Wizards & Pizzas - 02

All Artwork is by Grady Lyda

This was a novelty pizzeria dreamed-up by entrepreneur Jerry Hasson who got the idea after an unpleasant visit to a Chuck E. Cheese's restaurant with his kids. I'd worked for Jerry in his previous business -- independent fashion products wholesaler (see SPIRIT Accessories  Advertising - 01 & 02) -- so I became his primary artist for Magic Pizza.  Jerry was an experienced close-up magician who was a member of the exclusive Magic Castle in Hollywood, and he wanted to recreate that entrancing, mystical environment for the general public.

The Magic Castle
Click here to see info about this place

Here's a 2011 selfie of my daughter Elora hanging out with her occasional buddy, Magic Castle President NPH

Jerry envisioned a space that could be enjoyed by adults as well as kids, leading to the creation of this unique magic-themed entertainment & dining experience, with video arcades, live magic performances, enchanting playgrounds, sports broadcasting, non-stop movies, and much more.

Official Magic Pizza brochure with artwork by me and another freelance illustrator 

 

 The sketches seen above and below served as templates for signs that were used inside the Magic Pizza restaurant. I designed the characters, and then I was tasked with painting larger versions (3 or 4 feet wide) of these portraits on plexiglass panels.

 These pictures are drawn as mirror-images because the artwork would appear reversed on the front-side of the transparent surfaces. I also designed and painted several other signs in the restaurant.

I conceived this poster to capture the spirit of Magic Pizza, and it was also a fun image for kids to color. Here are some variations...

I spent many hours trying to envision the "Merlin" wizard that would represent the restaurant. The final logo depicted a character who, coincidentally, looked a lot like the creator/president, Jerry Hasson...

Success has a simple formula: do your best, and other people may like it. – Sam Ewing

 

 

You may be disappointed if you fail, but you are doomed if you don't try. – Beverly Sills

Jerry intended to create a long-term international franchise -- a kind of miraculous little "Disneyland-in-a-Box." But his investors were focused on short-term profits that were slow in coming. Whenever I visited the restaurant it was full of happy customers, but there were not enough to justify the ever-increasing expenses. So eventually this marvelous phantasmagorical dream just faded from memory... Big bummer.

I attended the exciting red carpet Grand Opening of Magic Pizza. There was a huge expensive searchlight deployed out front to advertise this momentous event -- but the air was so crystal clear on that night, this extremely potent shaft of light was absolutely invisible. It turns out you need to have some random particles in the air -- such as fog, humidity, or smog -- to be able to observe a spotlight. But on this particular occasion, the atmosphere was so exceptionally pristine that the powerful light-beam could not be seen in the sky at all.

Our celebrity guest on that fantastic night was the immortal Lou Ferigno who played "The Incredible Hulk" on TV. I'd watched every episode of his brilliant series, and I admired that show as being extraordinarily well-written & well-acted. Unfortunately, Mr. Ferigno left early because of the underperforming searchlight, so he wasn't there when I arrived. But I'm glad he was present to mark the premier of the amazing Magic Pizza fantasy restaurant. Thanks, Lou! We will always love you for sharing that special moment with us. Cheers!

For more like this, go to Wizards & Pizzas - 01