Reference and how to use it

Allen Gladfelter has a neat post on hisblog about drawing locations. If you've never lived in NYC, a place like Grays' Papaya or Central Park can seem as exotic as the Valley of the Kings in Egypt ( I should say that I've never been to the Valley of the Kings!).
Allen really got his locations right on the money using the right reference. His script said New York and he did his homework.

I recently drew an issue of Kolchak, The Night-Stalker where the writer put a scene in a Motel room. He described it as an older place, Clean but with furnishings from the Carter Administration. Sounds simple enough, but If you fake it, people notice. I am a big fan of reading Magazines and I was able to dig up some excellent reference. Everybody should have a reference file and having it made my job easier.