Secret City 1-1

[Moxxuren]

That fan mail was there the whole time! THIS GUY MUST BE A PHONY!

[hawaiidispenser]

I TOTALLY learned so many rules and shortcuts of drawing (perspective, shading, etc) by watching Mark as a kid. LOVED this show so much!!!

[paradyneT101]

I remember this!!!...oh the days when they use to have great shows that would teach kids how to use their own imagination!!

sad how those days are gone now.

[ThaFreeRadikal]

Commander Mark! Thanks for inspiring us with your work; some of your fans have grown to become super artists, thanks to you! Someday I hope you get to see my art.

[ThaFreeRadikal]

Commander Mark! Thanks for inspiring us with your work; some of your fans have grown to become super artists, thanks to you!

[trololomosher]

Sex god!

[coystrill]

I was always worried one of the markers in his bandolier would explode and cause a horrible chain reaction. For all its corniness, the Secret City encouraged creativity and Commander Mark was a good teacher.

[elldog00]

thanks, for putting these up, they really take you back. I had forgotten about those alien/dragon hands that came down over the sketch pad

[lupowins]

Damn! I LOVED this show when I was a kid. Why aren't their more interactive shows like this today? So many kids watched him, and he was a great teacher.

[alecfras]

2 people who watched this hate to draw.

[jjhorger]

I remember this! Part of why I enjoy drawing in perspective!

[b2bone]

I loved this show so much when I was a kid.

[Icarusdecending82]

I would not know how to draw a cube if it werent for Commander Mark.

[mangakagrunge]

this man changed my life and helped me get into art at an early age,and now i draw comic books for a living thanks commander mark.

[mistrimeat]

If someone would have told me 30 years ago I'd be shaking hands and talking to Commander Mark, I'd have called them a liar...but it happened today. I met him at a book signing. Super guy. One of my childhood heros for sure.

[MrMagnethart]

I used to watch this show all the time when I was a kid! I learned so much and still use the techniques in drawing today. He came to my home town once and did some art classes for kids. It was great. Thanks for posting.

[rafaelmc76]

drawing lessons with David Hasselhoff!!!

[deathcar]

Freddy Mercury?

[technofeeliak]

Yes, this is a blast from the past... I watched this guy for years as a kid and he taught me some basic drawing techniques but even more importantly he inspired me to draw draw draw every day... Thanks Commander Mark... I hope life is treating you well.

[DoctorIncredible]

why does TV suck nowdays? this actually enhanced my brain, not destroyed it

[alecfras]

@DoctorIncredible I think you just answered your own question. A person who can think for themselves and is not easily programmable through subliminal/superliminal marketing tactics is inevitably a bad consumer. That's why we don't see anything like this anymore.

[aopajay]

WOW, this takes me back to a better time !

[noboruyojimbo]

Sooo much better than the happy plant guy. =)

20 years later and still addictive.

[gherinquad]

He was to drawing what Bob Ross was to painting. I loved this show as a kid.  I had notebooks filled with my 3d cities.

[ilovetortillas]

this guy was awesome :)

[Phikeson]

Mark Kistler taought me how to draw in the third grade, in my spanish class! my classmates and i would watch his videos, and learn about art. witch was amazing becouse i wanted to become an artist. witch has influnced me alot.

[xedra]

Wow, this brings back memories! My high school art teacher knew Commander Mark.

[wtfjusthappened1000]

i wish i knew about this as a kid, i just taught myself how to draw, and i did i pretty good job at it seeing as i sell them now :)

[sljgdh]

This show was the beginning of my life as an artisti

[FlamestrixWindfyre]

OMG! I have been looking for proof of this show for years...Thanks for posting!! :-)

[arlichar11]

wow...i still use techniques i learned from this... i didnt realize then i wa learning stuff just was fun..i always thought this guy was dork.. great memories i would nevr have rembered the name of this..thanks 4 post

[CCSLASH1]

growing up, i looked up to 2 artists! commander mark and bob ross! 2 amazing people! great teachers!!

[maddash24seven]

I can honestly say Mark taught me a great deal on how to draw as a kid. This show was my favorite. It's a great approach to get kids to draw, drawing cool tunnels and doorways, it keeps you addicted. This guy is awesome.

[arlichar11]

@maddash24seven wow i thought i wrote that.. lol i know exactly what u mean

[nnyscouter]

I used to love this show when I was growing up.

[SaganAppreciationSoc]

Oh my. I remember this.

[nixuser69]

I remember this show as a kid. It was a good show in teaching children design and art concepts that one would generally only learn in a more advanced art course. Commander Mark was a great art teacher for kids. Also kudos to PBS for airing such good programming that was both entertaining and highly educational for the youth.

[rptaylor11]

Anymore Secret City alumni out there???????? I don't really draw that much anymore but I do use my talents for my son's lunch bags. It's cool because all of his classmates are like, "You should be an artist!". And I tell them....I am! : )

[Dulcimerist]

I was watching this dude's brand new PBS show, and thought I recognized him from this old show that I loved as a kid! What an awesome blast from the past! I'm watching his new show on TV while watching this YouTube video!

I wish he would still wear a cool uniform with pen holders, rather than the suspenders he is wearing right now in the present day...

[choyla]

I watched this show religiously when I was a little guy. He was so perfect: not condescending or patronizing, and yet totally breaking down complexity into understandable concepts. It takes a wonderful type of humble genius to teach effectively. 

[evlash3]

This man was a MAGICIAN to me growing up! I am 31 and still use his techniques to this day!

[mizfidget]

Oh wow! I have been looking for this for years. Everyone claims that I have a natural born talent but I doubt I could do what I can do now if this guy wasn't on the air. I've been drawing since I was 4 and my foundation started here. I have only ever met one person that remembers this show!!

[MrGossardX]

I used to watch this, my Art teacher Mrs. Hunovice told us to watch it, it was really good.

[gekisen01]

hooooooooly shit i remember this!!!!!!!!!

[rptaylor11]

Man, I used to be on this show as a kid. I was the only black kid on the show. lol If anyone can find my episode please let me know. It was a GREAT experience!!!

[wackyruss]

@rptaylor11

That is awesome that you were on his show!

I had the pleasure of meeting him at his summer art camps as a kid.

[ghydle]

This show was a trip! So glad to find it again and look back at what life was like being 8 years old.

[d33m0]

1:10 is he wearing eyeliner?

[TickleTron2000]

Oh, I wish they'd bring this series out on DVD.

Or did they, and I just don't know about it?

[Voltron1980s]

I remember this show now, that robot dude made me laugh.

[TheNikGrif]

is it just me or am i seeing him using an erasable crayon....

..

[pwntalive]

You Nostalgia: You Lose

[pyannaguy]

This one actually has me a little stumped. I've easily been able to follow everything else that I've seen of mark's lessons, but this isn't easy for me to visualize and follow.

Oh, well - I can just keep watching and starting fresh.

[naturaltarget]

so glad he is still on TV!!! My kids get to learn to draw like i did!!

[elexsor]

Thank you for posting these. I used to watch these when I was younger. Helped to foster my imagination and inspire me to draw draw draw. Kids need more shows like these today.

[mooky9669]

This was a cool show..I remember Cmdr. Mark teach how to do shading with your pencil and lick your finger and rub it to the paper where you are shading..this is great!

[mykestyle]

I've tried to remember the name of this forever! He definitely inspired and taught me things as a kid. Helped me get to where I am today as well! :)

[DrWindo]

Thanks to his shows this is what got me to draw more and more. His positivity and basics really inspired me as a child to where i am today and really helped me develop my art skills of which i have today

[DrLove0378]

I *thought* I remembered a program called "The Secret City" -- so I WASN'T just dreaming about it... I could use some techniques, so I'll definitely stick around and watch.

[neighbourinblack]

What a brilliant program this was. This was what inspired me to draw and develop a lot of the artistic skills I have today. He also had a great show called Imagination Station as well which was awesome.

[RoyFan33]

Oh. My. God. LOOK at that jacket... I wish I'd been born a little earlier so I could have watched this. D:

[drm1997]

A lot of kids found out drawing and art is fun!!!! They also found success with his step-by-step instruction followed by suggestions on being creative!

[chongo666]

ya im glad i found this--this dude was the bomb-i use alot of his techniques when drawing stuff--

[CameronMylesWalker]

Epic Mustache

[rawdollarkarbone]

man !!! he was ill.....!! dude was cool..!! Im a Drafter because dude todaY. YOU NEED TO SMOKE WEED AND WATCH THIS DUDE !!!! culturaldetritusnyc THANKZ FOR THIS WORD UP..

[kludd28]

"Super Positive!!" I remember watching this show daily & thinking it was great. I am pretty sure tho' that Cmdr. Mark drove my Mom crazy, he does lay it on a little thick, but then I was his target audience, not my Mom. Thanks for posting!

[AddieStarr]

brings back the memories!!

[thegrimtree]

Foreshortened circles FTW !!

[ringrosehouse07]

OMG thanks for posting these!!!

[timvang666]

Hiiiieeeee draw, draw, draw, draw! Art attack!

[csuhdraven]

Are there any clips that include the show credits? Commander Mark and his show need a page on imdb.

[Orbital440]

Long live the Draw Squad!

[roxyart]

Love you Commander Mark. Thanks so much for posting these. The beginning of my art career!

[h1gh3agle]

Wow! Thank you so much for posting these, I grew up watching Commander Mark as a child, I used to watch his show all of the time with my Mom when I got home from school, this brings back so many good memories. Commander Mark really made drawing very enjoyable for me growing up. I still have all of the drawings that I made watching his show as a kid with my Mother and even framed one that was my version of the secret city. Thank you Mark Kistler.

[missibucketredux]

And also, is that eyeliner he's wearing?! Awesome! Now he needs to wear the red suspenders AND eyeliner!!!

[missibucketredux]

Trippy! I prefer Imagination Station though, because he wears those snazzy red suspenders.

[k2datrack]

men i was like 8yrs old...we used to watch this in nigeria...now i draw comics(as a hobby)...Nice stuff. i remeber he used to always say somethin like "...draw draw draw... practice 24hours a day" or somethin... wow!

[epiphanyamore]

I just happened upon his name today and am overjoyed because for so long I couldn't remember the name of the show...this really helps now that I'm in college for art myself.

[wackyruss]

This guy was awesome. I hear he's still teaching summer art camps here in Houston Texas... if only I had children and/or still a child myself...!!!

[brandechh]

Holy crap... I remember drawing chains like that religiously... forgot I got it from this show.

[coltyhuxx]

Mark was an excellent teacher. I mean, this is how you get kids enthusiastic about a topic. Not condescending at all. Just a great teacher.

[mooky9669]

I used to watch this every afternoon...he was a great teacher..I remember the shading technique where you wet your finger and then rub where you want to shade on your paper.

[trublgrl]

Commander Mark was the best teacher ever! I remember teachers in my school in Art and Music who talked to us like we were really not able to do anything great. Commander Mark NEVER insulted the kids, he TAUGHT us the concepts, and said: "DO YOUR BEST". I never felt anything in art was beyond me, and when I took drafting in HS, I was WAY beyond most because I understood the magic words and that stuff affects me everytime I put pencil to paper!

[XZQVenus2]

I learned to draw from Commander Mark when I was little, lots of good fundamentals.  Gotta love that "super positive!" attitude too.

[nunlover]

what a great show. i never missed this show and had his book too. he really taught some good stuff.

[culturaldetritusnyc]

No, the numbering system is just based on my videotape collection.

[orion1052003]

Is this the first episode of the whole series?