia games, fun facts and even recipes. Our wonderful artists got on board and they were soon busy at their drawing boards. By summer of 2018 we introduced our first two Pop Culture Paper Dolls: Broadway Sensations by Cory Jensen and Retro Space Girls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox. In September we published Kitchen Kitsch by newcomer Julie Allen Matthews. And in November, Dancing With Paper Dolls, another wonderful title by Brenda Sneathen Mattox, and Merry Movie Christmas by David Wolfe.

Pop Culture Paper Dolls - Now Available!

Many more projects are in the works and I am so grateful to our artists, collectors and even volunteers who have seemingly magically appeared to help keep our paper doll endeavors going. I'd especially like to thank Alina Kolluri for her marketing and promotion assistance and setting up our eBay store, Emi Lotto for starting our #paperdollpostcard campaign on Instagram, Martha Raively for proofreading and editing our books and magazines, and Cory Jensen for lending his computer design talents to many of our projects.

Here's the behind-the-scenes scoop on our first five Pop Culture Paper Dolls!

Broadway Sensations by Cory Jensen

Broadway was an obvious choice for Cory. Through his social media accounts @paperdollsbycory and Facebook, Cory has posted dozens of paper dolls paying tribute to his favorite theater stars. So when I asked him about publishing a book of Broadway stars, the answer was a quick yes! The original title was "Stage Stars," and fortunately along the way we changed it to the more glamorous "Broadway Sensations." Cory chose eight of his favorite stage stars: Julie Andrews, Barbra Streisand, Patti Lupone, Bernadette Peters, Heather Headley, Idina Menzel, Kristin Chenoweth and Audra McDonald. And he selected 16 costumes from Wicked, My Fair Lady, Gypsy, Funny Girl, The Lion King, Evita, Camelot, Porgy and Bess, Aida, Rent, I Can Get It for You Wholesale, Sunday in the Park with George, Shuffle Along and You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown. Cory and I worked on a set of trivia questions and Cory collaborated with David Wolfe on an essay about Broadway. Each inside page contains a doll and costumes, so the paper stock is a little heavier than normal, but not too heavy to cut and dress. Broadway Sensations, $12.50, is available from Amazon.com and PaperdollReview.com.

Sample pages from Broadway Sensations Paper Dolls by Cory Jensen

Font ideas and preliminary sketches.

Retro Space Girls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox

Some time ago, Brenda approached me with the idea of doing a paper doll book called "Space Babes" with costumes from sci-fi movies and TV shows. Frankly, the idea didn't appeal to me at all. So Brenda started on the art and planned to sell it as a self-published set. Then, around the time I started percolating on ideas for our Pop Culture line of paper dolls, Brenda sent samples of her art and I viewed it in a whole new light. If we change the name, give it a bold design and add trivia questions and factoids, we could indeed include it in our Pop Culture line-up. Although I'm not a fan of sci-fi movies and TV shows, I super love this book. The costumes are wonderfully whacky as are the movies and shows in which they're from. With the help of sci-fi fans Tracy Williams and Valerie Keller, we came up with a fun list of trivia questions and fun factoids. I hope you'll give Retro Space Girls a try! $12, available from Amazon.com and PaperdollReview.com.

Sample pages from Retro Space Girls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox.

We called on David Wolfe to come up with a bold design plan for Brenda's book. Here are mock-ups for the cover and clothes page. Brenda then painted all the extra elements, rocket, planets, etc., and Jenny assembled everything into the finished book.

Brenda's original concept for her space-age paper dolls.

Kitchen Kitsch Paper Dolls by Julie Allen Matthews

When we announced ideas for the new line of Pop Culture Paper Dolls, Julie was especially interested in the "Kitchen Kitsch" theme. She envisioned two mid-century ladies and a retro wardrobe representing eight kitschy themes: Rockin' Rockets, Country Chicks, Cool Cats, Polynesian Party, Western Cook-Out, An Apple a Day, Pretty Picnic and Ice Cream Social. Perfect! A long-time contributor to our Paper Doll Studio magazine, I was delighted to bring Julie into our Paper Studio Press stable of artists for her first published book. Working with digital drawing tools, Julie's work is always clean, clever, detailed and skillfully executed. Check out Julie's Paper Doll School Blog for oodles of her printable paper dolls.

Julie had tons of fun creating a mix-and-match wardrobe for her two paper doll hostesses. When I asked David Wolfe to write an essay on mid-century fashion trends, he suggested we offer recipes instead. So I enlisted the help of my foodie friend Liz Cody to research her old recipe books and come up with a retro fun recipe to go with each kitschy theme. Kitchen Kitsch Paper Dolls, $12, available from Amazon.com and PaperdollReview.com.

Sample pages from Kitchen Kitsch Paper Dolls by Julie Allen Matthews

Original cover concept on the left, and the final cover on the right.

Preliminary sketches and final renderings for the adorable "An Apple a Day" clothes page.

Dancing With Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox

After completing her "Retro Space Girls" book, Brenda was eager to start on another project. Inspired by the popular TV show, Dancing With the Stars, I thought it would be fun to send our paper dolls to the dance floor. Brenda's mom is a big fan of the show so she was delighted to delve into the world of dance.

Brenda and I decided that the book should have two dolls, male and female, and clothes representing various dance styles including jazz, salsa, jive, flamenco and waltz. But at that point, Brenda's vision differed from what I had in mind. Brenda's idea was to show more dance movement, putting the male and female costumes together on one stand. However, I thought they'd be too difficult to dress on the dolls and sent Brenda back to the drawing board. The professional that she is, Brenda didn't mind at all. Once I received the final art I sent copies to David Wolfe to go through the "David Dazzleometer" in which he comes up with a design concept for the book. His design was simple, a disco ball reflecting rays of light over an oval dance floor. Because this design would be best executed digitally, I called on Cory Jensen to create those elements. And to round out the book, we came up with a set of trivia questions and a synopsis for each dance stye. Dancing With Paper Dolls, $12, available from Amazon.com and PaperdollReview.com.

Sample pages from Dancing With Paper Dolls by Brenda Sneathen Mattox

Rejected costume designs, deemed "too energetic."

Mock-up cover design and final cover.

Merry Movie Christmas Paper Dolls by David Wolfe

Those of us lucky enough to be on David Wolfe's Christmas Card list have had the delight of receiving his classic star paper dolls each December since 2003. All of these paper dolls can be viewed on paperdollywood.com (under the David Wolfe tab). With the advent of our Pop Culture Paper Dolls, David and I thought it would be fun to turn his Christmas Paper Dolls into a book. But rather than recycle his previous artwork, David came up with eight new pages of holiday paper dolls representing characters and costumes from It's a Wonderful Life, Meet Me in St. Louis, White Christmas, A Christmas Story, Holiday Affair, Miracle on 34th Street, National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation and Elf. We're hoping the book will be so popular that David will get to do a volume 2! Merry Movie Christmas, $12.50, available from Amazon.com and PaperdollReview.com.

Sample pages from Merry Movie Paper Dolls by David Wolfe.

One of David's early paper doll Christmas cards, Auntie Mame from 2008.

What Jenny is Watching: Fall Favorites 2018

Oh, what to watch—or stream as the case may be—when there are approximately one zillion options these days? Here are my fall favorites from Netflix, Amazon Prime, Hulu and Network TV:

KIM’S CONVENIENCE (Netflix) – Such a fun find! A Canadian sitcom about the Kim family who run a corner convenience store in Toronto. The story centers around the generational clash between the parents (with charming accents) and their first generation kids—Janet, college art student, and older son Jung who’s on the outs with his father. A fun cast of supporting characters rounds out this light and refreshing sitcom.

ATYPICAL (Netflix) – A dramady about a Sam Gardner (Keir Gilchrist), a high-school boy on the autism spectrum, and his family that must cope with Sam’s issues and their own. Shows are around 30 minutes each and very bingeable, with just eight episodes in season one and ten episodes in season two.

CRAZY EX GIRLFRIEND (Netflix) - How have I lived the last three years not knowing about this show? A quirky comedy WITH musical theater-style musical numbers? That’s the perfect formula for me. Episode one introduces Rebecca Bunch (Rachel Bloom), a wackadoodle who has managed to achieve academic and career success even though she lapses into musical numbers under times of stress and excitement. After bumping into her former boyfriend from camp, she becomes instantly infatuated to the point of quitting her job as a high-powered real estate attorney in NYC and moving to his town of West Covina, California. The show is now in its 4th season on The CW, and the first three seasons are currently available on Netflix.

THE GOOD COP (Netflix) – Oh, how I miss MONK, my idea of the perfect cop show—low on violence, high on quirky character development. And now Monk’s creator (Andy Breckman) has come up with a new cop-comedy-drama about a clean cut by-the-book NYPD lieutenant (Josh Groban) and his corrupt ex-cop father (Tony Danza). Like Monk, the crimes are not terribly gruesome and Groban’s character is very likable. Unlike Monk, the main character does not come with a host of delightful neuroses.



WORTH IT (Amazon Prime) – In each tightly edited episode, around 8-15 minutes in length, two millennials, Steven and Andrew, along with camera man Adam, try the same dish at three different price points to determine which one is “worth it.” Their youthful banter and enthusiasm makes me feel like I’m on the journey with them, delighting in their experience of trying new things. My favorite part is when they taste the expensive, luxury dish. This is when the orchestral music starts and the video plays in slow motion so we can observe their reaction of surprise, delight, awe and wonder as they taste things like white truffle topped pasta, a gold-crusted donut or a $777 burger. Which dish is worth it? You'll have to watch to find out...



FOREVER (Amazon Prime)  – Rummaging through shows on Amazon or Netflix, I picked this one because of the title image featuring Fred Armisen and Maya Rudolph in front of a b&w suburban backdrop. Two dynamic, talented actors in one series? Yes, I’ll give it a go. The show is about a couple who decides to spice up the routine of their marriage by going on a ski trip. After that, I can’t say because I don’t want to give away the surprising plot line. 

MONK (Amazon Prime) – See “The Good Cop,” above. Thank you, Amazon Prime, for bringing Monk back to us. These episodes are old-friends, keeping me company in the kitchen, and making cooking and clean-up more enjoyable. 

THE GOLDEN GIRLS (Amazon Prime) – Speaking of old friends… Again, thank you, Amazon Prime, for making seven seasons of The Golden Girls available any time I need to spend quality time with Dorothy, Blanche, Rose and Sophia. 

THE JASON SHOW (Hulu) – In a media landscape occupied by controversy and venomous reporting, I have found a safe haven in The Jason Show. A daily talk-entertainment show out of Minnesota, this low-budget production found its way to Hulu. The host, Jason Matheson, covers pop culture topics as well as the entertainment scene around the Twin Cities. I love the campiness of the set, the tiny audience and Jason’s bubbly personality.



YOUNG SHELDON (CBS) – Chris and I both love this SO MUCH. Brilliant casting, well-written, smart, funny, touching. A perfect sitcom. 

THE BIG BANG THEORY (CBS) – Like the rest of America, I just can’t get enough of this series. I’m sad this is the last season. 

DANCING WITH THE STARS (ABC) – A habit I can’t seem to give up. I like it all: the good dancing, the bad dancing, the costumes, the band, the judges, the pros, the amazing production and finally, the “stars.” 

SURVIVOR (CBS) – New to this franchise, this is my second season. This is one show I like watch on the big living room TV to take in the extraordinary beauty of the filming location, Fiji.

THE GOOD PLACE (NBC) – I do love me a quirky sitcom, and The Good Place ranks right up there with other all-time favorites like PUSHING DAISIES (ABC 2007-2009, now streaming on Amazon Prime), SCHITT'S CREEK (POP TV, seasons 1-4 now streaming on Netflix) and WONDERFALLS (Fox 2004, DVD available on Amazon.com). 

THE GREAT BRITISH BAKING SHOW (PBS) – I’m behind on the latest series, so when in need of gentle television, I’ve been plucking away at episodes on my DVR. Seasons 1-5 are currently streaming on Netflix.

Paper Dolls are Having a Good Week in Pop Culture!

From my basement office in Kingfield, Maine, to the airways across North America and beyond, paper dolls have been catapulted into the pantheon of pop culture!

Last Tuesday, my own little paper doll company, Paper Studio Press, got a huge plug on LA Daily, my favorite show about "all things pop culture" on SiriusXM's Entertainment Weekly Radio Channel 105. Through social media, I connected with show host Julia Cunningham over our mutual love of indie films. Her daily reports from the 2017 SCAD Savannah Film Festival inspired me to start my own #indiemoviemarathon, watching one or two indie films every couple of weeks at the Railroad Square Cinema in Waterville, Maine.

Julia Cunningham, host of LA Daily on SiriusXM Channel 105

When award season rolled around, I was ready, having seen most every film nominated. To celebrate, I sent Julia a care package of paper dolls including David Wolfe's Fashions That Rocked and Wrecked the Red Carpet. Soon after, Julia enthusiastically talked about my publishing company and our paper dolls on her show. That evening in December, while wrapping Christmas gifts and listening to Julia boast about paper dolls on LA Daily, an idea sparked in my head: start a line of Pop Culture Paper Dolls. This new line would feature pop culture subjects, both retro and contemporary, and the books would include fun elements like a trivia quiz, pop culture tidbits and even retro recipes. I put the word out to paper doll collectors and artists, and the ideas... and art... quickly came in.

The first two books in this new series came out this month: Retro Space Girls, by Brenda Sneathen Mattox, and Broadway Sensations, by Cory Jensen. I immediately sent copies to Julia and she immediately mentioned them on her show, between her report of the VMAs and her interview with James Brolin! Not only did she mention these books, she read half of my letter on air and encouraged her listeners to collect paper dolls! Please check out her show, LA Daily on SiriusXM Channel 105 and follow her on Twitter and Instagram. Thank you, Julia! You are the best! 

Now if that wasn't enough excitement for one week, this morning I got news that the new Decoder Ring Podcast for Slate Magazine has been released. The subject? PAPER DOLLS!!

Decoder Ring is a podcast about cracking cultural mysteries. Each month the hosts take on a cultural question, object, idea, or habit and speak with experts, historians, and obsessives to figure out where it comes from, what it means, and why it matters. And for the month of August, 2018, the podcast opens a very interesting window into the cultural history of paper dolls, focusing on the life story of our own David Wolfe.

Paper Doll of David Wolfe by Benjamin Frisch

Co-host Benjamin Frisch interviewed several of us in the paper doll world including artist Cory Jensen, collector Emi Lotto and myself. For the interview with David, a sound crew was sent to his apartment in Palm Springs, CA. During the three-hour interview, David talked about playing with paper dolls as a little boy and how he had to hide them in the bottom of a drawer. Growing up in Ohio in the 1950s, being gay wasn't even a consideration. Being a sissy was taboo, yet David managed to dress up for Halloween as Carmen Miranda several years in a row. David escaped into a world of fantasy through glamorous movies and drawing paper dolls. That passion laid the groundwork for his very successful career in fashion illustration and trend forecasting. As he approached retirement years, he returned to his childhood love of drawing paper dolls. David revealed a lot about his difficult family life; his mother and brother both suffered from mental illness. Before the podcast was released, David worried that he'd sound like "a dotty old queen." Oh, David, the podcast is BRILLIANT. His story is interesting, compelling, impressive and heart-warming. OK, I am bias, but I think you'll agree! 

Please listen to Decoder Ring: The Paper Doll Club. Woven through David's story is the cultural connection of paper dolls to fashion, creativity, nostalgia and queerness. Plus song snippets from the Mills Brothers' hit "Paper Doll" and Golden Records' "Paper Family." Thanks, Decoder Ring, for putting the pop culture spotlight on Paper Dolls!

Paper Family

Golden Records, 1952 

by Anne Lloyd, Michael Stewart, The Sandpipers, Mitchell Miller and Orchestra

There’s a paper man

in a paper house

on a paper street

in a paper town

in a little paper world

that belongs to me.

Every morning he

gives his paper wife

and his paper child

a paper kiss

and he goes to work

in a paper factory.

You may not believe

that they can move and walk.

But if you use your imagination,

dolls can even talk.

So take a few small pieces of paper,

and make yourself

a sweet little paper man

and a paper wife

and a paper boy

and a paper girl

and a paper dog

and a paper cat.

A paper family.

And if you use your imagination,

you will see that they can be

as real as you and me.

So make yourself

a paper man

and a paper wife

and a paper boy

and a paper girl

and a paper dog

and a paper cat.

A paper family.

Move Over Disney World, a Paper Doll Convention is the Happiest Place on Earth

The 2018 Paper Doll Convention is now a memory, or rather a multitude of memories. Hosted by Sharry and Micheal O’Hara, July 4-8 in Seattle, WA, it was truly an Entertainment Extravaganza, which was appropriately the theme of this year’s event.

A rare Scouting set from the collection of Lorna Currie Thomopolous.

You know what’s the most important thing about a paper doll convention? Paper dolls you might say? While paper dolls are the common denominator, it’s the people who make it an enriching, fun, heart-warming experience.

People + paper dolls = the perfect world. Why? First, let’s talk about paper dolls. This seemingly innocuous paper plaything can spark joy, memories, history, artistry and imagination. During the first half of the 20th century, paper dolls were the number one pastime for many girls. With a paper doll book, you could get a lot of bang for your buck, or dime as the case was back in the day. And paper dolls were readily available in women’s and children’s magazines and newspapers, too.

In today’s throw-away world, we are lucky that previous generations saved those precious paper playthings, and we get to see a dizzying number of them at our annual conventions. The sales room offers a plethora of vintage paper dolls, enticing buyers to add to their collections, start collecting a new subject or reunite with a beloved treasure from childhood. Rare, special paper dolls are on display in the Competition and Special Exhibits room. It’s like having our own mini paper doll museum, marking history through subjects and fashion.

Antique treasures on display in the Competition room.

More treasures from Competition and Special Exhibits. The paper doll on the right was made by my Grammy in the '70s!

And then there’s the artistry! Paper dolls wouldn’t exist without the talented artists who imagined, designed, illustrated and painted them. Stand-outs from the past include Queen Holden, Hilda Miloche, Louise Rumley and Norman Mingo to name a few. Artists of today have become celebrities at paper doll conventions. During a panel discussion at this year’s event, Susie Fisher expressed sentiments felt by so many of us when she shared that her favorite part of the convention was meeting the artists she had admired for years including Norma Lu Meehan, Bruce Patrick Jones, David Wolfe, Kwei-lin Lum and Brenda Sneathen Mattox. These and many other wonderful artists keep paper dolls alive for today’s collectors and future generations. 

Kevin Wilkins, Brenda Sneathen Mattox and Norma Lu Meehan in the Artists Gallery.

And that brings me to the people. A paper doll convention is populated with so many interesting and talented people! During our “Getting to Know You” panel discussion we found out that Susie Fisher is a world traveler, Valerie Keller works as a video editor and Syra Beth Puett is an actress.

Our amazing collectors and artists have so much to contribute, and we get to experience their passions through enriching workshops and programs. For example, you could turn yourself into a movie star paper doll in a workshop with Beverly Micucci, make an articulated dancing doll with Sylvia Kleindinst, create a shadowbox wardrobe with Brenda Sneathen Mattox or decorate Dolly Levi with David Wolfe and Sharry O’Hara.

Reflecting the convention theme of Entertainment Extravaganza, our programs included topics such as Vaudeville, British musicians, Star Trek fashions, theatre posters and showgirl headdresses. We were also treated to a very special program given by Karolyn Grimes about her experiences as a child actress, in particular her role of Zuzu Bailey from the Christmas classic, “It’s a Wonderful Life.” Click here for a detailed description of all of the 2018 workshops and programs. 

Workshop and Competition fun.

Each year the convention follows a similar format. Wednesday: optional tour and welcome reception. Thursday: workshops, programs, artists gallery. Friday: sales room. Saturday: competition, special exhibits, programs, raffle. Sunday morning: program. And there are typically three banquet dinners, often with dress-up themes and entertainment. And... tons of amazing paper doll souvenirs!

Because Sharry and Micheal are involved in community theatre, we were treated to extra special performances. On Wednesday, in celebration of the 4th of July, we enjoyed a mini-performance of the Broadway show, “1776,” and on Friday we were serenaded with a selection of showtunes by the Bodacious Ladies. Each day, we appreciated the exuberant enthusiasm and thoughtful details put into every aspect of our convention by our hosts, Sharry and Micheal O’Hara. 

Dressed up for Broadway, in celebration of "The Great White Way."

Although the programs, workshops and events make for an good time, the real reason I attend year after year is to spend time with the people who have become so dear to me that it feels more like a family reunion. Even if there was nothing at all on the schedule, I’d still make the trip to connect with close friends… and make new ones. The connections I’ve made in the paper doll community have enriched my life in so many ways. Paper doll people are inspiring, entertaining, interesting, supportive and loving.

Here are some of my favorite memories: 

SIGHTSEEING WITH KWEI-LIN LUM. Starting with an Azuki donut in the Chinatown-International District and ending up at the top of the Space Needle, we had a glorious day together before the convention kicked in. 

Kwei-lin and I enjoyed an Azuki donut at at Fuji Bakery.

NEW ROOMIE. Tracy Williams is kooky in the best way. At one point Tracy said she appreciated that I accepted her eccentricities. Accept them? I celebrate them! 

Who illustrated a whole collection of drag queens on paper plates? Tracy did!

PICKING UP LAURA CUSHING-KIDNEY. OK, it wasn’t like picking up someone in a bar… During a fun photo op, Laura was being silly and kicked her leg in the air. Well, I grabbed her leg and then the other leg and picked her right up. She’s little and I’ve been weight training so it was easy for me, but Laura was terrified! I promised not to pick her up again, but we did vow to get together during the year since she lives just a few hours away. 

Color-coordinated with Laura Cushing-Kidney... feet on the floor!

MARTINIS WITH NORMA LU. This has become a tradition. Each year we find some down time to have a “sophisticated” get-together over martinis. This time we were joined by Norma Lu’s friend Lenore and we caught up on all the important topics in our lives. 

So happy to spend time with Norma Lu Meehan.

LUNCH WITH LINDA AND VAL. These two gals did a fantastic job running last year’s convention in Philadelphia. In contrast, this year they could simply enjoy the convention without all the stress and responsibility. The look of glee on their faces was priceless!

Linda Ocasio and Valerie Keller, previous convention hosts, especially enjoyed this year's event.

HASHTAGGING WITH BRENDA AND DAVID. OMG, this was the funniest time of the entire week. Hanging out in lounge chairs outside by the elevator on the third floor, David, Brenda and I got to talking about social media and hashtags. “What’s the purpose of a hashtag?” David asked. I explained that a hashtag can be used to identify and search for a topic on social media. As an example, a search for #roastingmarshmallows brought up more than 40,000 posts on Instagram. Now you can spend hours scrolling through those photos, clicking "like" and following people who posted those photos and their future posts. This entire concept prompted David to declare that civilization should end right now. HashtagDeathNow, we joked, and continued to hashtag everything we could think of, including people coming on and off the elevator. Our conversation ended with Brenda’s mic-dropping hashtag, #flatlivesmatter, the ultimate hashtag for paper dolls.

Brenda Sneathen Mattox, David Wolfe and Jenny Taliadoros... hashtag headdresses!

A DAY WITH SHARRY AND MICHEAL. After the convention I stayed an extra day to spend time with our warmly wonderful convention hosts. We had an amazing Thai lunch followed by a relaxing afternoon in the quaint seaside town of Gig Harbor, and then a stop by their house to meet their GIANT St. Bernards before a beautiful seafood dinner and finally saying tearful goodbyes at the airport for my overnight flight back to the east coast.

Cheers to Sharry and Micheal O'Hare for a spectacular convention!

It will be a year before I see most everyone again, but time goes by so quickly the 2019 Paper Doll Convention will be here before we know it. Pat O’Rourke will be hosting, and it promises to be another fun time with the theme Mystery, Murder and Mayhem! Will we have a #murdermysterydinner? I hope so! And I hope you are inspired to join us. It may seem like an expensive, time consuming endeavor, but for so many of us it’s a life changing experience, resulting in new friends, new opportunities and more happiness. And what could be better than that?

Click here for a printable flyer and sign-up form.

Drawn to Glamour: Fashion Illustrations by Jim Howard, the must-see exhibition at the Denver Art Museum

Lucky me! In May I traveled to the Denver Art Museum to see the spectacular exhibit of fashion illustration art by Jim Howard, my dear friend, colleague and (adopted) great-grandfather.

The exhibition Drawn to Glamour: Fashion Illustrations by Jim Howard runs through August 5, 2018. Please go see it!

Jim and I in pose in front of the Denver Art Museum in an artsy photo by Goran Vejvoda.

I found out about the exhibition in the spring of 2016 when Jim shyly revealed the news. A long-time resident of Denver, Jim was involved with the city's fashion scene which is how he connected with the two amazing women who organized the exhibition, Florence Müller, Avenir Foundation Curator of Textile Art and Fashion at the DAM, and Jane Burke, senior curatorial assistant of textile art and fashion at the DAM.

"This is a VERY BIG DEAL," Jim told me. He had to pinch himself to believe it was real. It's not often a living artist gets to see his or her own work on exhibition at a major museum, not to mention an artform that is rarely displayed at any museum.

Jim Howard's fashion illustration work IS a very big deal. At the top of his career, Jim's art appeared weekly in the New York Times, often full page, for luxe department stores including B. Altman, Saks Fifth Avenue, Bonwit Teller, Franklin Simon and Bloomingdale's. His dramatic, low-lit illustration style set him apart, creating a legacy of work that is studied in fashion schools today. Lucky for us, he retained many of his illustrations from the 1950s-'80s, and more than 100 of those works were selected for the exhibition. Jim generously donated the collection to the Denver Art Museum so hopefully the exhibition will travel. 

Visitors enjoying the Jim Howard Fashion Illustration Exhibition at the Denver Art Museum.

Some of Jim's earlier works were done in color.

One of my favorites is the portrait of  legendary editor Diana Vreeland, top left.

Last summer, when the exhibition was in the planning stages, several of us in the paper doll community made plans to travel to Denver to see it. The folks at the Denver Art Museum were so pleased that they organized an event around our visit—a panel discussion with three fashion illustrators-turned paper doll artists: Jim Howard, David Wolfe and Sandra Vanderpool. The talk was scheduled for Sunday, May 13, 2018, and I was asked to be the moderator.

What a wonderful panel discussion with David Wolfe, Sandra Vanderpool and Jim Howard. In the back I'm joined by Jane Burke of the Denver Art Museum.

It was wonderful to see kids interested in fashion illustration! 

The "Fashioning Illustration: Drawing to Glamour Panel Discussion" was a grand success! The theater was packed and the audience enjoyed the delightfully informative panelists. Chatting like the old friends that they are, Jim, David and Sandy talked about the humble beginnings of their careers, each thinking they had their dream job only to be catapulted to greater success. Sandy's work took her to LA, while Jim's career trajectory took him to New York and David went from a small town department store to fashion salons across Europe. Eventually, they channeled their talents into paper doll art, creating beautiful books for my publishing company, Paper Studio Press. The discussion and audience Q&A revealed interesting, intriguing and truly humorous aspects of their unique careers.

Do you wish you could have been there? Well, you can! The museum generously recorded the panel discussion and it's available to view on our Paperdoll Review YouTube channel. Enjoy!

Following the talk, the book signing for Jim Howard's paper doll books and prints (sold in the museum's gift shop) had fans lined up across the stage, down the length of the theater and across the back. Amazing! That evening, the museum hosted a cocktail party for us at the chic apartment of Florence Müller and her husband, Goran Vejvoda. We all felt like VIPs.

Left: Jim Howard, Florence Muller, David Wolfe. Right: Jane Burke and Jenny Taliadoros

But let's get back to the museum where we spent HOURS in the Jim Howard exhibition. How wonderful it was to see so much of Jim's original art in one place, beautifully displayed in a multi-room space that included mannequins dressed in vintage clothes, display cases of newspaper and magazines of Jim's work and a video interview that ran on a loop. I LOVED observing the museum visitors as they took in the exhibit, so engaged with each piece, and talking with a friend or family member about their own memories of such fashions. My very favorite moment occurred as three young folks watched the video interview. At the point in the story when Bullocks was sold to Macy's, who was using photography for their advertising thereby ending Jim's career, all three youngsters expressed, in unison, a disappointing "Ohhh..."

Giant decals of Jim's fashion illustrations juxtaposed with vintage fashions displayed on mannequins.

Retro menswear on display with a fashion illustration blow-up.

Valerie Keller views a display of work with a giant cowboy looming over her shoulder.

LOVED seeing museum visitors so engaged with Jim's artwork and video. 

We also spent lots of time in the museum gift shop talking to patrons near the display of products featuring Jim's work such as tote bags, mugs, posters, pencils and of course paper doll books. It was also very exciting to see Jim's art displayed on giant banners around the museum and even on the elevator doors.

Featured on the museum banners and elevator, Jim Howard's "Womens Sunnies," 1981, Charcoal on paper; 23 x 16.

On Monday, Jim treated us to brunch in his beautiful apartment, elegantly decorated with antique pieces and his own artwork, varying in subject and style including southwestern landscapes, brightly colored portraits and sophisticated fashion collages. Jim and I even conducted a business meeting, going over ideas for his next paper doll book and reviewing the progress on his soon-to-be-launched website. 

A paper doll brunch with Jim Howard! Micheal O'Hara, Valerie Keller, David Wolfe, Kwei-lin Lum, Betty Kappel, Jim Howard, Jenny Taliadoros, Sharry O'Hare, Ron Fong. 

Jim Howard's various painting styles and subjects.

Remember how I mentioned that Jim saved some of his fashion illustration work? Well, a few of those pieces will be available for purchase on Jim's website! He provided a few examples to show you here. If interested, please email Jim Howard. Once his website is live, I'll be sure to let you know.

Jim Howard original works for sale, prices range from $700-$1400. Email Jim Howard for more info. 

And let's not forget that Jim's work is easily accessible (and affordable at just $12/book) in the form of paper dolls! Please look for Jim's books on Amazon.com, eBay and paperdollreview.com.

Shop for Jim Howard's beautiful paper doll books at paperdollreview.com!