Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Gallery 1988's "Adult Swim" Art Show

If any of you are like me, you love the animated non sequitur that is the Adult Swim programming block. And if, like me, you possess an unbridled passion for all things Gallery 1988 and have complete trust in their ability to come up with great shows and find incredibly talented artists, you knew it was only a matter of time before Gallery 1988 got in bed with Meatwad, Brock Sampson, Space Ghost, and the rest of the freaky deaky Adult Swim lineup. As you've probably already guessed, I'll be using this post to talk about some of my favorite pieces from the show along with some brief reviews. The only limitation I placed on myself, was that all of the artwork mentioned below needed to be available at the time of this writing - that means no Iron Jaiden, Olly Moss or Kevin Tong, among others. Let's do this, shall we?

"Brock, By Odin!" Art Print
Anne Benjamin
20" x 28" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 85
Inspired By: The Venture Bros.

I have absolutely no problem saying this: I have a huge man crush on Brock Sampson. He's the type of guy I wish I could be, and by that I mean tall, muscular, animated and voiced by Patrick Warburton. Anne Benjamin's print celebrates all those qualities and presents Brock by way of Thor in a fittingly badass pose. I love the retro vibe this print exudes and the worn textures she used on some of the shadows and background that only strengthen the poster's antiquated aesthetic. Here's what Anne had to say about her print (taken from her blog):
"I've been wanting to draw Brock Samson as Thor for a long time and Gallery 1988's Adult Swim show was the perfect opportunity. At 20" x 28", this extra large screen print is bursting with muscles, mullets, rainbows and white hot pants."
The "Brock By Odin" art print is currently available through Gallery 1988's website for $40. The poster measures 20" x 28" and is limited to an edition of 85. You can learn more about Anne Benjamin by visiting her website annebenjamin.com or her Etsy storefront.

"Space Ghost" Art Print
Graham Erwin
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Space Ghost Coast to Coast

I'm not sure what it is about Graham Erwin's artwork, but I just love his designs. His prints are very calculated and they feature an almost hallucinogenic symmetry, but most importantly, they just work. I didn't pick this piece up, since I was never really a big fan of Space Ghost Coast to Coast (cue the hate mail), but art-wise, I really dig what Graham has done here. I especially love Space Ghost's massive chiseled chin and the retro looking ray gun in the lower left hand corner. The "Space Ghost" print is available through Gallery 1988 for $40. The art print measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 50. Visit grahamerwin.com to learn more about the artist, and also be sure to checkout his Etsy store and follow him on Twitter @GrahamErwin.

"Doctor Orpheus" Art Print
Delicious Design League
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$30 - Limited to 104
Inspired By: The Venture Bros.

I love this poster! Delicious Design League created an awesome ode to The Venture Brother's Doctor Orpheus. For those not familiar with the series, Doctor Orpheus is a necromancer (a magician who can communicate with or raise the dead) that rents some property behind the Venture Compound. The artist(s) brilliantly chose to capitalize on the supernatural qualities of the good Doctor and have placed a bold red pentagram over Orpheus' visage. It's a wonderful touch and really does a great job conveying the mysticism the character is constantly spouting (much to the chagrin of those around him). I'm also a huge fan of the muted color palette and the funky typography used to spell out Orpheus' name. Delicious Design League's "Doctor Orpheus" print is currently available through Gallery 1988 for $30. The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 104. Head over to deliciousdesignleague.com and follow them @deliciousdl to learn more about the design and illustration boutique.

"Brutal Masters" Art Print
James Flames
18" x 18" - Signed and Numbered
$30 - Limited to 75
Inspired By: Metalocalypse

There were a handful of Metalocalypse inspired prints at the Adult Swim art show, but I think James Flames' piece most accurately conveys the tone of this darkly comic animated series. This print is seriously dripping with some heavy metal rage and destruction, and I think it's safe to say that nobody does skeletons like James does. I have no idea if this was his intention, I'm guessing it was, but would this not make for the most kick ass Metalocalypse album cover ever? Great concept, perfect execution! The "Brutal Flames" print is currently available through Gallery 1988 for $30 and measures 18" x 18". The screen print is also signed and numbered, and is limited to an edition of 75. To learn more about James Flames, checkout jamesflames.com and follow him on Twitter @thejamesflames.

"Monarch" Art Print
Becky Dreistadt
11" x 14" - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 10
Inspired By: The Venture Bros.

Here's another Venture Bros inspired print, this time taking aim at the Venture family's self-appointed arch nemesis, The Monarch. Becky Dreistadt's print shows the softer side of The Monarch as he engages in one of his favorite activities as a lepidopterist (someone who collects or studies butterflies). This piece is a bit more traditional than a lot of the other prints mentioned here, but that's exactly why I like it so much - not to mention it's jaw-droppingly beautiful. Becky's poster seems to depict an almost Disney-like portrayal of the character, that is, if Disney created an insanely vain, whiny, and murderous, but inept super villain with a penchant for Monarch butterflies. The "Monarch" print is still available through Gallery 1988 for $50. The giclée measures 11" x 14" and is limited to an extremely small edition of 10. If you'd like to see more of Becky's work, be sure to visit her website tinykittenteeth.com, follow her on Twitter @beckyandfrank and buy things in her store!

"The Brak Show" Art Print
Joshua Budich
12" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 75
Inspired By: The Brak Show

This is another case of, "I wasn't a huge fan of the show, but I love, love, love the artwork!" It probably goes without saying that I'm a huge fan of Joshua Budich's art. I think I've written about (at least) four or five of his posters since starting the site, and the guy just continues to amaze me. What really surprises me, is that his Brak Show artwork doesn't look or necessarily feel like a Budich print in many ways. I'm struggling to fully explain what I mean, but ultimately I'm super impressed at how successfully he translated the cartoon's visuals to the printed page. This poster looks like it would make for a great comic book cover, doesn't it? Joshua Budich's "The Brak Show" print is available through Gallery 1988 for $40. The print measures 12" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 75. To see more of Joshua's art, visit joshuabudich.com and follow him @jbudich.

"Where's My Chippy" Art Print
Miranda Dressler
8" x 18" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 20
Inspired By: Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job!

There's no denying that Tim and Eric Awesome Show, Great Job! is an acquired taste, but I happen to eat it up (like shrimp and white wine). This rogues' gallery of strange characters played by the titular Tim and Eric perfectly captures the ridiculousness of the show, while also posing the question: where's my Chippy? Alright, alright, it's getting late and my brain is obviously turning to mush, bottom line: this is a must own for any fans of the show. It's bright, it's colorful, it's weird, it's completely Tim and Eric! Miranda Dressler's "Where's My Chippy" art print is currently available for purchase through Gallery 1988. The giclée costs $40, measures 8" x 18" and is limited to an edition of 20. Head over to mirandadressler.blogspot.com and checkout Miranda's Etsy store if you'd like to learn more about the artist. Spaghett!

”Xenomorphis Mooninitus”
Darin Shock (State of Shock Studios)
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Aqua Teen Hunger Force

I love this concept! Combining the Alien chest-burster with Aqua Teen Hunger Force's Mooninites is simply genius. Darin Shock has crafted a disgustingly hilarious tribute to the Mooninites, and just about every aspect of this print is perfect. I especially appreciate how Darin was able to make the lunar hell spawn look completely different from the style of artwork around him, thereby bringing even more attention to the otherworldliness of Ignignokt (that's the name of the green Mooninite pictured above). My hat really goes off to Mr. Shock. This print is amazing and very, very funny! State of Shock Studios' ”Xenomorphis Mooninitus” print is available through Gallery 1988 for $40. The print is limited to an edition of 50 and measures 18" x 24". To find out more about the artist and buy his work, be sure to visit stateofshockstudios.com.

"Darkplace: The Movie" Art Print
Doe Eyed Design
18" x 24" - Numbered
$25 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Garth Marenghi's Darkplace

This is the last one, so I'll keep it short, but if you've ever seen Garth Marenghi's Darkplace, then you know how absolutely perfect this poster is! And at only $25, the cheapest print mentioned here, it's a total steal. Doe Eyed Design's beautiful artwork imagines a world I want to live in - a world where a Darkplace movie actually exists. I love the greenish color used for the title and characters' faces, because it evokes the garish and jarringly unrealistic look of the show. This was also the first poster I saw at Gallery 1988's Adult Swim exhibition that I knew I had to own. Doe Eyed Design's "Darkplace: The Movie" print is available through Gallery 1988 for $25. The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 50. To learn more about Doe Eyed Design, visit doe-eyed.com and follow them on Twitter @doe_eyed.

And that's it. What were some of your favorite prints?

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