Heads Up: Jon Smith's "You Vil Lose" and "Sexual Tyrannosaurus" Art Prints

I've already written about my favorite posters from Spoke Art's recent "Mucho Machismo" show, but I neglected to mention some really fantastic artwork by the dude who curated the whole damn testosterone-filled affair. I'm of course talking about artist Jon Smith. Fear not, that lapse in judgement is about to be emended, as Spoke Art recently released two more Smith prints that brazenly extol all the virile virtues that come to mind when one thinks about men doing manly things (like boxing and sexing up dinosaurs.)

"You Vil Lose" Art Print
Jon Smith
12" x 18" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 200
Inspired By: Rocky IV

We've got a triumphant Drago, a bloodied Apollo Creed, and everyone's favorite referee / plumber calling the fatal end to this bout by way of what I can only assume is the Wingdings character for "KO by Death." It's tragic, it's epic, it's 8-bit, it's Rocky IV meets Punch-Out!! Mostly, though, it's just awesome. Smith's "You Vil Lose" is currently available through Spoke Art's store for $40. The poster measures 12" x 18" and is limited to an edition of 200.

"Sexual Tyrannosaurus" Art Print
Jon Smith
12" x 18" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 200
Inspired By: Predator

I think Jon may have cracked the code with this one. I'm not sure how, or what it means, but I know it's great and that we're all indebted to him for its creation. One part Ralph Steadman-esque Gonzo fever dream, one part Predator quote taken to its most extreme and illogical conclusion, and one part Jesse Ventura humping on a lady T. Rex, all blended together and screen printed for our viewing pleasure. Jon Smith's "Sexual Tyrannosaurus" poster is currently available through Spoke Art. The signed and numbered print measures 12" x 18", is limited to an edition of 200 and costs $40.

To learn more about the man behind this madness, visit smithbellcraft.com and follow him on Twitter @jon_smith. He's also got a bunch of prints available through Nakatomi, as well as his own storefront. If you'd like to stay up to date on all things Spoke Art (and really, who wouldn't), be sure to join their mailing list and follow them on Twitter @spoke_art.

Rhys Cooper's Garbage Pail Kids Prints

I wasn't sure what to tackle tonight, but when I saw Rhys Cooper's Garbage Pail Kids ("GPK") prints last week I knew I'd have to write about them at some point, and now seems as good a time as any. The reason these posters appeal to me so much is because not only do they carry on the proud (and gross) legacy of the GPK trading cards, they also happen to feature some great film references. I thought tonight I'd go over a few of my favorite Rhys Cooper prints created for Gallery 1988's GPK show. Note: All of the posters included here are still available for purchase as of the writing of this post.

"2nd Hand Rob" Art Print
Rhys Cooper
12" x 18"
$25 - Limited to 100
Inspired by: Robocop

Cooper's Robocop-inspired GPK print is bat-shit crazy (in a good way). Imagine a futuristic Detroit where, instead of an efficient cyborg patrolman policing the mean streets, a snot-nosed kid comprised of metallic bits and baubles and armed with a fork and firearm prowled the Motor City burning it to the ground and leaking oil all the while. Scary, isn't it? Rhys' "2nd Hand Rob" print is available for $25 through the Gallery 1988 website. The print measures 12" x 18" and is limited to an edition of 100. I'd also like to point out that all of these posters are screen prints, so it goes without saying that they're beautifully detailed in person.

"Allen Hunter" Art Print
Rhys Cooper
12" x 18"
$25 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Predator

The "Allen Hunter" print is about as insane as "2nd Hand Rob" and is based on a character that's just as recognizable as Robocop. This one wasn't a hard sell for me, as I'm interested in just about anything Predator or Alien related. My favorite touch has to be that, in addition to simply sporting a necklace made up of "trophies" from his deceased victims, Allen Hunter also has a pacifier attached. Wait, does that mean he killed another Garbage Pail Kid? Makes sense. "Allen Hunter" measures 12" x 18, is limited to an edition of 100 and is available through Gallery 1988 for a measly $25.

"Chester Burst" Art Print
Rhys Cooper
12" x 18"
$25 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Alien

I briefly mentioned Alien in the previous paragraph, so this seemed like the logical next step. This print is just creepy. Rhys' "Chester Burst" takes our favorite little chest bursting xenomorph and somehow grafts a pudgy child on top of it with very disturbing results. It's not bad enough that this abomination's freakish arms and legs seem to jut out without any rhyme or reason, but did the artist have to distort Chester's face like that? It's for this reason that I am both sickened and enamored by this poster. Like all the prints in this post "Chester Burst" is available through the Gallery 1988 storefront and costs $25. Go get it!

"Dull Boyde" Art Print Rhys Cooper 12" x 18" $25 - Limited to 100 Inspired By: The Shining

"Ultra Vincent" Art Print Rhys Cooper 12" x 18" $25 - Limited to 100 Inspired By: A Clockwork Orange

I think these last two may be my favorite. Cooper managed to meld the sophisticated horror and absurdity of Stanley Kubrick's The Shining and A Clockwork Orange with the potty humor crassness of the Garbage Pail Kids. I guess it's not that huge a stretch since Art Spiegelman, the man behind the comic memoir Maus, also known as the only comic book to ever be honored with a Pulitzer Prize, is the genius who originally thought up the GPK while working at Topps (my brain exploded when I learned that). "Dull Boyde" and "Ultra Vincent" exemplify the fun that can be had when merging pop-culture and repurposing iconic imagery. And I love how Rhys has managed to recreate so much of what was special about the GPK, down to the "Peel Here" arrow and the dashes that outline the sticker boundary. These are great! "Dull Boyde" and "Ultra Vincent" are currently available through the Gallery 1988 website for $25 apiece. Both posters measure 12" x 18" and are limited to an edition of 100.

To learn more about Rhys Cooper be sure to visit his Studio Seppuku store and his Facebook page. If none of these posters float your boat there's a lot more than just these five available, so be sure to visit Gallery 1988 to see the rest. And as an FYI - I'll have a giveaway later this month for one of these prints. Yay! Free stuff!

Alex Pardee's "My Favorite Monsters" Prints Part 1

I was going to call this post "My Favorite 'My Favorite Monsters'," but that seemed a bit confusing, so in place of a perplexing title I figured I would sum up, as quickly as I can, tonight's write-up.

A little more than a year ago, Alex Pardee started releasing small prints that featured some of his favorite cinematic baddies, calling the collection "My Favorite Monsters." These were open edition (meaning they're not limited) 5" x 7" prints made with archival inks and were very affordable. Fast forward to this year's Comic-con and me aimlessly walking the convention center floor when, like a body of water in a desert, I see Pardee's Zero Friends booth and immediately commenced spending quite a bit on Alex's wonderfully monstrous creations (i.e. I bought a bunch). I've purchased way more of his "My Favorite Monsters" collection than I'm willing to talk about in just one post (it would be a massive post), but I've decided that every once in a while I'll take a moment to shine a light on some of my favorite "My Favorite Monsters." Are you as confused as I am?

"ALIEN" Art Print
Alex Pardee
5" x 7"
$10 - Open edition
Inspired By: Alien

I thought I might go with the alien theme tonight, and where better to start than the alien from Alien? The thing I really like about these prints, beside the fact that they're spectacularly affordable and kind of awesome in every conceivable way, is the slightly quick, slightly messy watercolor aesthetic Pardee goes for here. I'm also partial to the way in which the artist combines the more detailed parts of the alien   (the Russian nesting mouthing) with the less defined portions of the body (everything else). The "ALIEN" print is available through the Zero Friends store for $10. The print measures 5" x 7" and is an open edition.

"Gorilla Wolf" Art Print
Alex Pardee
5" x 7"
$10 - Open edition
Inspired By: Attack the Block

I love Attack the Block! It is, without question, my favorite film this year (so far, at least), and it appears that Alex Pardee liked the film quite a bit as well. So much so, in fact, that he created this print in honor of the badass extraterrestrial creatures from the film. Absolutely brilliant stuff! I've ordered two of these (one for hanging, the other for safekeeping) and can't wait to get them in the mail. The "Gorilla Wolf" print is available for purchase through Zero Friends, costs $10, is an open edition and measures 5" x 7". To learn more about Alex Pardee be sure to visit eyesuckink.com.

"PREDATOR" Art Print
Alex Pardee
5" x 7"
$10 - Open edition
Inspired By: Predator

Let's finish this post up with 80s action icon and sworn enemy of Arnold Schwarzenegger (sorry T-1000, you've got nothing on this guy). Yes, that's right the Predator. Unlike Pardee's "ALIEN" and "Gorilla Wolf" print, his "PREDATOR" print has a lot more fine detail - which really accentuates all of his dangerous hunting gear and armor. Pardee's "PREDATOR" print is an open edition, costs $10, measures 5" x 7" and is available through the Zero Friends storefront. Check out eyesuckink.com to learn more about the demented mind that created all of these prints.

That's it for this round, but at some point in the future I'll put together a part 2.

Artoyz and Geek-Art's "Blockbusterz" Art Exhibit

It seems "Crazy 4 Cult" isn't the only game in town* this week after all. Artoyz, a French retailer of cool figures, prints and paintings, and Geek-Art, a blog (also French) dedicated to all things geeky and artistic, have joined forces to curate an awesome show titled, "Blockbusterz." The show is meant as a celebration of all those big, massive, explosion-filled summer epics that we just can't seem to get enough of. Every artist involved was asked to create a piece of art dedicated to one of his or her favorite summer blockbusters. The show has already premiered, so I'm sure these images are already all over the Internet, but I wanted to go over some of the giclées that are still available for purchase through the Artoyz store. One thing to remember before purchasing: all of these prints are shipping from France, so it might be pretty expensive to get one of these over the pond. Enjoy!

Captain America Art Print
 Sam Filstrup
30 cm x 40 cm
30 € (≈ $43) - Limited to 10
Inspired By: Captain America: The First Avenger (2010)

Did I mention artists could also create artwork based on yet to be released summer blockbusters? I love the propaganda-type design that Sam Filstrup created, with its sharp angles and sinister looking enemies. The Captain American art print measures 30 cm by 40 cm, is limited to an edition of ten (in other words, super limited), and will cost 30 € (approximately $43). It should also be noted that this artwork won't actually ship until September, so you're in for a bit of a wait. If you do like this print, I highly recommend picking it up before they're sold out. To learn more about the artist Sam Filstrup, visit his portfolio at samfilstrup.daportfolio.com.

X-Men Art Print
Leigh Wortley
30 cm x 40 cm
30 € (≈ $43) - Limited to 10
Inspired By: X-Men (2000)

I really, really like this one. Wow, I'm definitely playing the Marvel fanboy today, aren't I? From the amazing and badass depiction of Magneto to the beautiful silhouette of the New York City skyline, Leigh Wortley's design is a lesson in style and class. The abalone-esque color expertly used to flesh out these mutant entities really works for me as well, although I have no idea why. Leigh's X-Men poster measures 30 cm by 40 cm, is limited to an edition of 10 and will cost 30 €. Head over to the Artoyz store to pick this one up before it disappears. Check out leighwortley.co.uk to learn more about this awesome artist.

Predator Art Print
Steve Thomas
30 cm x 40 cm
25.08 € (≈ $36) - Limited to 10
Inspired By: Predator (1987)

Predator is my favorite action movie all time. That's just a fact. And this is one of the coolest minimalist Predator-related prints I've ever seen. This print is absolutely dying to be a tattoo or a decal on a fighter jet (I'm fine with either). Steve Thomas' Predator art print is currently available, like everything listed in this post, through the Artoyz website. The poster is limited to 10, measures 30 cm by 40 cm, and costs 25.08 € (that's about $36). To see more of Steve's artwork, visit stevethomasart.com.

Gladiator Art Print
Guillaume Singelin
30 cm x 40 cm
25.08 € (≈ $36) - Limited to 10
Inspired By: Gladiator (2000)

This print is beautiful, gorgeous, badass, and fantastic. Did I mention this was badass? I remember seeing Gladiator in the theaters (it was that or Mr. Bean - the choice was easy), and being completely blown away by how brutal and awesomely filmed the combat was. This poster perfectly captures the intensity of that opening battle to a T! Guillaume Singelin's amazing Gladiator print measures 30 cm by 40 cm, costs 25.08 €, and is limited to an edition of 10. I have a feeling this will be a quick seller. The poster is currently available through the Artoyz online store. Check out Guillaume's blog (warning: it's in French) at kibla.over-blog.com to see more of his work.

The Omen Art Print
Anne Viouly
30 cm x 40 cm
25.08 € (≈ $36) - Limited to 10
Inspired By: The Omen (1976)

Finally, we come to Anne Viouly's The Omen-inspired art print. I think I like this one so much because it reminds me of what a really messed-up version of The Triplets of Belleville would look like. A great piece artwork based on a movie or television show, in my opinion, has the power to ignite your interest in watching said movie or television show, and that's exactly what Viouly's print does for me. The Omen print is currently available through the Artoyz website, measures 30 cm by 40 cm, is limited to an edition of 10, and costs 25.08 €. Grab'em while they're still available. To learn more about Anne Viouly and her artwork, visit vio-work.com (this one is also in French).

And that's it. To see what else is available from the show (and there's a lot more available) be sure to visit the Artoyz website at artoyz.com. I also highly recommend checking out the Geek-Art blog at geek-art.net.

* And by "town" I mean the whole of Earth, because technically, since I'm writing this in Los Angeles, "Crazy 4 Cult" sort of is the only game in town. Technically speaking of course.

"Jim Cooper" Art Print by Tom Kovach

I love movies and I love posters, ipso facto (did I use that correctly?) I love everything that Tom Kavach creates.  I randomly happened upon Mr. Kavach while browsing inPRNT!, a site where artists can easily sell and distribute their art, and was just blown away by his work. His style bares a striking resemblance to Mike Mignola with just a hint of Jack Kirby, but of course reducing an artist’s output to such a superficial comparison isn’t fair to anyone. Let’s just agree that his art is fantastic and you’d be a dolt if you didn’t follow his sure-to-be stellar career. I’m being completely serious when I say that everything I’ve seen on his blog and through his inPRNT! storefront has blown me away.

Jim Cooper

Remember that guy’s body that was completely flayed by the Predator in Predator? Sure you do.  He was hanging upside down from a tree and had a dog tag that identified him as Dutch’s old Beret buddy, Jim Hopper.  Yep, that’s the guy.  Well, this is a picture of what Jim Hopper looked like BEFORE all of his skin was ripped off.  How great is that?  Well not that great for Jim Hopper obviously, but you get the gist of it. Tom Kavach, obviously a fan of great cinema, has really done an awesome job depicting the soon to be deceased Green Beret (take a look at his right arm if you don’t believe me).  Complete with felled trees, deadly serpents, and a demolished helicopter, the jungle never looked so ominous.

Still not sure what this print is all about?  I’ll let the artist explain in his own words.  The following quote was taken from the Tom’s blog about his portrait series celebrating 80’s icons…sort of.  Read his entire post for more info as I’m only highlighting one of the three portraits he created.

“For anyone who hasn’t been following the blog recently, I’ve been working on a series of portraits of obscure characters from classic 80’s movies. The catch, however, is that these characters are dead and have never been seen before on film. Having only ever been mentioned in fleeting dialogues between the main cast, the viewer is left to create the character for themselves.”

Tom Kavach was also nice enough to shed a little more light on who exactly this Jim Hopper character was.

“Referenced in Predator. He was part of the first team sent into the jungles of South America by Dillon and the CIA. They went in looking for a downed chopper carrying a "cabinet minister and his aide" but what they found was the sharp end of the Predator's wrist blade. All that was left to identify Hopper was his Dog Tags. Although he was not in the physical condition of his superior, Dillon, or his comrade Dutch, he was still a highly decorated, veteran officer in the Green Berets with over 100 successful missions.”

This wonderful giclée is available for purchase through inPRNT! for $24.99 or $40, depending on the size you want. “Jim Hopper” is an open edition print, meaning its edition is not limited to a certain number, and is printed on 100% cotton rag archival paper.  To learn more about this artist I highly recommend checking out, not only his blog and portfolio, but also his inPRNT! artist page.  He’s got some really great stuff for sale. And if you haven’t seen Predator, what are you doing reading this? Seriously? Buy it, now!