FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS... answered!
WHY ARE YOU NOT RELEASING PHOTOGRAPHIC-BASED AIRWOLF POSTERS?
We'd love to produce a photographic-based promo poster from the original promo photoshoots but the logistical problem there is that we would primarily bet that there are no "medium--to-large format" transparency (from 4cms across) still in existence [the only one we knew of -- Hawke with a gun out in a field with the Lady -- was specifically shot during the show's 1st Season for the original British Scandecor poster in 1984] of any of these photos, there are only 35mm transparencies but they're too small to professionally drum-scan up to A2 to produce any sort of acceptable quality. Fine for a 10"x 8" photo but anything bigger and the detail becomes unacceptably grainy. Fans just wouldn't accept it in this day and age.
Even securing an original 35mm inter-neg film print of the show (How likely? Not very!) still wouldn't allow an image to be blown up to A2 or above. It's just technically impossible.
These new Airwolf Themes Poster Collectors' Series illustrations will all be shot onto massive "large-format" (A4-size) trannies to keep the image detail perfect once they're drum-scanned. There's actually enough detail on one of these professional A4 trannies to enlarge to a 48-sheet bill-board poster size... just to put things in to perspective for you all as far as the production values of this project goes. There'll be no expense spared to make them the best they can be whilst maintaining affordable value for the fans in the long-run.
Finally, Airwolf fans are being treated with a brand new concept for television fandom... a regular series of high-quality artwork based purely on an "episodic" approach to the chosen subject. As far as we're aware, this it the FIRST time in any television-based fandom that this production and marketing technique has taken place. There have obviously been "character-based" paintings done for other shows such as the STAR TREK franchises but never before has an artist been commissioned [with the possible exception of original 'TV Guide' artwork during the show's original run in the 1980s -- although this takes those images and ideas much further] to focus on "episodic-based" aesthetics, emulating production standards within the realm of say, classic film posters... think 'Jaws', 'The Wizard of Oz' and 'Jewel of the Nile'.
WHY NOT GET A COLLECTION OF OFF-AIR TELEPICS AND COMPOSITE THEM TOGETHER TO MAKE A HUGE POSTER?
Simply: Quality, Logistics and Legality!
Firstly, telepics -- no matter how good they look on your average PC monitor (even a professionally-calibrated Apple Mac monitor) -- once converted to high-resolution litho-printing resolution in CMYK turn out very small from an initial screen grab, certainly not enough to produce an exciting and dramatic image to even compare with what is being commissioned with the Airwolf Themes Poster Collectors' Series posters. Just because something looks good on screen does not mean it will be dramatic in the printed form!
Secondly, the logistics of doing that are similar to the topic before in that enlarging even the best "telepic" would produce dreadful results at the high resolution required and at an equivalent size of illustration to produce the same dramatic impact. It simply couldn't compete, full stop.
WHY ARE YOU ONLY PRODUCING THESE AT A2 SIZE? I WANT IT TO FILL MY WALL.
Simply because European A2 (597 mm x 420mm) is a pleasantly manageable size. If we went to produce them at A1 (597mm x 840mm) sizes, the current high costs of production and shipping would increase dramatically [and thus the end price to the fans!].
Plus if most people buy the entire Collectors' Series as anticipated even the initial three A2 posters [plus additional bonus of the initial 'Wolf Insignia' poster by Mark J.Cairns] will take up a lot of fans' wall space. If the posters were produced at twice the current size, fans would only get half the amount of artwork populating the same area. Simple logistical mathematics really.
WHAT HAPPENS WHEN YOU RUN OUT OF A SPECIFIC POSTER?
There will be 500 produced of each. Nothing lasts for ever, so don't miss out on a future collectible!
I DON'T HAVE A CREDIT CARD? CAN I PAY BY OTHER MEANS?
Yes, we have payment facilties in place now similar to that which was offered whilst the original 'Airwolf Themes' Special Limited Edition set was on release. All cheques will be cleared first BEFORE SHIPPING!
ARE YOU STILL DOING A SEQUEL CD TO 'AIRWOLF THEMES'?
Yes, this is just an interim creative project [and companion product to the original 'Airwolf Themes'] whilst 'Airwolf Themes: Volume 2' is under development.
It does not affect the Airwolf Themes' team's creative process / progress on the new sequel CD as artist, Roger Shore will be the one who will be looking after most of the administration and shipping directly of the Airwolf Themes Poster Collectors' Series, with Mark J.Cairns only administering his own initial 'Wolf Insignia' poster whilst exercising overall control of the project's production management and strategic vision and direction.
Rest assured that the systems and customer service which are in place for the Airwolf Collectors' Series Posters will emulate the high production values of that shown and experienced by fans with the original 'Airwolf Themes' CD.
SO WHY HAVE YOU CHOSEN ONLY SPECIFIC EPISODES FOR THE COLLECTORS' SERIES?
Even though something looks dramatic as a moving image on a television screen, portraying this in a still image can be a different ball-game. What we've tried to do is catch the essence of the chosen character-driven stories whilst given an overall visual and aesthetic narrative to the script through a classic film poster-esque approach. Later posters such as 'Airwolf II' will be more machinery-based due to the nature of the episode, but the earlier ones are character-driven scripts and thus the composition will emulate that.
ARE YOU STILL OPEN TO SUGGESTIONS AS TO FUTURE POSTERS?
There's the potential for another three but at the moment everything's on hiatus, 'Dambreakers' , Airwolf II' and 'Mind of the Machine' potentially.
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