Marvel’s What If…? series has a very distinct art style and the executive producer just revealed where it came from. Brad Winderbaum spoke to D23 about all the fun with the Disney+ show, which he called a “love letter to the MCU.” Beyond that very real fact, it’s also an homage to an interesting corner of American art history. J.C. Leyendecker might not be a common name heard outside of print media scholars, but he had a big imprint on the country’s advertising. The illustrator was most famous for designing covers of The Saturday Evening Post. Once you see his work in context alongside some of the stills from What If, the influence is unmistakable. Leyendecker’s painterly style captures a kind of timeless 1920’s advertising spirit. His numerous works with other entities like the Army, Marines, and Navy also feel right at home with that first entry of the Disney+ series as a war story. Check out both what Winderbaum had to say down below and an example of the artist’s work.
arrow shirt collar advertisement. (1907) pic.twitter.com/TEzl4EpFaT
