James R. Silke obit

RIP Veteran Comics Illustrator Jim Silke

 

He was not on the list.

Farewell To A Gentleman Illustration Veteran

Yesterday the sad news reached us that veteran comics artist Jim Silke has passed away at the age of 93.

James "Jim" Silke, a Grammy Award-winning art director for Capitol Records for years, who famously photographed the late Sharon Tate and worked on films for the legendary Sam Peckinpah in the 1960s, created and published magazines like Cinema and Movies International, wrote the popular Death Dealers novels (best known for their Frank Frazetta painted covers), and wrote the screenplay for a number of 1980s films, including the cult classic 1985 film, King Solomon's Mines, all before becoming an acclaimed comic book and pin-up artist in his 60s, has died at the age of 93.

When he began his art career in the 1950s, the comic book industry was in a state of collapse, and many of the top comic book artists in the business were forced to get into advertising instead, like John Buscema, John Romita, and Don Heck, so a young aspiring artist like Silke had no real chance, so he went into advertising, as well. In the late 1950s, he landed a gig as an assistant art director working for Capitol Records, and by the time he left the company in 1964, he was the Executive Art Director.

When Silke began at the company, the standard approach to jazz album covers was to hire models to act out striking scenes tied to the theme of the albums. Here are a couple of the notable album covers he did during this period (even the musicians on the covers are models, not the actual musicians in the band)...

As the 1960s began, it became more common to have the artists themselves appear on their covers, and one of Silke's covers for Frank Sinatra was particularly striking (so much so that Sinatra's name wasn't even on the album cover)

Silke was nominated for four Grammy Awards for best album design, winning in 1962 for his cover for Judy at Carnegie Hall (not a cover he himself thought was all that impressive, but the album also won Album of the Year, so perhaps that was a tipping point).

During this period, he also created his own movie magazine, Cinema.

Silke was developing a relationship with a number of major models in the Los Angeles area through his album cover work, and his magazine work, so eventually, he became an in-demand glamour photographers. He photographed Sharon Tate a number of times, and his work with Tate has become very famous among fans of the beautiful young actor and model, who was tragically murdered by Charles Manson's followers in 1969.

After interviewing the legendary director, Sam Peckinpah, for Cinema, Peckinpah and SIlke became close friends, and started to work together writing some films. Besides some rewrite work, though, their films were never produced. However, Silke WAS hired by Peckinpah to design the costumes for his film, Major Dundee, and then, even more famously, for The Wild Bunch.

Silke's work on The WIld Bunch helped him create an association with Warner Bros. that led to him writing an official film history of the company in 1976, Here's Looking at You, Kid: 50 Years of Fighting, Working, and Dreaming at Warner Bros.

Due to his film connections, and his work with Peckinpah, Silke was able to get into screenwriting in the 1980s, working on a number of movies for Cannon Films, including the cult classic films, King Solomon's Mines and The Barbarians, in 1985 and 1987, respectively.

In 1988, Silke worked with legendary artist, Frank Frazetta, to turn Frazetta's iconic pin-up character, Death Dealer, into a series of novels written by Silke, with Frazetta covers.

Now in his 60s, Silkie finally got into the world of comic books, creating the series Rascals in Paradise for Dark Horse in 1994, which he wrote and painted, followed by a miniseries with Dave Stevens, the iconic Rocketeer artist who had modeled the girlfriend of his heralded superhero creation after Page.

Stevens was a big fan of Silke's, and the two became close friends. Silke contributed a pin-up to the first issue of The Rockeeter Adventures in 2011, the first new Rocketeer series after Stevens' untimely passing in 2008.

Silke did a number of other covers and pin-ups for various comic book companies, all based on his "pin-up" style of artwork. He also continued to do coffee table art books for Dark Horse, including 2011's Nude...

Silke continued working into his 90s, and released an illustrated novel, Mata Hari Escapes, through crowdfunding less than three years ago...

Silke was a beloved member of the comic book community who clearly enjoyed being part of the community that he only joined late in his life, and CBR offers our condolences to all of his friends and family.

Writer

David Paul and Peter Paul in The Barbarians (1987)

The Barbarians

5.0

screenplay

story

1987

 

Sharon Stone and Richard Chamberlain in King Solomon's Mines (1985)

King Solomon's Mines

5.2

screenplay by

1985

 

Lucinda Dickey in Ninja III: The Domination (1984)

Ninja III: The Domination

5.4

written by

1984

 

Sahara (1983)

Sahara

4.9

writer

1983

 

Revenge of the Ninja (1983)

Revenge of the Ninja

6.0

screenplay by

1983

 

That's Action (1977)

That's Action

3.2

Writer

1977

 

Producer

Directed by John Ford (1971)

Directed by John Ford

7.7

producer

1971

 

Costume Designer

The Wild Bunch (1969)

The Wild Bunch

7.9

Costume Designer (uncredited)

1969

 

Camera and Electrical Department

Sam Peckinpah in Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004)

Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade

7.1

TV Movie

still photographer (as Jim Silke)

2004

 

Additional Crew

That's Action (1977)

That's Action

3.2

film designer

1977

 

Thanks

One Way Out (1987)

One Way Out

4.2

special thanks

1987

 

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey (1984)

George Stevens: A Filmmaker's Journey

7.7

thanks

1984

 

Self

Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection (2022)

Dave Stevens: Drawn to Perfection

8.1

Self

2022

 

James Dean with two local children on location in Marfa, TX for George Steven's film, Giant. Summer of 1956.

Children of Giant

7.9

Self - Interviewed

2015

 

Sam Peckinpah in Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade (2004)

Sam Peckinpah's West: Legacy of a Hollywood Renegade

7.1

TV Movie

Self (as Jim Silke)

2004

 

E! True Hollywood Story (1996)

E! True Hollywood Story

6.5

TV Series

Self - Illustrator

Author (as Jim Silke)

1997

1 episode

 

The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage (1996)

The Wild Bunch: An Album in Montage

7.2

Short

Friend

colleague (voice, as Jim Silke)

1996

 

Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron (1993)

Sam Peckinpah: Man of Iron

7.5

TV Movie

Self (as Jim Silke)

1993

 

That's Action (1977)

That's Action

3.2

Self

1977