I have shown some of these before. This features by former science fiction illustrator Radenbaugh ran from 1958 to 1962 or thereabouts. I have never found out how it was intended. I mean, 200 instalments and not one of his predictions has come true. Was it all just a way to indulge in some fancy drawing or was it as serious (and seriously off the mark) as it seems?
I find these drawings hilarious, but then in the 50's evryone thought that in the future (ca. 1980's to 2000) we'd have flying cars. In some of the old Reader's digests I kept from the early 60's they announced that by 1984 we'd be travelling to Mars. And don't forget that in the movie 2001 we're travelling to Jupiter and PanAm we'll fly us to the moon.
ReplyDeleteBy the way, the train trucks do exist in Australia, but don't have that air-balloon in the front or the back.
This artist also did some other "futuristic" illustrations for other magazines that are just as "improbable".
> I mean, 200 instalments and not one of his predictions has come true.
ReplyDeleteOh? Not one? Let’s see…
580112 — Satellite Space Station
580119 — Expedition on the Moon
580323 — Wall To Wall Television From Around The World
580706 — Flying Ambulance
580914 — Mailbox in the Sky
581019 — Zipper-Bag Airplane
581026 — Highway Space Wagon
581102 — Mechanized Stadium
581221 — Pop-Out TV Programs
590201 — Electronic Home
590308 — All-Seeing Eye
590412 — Orbital Bombing
590419 — “All-Service” Stations
590426 — Plastic Bones
590531 — Probing Venus
590927 — Mobile Gas Station
591025 — Throw-Away Clothes
591101 — Gluepot and Wire Construction
591115 — Bloodless Surgery
591122 — Stop-and-Go Rockets
591129 — One-World Job Market
600124 — Mechanized Hearts
600327 — The Jetscaltor
600417 — Wrist Watch TV
600619 — Tractors De Luxe
600703 — X-Way “Cliff Dwellers”
600717 — Robot Spacemen
600724 — Fogovision
600731 — Dust Dissipators
600821 — Universal Language Boxes
601113 — Tooth-O-Scopes
601120 — A Channel Tunnel
601127 — Headphone TV
610507 — “TRIPHIBS”
610618 — Instant Cookers
610709 — Face-to-Face, Oceans Apart
610827 — Phonetic Checker
610903 — Computer Navigation
610910 — The Paraglider
611008 — Innerscope TV Pills
630113 — Family Computer
Every one of these 41 (out of 168, ~25%) Art Radebaugh’s Closer Than We Think! came true, and many more were substantially accurate.
Tom, thanks for the list! Do you have tearsheets for all of them or scans? Would you like to collaborate on a book proposal?
ReplyDeleteTry: http://s1197.photobucket.com/user/FoeDoze/library/Radebaugh
ReplyDeleteI'm posted 120 Closer Than We Think! at 600bpi.
Oh, wow!
ReplyDeleteTrying to contact the Tom that commented here. Please reach out!
ReplyDeleteI tried as well..
ReplyDeleteI'm working on a documentary about Arthur Radebaugh and compiling a definitive list and collection of Closer Than We Think scans. Coming across these Tom scans was a small miracle and I wish there was a way to reach out as it seems he has much of the collection already catalogued.
ReplyDeleteI have a huge collection myself and stopped scanning them when I saw this list. Please contact me at geapelde@upcmail.nl (I will remove the adress after you have contacted me).
ReplyDelete