Post #541644 by robotiki on Sat, Jul 10, 2010 2:09 PM

The Bahi Hut napkins are being recreated.
According to the owner of the Bahi Hut and adjoining Golden Host Resort, the art was lost in a vendor shuffle and they've long since run out. But thanks to a scan and modern technology, the artwork is being readied for eventual rerelease on napkins (In piles, next to the tub o' cheese during happy hour).

The artwork was the handiwork of noted illustrator and portrait artist Thornton Utz. Utz was a big time illustrator doing covers for Saturday Evening Post and similar magazines back in the late 50's-early 60's. During this time he had a little publication company doing local maps that had advertising around the edges. When he sold an ad to a company that did not have any artwork, he'd do a little original sketch for free as part of the ad cost. Such is how an illustrator whose originals go for quite hefty sums, came to do the artwork that was on the napkins mentioned in Tiki Road trip.

When I mentioned the above book, the owner said "yeah, that guy was in here, he left us some books...."

Fast forward to today. The widow of Utz has given her approval on using the logo in more ways. Look for some cool merchandise to be developed. Thorton's son David is a painter who works in the style of Henri Rousseau. He may be involved in a few projects that would be a combination of his art with his father's artwork for Bahi Hut. Tiki collectors stay tuned as this develops.....

Robotiki
Mira Mar League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

[ Edited by: robotiki 2010-07-10 14:12 ]