Michael C. Gross
Encyclopedia
Michael C. Gross is an American
artist
and film producer
. He is best known for his work as the art director
for National Lampoon magazine. He was hired in 1970, and his work first appeared in the eighth issue of the magazine, the "Nostalgia
" issue, which was November 1970. Before Gross worked for National Lampoon he was a designer for the 1968 Mexican Olympics, and he art directed EYE magazine.
His most famous National Lampoon piece was the cover for the January 1973 "Death" issue. He created "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog" (for an image of this cover see the National Lampoon article).
Gross left National Lampoon in 1974, and formed Pellegrini, Kaestle, & Gross, Inc. He was the personal designer for John Lennon
, as well as consultant to the Muppets
. In the late 1970s he art directed Esquire magazine and was design director for Mobile Oil.
In 1980 he moved to California
where he was a producer
or an executive producer
on 11 films, including Heavy Metal
, Ghostbusters
(he designed the "no ghosts" logo which can be seen in the Ghostbusters article), Ghostbusters II
, Twins, Beethoven
, Legal Eagle
, Kindergarten Cop
and Dave
. He was also the producer for 5 television shows, including The Real Ghostbusters
and Beethoven
.
In 1995 he left Hollywood. He went back to painting
, one of his first interests, and moved to Italy
. Since then he had cancer and survived. He now lives in Oceanside
, California
. He is a painter, photographer and museum curator. He also gives lectures and teaches.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
artist
Artist
An artist is a person engaged in one or more of any of a broad spectrum of activities related to creating art, practicing the arts and/or demonstrating an art. The common usage in both everyday speech and academic discourse is a practitioner in the visual arts only...
and film producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
. He is best known for his work as the art director
Art director
The art director is a person who supervise the creative process of a design.The term 'art director' is a blanket title for a variety of similar job functions in advertising, publishing, film and television, the Internet, and video games....
for National Lampoon magazine. He was hired in 1970, and his work first appeared in the eighth issue of the magazine, the "Nostalgia
Nostalgia
The term nostalgia describes a yearning for the past, often in idealized form.The word is a learned formation of a Greek compound, consisting of , meaning "returning home", a Homeric word, and , meaning "pain, ache"...
" issue, which was November 1970. Before Gross worked for National Lampoon he was a designer for the 1968 Mexican Olympics, and he art directed EYE magazine.
His most famous National Lampoon piece was the cover for the January 1973 "Death" issue. He created "If You Don't Buy This Magazine, We'll Kill This Dog" (for an image of this cover see the National Lampoon article).
Gross left National Lampoon in 1974, and formed Pellegrini, Kaestle, & Gross, Inc. He was the personal designer for John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
, as well as consultant to the Muppets
The Muppets
The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson starting in 1954–55. Although the term is often used to refer to any puppet that resembles the distinctive style of The Muppet Show, the term is both an informal name and legal trademark owned by the Walt Disney Company in reference...
. In the late 1970s he art directed Esquire magazine and was design director for Mobile Oil.
In 1980 he moved to California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
where he was a producer
Film producer
A film producer oversees and delivers a film project to all relevant parties while preserving the integrity, voice and vision of the film. They will also often take on some financial risk by using their own money, especially during the pre-production period, before a film is fully financed.The...
or an executive producer
Executive producer
An executive producer is a producer who is not involved in any technical aspects of the film making or music process, but who is still responsible for the overall production...
on 11 films, including Heavy Metal
Heavy Metal (film)
Heavy Metal is a 1981 Canadian fantasy-animated film directed by Gerald Potterton and produced by Ivan Reitman and Leonard Mogel, who also was the publisher of Heavy Metal magazine....
, Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
(he designed the "no ghosts" logo which can be seen in the Ghostbusters article), Ghostbusters II
Ghostbusters
Ghostbusters is a 1984 American science fiction comedy film directed by Ivan Reitman and written by Dan Aykroyd and Harold Ramis. The film stars Bill Murray, Dan Aykroyd, Sigourney Weaver, Harold Ramis, and Rick Moranis and follows three eccentric parapsychologists in New York City, who start a...
, Twins, Beethoven
Beethoven (film)
Beethoven is a 1992 American family comedy film, directed by Brian Levant and starring Charles Grodin and Bonnie Hunt. The film is the first in the Beethoven film series....
, Legal Eagle
Legal Eagles
Legal Eagles is a 1986 romantic crime comedy-drama film written and directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Robert Redford, Debra Winger, and Daryl Hannah.-Plot:...
, Kindergarten Cop
Kindergarten Cop
Kindergarten Cop is a 1990 American comedy thriller film directed by Ivan Reitman and starring Arnold Schwarzenegger. Schwarzenegger stars as John Kimble, a tough police detective, who must go undercover as a kindergarten teacher to catch drug dealer Cullen Crisp , before Crisp can get to his...
and Dave
Dave (film)
Dave is a 1993 comedy-drama film written by Gary Ross, directed by Ivan Reitman, and starring Kevin Kline and Sigourney Weaver. Co-stars include Frank Langella, Kevin Dunn, Ving Rhames, and Ben Kingsley. Ross was nominated for an Academy Award for his screenplay...
. He was also the producer for 5 television shows, including The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters
The Real Ghostbusters is an American animated television series based on the 1984 film Ghostbusters. The series ran from 1986 to 1991, and was produced by Columbia Pictures Television, DiC Enterprises, and Coca-Cola Telecommunications. "The Real" was added to the title after a dispute with...
and Beethoven
Beethoven (TV series)
Beethoven is an animated sitcom, loosely based on the 1992 motion picture of the same name. The series was produced by Northern Lights Entertainment Universal Animation Studios and Universal Media Studios, and aired for one season on CBS, with 24 half-hour episodes produced.-Premise:Unlike the...
.
In 1995 he left Hollywood. He went back to painting
Painting
Painting is the practice of applying paint, pigment, color or other medium to a surface . The application of the medium is commonly applied to the base with a brush but other objects can be used. In art, the term painting describes both the act and the result of the action. However, painting is...
, one of his first interests, and moved to Italy
Italy
Italy , officially the Italian Republic languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Italy's official name is as follows:;;;;;;;;), is a unitary parliamentary republic in South-Central Europe. To the north it borders France, Switzerland, Austria and...
. Since then he had cancer and survived. He now lives in Oceanside
Oceanside, California
-2010:The 2010 United States Census reported that Oceanside had a population of 167,086. The population density was 3,961.8 people per square mile...
, California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. He is a painter, photographer and museum curator. He also gives lectures and teaches.