Watchtower Artwork Revisited...

by Mr. Falcon 20 Replies latest watchtower beliefs

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  Mr. Falcon

  I was wondering if any former Bethelites could clue me in to how the illustrations get planned/decided upon that wind up in the Watchtower publications? Does the Writing Department formally ask for a specific illustration to go with their dumb article or do the artists just smoke some ganja and come up with their own zany stuff?

  Also, to any active Bethelites monitoring this site, I would like to submit a recommendation. As an avid reader of your magazines, I feel that when it comes to Jehovah's Chariot, instead of this....

  

  ...I would like to see this:

  

  Now that's a friggin' chariot worthy of a God who rains fire down on women and children. Get it right, boys.
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  designs

  They should have hired Frank Frazetta.
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  ziddina

  DAng, that looks like Shamus on the chariot in pix #2...
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  undercover

  You can keep the lizard king thingy, but I'll go to the four corners of the earth for the she-guards...
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  Christ Alone

  I am a former bethelite and had a roommate that used to work in the art department. Basically the writing department tells the art department what photographs and artwork they need produced. The art department overseers have a small bit of creative license in production. The writing department will submit something like "insert photo that shows 2 men preaching in an urban neighborhood". If the artwork needs to be based on something biblical, the writing deaprtment will give the art department a list of scriptures that describe the scene so that it will be "accurate".

  I can't seem to find it now, but there used to be a video on youtube that was a talk from one of the writing department overseers. His name is David Ianelli (last name may be spelled differently). It discussed how the articles are produced. He makes an interesting admission that the "Questions from Readers" do not come from outside readers. He says that the GB are also readers of the WT and Awake and so it is THEY that submit the "Questions".
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  Mr. Falcon

  Thanks, CA. That sorta makes sense now.

  He makes an interesting admission that the "Questions from Readers" do not come from outside readers. He says that the GB are also readers of the WT and Awake and so it is THEY that submit the "Questions".

  hahaha, what???? That is HIGH-larious.
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  Christ Alone

  Occasionally multiple versions of the same artwork will be produced, and they will be decided upon by the writing department. Usually multiple versions are produced for use in various countries. Asian countries will generally feature predominantly asian people in the photographs. African counties, African people. Etc...
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  ronwashington

  This guy http://www.jasonpalmer.net/ is a Witness who does artwork for WT. He lives on the west coast and goes for months at a time to NY and does art. You could always ask him if you wanted to know.
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  designs

  Walter Martin would have his wife or daughter call in as 'listeners' to his Radio show and ask questions.
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  Christ Alone

  Wow...thanks Ron!!!

  Some of his paintings don't look very...WT friendly...

  Remember Recovery? How much he wanted to talk about "magic" and how even fantasy magic is demonic? Why does the WT use an artist that glorifies it? Notice his painting below:

  To be honest though...this guy is pretty awesome!