Ghoulish Gary Pullin and Phantom City Creative's "Fright Nights" Gig Posters

It's become quite clear that those of us who don't live in or around Toronto are missing out on some pretty cool going-ons. Take, for example, "Fright Nights," an event co-sponsored by Rue Morgue and TIFF, but most importantly, headlined by Guillermo del Toro. Just imagine, five nights and five screenings of some of Guillermo's favorite horror films along with an introduction by the man himself. Sounds like a pretty great idea, right? It gets better. There's not one, but two different gig posters for the event, and they're available to everyone (for a price, of course)!

"Fright Nights" Gig Poster (Regular) Ghoulish Gary Pullin Phantom City Creative 12" x 36" - Signed and Numbered $40 - Limited to 100

"Fright Nights" Gig Poster (Variant) Ghoulish Gary Pullin Phantom City Creative 12" x 36" - Signed and Numbered $65 - Limited to 30

If you're a fan of del Toro, then this is simply a must own. The artists have not only managed to lovingly craft a wonderful portrait of one of the film world's most creative minds, but were also able to pay tribute to the five movies that played during the "Fright Nights" program. And for those wondering, the five films in question are: L'arcano incantatore, Black Sabbath, The Innocents, Cronos, and The Devil's Backbone. There are many, many things to like about these prints, but I think my favorite two elements are the cathedral setting and the incredibly detailed Cronos device. First, the setting. I love how these posters were designed as if the image was going to be immortalized in stained glass. The backdrop takes the idea of Guillermo del Toro as the patron saint of fantastical horror and movie loving, and really runs with it. Finally, we come to the incredibly detailed Cronos device, which in all honesty, is so beautiful, it could've had its own poster. Seriously, look at it!

The "Fright Nights" gig posters are currently available from Phantom City Creative AND Ghoulish Gary Pullin, through their respective storefronts. Both posters measure 12" x 36" and are signed and numbered. The regular edition costs $40 and is limited to 100, while the variant is limited to an edition of 30 and costs $65. To learn more about Phantom City Creative, be sure to checkout their website at phantomcitycreative.com, their previously mentioned store, and follow them @PhantomCityCrtv. And for those wanting to find out more about the incredibly talented Ghoulish Gary Pullin, head over to ghoulishgary.com, visit his storefront, his Tumblr blog, and follow him on Twitter @ghoulishgary.

Fernando Fro Reza's "Don't Be Afraid of the Dark" Movie Poster

I've sung Fro Design Co.'s praises before, and sure enough, the man has created yet another wonderful print, this time for the creepy Guillermo Del Toro penned Don't Be Afraid of the Dark.

Don't Be Afraid of the Dark Movie Poster
Fernando Fro Reza
11" x 17"
$30 - Limited to 100

I was a big fan of this film. Now I'm not saying it was a perfect story, but I had a lot of fun with the movie and there were some great scares! And the house, my god the house, is probably the most sinister character in the entire flick. I wanted to preface my review of Fro Design Co.'s artwork with a quick review of the film to underscore just how perfectly the artist has recreated the atmosphere of the movie. Fernando's print captures the macabre setting complete with clandestine homunculi and is, in my humble opinion, his most accomplished work to date. Unlike a lot of his other prints, which I love and admire, this poster reminds me more of a painting that tells a story (a dark story) than a clever minimalist aggregate of cinematic fragments. I've got more than enough room in my heart for both approaches, but I absolutely adore this poster.

Yes, it's a great poster, a beautiful poster even, but there's more! This print was commissioned by CHUD, and as part of that commission, Fernando has been offering a VERY generous BOGO deal that is sure to elicit joyful joy. To read more about the Fro Design Co. Don't Be Afraid of the Dark deal visit CHUD's article on the poster and be sure to mention it during the PayPal checkout process. Fernando Fro Reza's Don't Be Afraid of the Dark poster is available through the Fro Design Co. store at frodesignstore.blogspot.com. The giclée measures 11" x 17", is limited to an edition of 100 and costs $30. And when it comes to the film, while I may not be able to wholeheartedly recommend a blind buy (I'm sure I'll be buying it though), the film deserves, at the very least, a blind rental (is that even a phrase? it is now).

Martin Ansin's "Cronos" Movie Posters

UPDATE: All sold out. It's been refreshing having Mondo posters on sale for longer than 30 seconds. Let's keep it up!

I've been holding back this post because I wanted it differentiated from Horkey and Zouravliov's fantastic The Devil's Backbone prints, but now that the release date is almost upon us it's time to talk about Martin Ansin's beautiful Cronos posters. For the uninitiated, Cronos is a Guillermo Del Toro film about an antiques dealer named Jesus who finds a mechanical scarab that provides it's owner with eternal youth, at a very hefty price. It's a great film and happens to be Del Toro's first feature length creation. It's with this knowledge that Ansin's poster carries an even greater importance, because not only is this a celebration of the film that introduced Guillermo Del Toro to the world, but it also marks the end of his Mondo Director's Series (a sad day indeed).

Cronos (Regular)
Martin Ansin
24" x 34"
$45 - Limited to 340

Cronos (Variant)
Martin Ansin
24" x 34"
$65 - Limited to 120

I'm not sure which version I like more, but wow, these posters are gorgeous. The background cogs that make up the life-giving (and stealing) scarab are stunning in their detail and construction, and the jutting mechanical arms/needles represent the very definition of the word "sinister." Adding a bit of levity to the poster's darker tone, it's hard not to smile when seeing Ron Perlman hold up one of his many potential nose job cards - what a wonderful touch. It's posters like these, and pretty much everything Martin does, which begs the question: Why can't Ansin do every Mondo poster? Hyperbole aside, both the regular and variant edition would make striking additions to anyone's collection. And if you haven't seen Cronos and you enjoy the work of Guillermo Del Toro I highly recommend picking it up.

These posters will be available tomorrow (6/24) through Mondo's site at a random time. Strangely, both Cronos posters measure 24" x 34", a rather odd size, but these prints are worth a custom framing in my opinion. The regular version is limited to an edition of 340 and will cost $45, while the variant is limited to an edition of 120 and will cost a slightly steeper $65. If you want to know the moment these posters drop you should definitely be following @MondoNews and if you're a fan of the artist (Ansin is my absolute favorite artist in Mondo's stable) be sure to visit his portfolio at martinansin.com.

"The Devil's Backbone" Movie Posters by Aaron Horkey and Vania Zouravliov

UPDATE: All sold out! I hope everyone was able to get one.

I'm finding it a little hard to contain my excitement right now. For those not following @MondoNews, Mondo announced two very incredible posters from three very talented artists earlier today. I'm only going to focus on the first poster, since it'll be available tomorrow, but rest assured (I'm sure you were at the edge of your seat), I'll do a write up of Ansin's Cronos poster as the release date approaches.

The Devil's Backbone - Regular

The Devil's Backbone - First Variant

The Devil's Backbone - Second Variant

First things first, I'd like to address the film. The Devil's Backbone has all the trademarks of an amazing Del Toro film. By that I mean, it's in Spanish (I love pretty much every film the man has ever made, but his Spanish films, in my opinion, represent the best of his work), it's a period piece (these types of films just seem to exude timelessness), and finally it feels like an incredibly personal work of art from a master storyteller. I'm trying my best not to turn this into a review of the film, so I'll just sum up my thoughts on The Devil's Backbone by saying this: go watch this movie right now - it's a cinematic delight in every conceivable way. On to the posters. What to say, um, Vania's and Aaron's poster is pretty much perfect. Seeing work like this, and their previous collaboration on Mondo's Dracula poster, makes me kind of wish Horkey and Zouravliov did every print together. Both artists bring something different (but equally important) to the table. Aaron Horkey is able to create elaborate frameworks and typographic treasures that seem to be from a different universe altogether, with sharp but eerily organic line-work, while Vania Zouravliov has an uncanny knack for crafting nightmarish visions, in this case a fetus with spina bifida, that appears to have leapt out of a Victorian era tale of terror (i.e., it fits Del Toro's sensibilities perfectly). When these two artists come together, as talented as they are, the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. If there was one thing I could change, I would have made the second variant's sinister crimson colorway the main edition, if only so more people could get their hands on the gorgeous red version.

The Devil's Backbone posters will be available tomorrow (6/17) through Mondo's site at a random time. The regular version comes in an edition of 350 and will cost $60, while the first and second variants will both come in an edition of 90 and will cost $90. All of the posters will measure 24" x 36" and were printed by D&L Screen Printing. For the exact drop time be sure to follow @MondoNews, but most importantly pray to the gods of F5 for the gift of dextrous typing and a fast Internet connection. To check out Vania Zouravliov's other work you can visit his portfolio or his online store. Good luck!

Ken Taylor's "Sucker Punch" Movie Posters

I was going to write something about a non-Mondo poster, but this one seemed a bit more timely. Love him or hate him, Zack Snyder has certainly created some visually spectacular films, and it looks like Sucker Punch is going to continue that trend. I was a huge fan of what he accomplished with Watchmen (flaws and all), and am looking forward to seeing what he does with his latest. Add Alex Pardee to the mix, the insanely talented artist who did some of the concept work and marketing materials for the film, and it doesn't even matter if it makes sense, at least we know it's going to be pretty.

Sucker Punch - Regular Edition

Sucker Punch - Variant Edition

Ken Taylor really hit this one out of the park. And while I'm not nearly as invested in the characters of Sucker Punch (because I've never seen the film), I honestly think this print is even more expertly executed than his Hellboy II artwork, which I thought was great and quickly purchased (and previously wrote about). As usual, my favorite elements of Ken Taylor's work, at least with his recent output, has been his depiction of the otherworldly and unusual. Needless to say, this poster doesn't disappoint with the Pardee bunny-emblazoned mech, the gargoylish dragon, and the rather creepy gas mask wearing stranger - it's a wonderfully strange design.

Mondo also decided to whet our appetites with some info about the Zack Snyder Director's Series (taken from Mondo's announcement email):

"We are pleased to announce that we will now be working with Zack Snyder on a Director's Series of posters and to kick it off, we had Ken Taylor do this unreal poster for his newest movie SUCKER PUNCH. Take a look at Zack's filmography and you can easily see how this is a perfect match for us. We'll eventually have posters for DAWN OF THE DEAD, 300, LEGEND OF THE GUARDIANS and WATCHMEN, but the only question is, who will be doing each?"

Is anyone else as excited as I am about the possibility of a Dawn of the Dead, 300 or Watchmen poster?! Those could be amazing!

These posters will be available sometime tomorrow (3/25 - probably around 9 AM Pacific) through Mondo at a random time. Ken Taylor’s Sucker Punch poster measures 24” x 36” and was printed by D&L Screen Printing. The regular version is limited to an edition of 285, while the variant is limited to an edition of 105. To find out more about the artist you can visit his site or buy some of his prints from Beyond the Pale. Best of luck!

Ken Taylor's "Hellboy II" Movie Poster

Another poster dedicated to Guillermo Del Toro’s Hellboy movies? This must be a prank! It’s not? We’ve get not one, but two, Hellboy posters coming this Friday. How exciting is that? Today's Hellboy II poster comes courtesy of fan favorite Ken Taylor. You may not recognize the name immediately, but I guarantee you he’s done some of Mondo’s most celebrated illustrations. To name a few: Alien, Terminator 2, Star Wars, and Poltergeist. This Australian artist definitely has his own style and has done a wonderful job with some very fun and visually complicated characters.

Hellboy II

If you’ve seen other Ken Taylor posters, you’ll immediately recognize his style. He has a way of constructing very realistic looking characters, but of also playing with color and shadow to often create a slightly skewed or exaggerated version of the subject. And I think more often than not, this use of color and shadow makes the images much more ominous, which seems quite appropriate given the apocalyptic tones in the second film. I really admire this poster, and if I had a gun to my head (which thankfully I don’t) this poster would probably be my favorite of the two. I also really like the use of the elven creature’s sigil and architecture as a way to frame the characters. Also, who doesn't love that he included Mr. Wink? My only complaint, and it’s the exact same complaint I leveled at Bertmer’s poster, is Liz. She’s such a visually uninteresting character compared to everyone else on the poster, and she’s posed in somewhat of an awkward position in my opinion. Other than that, this poster is an A+ and will probably sell out pretty quickly.

How do you avoid missing out on this beautiful poster? Well first things first, start following Justin (he’s the main guy at Mondo) on Twitter to find out when the drop takes place. Second, be prepared to wake up early on Friday (1/28) and have a nice long comfortable sit in front of your computer while occasionally pressing F5 to load the Mondo store. Third, have $45 bucks at the ready (plus whatever shipping will cost, probably around $14). And most importantly, keep those fingers quick and nimble if you plan to take one of these bad boys home. Ken Taylor’s Hellboy II poster measures 24” x 36”, is out of an edition of 360, will cost $45 and will be sold through the Mondo's site. Definitely be sure to watch Hellboy II, it’s much more Del Toro than the first one and is just a joy to see his world building in action. To find out more about the artist you can visit his site or buy some of his prints from Beyond the Pale. Good luck!

Florian Bertmer's "Hellboy" Movie Poster

And again we return to the artist Florian Bertmer for yet another fantastic movie poster, this time by way of Mondo's Director's Series. You may recognize Florian's name as he seems to be Mondo's go-to guy for any Jodorowsky film poster they put together; in fact I wrote about his last Mondo poster about a week ago. It's really interesting to see Florian, whom I've always thought of as possessing a more old fashioned and slightly psychedelic style, to take on something so mainstream (at least compared to Jodorowsky's The Holy Mountain and Santa Sangre). I think for the most part this is a total success, although as a viewer we really miss out by not being able to see his artwork up close as it's often the detail in Bertmer's creations that really stun you.

Hellboy

This is a dark, dark image. Hellboy is a dark, dark film. If you looked at the poster for only a few seconds you'd probably only be able to name two of the things that were in it: the bright red Hellboy and the bright white Hellboy (title). Yet another reason why we, as an audience, really miss out; the colors are so dark it can be hard to make out all of the wonderful characters and detail on a 15" or 17" computer screen. On the other hand, the movie is about Hellboy (*cough* title of the movie *cough*), so it would certainly make sense that he would be the focal point of the design. One of the things that I think works surprisingly well in this poster is Bertmer's style in combination with this type of film. You wouldn't necessarily think the two would be so compatible, but his primeval (and I don't mean simplistic, but rather from a different time altogether) interpretations of these characters would seem right at home in a holy book from the dark ages as they would on the wall of a Hellboy fan. It kind of gives me the chills, actually. My only nitpick with the design of the poster is Selma Blair's Liz. She looks a little...thick, doesn't she?  She doesn't seem to fully fit with rest of this band of macabre men, but then again, in the movies, she really doesn't fit in all that well either - so maybe she was drawn differently on purpose? Or maybe it's something that doesn't really click until you see it in person. Either way, this is a wonderful poster for a fantastic film (bring on Hellboy III!) and is an exciting stepping stone that will hopefully bring us more awesome Florian Bertmer art in the near future.

Bertmer's Hellboy movie poster for Mondo's Guillermo Del Toro Director's Series will be available for purchase through the Mondo website this Friday (1/28) at a random time. The poster measures 24" x 36", is limited to an edition of 240 and will cost $45 before shipping. Be sure to follow @MondoNews for the exact drop time, although it's probably a pretty safe bet it'll be around 9 AM Pacific (don't quote me on that!). Interested in seeing some other awesome Bertmer art? Check out his blog and online store.  You should probably also watch Del Toro's Hellboy too, immediately followed by Hellboy II.