Drew Struzan's "The Thing" Art Print

Hear that heavenly sound? That choir of angelic voices? If I had to guess, I would imagine it's pretty similar to the sound Indiana Jones first heard when discovering the Holy Grail. Or when Jonas Salk developed the polio vaccine. Or how about when the "Star Wars Kid" realized his fifteen minutes of fame were almost up. I bet he was pretty stoked. That's sort of how I feel about today's poster. Hyperbole aside, Struzan's The Thing print, which holds a hallowed spot in film history, is sure to sit high atop most poster enthusiasts' "must own" list for a long, long while. It's hard not to get excited for its release, but a darker, more realistic side of me knows that actually getting my hands on one for a reasonable price will be nigh impossible - I can already taste the heartbreak. Then again, maybe if I just remind myself that it's only a piece of paper and some ink I can rise above my prescient depression and realize that I don't need material things to be happy. Maybe I can be a better pers- Nope. I need that poster, I want that poster, I must own and frame that poster.

The Thing Art Print
Drew Struzan
26" x 38" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$250 - Limited to 435

I'm not sure I have anything new to contribute to the conversation about Struzan's iconic The Thing poster, but that's never stopped me before. The one sheet for The Thing remains one of the most awesomely beautiful bits of promotional artwork ever created. It's otherworldly in that it suggests something literally extraterrestrial, but also uses the film's setting and transforms what many already consider alien - the frigid and inhospitable Antarctic - into a mind-blowing kaleidoscopic winter wonderland / wasteland. If you haven't discovered the great interview with Drew Struzan at movies.com, I highly recommend you head over there now. I was surprised to learn while reading it, that not only did the man only have a single day to create the original 1982 art from start to finish, he also had no reference shots from the film to work from. This poster is the perfect snapshot of Struzan's creativity and clearly holds a place in film lovers' hearts the world over, even to this day. I only wish Mondo had printed about a thousand more of these.

Drew Struzan's The Thing print will be available tomorrow (6/28) through Mondo at a random time. The poster measures 26" x 38", is limited to an edition of 435, and will cost $250. For up to the minute drop info be sure to follow @MondoNews, although you're probably better off F5ing all day. And as an FYI, Mondo has hinted that this poster release will be happening a little later than usual. Do with that tidbit what you will. To learn more about Struzan, visit drewstruzan.com, where you can spend lots and lots of money on his work, and be sure to pick up his newest book Drew Struzan: Oeuvre. Good luck!

Best Twenty Posters of 2011

Wow. This was a really, really, REALLY difficult post for me to compile, and there's a pretty good chance that if you asked me what my favorite posters from 2011 were a week from now, you might get something slightly different. With that said, I think I've created a pretty kickass list and, believe it or not, they're not all Mondo releases! When putting this together, the only restriction I imposed on myself was that all eligible artwork had to actually be purchasable at some point last year. Now onto the good stuff!

1. AKIRA Movie Posters by Tyler Stout

Akira Movie Poster (Regular)
Tyler Stout
24" x 36" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 180

Akira Movie Poster (Variant)
Tyler Stout
24" x 36" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 80

I can't get over how stunning these prints are! Tyler Stout has somehow created something that is 100% Tyler Stout, and yet completely different than anything he's ever attempted before. Don't get me wrong, I'm a huge fan of his much sought after The Thing and Robocop prints, but this, THIS, is the Stout artwork I long to own. The amount of stuff he was able to pack into these works of art is mind blowing and totally reminds me of the insanity that is Tetsuo's telekinetically rebuilt trash arm. Love it!

2. MY NEIGHBOR TOTORO Movie Posters by Olly Moss (Review)

My Neighbor Totoro Movie Poster (Regular)
Olly Moss
20" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 420

My Neighbor Totoro Movie Poster (Japanese Variant)
Olly Moss
20" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 170

Mondo? Olly Moss? Studio Ghibli? Hallelujah! Olly absolutely nailed the look and feel of this Miyazaki classic, taking care to balance beauty, adorableness, and the almighty forest spirit Totoro. Take note folks: this is how you do a variant. By the way, I recently rewatched My Neighbor Totoro. So good!

3. THE MUMMY Movie Posters by Martin Ansin (Review)

The Mummy Movie Poster (Regular)
Martin Ansin
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 385

The Mummy Movie Poster (Hieroglyphic Variant)
Martin Ansin
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 150

My love affair with Martin Ansin's work continues and this was by far my favorite piece from him in 2011. Not surprisingly, Martin packs so much realism and detail into the mummy's bandaged and shriveled face, that the idea of touching the poster's surface gives me the willies. And remember what I said about the Totoro variant? Well, it holds true for this print as well. Yes, those are actual hieroglyphics people!

4. NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD Movie Posters by Grzegorz Domaradzki (Review)

Night of the Living Dead Movie Poster (Regular)
Grzegorz Domaradzki
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 250

Night of the Living Dead Movie Poster (Glow in the Dark - Silver Variant)
Grzegorz Domaradzki
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 100

Grzegorz Domaradzki is an artist to watch out for. He's already done some BRILLIANT vector movie concept posters, but this was his first film poster design to actually become a screen print, and it's a pretty amazing one at that. I guess I've got a thing for skulls, because there's not one, but two posters on this list that come together to form the outline of a skull. Very creepy. By the way, a few of the regular versions are still available for sale through Kryptonite Prints & Apparel.

5. DUNE Movie Poster by Kevin Tong (Review)

Dune Movie Poster
Kevin Tong
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 100

I had to pick this print up on eBay after it sold out in the blink of an eye, but the inflated price was well worth it. Seriously, this poster is loaded to the brim with desert, sandworms, and backstabbing nobles (oh my). And no matter what you think about the film Dune (I'll admit it's kind of crazy and not a total success), you've got to applaud Kevin Tong for perfectly capturing the insanity of David Lynch's adaptation.

6. HELLRAISER Movie Posters by Florian Bertmer

Hellraiser Movie Poster (Regular)
Florian Bertmer
22.5" x 31.5" - Numbered
Limited to 245

Hellraiser Movie Poster (Variant)
Florian Bertmer
22.5" x 31.5" - Numbered
Limited to 70

Nobody depicts satanic stuff better than Florian Bertmer. That's just a fact. His artwork makes my skin crawl (in a good way), which is why I'm fairly certain Florian has at some point either made a pact with the Prince of Darkness or solved the Lament Configuration, thereby gaining access to the forbidden arts. This was my favorite poster from the Mondo Mystery Movie LA film series by leaps and bounds, and that's saying a lot given all the talent involved.

7. FRANKENSTEIN Movie Poster by Drew Struzan (Review)

Frankenstein Movie Poster
Drew Struzan
15" x 36" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 325

It's freaking Drew Struzan! Of course he was going to make the top ten. His gorgeous Frankenstein poster reminds us why he's still the undisputed king of the illustrated one sheet and pays tribute to a monster movie classic. Following Stout's Akira print, Struzan's Frankenstein is probably the most sought after poster in my top twenty.

8. ONCE UPON A TIME IN THE WEST Movie Posters by Oliver Barrett (Review)

Once Upon a Time in the West Movie Poster (Dawn Edition - Regular)
Oliver Barrett
16" x 26" - Numbered
Limited to 170

Once Upon a Time in the West Movie Poster (Dusk Edition - Variant)
Oliver Barrett
16" x 26" - Numbered
Limited to 60

I love these posters! Oliver Barrett is an artist I've been following since his amazing American Splendor print, but I think I may have found my new favorite when it comes to his body of work. And remember what I was saying about my subconscious and altogether creepy fascination with skulls being masterfully inserted into movie artwork (please refer to number four on this list)? Well, here's the second (and final) creative cranium mentioned in this post. These are completely sold out through Tommy Good, but a few are still available for purchase through Oliver's store and Dark City Gallery.

9. THE BURNING Movie Poster by Phantom City Creative (Review)

The Burning Movie Poster
Phantom City Creative
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 250

Phantom City Creative has been one of those consistently amazing design studios since day one. If I'm being completely honest with myself, I'm sure I could have included several Phantom City designs in this list, but this was by far my favorite poster of theirs in 2011. The Burning is a ridiculous 80s slasher that features a not-yet-bald Jason Alexander, but I'll be damned if this poster doesn't somehow make the movie a more respectable work of art just by association. Beautiful design. Perfect execution. Blood rendered in biblical proportions. Flawless.

10. “FIGURE 1: VULPES VULPES” Art Print by Rich Kelly (Review)

"Figure 1: Vulpes Vulpes" Art Print
Rich Kelly
16.5" x 23.5" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 100
Inspired By: The Fantastic Mr. Fox

Fantastic Mr. Fox isn't my all-time favorite Wes Anderson flick, that honor goes to The Life Aquatic, but it's definitely up there. This amazing Rich Kelly art print inspired by Anderson's lone animated creation is just a joy to look at. Kelly masterfully depicts the titular Mr. Fox, but also manages to comment on the stop motion production method with gorgeous results.

11. "THE OPEN ROAD" Art Print by Scott Campbell (Review)

"The Open Road" Art Print
Scott Campbell
12" x 12" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 50
Inspired By: Easy Rider

I wasn't sure if this was ever going to be an actual print, since the above artwork was originally part of a larger movie poster for the All Tomorrow's Parties / Criterion Collection screening of Easy Rider, but here we are. Scott Campbell's amazing "The Open Road" poster is one of the jewels in my collection and is still available for purchase through Gallery 1988.

12. THE LIFE AQUATIC Movie Poster by Joshua Budich (Review)

The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou Movie Poster
Joshua Budich
24" x 36" - Signed & Numbered
Limited to 150

Joshua Budich has been an artist that has consistently amazed me and continues to one-up himself with every new poster release. Created for Spoke Art's awesome "Bad Dads" show, Budich's Life Aquatic poster conveys the quirky, colorful, strangely hilarious brilliance of Steve Zissou and company. Highlights include: Seu Jorge playing guitar in the lower right corner, the candy-striped seahorse mucking around under the title, and an angry gun-toting Steve Zissou front and center.

13. THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE Movie Poster by Jeff Proctor (Review)

The Texas Chainsaw Massacre
Jeff Proctor
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 345

Jeff Proctor really made a name for himself this year with a number of amazing Mondo posters including, but not limited to: Hobo with a Shotgun, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Dawn of the Dead, and of course The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. This print is utterly horrifying and practically exudes unyielding Texan summer heat...and chainsaw wielding psychopaths. That too.

14. FAIL-SAFE Movie Poster by Lloyd Stas (Review)

Fail-Safe Movie Poster
Lloyd Stas
18" x 24" - Numbered
Limited to 35

Lloyd Stas' brilliant Fail-Safe print combines the obvious and the subtle with amazing results. I think it's safe to say that even if you haven't seen Sidney Lumet's Cold War what if film, you can still enjoy the obvious care and attention paid to this artwork during its conception and creation. Lloyd Stas is another young artist to be on the look out for.

15. DEATHRAP Movie Poster by Jacob Van Loon (Review)

Deathtrap Movie Poster
Jacob Van Loon
18" x 24" - Numbered
Limited to 35

Much like Lloyd Stas' Fail-Safe print, Jacob Van Loon's Deathtrap poster was part of the Kingdom of Nonsense curated "The Machines Are Winning" art show. When I first saw Jacob's design I was immediately drawn in by the confusingly convoluted intertwining of machine and Cronenbergian sentient life form. Is anybody else getting a vague Naked Lunch vibe from this print? If this is any indication of what we can expect form Jacob Van Loon, I hope he starts doing a lot more film-related stuff in the near future.

16. FANTASTIC MR. FOX Movie Poster by Randy Ortiz (Review)

“We Got the Tail, but We Missed the Fox” Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie Poster
Randy Ortiz
18" x 24" - Includes a certificate of authenticity
Limited to 75

Randy Ortiz is somebody I didn't have the slightest familiarity with prior to 2011, but am now avidly following. It's even been intimated that he might do some work with Mondo in the near future - so that's cool. With his Fantastic Mr. Fox print, Randy has crafted something that's minimalist, but by no means simple. I can't wait to see what else this guy has up his sleeves.

17. THEY LIVE Movie Posters by Shepard Fairey (Review)

They Live Movie Poster (Mondo Edition - Regular)
Shepard Fairey
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 500

They Live Movie Poster (OBEY Edition - Variant)
Shepard Fairey
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 500

How could I not include Fairey's only Mondo movie poster on my list? I don't think there's a single artist better equipped to handle John Carpenter's alien invasion meets 1984 by way of Fahrenheit 451 film than street artist Shepard Fairey. This goes without saying, but the print is very pretty up close.

18. PAN'S LABYRINTH Movie Posters by Aaron Horkey

Pan's Labyrinth Movie Poster (Regular)
Aaron Horkey
15" x 37.5" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 420

Pan's Labyrinth Movie Poster (Variant)
Aaron Horkey
15" x 37.5" - Signed and Numbered
Limited to 125

If I had to choose (please don't make me), I'd have to say that Pan's Labyrinth is my favorite Guillermo del Toro film. It's a wonderful story that blends the real and the fantastical, and is as horrifying as it is beautiful on both counts. Aaron Horkey seems to understand that and has created a print that's gorgeous to look at, but also a bit disturbing.

19. SWAMP THING Movie Posters by Florian Bertmer (Review)

Swamp Thing Movie Poster (Regular)
Florian Bertmer
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 230

Swamp Thing Movie Poster (Variant)
Florian Bertmer
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 90

If you couldn't tell, I'm a huge Bertmer fan. In fact, he's the only artist on this list mentioned twice. Florian created two insanely exceptional posters this year, and while I slightly preferred his Hellraiser posters over his Swamp Thing prints, they're both pretty much perfect.

20. THE FLY Art Print by Dan Mumford (Review)

Dan Mumford's horror movie art print series has been an absolute blast to follow. His organic and stringy line work is the perfect match to Cronenberg's terrifyingly disgusting remake (I use the word "remake" in the loosest sense here). Brundlefly has never looked more gooey, and yes, that was most definitely a compliment.

Well, that's the list! What did you think? What were some of your favorite posters?

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

Drew Struzan's "Frankenstein" Movie Poster

UPDATE 1 (9/12): 75 copies of this print will be released during a screening of Frankenstein at the New Beverly in Los Angeles tonight. Each print will cost a total of $285 and will be signed and numbered by Drew Struzan. The print is limited to an edition of 325.

This one has already made the rounds, but it's kind of a big deal (and awesome), so I feel it bears repeating. Drew Struzan, the man behind some of the most iconic movie posters in existence, in collaboration with Mondo, has created a truly brilliant poster for the monster classic Frankenstein.

Frankenstein Movie Poster
Drew Struzan

These guys are certainly doing something right. Not only was Mondo recently contacted by The Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to archive all of their forthcoming posters, they also got to work with legendary artist Drew Struzan to create the kickass poster you see above. Struzan crafted an insanely beautiful poster for the Karloff-starring Frankenstein that seems to both pay respect to the 1931 film, as well as interpret the movie through a more modern design aesthetic. Using fragments of Dr. Frankenstein and Frankenstein's monster to create a whole person, separating them with the only the tiniest fracture, not only says something about the characters and the schism between them, it also happens to look pretty sharp. I imagine Struzan created this print using his standard airbrush and color pencil method, but even if he didn't, the crazily detailed photo-realistic look of his posters is perfectly retained with his first (of hopefully many) Mondo poster(s).

I don't really have any information on when this poster is going to be released, but I can tell you it's going to be nearly impossible to get a hold of. /Film recently posted a great interview with main Mondo man Justin Ishmael, but one line in the article has me more than a little worried:

"There’s no information yet on price (but it’ll be expensive), edition size (smaller than most) or release date, but that’ll all be announced on @MondoNews very soon."

Why on Earth would they want it to be a smaller edition size than most? You would think a Drew Struzan Mondo screen print would be a great reason to make the edition size larger than most. But who knows, I'm sure Mondo has a good reason, or maybe something was just lost in translation. Either way, I'll definitely be trying to grab one of these and I'll be sure to update this post as I receive more information. To learn more about the amazing Drew Struzan, I recommend visiting his portfolio at drewstruzan.com, but even more so I'd advise you to pick up the amazing book The Art of Drew Struzan.