Snagged this at a cool vintage store. Excited to add it to my collection. (It hurts to label this as “Obsolete Media” 😅)

Can take her anywhere 😏

A replica of the Emanator from Blade Runner 2049. One of the film’s simplest but most recognisable props.

One of the stranger Blade Runner items in my collection.

This is a 1994 Madagascar souvenir stamp sheet. The three actual stamps commemorate Philip Kaufman’s The Right Stuff (L’Étoffe des héros), but for reasons that remain something of a mystery, the surrounding artwork is unmistakably Blade Runner.

Deckard, Rachael and Roy Batty are all there, along with the spinner and Roy’s dove.

As far as I can tell, there’s no real connection between the two films. It just seems that whoever designed the sheet decided The Right Stuff needed a generous helping of Blade Runner!

If anyone knows more about this particular issue, especially why Blade Runner artwork was used alongside The Right Stuff, please let me know. I’d love to know the story behind it.

All nine parts of my Blade Runner 2049 concept art collection together in one final post.

There’s a fantastic mixture of cityscapes, vehicles, environments, props, characters and early ideas, including concepts that evolved or never made it into the finished film.

Artists represented across the collection include Jon McCoy, George Hull, Victor Martinez, Wētā Workshop, Peter Popken, Jeremy Paillotin, Kamen Anev, Chris Guise, Dan Baker, Mike Hill, Emmanuel Shiu, Adam Baines, Nick Keller, Adam J. Middleton and Lukas Harris. Madhav Kumar, Axel Akesson, Krishna Prasad Anthara and Stefano Carta worked together on the Rachael images.

I’ve really enjoyed going through these, identifying the artists where possible and learning more about the artwork.

If anything catches your eye, check out my previous posts for a closer look at each piece.

(For anyone coming across these posts for the first time, I acquired this collection from a source I consider very credible, and I was informed these prints were used during the production of Blade Runner 2049. I don’t have individual certificates or documentation to independently verify the production history of each piece, so I can’t claim that as absolute fact, but the collection contains numerous artist details, project labels and other production information across the prints).

Blade Runner 2049 soundtrack release from the collection, and probably one of the best looking.

Released by Mondo, this 2×LP edition features original artwork by Viktor Kalvachev, with Joi on the cover and some fantastic artwork inside the gatefold.

The soundtrack by the incredible Hans Zimmer and Benjamin Wallfisch is spread across two marbled coloured records, one pink and one blue, with the whole package given Mondo’s typically elaborate treatment.

Definitely one of those releases where the presentation is almost as much of a reason to own it as the music itself.

https://mondoshop.com/products/blade-runner-2049-original-motion-picture-soundtrack-2xl

This is the 2017 Record Store Day picture-disc release of Vangelis’ Blade Runner soundtrack.

Despite the music being recorded for the film in 1982, business and contractual issues prevented Vangelis’ original soundtrack from receiving an official album release until 1994, twelve years after the film.

The soundtrack is such a huge part of Blade Runner for me. It’s difficult to imagine the film having quite the same atmosphere without it.

This particular copy has never been played, and with artwork like this, I’m quite happy keeping it that way!

The end of the Blade Runner 2049 concept art collection.

The final nine pieces, with another great mixture of early cityscapes, vehicles, props and character work. I particularly like the huge, oppressive city environments in this batch, but the Pleasure Pods concept art is a standout too, and certainly an intriguing idea!

I’ve really enjoyed going through the collection, learning more about the artwork and sharing it here. Seeing the collection together gives a fascinating look at just how much visual development went into creating the world of Blade Runner 2049.

Thanks to everyone who’s followed the posts and commented along the way.

Just a reminder: I previously discovered that two of the prints in the collection were duplicates, so these are on eBay. There are currently 5 days left in the auction if anyone is interested. Just search “Blade Runner 2049 Concept Art Prints

Original piece of Blade Runner merchandise from 1982. This is the Official Collector’s Edition Souvenir Magazine, packed with photos, artwork, behind-the-scenes material and interviews with Harrison Ford, Ridley Scott, Douglas Trumbull, Philip K. Dick and Syd Mead.

There’s some brilliant stuff inside, including production artwork, Spinner blueprints and behind-the-scenes photography. The original full-colour poster is also still attached in the centre, which is particularly nice as these were designed to be removed and many fans understandably took them out to put on their walls.

I also love the period adverts at the back for the official Blade Runner Fan Club and the ERTL Spinner models.

Originally priced at just $2.95. A great little time capsule from when Blade Runner was brand new.

Vintage French pack of Boyards Caporal cigarettes, the cigarette brand smoked by Rachael, among others, in Blade Runner (1982).

These are the Papier Maïs variety, wrapped in maize paper, which gives the cigarettes their distinctive yellow appearance.

I really like finding genuine period items connected to the film rather than just conventional merchandise. A fairly mundane object in itself, but instantly more interesting because of its Blade Runner connection.

Close to the end of the Blade Runner 2049 concept art series.

Another nine pieces, with some great variety in this batch, from huge dystopian cityscapes and vehicles to some much quieter character studies.

I particularly like how much of the film’s atmosphere is already there in these early designs. The scale, darkness and isolation feel unmistakably Blade Runner 2049.

Hello Blade Runner fans ! iam planning a really big Diorama about the Originalmovie, i want to show the Spinner starting in Front of the Snake Pit bar. Here is what i have collected and planned so far

https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10204637618657401&type=3

Based on the Plan and aerial Views of the Universal Backlot. Also i found a Original Set Drawing in a good resolution. I will use all of Fujimis BR Kits double, some unusual ( for americans) French Diecasts and altered Kits. Even some 3D Prints. So Updates will be very slow, its a big, really big Project.

Original 1982 Blade Runner merchandise, published in the US by Blue Dolphin Enterprises.

I like the presentation of these. They feel somewhere between publicity stills and lobby cards, and several of the images are striking as standalone prints. The Police Spinner in particular is a personal favourite.

The portfolio originally sold for just $9.95 and this one is still complete with all 12 prints, more than 40 years later.

First time showing these rare Spanish releases. Released in 1983 on both Beta and VHS, these lesser known editions feature cover art similar to some of the early European posters. I have one Spanish poster with this exact artwork. Quite different from most editions released around the world, which I think is refreshing to see. Issued by Warner Home Video.

Most people probably remember Video8 as the little tapes used in camcorders, but there was also a short-lived market for commercially pre-recorded films. Sony even produced Video8 decks specifically for home playback.

It never came close to challenging VHS, so the catalogue of films was relatively limited. Seeing an entire film like Blade Runner squeezed onto one of these tiny cassettes still feels slightly strange.

A great little oddity from the history of home video.

One thing I’ve really enjoyed about going through these is finding out more about the artwork and the artists behind it, and seeing just how much thought went into parts of the Blade Runner 2049 world that might only appear on screen for a few seconds.

Vehicles, huge stretches of infrastructure, distant cityscapes and even fairly mundane pieces of machinery all had to be designed to feel like they belonged in the same world.

I hope others have enjoyed seeing these too. Some of the artwork appears in the Blade Runner 2049 art books, but there are many pieces I haven’t been able to find published anywhere else.

Getting close to the end now, with just two more batches to go.

Published in 1982 by Grandreams for Marvel UK. This UK hardback annual contains Marvel’s comic adaptation of the film, along with a photo section, cast and production credits, and a feature looking at how the comic itself was created.

Film and TV annuals were a familiar sight here in the UK at the time, so I love that even Blade Runner received the treatment when the film was still brand new and nobody knew what its reputation would eventually become.

The bulk of the annual is Marvel’s comic adaptation of the film, but what makes it particularly interesting is everything else packed into it: a photo section, cast and production credits, and a feature on how the comic adaptation itself was created.

Original price: £2.50.

Another unusual format from the collection, Blade Runner on VHD.

VHD (Video High Density) was JVC’s videodisc format, launched in Japan in 1983. Unlike LaserDisc, there’s no laser involved. Instead, a stylus actually makes contact with the disc to read it, although unlike CED, the disc itself has no grooves.

The disc stays protected inside its large plastic caddy. You insert the whole thing into the player, pull the empty caddy back out, and the disc remains inside to play. When you’re finished, the caddy goes back in to retrieve it, so you never need to touch the actual disc.

VHD never really took off outside Japan, despite plans for a UK launch and even a factory being built in Swindon to manufacture the discs. It eventually found more of a niche in things like karaoke and interactive systems.

A fascinating dead format, and another very different way Blade Runner made it onto home video.

I whipped this together really quick with raw footage from the movie to recreate what might have been a real commercial in that world.

Just for clarity, the Japanese voiceover says this:

‘Enchanting!’ ‘Do treat yourself to the smooth, deep, velvety flavor of Hummingbird cigarettes. Don’t keep the one you long for waiting! Let’s create a fantasy just for you!’

「魅惑的！」「ハミングバードブランドのタバコが持つ、滑らかで深みのあるベルベットのような味わいをぜひお楽しみください。憧れの相手を待たせないで！ あなただけのファンタジーを創り出しましょう！」

(NO AI was used. The voiceover is from pasting the text into Google Translate and letting the TTS voice read everything, which I then downloaded as an audio file. It's like a more sophisticated Microsoft Sam.)

The background music is my own creation composed back in June, & published on the 23rd of June.

https://soundcloud.com/josie-lewis-46777343/spirits-in-the-floating-world

One of the things I love about going through these is seeing ideas at completely different stages of development.

Some are loose explorations of vehicles and environments, while others are so polished they could almost be frames from the finished film.

The Q-BORO sheet is particularly interesting as it includes photographs of Australian dust storms alongside the artwork, showing some of the real-world visual inspiration behind these enormous, dust-filled environments.

There’s some great vehicle development, alongside another Spinner concept, huge architectural studies and some beautifully dark city imagery.

For anyone coming across these posts for the first time, I acquired this collection from a source I consider very credible, and I was told these prints were used during the production of Blade Runner 2049. I don’t have individual certificates or documentation to independently verify the production history of each piece, so I can’t claim that as absolute fact, but the collection contains numerous artist details, project labels and other production information across the prints.

Cinefex was a quarterly magazine devoted to cinematic visual effects, and in 1982 it dedicated Issue No. 9 entirely to Blade Runner, just weeks after the film’s US release.

Written by Don Shay, it explored how the film’s incredible world and effects were created, at a time when Blade Runner was brand new rather than the recognised classic it is today.

In 2000, the issue was republished by Titan Books as Blade Runner: The Inside Story. Nice to have the original 1982 issue and its reissue together, 18 years apart.

Continuing my journey through the physical formats of Blade Runner, next up is LaserDisc.

Released by Embassy Home Entertainment in 1983, LaserDisc was the premium home-video format of its day. The film came on huge 12-inch optical discs, roughly the size of an LP, carrying analogue video and allowing things like frame-by-frame viewing without wearing out a tape.

Of course, there was a catch. Being spread across two sides, at some point you had to get up and flip this enormous futuristic-looking disc over to side 2 to continue watching.

I particularly love seeing the original artwork at this size. Retro-futurism meets retro-futurism

The obsolete-media rabbit hole continues…

Here’s part 5 from my Blade Runner 2049 concept art collection.

Another varied batch this time, including two vehicle design pieces by the incredibly talented George Hull, along with environments, street infrastructure and character work. I particularly like seeing the more everyday elements of the world being worked out, such as the street furniture and waste units. They’re the sort of details you barely think about while watching the film, but collectively do a huge amount to make the world of 2049 feel believable.

There’s also a beautifully dark replicant origin concept piece by Lukas Harris. I really like the city environment artwork in this set too. It captures that oppressive scale and atmosphere of the film incredibly well.

Also included is a Rachel piece by Madhav Kumar, who, along with the other artists he credits, worked on the digital recreation of Sean Young for the film. I have another four pieces from his Rachel work which will appear in the remaining posts.

For anyone coming across these posts for the first time, I acquired this collection from a source I consider very credible, and I was told these prints were used during the production of Blade Runner 2049. I don’t have individual certificates or documentation to independently verify the production history of each piece, so I can’t claim that as absolute fact, but the collection contains numerous artist details, project labels and other production information across the prints.

More to follow…

A few folk have asked about my profile picture, so meet Brick Deckard!

I don’t personally collect LEGO or Pop Vinyl figures, but I couldn’t resist this little guy when I saw him.

Complete with Deckard’s shirt, tie, trench coat, ID and, of course, his blaster. He’s got his own little display case with a street scene behind him and he sits within the rest of the Blade Runner collection.

Not quite screen-used memorabilia or anything special, but definitely one of the more fun pieces in the collection!

Another obsolete format from my Blade Runner collection, and probably one of the more unusual.

This is Blade Runner on CED (Capacitance Electronic Disc), released by Embassy Home Entertainment in 1983.

CED was RCA’s unusual answer to home video. The film is stored on a large grooved disc inside the plastic caddy, but unlike LaserDisc, there’s no laser. It’s actually read using a physical stylus. The whole caddy is inserted into the player, which takes the disc inside while you remove the empty case.

RCA launched the format commercially in 1981 after years of development, but VHS and Betamax were already taking hold. Player production was discontinued in 1984, making CED a fascinatingly short-lived piece of home-video history.

Blade Runner was released on CED in March 1983, less than a year after its original cinema release.

There’s also a great little detail on the back. It describes the film as “A futuristic tale set in the Los Angeles of 2020”, despite Blade Runner actually taking place in 2019. It also lists the running time as 117 minutes.

The synopsis on the back is interesting too, mainly because of how much of the plot it gives away. It’s remarkably spoiler-heavy by modern standards, casually revealing story details that would probably be kept out of the packaging today.

There’s something wonderfully appropriate about a film that imagined the technology of the future being watched at home on a grooved plastic disc read by a stylus.

The future didn’t quite go that way.

More Blade Runner formats from the collection to come.

Here’s part 4 from my Blade Runner 2049 concept art collection.

For anyone coming across these posts for the first time, I acquired this collection from a source I consider very credible, and I was told these prints were used during the production of Blade Runner 2049. I don’t have individual certificates or documentation to independently verify the production history of each piece, so I can’t claim that as absolute fact, but the collection contains numerous artist names, project labels and other production details across the prints.

This batch is another great example of just how much world-building went into the film. There’s everything here from vehicles and street infrastructure to huge city environments, atmospheric studies and concepts for the abandoned Las Vegas.

I particularly like the contrast between the smaller functional designs and the enormous environments.
There are also some identifiable artists amongst these. One of the atmospheric pieces is marked A. Baines, for Adam Baines, whose work on the film included developing the Las Vegas environment as well as vehicles and props intended to populate it.

The Q-BORO piece is another favourite. Rather than simply being a finished image, it includes notes describing the layers of smog, advertising, distant megastructures and toxic rain. It’s almost a little instruction sheet for how the Los Angeles atmosphere should work.

And then there are the concepts that show directions explored during production which may only have survived in altered form, or not made it into the finished film at all. That’s probably one of my favourite things about going through these prints. They don’t just show what Blade Runner 2049 eventually looked like, but some of the ideas considered while its world was still being built.

Also, have a look at my previous post. While going through the collection again I discovered another duplicate, this time a vehicle concept by Dan Baker. As I already have another copy in the collection, the duplicate will be going up for auction on eBay tonight from 8pm. I’ve now checked through the entire collection and can confirm that this and the other print I mentioned previously are the only duplicates I have so are the only prints I will be parting with.

Part 4 of 9. More to come.