Drew Struzan: Oeuvre (2011) Book Review

Drew Struzan. There. Need I say more? Oh, I'm expected to give a review that consists of more than just two words? In that case I'll give you a few more reasons why you should pick up Titan Books' newest title, Drew Struzan: Oeuvre. First things first, if you've never heard of Drew Struzan, shame on you. Now that that's out of the way, let's do a little Struzan 101. Drew Struzan is an American artist who's best known for doing some of the most important and beautiful movie one-sheets to ever grace a theater facade. He's done artwork for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Hellboy, and the Police Academy series, among others. Unlike another well known artist, Saul Bass, whose minimalist aesthetic became his trademark, Drew's posters feature an airbrushed photorealism that leaps off the page - though to only view his work within the framework of the film industry would be shortsighted. He's also created artwork for comic books, albums, magazines, and stamps (yes, stamps). This leads me to one of my favorite things about Oeuvre: the breadth of its focus.

The Thing Movie Poster

Torrente 3: El Protector Movie Poster

It would have been easy to simply cram all of Struzan's film-based art into an omnibus and call it a day. Don't get me wrong, there's no doubt that would make for an amazing book, but by including work that comes from his other, non-movie related, personal and commercial assignments, we're able to put some context around the cinephilic illustrations we all know and love. That's not to say this book doesn't contain a ton of movie poster goodness, it does, and then some. Flipping through Oeuvre is stupefying to say the least, as it becomes quite clear (especially as a child of the 80s or early 90s) how big a role Mr. Struzan played in shaping the iconography of our adolescence. From First Blood to Big Trouble in Little China to The Shawshank Redemption, it's impossible to go through this book without summoning some sort of fond recollection of a bygone era when movie tickets were affordable and movie posters were works of art.

The Walking Dead Poster

Star Wars Movie Poster

As expected, Titan Books has put together a great package with thick, quality paper and a beautiful dust jacket. The book is divided into five sections (Music, Movies, Publishing, Commercial, and Personal) and features a brief introduction for each category written by Drew and Dylan Struzan (Drew's wife). As is usually the case with art books, at least in my experience, Oeuvre isn't very wordy, instead the reader is treated to beautiful illustration after beautiful illustration. And whatever you may think of George Lucas, there's no denying that Drew and George have had a very long and mutually beneficial friendship - I imagine this was the the reason he was chosen to write the foreword. All in all, even if you only have a passing interest in movie posters or the art of Drew Struzan do yourself a favor and grab this book. You won't regret it!

Squirm Movie Poster

Pan's Labyrinth Movie Poster

Drew Struzan: Oeuvre was released today and carries an MSRP of $49.95, but at the time of this writing it's available at Amazon for $31.33 and qualifies for free shipping. So that's cool. To learn more about Drew Struzan, head over to drewstruzan.com and peruse his vast body of work. If you've got a ton of spending money, I'm talking upwards of $100,000, you can even purchase an original illustration from the man, though I think the book is a bit more affordable for most of us. If Oeuvre interests you, be sure to visit titanbooks.com, where you'll find more great books including, but not limited to: The Art of Drew Struzan, The Art of Hammer, Watching the Watchmen, and Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art (my review).

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art (2011) Book Review

I've lived in Los Angeles for about five years now, and I only found out about Crazy 4 Cult about three years ago, but for the first time last year I actually got to see the show in person. Needless to say, it was an incredibly exciting and fruitful (if crowded) experience. There's something really rewarding about being able to see one-of-a-kind movie-themed artwork before the Internet gets its hands on the images and decides to make it a viral sensation (deservedly so) on every film and poster blog the world over (Posterocalypse included). It's even cooler when the artwork in question is for one of your favorite films. Yep, last year's Crazy 4 Cult was a blast and I imagine this year's, brilliantly titled "Crazy 4 Cult 5: I'm Getting Too Old for this Shit," will be even bigger. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it this time around, because I'll be out of town for much of the show's duration. Meaning many pieces of the artwork I may have had a chance to purchase, will be proudly hanging on someone else's wall. With that said, I received something last weekend, that officially went on sale yesterday (6/21), and has managed to somehow fill the 18" x 24" void left in my heart (what can I say, I've got a big heart). The item in question is a book, and that book is of course Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art.

Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art Cover "Mushroom Cloud-Layin' MF" Billy Perkins Inspired By: Pulp Fiction

"Necesito Más Cerebros" Frank Gonzales Inspired By: Dawn of the Dead

I know that the first part of this review has mostly just been me prattling on about myself with nary a word really spent talking about Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art, but that's because there's not really all that much to say. This book is brilliant in just about every single possible way. Besides an introduction by Kevin Smith, who's enjoyment of dick jokes seems to know no end, the book is very light on text. Instead, Titan Books and Gallery 1988, the publisher and curator of Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art respectively, let the artwork speak for itself. And speak it does, having been to the Crazy 4 Cult show only once before (as was previously stated ad nauseam) I was blown away by the sheer creativity on display. Freaks, A Clockwork Orange, Dawn of the Dead, Jaws, Pulp Fiction, Goonies, Harold & Maude, it's all here. And much like the show, the book features a diverse range of artists and artistic styles from polymer clay figures and graphite on matchbooks (yes, matchbooks) to acrylic on wood and screen prints on archival paper.

"The Parking Ticket"
Scott Listfield
Inspired By: Star Wars

I'm not going to lie, this book hurts my soul just a little, because it reminds me of what I'll be missing out on this year, but I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Titan Books' Cult Movie Art is probably one of the classiest and coolest ways one could celebrate the geek art culture, which thanks to Gallery 1988 and others like it, is currently thriving. One last thing before I get off my soapbox, the majority of the art books I own focus on one artist, which is great if you love the work of that one artist, but not very helpful if you want to discover anyone new. Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art is in complete opposition of that, because not only is there a huge cast of artists including many names you will and won't recognize, but at the end of the book each and every artist (that has a digital presence) has their website listed. This artist directory allows both new and old fans alike to learn more about these very talented people. That alone would be worth the price of purchase in my opinion.

"Henry" Paul Barnes Inspired By: Eraserhead

"Positive Surrender" Yoskay Yamamoto Inspired By: Akira

If you're at all interested in movie-themed artwork then Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art is the book for you. A word of warning though, if you're not already infected, there's a very good chance this book may start you down the (often expensive) rabbit hole known as art collecting, and before you know it you'll be taking down all of those family pictures to make room for a family portrait of The Shining cast. The book is available right now through Amazon and is surprisingly affordable at $23. I'd highly recommend making a blind purchase of this title, you won't regret it.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Fables Covers by James Jean (2008) Book Review

Along with my love of film and posters, I also happen to be very into comic books and graphic novels.  While my adoration of comics is a bit more casual, at least at the moment, then my passion for movies, posters, and dare I say it, movie posters, I've always found the comic book / graphic novel a fascinating medium and have spent entire days lost in trades of Grant Morrison's self reflexive Animal Man or Warren Ellis's part paranoid part prophetic Transmetropolitan.  For this reason, I wanted to take a quick detour from my usual film or poster talk to discuss an art book that is near and dear to my heart - Fables Covers by James Jean.

Whether you're a die hard DC fanboy or have never, even accidentally, wandered into the 'Graphic Novel' section of your local Barnes and Noble there's a comic out there specifically geared toward your tastes.  It's true.  Today I wanted to focus on the well known and critically acclaimed comic Fables, and more specifically, the collected cover art for the Fables series.  Fables imagines a world in which familiar fairy tale characters (e.g., Snow White, Sleeping Beauty, the Big Bad Wolf, Prince Charming) known as "Fables," have had to flee their homeland and take refuge in New York City.  As the characters attempt to fight back the evil forces that forced them from their home, the heroes, heroines and sometimes wickedly evil citizens of Fabletown fight back through political, physical and often magical means.  That premise may sound like a children's tale itself, but these fictional-turned-flesh denizens are fantastically complex characters that often seem as real as you or I.


If you've had the chance to start Fables I'm sure one of the first things you quickly noticed was James Jean's amazing cover work.  James's style is pretty unique; his artwork has an organic almost ghostlike quality to it - as even the most tangible and plain objects are surrounded by an opaque incandescence.  His covers are also often a fantastic combination of the digital and the traditional.  James is able to so perfectly meld these elements together that at times it can be a bit shocking to find out everything wasn't drawn out and painted on canvas.


Fable Covers by James Jean succeeds because it doesn't try to throw everything at you but the kitchen sink.  The folks who put this book together knew exactly what you wanted, James Jean's amazing Fables art work, and did not disappoint.  All his work with the Fables series is documented, including the preliminary sketches, graphite and watercolor drawings, and of course the final product.  The book also features a great interview between Fables creator Bill Willingham and James about their history, the impact that the Fables covers have had on his career and finally his artistic process - it's fascinating stuff.


Unfortunately James is no longer doing Fables covers, but you can pick this book up through Amazon.com for a pretty reasonable price.  For Fables fans this is a must have and for fans that aren't familiar with James Jean or Fables, again, this is a must have (and you should probably buy all of the Fables books currently available too, just for good measure).   Hell, if you have a pulse and/or breathe the Earth's air to survive, this book is a must have.  I think that should cover everyone.  I'd also recommend checking out James's website as he has some amazing original art for sale along with a heads up for any of his upcoming shows.

Rating: 5/5 Stars