Club Obi Wan

Supposedly, I've heard that the Raiders of the Lost Ark leather jacket was based on one that George Lucas wore during the time. Are there any pictures of this jacket? I may be wrong about this, but I remember reading it somewhere, it was supposed to have influenced the jacket's design (or inspiration of it) somewhat. Thank you!

This would be a first for me. Never heard that one before.

Regards! Michaelson

+1

Kyle

Yeah...same here. I remember something (and pics) on this board in the past with Spielberg wearing an 'almost-Indy-like jacket (after the movie's were released), but I have never heard or seen anything about Lucas and a 'pre-Indy' type of jacket . W>

you mean the brown A-2 style he was wearing?

Holt wrote:you mean the brown A-2 style he was wearing?

That could be Holt...it has been quite some time since I saw the pic and can't remember the specs of the jacket, but it did have cargo pockets, small collar, e.t. all. It could very well have been a A2 and I just wasn't paying close enough attention to notice knit cuffs/band, etc. W>

J.W. Rinzler's book on the Complete Making of Indiana Jones is where this is from. There is a section talking about Jim Steranko being recruited to paint the concept art. In the instructions to him he is told to give him a jacket "like the one George wears" (or something to that effect...). I assumed it was the A2 jacket he wore. I think there is a shot of Lucas wearing the A2 while shooting Star Wars or Empire floating around somewhere.
best
Canada

THAT I remember, but the jacket actually BEING a copy of GL's jacket isn't in anything I've ever read to date.

Regards! Michaelson

Canada Jones wrote:J.W. Rinzler's book on the Complete Making of Indiana Jones is where this is from. There is a section talking about Jim Steranko being recruited to paint the concept art. In the instructions to him he is told to give him a jacket "like the one George wears" (or something to that effect...). I assumed it was the A2 jacket he wore. I think there is a shot of Lucas wearing the A2 while shooting Star Wars or Empire floating around somewhere.
best
Canada

Yes, this is the exact same reference I meant, thank you. I was looking at pictures of Steranko's artwork, and I came upon that quote somewhere.

This one?





Kyle

yup!

That does add something to the story and also a couple of confusions.

The concept art jacket looks nothing like that fairly ordinary civilian A2 Lucas is wearing and yet the movie version looks like it has A2 elements.... go figure.

The concept jacket looks closer to the actual period - like a short half belt with slash pockets - very different to what they went with.

Knibs7, yes that's exactly what I mean! I think I've seen one of those pictures before, actually. It doesn't look too much like the final Raiders jacket, but I can see how it could have caused inspiration for it.

I believe those pics are circa LC.

Mike wrote:I believe those pics are circa LC.

True story

Kyle

Yeah...But the quote referred to does indeed come from 1979 (March, 1979 actually)...To Jim Steranko, in reference to two drawings he'd done and shown George Lucas (drawn in 1976, for "Lone Star Fictioneer" magazine no. 4) and Lucas (via Jane Bay) had asked for the addition of "Khaki pants, gun belt, leather jacket (brown, like the one George wears). Felt hat with brim turned down"...

The picture they received after these instructions was the Steranko "Snake Indy with grey hat" picture...So we can presume that Jim was working with the jacket that "George wears" being an A2...Or something very similar to it...

Page 32 and the inset on page 34 of "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones - J.W. Rinzler" make it clear that the jacket being referred to by George, and from him via Jane Bay was something far closer to an A2...

So while he may have been seen with it around the LC period, we can assume that he was known for sporting it in 1979 as well, based on the books quotes and his notes to Steranko (and what Steranko ultimately produced)..

Regards

fifthchamber wrote:Yeah...But the quote referred to does indeed come from 1979 (March, 1979 actually)...To Jim Steranko, in reference to two drawings he'd done and shown George Lucas (drawn in 1976, for "Lone Star Fictioneer" magazine no. 4) and Lucas (via Jane Bay) had asked for the addition of "Khaki pants, gun belt, leather jacket (brown, like the one George wears). Felt hat with brim turned down"...

The picture they received after these instructions was the Steranko "Snake Indy with grey hat" picture...So we can presume that Jim was working with the jacket that "George wears" being an A2...Or something very similar to it...

Page 32 and the inset on page 34 of "The Complete Making of Indiana Jones - J.W. Rinzler" make it clear that the jacket being referred to by George, and from him via Jane Bay was something far closer to an A2...

So while he may have been seen with it around the LC period, we can assume that he was known for sporting it in 1979 as well, based on the books quotes and his notes to Steranko (and what Steranko ultimately produced)..

Regards

But if the Steranko illustration we all know is the drawing in question then it looks nothing like an A2 - more like a bike jacket with little lapels and no cargo pockets.

I think Steranko took it with a wide berth...George hadn't asked for "HIS" jacket...Just a jacket "Brown, like the one George wears"...So I suspect that Steranko looked at the general shape and look of the A2 and then drew something that felt "right" for him...In brown..And that was all the detail "requested"..

The details aren't the same...Due to that, but we can see that in the end, what George and Steven wanted was what we ended up with, which is closer to the A2...So I'd suspect that the illustrations were just "rough shots" from Steranko that were then closed in on by George and Steven, and we end up with a close-to A2 Indy jacket...

See what I mean?

Whatever Lucas was wearing has probably been digitally altered to something he wanted to wear at the time but financial and technological constraints restricted the choices he had. If you look at any of those photos now he's probably wearing something that Elton John would be embarrassed to be seen in public with.

I just choked coffee through my nose...Oww...

fifthchamber wrote:I think Steranko took it with a wide berth...George hadn't asked for "HIS" jacket...Just a jacket "Brown, like the one George wears"...So I suspect that Steranko looked at the general shape and look of the A2 and then drew something that felt "right" for him...In brown..And that was all the detail "requested"..

The details aren't the same...Due to that, but we can see that in the end, what George and Steven wanted was what we ended up with, which is closer to the A2...So I'd suspect that the illustrations were just "rough shots" from Steranko that were then closed in on by George and Steven, and we end up with a close-to A2 Indy jacket...

See what I mean?

For me the Steranko concept-jacket was 'the ticket!' Looked better then the actual version we got for film. Not to put down the 'Indy' jacket, as we know it, but I just really liked the 'super rugged' approach to it that he used for the drawings! W>

fifthchamber wrote:I think Steranko took it with a wide berth...George hadn't asked for "HIS" jacket...Just a jacket "Brown, like the one George wears"...So I suspect that Steranko looked at the general shape and look of the A2 and then drew something that felt "right" for him...In brown..And that was all the detail "requested"..

The details aren't the same...Due to that, but we can see that in the end, what George and Steven wanted was what we ended up with, which is closer to the A2...So I'd suspect that the illustrations were just "rough shots" from Steranko that were then closed in on by George and Steven, and we end up with a close-to A2 Indy jacket...

See what I mean?

Kind of. Steranko simply drew what he thought looked cool, so in the end George's jacket was kind of irrelevant. The fact it was a short jacket was probably all that he borrowed.

There had been a few members (myself included) that had checked with Tony Nowak about replicating a Steranko concept jacket. Sadly that ship has sailed.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

WConly wrote:For me the Steranko concept-jacket was 'the ticket!' Looked better then the actual version we got for film. Not to put down the 'Indy' jacket, as we know it, but I just really liked the 'super rugged' approach to it that he used for the drawings! W>

Amen, Brother!

Regard! Michaelson

Make that a double amen!!!

Indiana Jeff wrote:There had been a few members (myself included) that had checked with Tony Nowak about replicating a Steranko concept jacket. Sadly that ship has sailed.

Regards,

Indiana Jeff

I'm sure Magnoli would be up to the task.....

I've always wondered what the back of the Steranko jacket would've looked like. Would there have been straps? D rings or sliders? The concept art jacket always reminded me of a shorter version of Ethan Hunt's jacket.

Kyle

Halfbelt...no question.

I reckon it would be great if a good young director did a quality reboot of Indy and re-did the costume and jacket more in the mode of that illustration. A half-belt Indy would be smashing.

If they wanted to, they could go with a young Indy, starting from where Sean Patrick left off, he starts off with the concept jacket (half belt!!) and then as the years progress into other movies, he becomes the Indy we know today

Wasn't a fan of the Young Indy. I'd just take Indy aged around 30 and go again.

CM wrote:Wasn't a fan of the Young Indy. I'd just take Indy aged around 30 and go again.

I'm not saying make him "young" Indy. I mean pick up when he's out of college or just starting out as a professor going on his first real archealogical dig, danger ensues. show him young but as the indy we know him not as sean patrick flannery played him. plus, if he's young he could do it for some time....then add in the concept gear...and have it "evolve" as he acquires the satchel (impossible but somehow) and a whip (since he only used a whip...once in YIJ?) kinda ala Casino Royale

Hollowpond wrote:Halfbelt...no question.

I agree with you and Mr. M. on this one hundred percent. I would add bi-swing back (similar to G1 or a MacGyver style jacket see: Raider Jacket G&B) and also an inside wind flap like the jacket just mentioned (maybe -- would have to really think that one out). I would just have slant pockets on front (no cargo), and two inside one standard wallet/checkbook type on right side and a slanted gun pockett on the inside left. Make it out of heavy goat and you would be ready to roll. Now -- just deciding on seal brown or russett brown ! W>