New Flesh's "Special Order 937" Art Prints

Are you as excited about Prometheus as I am? While I've read several reviews suggesting it may not in fact be the greatest film ever made, I'm still holding out hope. Ultimately, whether I love the movie or not, I can at least thank Ridley Scott's latest for prompting me to revisit the original 1979 Alien. It's been a while since I've seen the film, and the upcoming Prometheus was just the kick in the pants I needed. Which leads me to tonight's posters. I present, for your viewing pleasure, N.E.'s jaw-dropping "Special Order 937."

"Special Order 937" Art Print (Regular)
N.E. (New Flesh Prints)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$25 - Limited to 75
Inspired By: Alien

I'm starting to sound like a broken record at this point, but this is truly the best work I've ever seen from N.E. and New Flesh Prints. I am completely convinced this could just as easily have been something offered by Mondo - it's that good. N.E.'s skill and style continue to evolve, and the man is showing no signs of slowing down. Besides completely nailing the design of the astronauts' suits in Alien, the artist has filled just about every nook and cranny on the page with a variety of textures. Whether it be dust, steam or smoke, these prints very cleverly manage to make even the vastness of space look genuinely suffocating and not terribly inviting - something the film also does magnificently. And much like yesterday's Warriors poster by Brandon Schaefer, "Special Order 937" doesn't go the obvious route and simply recreate the menacing Xenomorph in vivid, disgusting detail. Nope. Instead we're presented with a beautiful, but grimy landscape that's as much Alien as, well, the aliens. I have a sneaking suspicion these posters will be showing up in my annual "Best of Year" post.

"Special Order 937" Art Print (Variant)
N.E. (New Flesh Prints)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
Sold Out - Limited to 15
Inspired By: Alien

N.E. on his motivations and concept:

"The concept behind 'Special Order 937' was to capture the sense of the unknown in space. I find the sheer volume of emptiness in space to be overwhelming. Now apply that to a planet's surface that is very chaotic and atmospheric with only the safety given to you by your space suit. I wanted to express this with mostly negative space. The texture gives a sense of depth and movement while the clean lines of the space suits give the impression of isolation in the midst of chaos."

N.E.'s "Special Order 937" art print will be available on Friday (6/1) at 10 AM CST. The variant is already sold out, but there will be a regular version available for $25, which is a total steal! The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 75. To keep up on all things New Flesh Prints, be sure to follow @newfleshprints and @NEnewflesh on Twitter, sign up for the newsletter, and visit newfleshprints.com obsessively. Good luck folks!

Dan Sherratt's "Akira" Art Print

If you haven't read my "Best Twenty Posters of 2011" feature, then I apologize, but I plan to spoil the print that took the top spot in the next few sentences. Ready? It was Tyler Stout's Akira poster for Mondo. Now, I didn't give Stout's print the number one position solely because I love the film, I honestly thought it was the best poster released last year (at least of those works inspired by the moving pictures). But I'd be lying if I didn't admit that Akira probably resides somewhere in my top ten films of all time list and is definitely my favorite animated movie of all time. Akira stands as a towering achievement in not only groundbreaking animation, but also world building and storytelling. So yes, I'm a sucker for pretty much anything Akira related, because visually speaking, I happen to think the movie offers artists so much to work with that, at the very least, it's bound to be interesting, if not beautiful. I'm happy to report Dan Sherratt's latest print, inspired by the film and artwork of Akira, is both interesting and beautiful!

"Akira" Art Print
Dan Sherratt
16" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
£30 - Limited to 80
Inspired By: Akira

As a fan of Mr. Sherratt and just about anything Akira I'll definitely be going after this poster tomorrow morning. Dan has done a great job recreating the original comic cover artwork, which wonderfully mixes the organic and the technological as every sinewy exhaust pipe and oozing motor block seem to come together and surround one another like a group of writhing snakes. And what is it about Japanese calligraphy that makes it so damn classy and gorgeous? I'm not sure, but that Akira title is straight up iconic. Sorry English language, you're just not doing it for me. Still on the fence about this one? Well, I've included a shot of what the print will look like in-person below and, as you can see, the metallic ink really gives the poster an appropriately gleaming surface and brings Kaneda's creepy Neo Tokyo / motorcycle throne to life. As a brief aside, I did want to quickly mention the controversy this print has created among a few in the poster collecting community. You can read the entire discussion at Expresso Beans. The thread poses some thought-provoking questions and is certainly an interesting and polarizing conversation. Whatever your take on adaptation versus appropriation and the nebulous boundary separating the two, I'm sure you'll agree that this is great looking screen print.

Photo of Dan Sherratt's "Akira" Art Print

I had the chance to ask Dan about the genesis of his print and his experimentation with inks a few days ago, and he was generous enough to reply. Here's what the man had to say:

"This is my first print with metallic inks, as with the GID for Daft Punk, I never intended to have a special ink until someone suggested it and from that point on I couldn't get it out of my head. My previous Akira concept was a schematic for Kaneda's bike that I thought would be cool after seeing Kevin Tong's R2D2 blueprint poster. The idea this time around was to recreate some of the original concept art I'd seen for Akira, as the print was intended to be taken to London Comic Con and I wanted to be faithful to both the manga books as well as the film. Due to some printing/shipping delays I've missed Comic Con but I'm happy just to see it look so good in person (anyone collecting prints knows this, especially with the metallics)."

Dan's "Akira" art print will be going on sale tomorrow (6/1) through his Drawn Chorus storefront at 6 PM GMT (10 AM PDT for us West Coasters). The poster measures 16" x 24", is limited to an edition of 80, and will cost £30 plus shipping. If you would like to learn more about the artist, be sure to follow him on Twitter @drawn_chorus.

Grzegorz Domaradzki and Brandon Schaefer's "The Warriors" Movie Posters

I like Mondo as much as the next guy, nay, I feel entirely comfortable saying I love Mondo more than the next guy. I mean, for all I know, the next guy doesn't even collect posters. Maybe he's obsessed with creepy dead-eyed porcelain dolls. And why won't he tell me his name? Does he really expect me to refer to him as "The Next Guy" whenever I talk about him? I don't like it. Seems shady. So, in summation: I love Mondo. But as fond as I am of Mondo (and dislike "The Next Guy"), I'm just as excited, maybe even more so, about what's going on with galleries and groups like Spoke Art. The reason? Competition is good thing for us art lovers. It forces both Mondo and Spoke Art, among many many others, to consistently step up their game. And as you'll see below, San Francisco-based Spoke Art in collaboration with The Castro Theatre has really hit this one out of the park.

The Warriors Movie Poster
Grzegorz Domaradzki
18" x 24" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 100

I'd like to start this review off with a quick "Hell yes!" because Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz) is officially back in action. Hell yes! I last wrote about Gabz in October of 2011 and it's been far too long since he released any movie inspired art. Thankfully, Spoke Art and The Castro Theatre have seen fit to remedy this problem, commissioning him to create a poster for the 1979 cult classic The Warriors. In a word: electric. Domaradzki's illustration feels alive and possibly even dangerous. A lot of that tension comes from his line work, which is precise, unerring and completely unpredictable, suggesting we, the viewer, may not be able to fit these people or their actions into neat little boxes. Alright, I'm stepping off of my pretentious soap box now. It's time for a simple truth. This poster is just plain kickass. And I haven't even mentioned the aggressive crimson color palette, the wonderful use of negative space, and the seamlessly interspersed graffiti, all of which give this poster an appropriate "don't mess with me or I'll blow you're f**king head off" vibe. Much scarier than the Stop! Or My Mom Will Shoot vibe, isn't it? Yeah, I went there. Unfortunately, this print is already sold out, but there's always eBay or Expresso Beans for the truly ravenous. To learn more about artist Grzegorz Domaradzki, be sure to checkout iamgabz.com and his Facebook page.

The Warriors Movie Poster
Brandon Schaefer
18" x 24" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 100

I feel a little sick. I've been following Brandon Schaefer of seekandspeak.com fame for quite a while, and I'm only now mentioning him on Posterocalypse. I remember first discovering Mr. Schaefer's work after picking up a Monty Python and the Holy Grail poster of his from Gallery 1988's "Crazy 4 Cult" show a few years back and have kept track of the guy ever since. Anyway, I'm glad I finally get to write about his work, and definitely plan to cover more of Brandon's art in the near future. Now, onto the reason why you're actually here. Schaefer's Warriors print could not be more different than Grzegorz's, and that's exactly why it works. The majority of Warriors posters, including the first design included in this post, tend to highlight the crazy players over the locales. And why wouldn't they? The costumes and make-up are pretty outrageous, but in my opinion, each location is just as important to the story and could easily qualify as a character unto itself. Brandon's poster is one of the few to truly highlight the locales over the gang members, which is a pretty novel idea and seems wholly appropriate given how important the setting, and more specifically, the subway system, is to the film. It's a beautiful print and is sure to be treasured by any Warriors fan, although I'm a little bummed this wasn't a screen print, as it looks like the perfect candidate for the process. Brandon Schaefer's gorgeous Warriors movie poster is currently available through the Spoke Art store for $40. The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 100. If you're interested in seeing more of Brandon's art, head over to seekandspeak.com and follow him on Twitter @seekandspeak.

One last thing. This goes without saying, but be sure to visit Spoke Art, their Tumblr, follow them @spoke_art, sign up for their newsletter, and peruse their store!

Tom Whalen's "Yellow Submarine" Art Prints

You may remember Dark Hall Mansion as the company behind Laurent Durieux's insanely gorgeous Gigantor prints. Well, it seems the folks at Dark Hall are it again, this time teaming up with the incomparable Tom Whalen to tackle The Beatles' animated classic Yellow Submarine. I'm not entirely sure how they managed to work out a deal with Live Nation Merchandise (The Beatles’ North American Licensing Agent) and Apple Corps Ltd. (the conglomerate formed by The Beatles), because it certainly couldn't have been easy, but thank goodness they did. As you can see below, everything turned out wonderfully.

Yellow Submarine Art Print Folio (Standard Edition)
Tom Whalen
Five 18" x 24" Prints - Numbered
$300 - Limited to 797
Inspired By: Yellow Submarine

Yellow Submarine Art Print Folio (Variant Edition)
Tom Whalen
Five 18" x 24" Prints - Numbered
$450 - Limited to 135
Inspired By: Yellow Submarine

Tom's meticulously designed posters perfectly capture the kooky and deliriously twisted tone of the film. I'm not sure why Whalen's art works so well with animated content, but there's no doubt that it does. Maybe it's his illustration style, which seems to favor perfectly round edges, a sometimes unnatural symmetry, and a preference for solid shapes over textured halftones. Then again, maybe the memory of all the Disney posters he did for Mondo has somehow found its way into my brain and is now inextricably linked to his name. Whatever the case may be, this is definitely a win for Whalen and a victory for anyone who appreciates great art and psychedelic animation. I should also mention the wonderful color palettes employed by all three versions of the Yellow Submarine print folios. I often find that variants, while usually more collectible than their standard version counterpart, are almost always without fail the uglier choice of the bunch because of their jarring and often limited range of color. These posters, on the other hand, all seem appropriately eye-popping in the color department and appear to be in line with the film. All in all, Tom Whalen has created another beautiful body of work, though I am looking forward to seeing more live-action inspired stuff from him in the near future. Seriously, I'd love to see Tom tackle some horror movie stuff for Mondo. I think his style set against a really disturbing story / cast of characters would be brilliant! I can already picture his version of Pennywise from It!

Yellow Submarine Art Print Folio (Elite '68 Edition)
Tom Whalen
Five 18" x 24" Prints - Signed and Numbered
$675 - Limited to 68
Inspired By: Yellow Submarine

Tom Whalen's Yellow Submarine print folios are currently (yes, right now people) on sale through the Dark Hall Mansion store. While the Elite '68 edition is already sold out, the standard and variant editions are available for $300 and $450 respectively. Every set comes with five 18" x 24" prints and is numbered. To learn more about Mr. Whalen, be sure to visit strongstuff.net and follow Tom on Twitter @strongstufftom. And if you like what you see today, I'd strongly recommend you head over to darkhallmansion.com and follow them @darkhallmansion.

Kickstart This Art - May Edition

The Internet can be a dark cave overflowing with trolls spouting hateful bile under the mask of anonymity, but it can also be a wonderful place filled with (sometimes) hilarious cat videos, inventive remixes (and remixes of remixes), and Tumblr accounts rife with the animated gifs of yesteryear. My "Kickstart This Art" column is meant to celebrate one of the cooler things the Internet has to offer those of us who want to not only discover, but ultimately be a part of something innovative and deserving. That's right, I'm talking about Kickstarter. This feature will highlight some of the awesome, at least in my opinion, art-related Kickstarter projects that are currently running and competing for your money. I'm hoping this will become a monthly thing I do, but we all know how dependable and consistent I am. So here goes nothing.

Screen Printing: On the Cheap Book ($10,000 Goal)


The Pitch: A few artist-type folks from Minneapolis want to self-publish a book about screen printing and they need your help. The book will be titled Screen Printing: On the Cheap and promises to be a comprehensive look at how to screen print (on the cheap) at home, something all of us aspiring artist-type folks want to do I imagine.

Why I Love The Idea: If you visit Posterocalypse to read my poster-related rants and reviews, then there's a good chance you like posters. More specifically, there's a good chance you like movie posters. Even more specifically, the odds are quite good that you're a fan of screen printed movie posters. See what I did there? Let's be honest, most of us don't have easy access to a professional screen printing studio and probably won't in the near future, but damn, how cool would it be if you could create your own screen prints at home and give them to your friends on their birthdays (in place of real gifts)? I've got really high hopes for this book.

Bottom Line: I'm for anything that makes screen printing more accessible and less intimidating.

GATHER. A Graphic Novel ($9,000 Goal)


The Pitch: Artist Anton Peck wants to create and publish a graphic novel about a human-like robot and his furry companion on an interplanetary journey in search of answers and adventure. Sounds interesting, right?

Why I Love The Idea: You only need to watch a minute or two of the above video to see how kickass Anton's art is. His story and creature design seem to be one part Atomic Robo, one part A Boy and his Dog (minus all the sexual stuff...I'm guessing), and two parts beautiful ink, paint and digital artistry. Not enough for you? Don't worry, there's more. Besides boasting what looks to be a really gorgeous story, the Gather Kickstarter project is offering some pretty impressive rewards to its backers, coolest of which, at least in my opinion, is that Anton will actually make you a character in the story!

Bottom Line: You can't go wrong with a story about a robot, his creature companion and their surely strange road trip.

Phil Tippett's "MAD GOD" ($40,000 Goal)


The Pitch: Phil Tippett, the visual effects wizard who's worked on a handful of small no-name independent films, including Star Wars (Episodes IV, V, and VI), Dragonslayer, Indiana Jones and the Temple of Doom, Robocop, Jurassic Park, and Starship Trooper, is planning to finish an animated short he originally started in 1990. The short in question is titled Mad God. He needs our help to make this a reality, and by "help" I mean money.

Why I Love The Idea: A darkly insane animated film set in a darkly insane animated world following a darkly (and probably) insane animated character wearing what looks to be a rather intense looking gas mask. What's not to love? I'm a huge fan of anything apocalyptic in theme, except maybe a real-life apocalypse (that would be bad), and if seeing is believing, then Mad God appears to fit the bill perfectly. When I initially read the description of what the movie was attempting to accomplish, I was a bit skeptical, but then I watched the video and wow, this short looks like it's going to be absolutely beautiful!

Bottom Line: If you have any love for animation, especially for something mature and experimental, then this is a no brainer.

'Sullivan's Sluggers' Graphic Novel ($6,000 Goal)


The Pitch: Writer Mark Andrew Smith and artist James Stokoe have created a story about a minor league baseball team trying to survive against a town of flesh eating monsters. This comic will only be available to Kickstarter people who choose to support the project.

Why I Love The Idea: Why do I love this idea? Did you even read the pitch?! Baseball teams and flesh eating monsters, that's an absolute no brainer in my opinion! The other reason I'm so into this project? Four words (though one of the words is more of a hyphenated phrase, so it might actually be considered five): James Stokoe's mind-blowing artwork! Seriously, if you haven't already watched the video, do yourself a favor and take a look at what James is capable of. Some of Stokoe's work reminds me of the uber-detailed stuff that Geoff Darrow is known for, but there's also a sense of chaos and a punkish vibe that totally works in the (always popular) minor league versus monster setting. Oh yeah, and the writer is a fellow UCSB Film Studies alumni! Hell yeah!

Bottom Line: Minor league baseball. Monsters. Amazing artwork. That is all, and that's more than enough!

Well, that wraps up my first of hopefully many "Kickstart This Art" columns. What did you think?

Nakatomi's Mystery Tube Sale

I don't have much time to wax on about the Nakatomi Mystery Tube Sale, because, in case you weren't aware, it starts in less than two hours (as of this writing), but I had to share the good news with somebody. Nakatomi's Mystery Tube Sale, or as it's better known - the best way to get out of print / sold out / exclusive posters from the likes of Tim Doyle, Jacob Borshard, Jon Smith, Clint Wilson, James O'Barr, Kevin Munoz, and a bunch of other talented artists - is always incredibly popular and is sure to sell out quickly.

To ensure you're one of the lucky few who successfully raid Nakatomi's reservoir of hidden treasures, be sure to visit the Nakatomi Inc store at 2 PM CDT (12 PM for us West Coast folks) today and have your Paypal login / credit card number embedded into muscle memory. There's only 150 tubes available for purchase at $50 each and every tube will have 5 random prints that are sure to delight your senses (mostly your sixth sense). Good luck folks!

Vania Zouravliov's "13 Assassins" Movie Posters

Wow! Just wow! That's about all I'm capable of saying at this point, because my tongue has literally rolled out of my mouth and is currently unspooling on the floor. Alright, maybe I can temporarily take care of this tongue thing to rhapsodize over these prints for a bit, but I'm thinking I should probably head to the hospital as soon as possible. Vania's posters are absolutely stunning and not only make me want to watch 13 Assassins again and again, but are also driving me to seek out everything Mr. Zouravliov has ever created. I'm serious. Ever. I'm getting ahead of myself, though. Let's start with Takashi Miike's samurai epic. I might lose my remaining film geek cred with this next statement, but I've never been nuts about Miike's Audition. Don't get me wrong, it's a well made film and touches on some really interesting themes, but it just doesn't work for me. 13 Assassins on the other hand, is about as good as it gets and brings to mind every epic sword fight Kurosawa ever filmed. In case that last sentence wasn't clear enough: I love 13 Assassins! Now that I've got that out of the way, it's time to talk to art (of the screen printed variety).

13 Assassins Movie Poster (Yellow)
Vania Zouravliov
16.75" x 36" - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 120

13 Assassins Movie Poster (White)
Vania Zouravliov
16.75" x 36" - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 120

13 Assassins Movie Poster (Blue)
Vania Zouravliov
16.75" x 36" - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 120

Vania's design is beautiful in a way that few film posters are and represents the artist's unflinching drive to create something that looks both lived in and authentic. True, I'm no expert on Japanese art, so I can't say for sure whether this is an accurate depiction of what a painting would have looked like in 1840s Japan. In fact, I'm guessing it's probably not. But what I can say with complete confidence, is that these prints are so expertly put together and jaw-droppingly gorgeous that I'm happy to buy whatever it is they're selling, figuratively and literally. The beautiful caligraphy, the flowing clothing, and the atmospheric wisps of I'm-not-even-sure-what, come together to create something completely immersive and indescribable. In all honesty, as much as I love 13 Assassins, I think my respect for this poster may even exceed my respect for the film. Yikes. And, I wasn't sure this could ever be accomplished, but Zouravliov's prints also one-up the official and incredible 13 Assassins one sheet (included below). Double yikes. It goes without saying that that these three works of art will probably capture a top spot in my "Best of 2012" feature and I'll definitely be trying my luck tomorrow with the rest of my poster collecting brethren. What's your take on Vania's art?

Vania Zouravliov's breathtaking 13 Assassins movie posters will be available tomorrow (5/24) through Mondo's website at a random time. Every version of the poster (yellow, white, and blue) measures 16.75" x 36", costs $50 and will be limited to 120. To get the drop on this poster drop, be sure to follow @MondoNews on Twitter and prep those F5 / Command-R pressing fingers. And to learn more about this artist, you can check out his portfolio at bigactive.com, and that's about it - seriously, there's not a ton of information about the guy out there.

Tim Doyle's "Robocop" Movie Posters

Robocop is one of those films that pleases on just about every level. Are you a fan of blood and gore? Don't worry, Robocop has got you covered. Need some biting satire? Fret not, this film assaults the media and the privatization of the public sector in ways few films can. You say you can only watch films that star physicist / neurosurgeon / test pilot / rock legend Buckaroo Banzai? While that's an oddly specific and limiting prerequisite, fear not, because Robocop is the film for you! Groundbreaking, intelligent, bloody, and hilarious, this movie stands tall as one of my favorite 80s films and to this day remains scarily relevant and surprisingly entertaining. Posterocalypse favorite Tim Doyle, in cooperation with The Castro Theatre and Spoke Art, has created not one, but two lovely posters for what in my estimation is Paul Verhoeven's greatest gift to cinema.

Robocop Movie Poster
Tim Doyle
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 225

I'm immediately reminded, and I'm sure this is purposeful, of an exploded view diagram when gazing at these two posters. It's a wonderful design choice that not only shows us the relationship between man and machine, but also the relationship between machine part A and machine part B. These prints bring to mind a team of scientists huddled over a schematic bible frantically flipping through its pages trying to figure out how to successfully put Robocop together. Also, I know I'm not the only one who noticed this, but since I haven't read anyone write about it yet I'm going to point out the obvious: the title is in Japanese! I know Tim did something similar with his Transformers poster from last year, and it may turn out that the through line connecting these two films is robots with humanity...or maybe it just looks cool. Either way, I'm absolutely loving it. As I close out this review I wanted to briefly share some of what Tim wrote about his approach. Doyle's posts on his own work are always a fun read and happen to be incredibly more thoughtful than anything I could ever write. Now let's get to the good stuff (by the way, I highly recommend reading the rest of his post at mrdoyle.com when you have the chance):

"When I was approaching this poster, I wanted to play against expectations. I rarely give the audience what they ‘want’- I want to give the audience what I want to give them, and convince them that I was right all along. I definitely miss on some, but hey- I’m at least entertaining myself over here. I think too often when talking (and drawing) about the film Robocop, people miss the point that it’s all about Murphy’s journey of identity. He’s fighting back literally from death, and trying to discover not only who he was, but who he’s going to be in the present- Is he product or person?"

Bottom line: I love the technical complexity of Doyle's design and definitely appreciate the apparent care with which he has attempted to go beyond the cool exterior and show the man behind the mask. Is it weird that this poster makes more sense to me than some Ikea assembly guides do?

Robocop Movie Poster (Variant)
Tim Doyle
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$60 - Limited to 50

Tim Doyle's Robocop movie posters are currently available through Spoke Art's website! Both versions measure 18" x 24" and are signed and numbered. The regular print costs $40 and is limited to an edition of 225, while the variant costs $60 and is limited to an edition of 50. To learn more about the artist, head over to mrdoyle.com and nakatomiinc.com.

Gimetzco's "The Averagers" Art Print

I typically try to write something sort of clever and maybe even lengthy about the artwork I review, but I found out about this print earlier today and it's only available for purchase until the end of today, so I'm going to keep it concise. Check it out!

"The Averagers" Art Print
Gimetzco
13" x 19" - Numbered
$30 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: The Avengers

Gimetzo's "The Averagers" print is currently available through Steal This Art for $30. The poster measures 13" x 19" and is limited to an edition of 50. If you like what you see, remember, this print will no longer be available tomorrow (5/19), so you'll need to act now! To learn more about the artist, head over to Gimetzco's website and visit his various stores.

Tom Whalen's "Toy Story" Movie Poster

Not that I'm complaining, but it's almost overwhelming how many posters Mondo is releasing nowadays. Concluding his excellent series of Disney-centric prints, Tom Whalen has created an impressive and jam-packed work of art honoring Pixar's first bona fide hit that's sure to please any fan of Woody, Buzz and their toy box crew.

Toy Story Movie Poster
Tom Whalen
24" x 36" - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 540

Whalen's clean and immaculately constructed poster perfectly compliments Toy Story's super polished look. And wow, he managed to fit just about every character in this thing. Speaking of, I would have loved to have seen a variant featuring all of the DIY creepy toys! It was Toy Story that featured the doll's head erector set spider, wasn't it? While I haven't been crazy about all of Whalen's Disney stuff, I think this is a damn fine print and some of his best work yet (although his recent Black Keys gig poster may be my all time favorite Whalen). Here's what Tom had to say about his Toy Story artwork (taken from strongstuff.net):

"My goal here was to capture the awe and wonder that swept all of the toys in Andy's room (with the notable exception of Woody) when Buzz arrived on the scene. At any rate, I think it's only fitting that this poster series ends with the first Pixar film, which unbelievably, was released all the way back in 1995."

Tom Whalen's Toy Story movie poster will be available tomorrow (4/10) through Mondo at a random time. The poster measures 24" x 36", is limited to an edition of 540, and will cost $50. Be sure to follow @MondoNews on Twitter for up-to-the-second release info, although it never hurts to work that F5 muscle. To see more of Whalen's work, head over to strongstuff.net and follow @strongstufftom. To infinity and beyond!

Tyler Stout's "The Avengers" Movie Posters

UPDATE (5/4): These are all sold out folks, but it looks like Tyler will have some APs to sell in the near future. Be sure to sign up for his mailing list!

Chances are that everyone has already heard about this release, but I feel like it's my civic duty as a movie poster fan to at least mention these prints prior to their drop. As usual, we've got another home run on our hands from artist superstar Tyler Stout. Well done Mondo and friends!

The Avengers Movie Poster (Regular)
Tyler Sout
24" x 36" - Numbered
$60 - Limited to 750

The Avengers Movie Poster (Variant)
Tyler Stout
24" x 36" - Numbered
$110 - Limited to 350

Tyler Stout's Avengers movie posters will be released later today (5/4) through Mondo at a random time. The regular version costs $60 and is limited to an edition 750, while the variant print costs $110 and is limited to 350. Both posters measure 24" x 36". Be sure to follow @mondonews for all drop info, and head over to tstout.com for additional Stout-related shenanigans.

Fernando Fro Reza's "Mother's Day" Movie Poster

The gents at Skuzzles are at it again in their quest to bring us more deliciously schlocky Troma goodness, this time in the form of a beautifully crafted Mother's Day screen print by artist Fernando Fro Reza. Behold!

Mother's Day Movie Poster
Fernando Fro Reza (Fro Design Co)
18" x 24" - Numbered
$32 - Limited to 75

I really dig this poster for two main reasons. First and foremost, it's a great looking print. That much is obvious, but more specifically, Fernando's incredibly classy artwork serves as strangely perfect counterpoint to the low budget hillbilly horror fest that is Mother's Day. Up until now, Skuzzles has mainly worked with artists who I feel are perfect at capturing the gonzo insanity that lies at the heart of most Troma productions, but by commissioning Fro and utilizing his cleaner, more minimalist approach to design, a sort of cognitive dissonance occurs that makes the work even creepier and more disturbing than it may have been in the hands of another artist. Second, it's a Fernando Fro Reza screen print! I know that may not seem like much, but the vast majority of his work is in giclée form, and while there's absolutely nothing wrong with that, in my mind, a screen print feels just a bit more unique and handcrafted. It's a brilliant poster and I'd love to see more like it!

Fernando Fro Reza's Mother's Day movie poster will be available tomorrow (5/4) through Skuzzle's site at a random time. The poster measures 18" x 24", will cost $32, and is limited to an edition of 75. To get the drop on the poster drop be sure to follow @skuzzlescan on Twitter and visit their Facebook page. To see and purchase more of Fernando's artwork, be sure to visit frodesignco.com, the Fro Design Co Store, and follow him on Twitter @frodesignco. Watch out for Queenie!

New Flesh's "I Am Iron Man" Art Print

I'm not sure if anyone has heard (they've been keeping it pretty hush-hush), but there's a little film called The Avengers opening nation-wide tomorrow (5/4). "Hold your horses," you frantically exclaim. "How have I not heard anything about this moving picture?!" I know, I know, I was as shocked as you, maybe even more so, but we've got to accept that a film the majority of us have been looking forward to for the last several years is finally coming to the big screen on Friday, and that's not all. Gallery 1988 will be hosting an Avenger inspired art show titled "Assemble," and it's opening in a few hours! But wait! There's more! New Flesh Prints, a Posterocalypse favorite, will be featured in tonight's exhibit (their first Gallery 1988 show no less) and have created a jaw-dropping poster honoring America's most charming alcoholic superhero (and no, I'm not talking about Hancock), Iron Man! Check it out below and head over to the always excellent Crome Yellow for a great write up and some words from the artist.

"I Am Iron Man" Art Print
N.E. (New Flesh Prints)
18" x 24" - Limited to 175
$45 - Numbered
Inspired By: The Avengers

N.E.'s "I Am Iron Man" print stands as his best work to date, and it's becoming quite clear that with every new release N.E. has no problem with changing and evolving his style. This poster is just so damn dynamic! No matter where you look there's something going on. Whether it's the rubble, fire and smoke, or a dude with rocket boots flying directly into your face, N.E. has crafted something that will instantly make any wall exponentially more cool and exciting. With that said, the artist knew exactly where everyone would be staring and has poured so much detail into Iron Man's armor, you can practically smell the smoke still rising from each singed fragment of fire-blasted metal. If "I Am Iron Man" is any indication of what we can expect from the folks at New Flesh, I think we'll be seeing a lot more of their work at Gallery 1988 and have a much trickier time purchasing their prints.

New Flesh's "I Am Iron Man" poster will be available for $45 at Gallery 1988's "Assemble" show later tonight and will (hopefully) be available through their site in the coming days. The poster measures 18" x 24" and is limited to an edition of 175. If you'd like to learn more about the fine folks at New Flesh, you've got quite a few options, including: newfleshprints.com, @newfleshprints and @NEnewflesh on Twitter, and I think there might even be a Facebook page and storefront. Long live the New Flesh!

Gallery 1988's "Suspense & Gallows Humor" Art Show

I was really tempted to queue up for Gallery 1988's "Suspense & Gallows Humor" show a few Fridays ago (4/13), so much so, that I told several co-workers I was DEFINITELY going. Alas, I got talked into seeing The Cabin in the Woods with some friends (seriously, go watch this movie folks - it's amazing) and missed out on what looked to be an incredible opening night. What could be better than a room full of artwork inspired by the legendary Alfred Hitchcock? Not much. I've since made the trek to Venice and it was glorious. If, like me, you didn't (or couldn't) make it to the show, but still wanted to pick up some beautiful Hitchcockian artwork, I've created today's post as a guide or rather a list of my top five suggestions on what to buy. Note: As of this writing all of the prints listed below are still available for purchase, meaning I'm not able to pimp Ghoulish Gary Pullin's amazing (but already sold out) Psycho inspired poster, except that I kind of already did by mentioning it just now, didn't I? Weird. Enjoy!

“Where's Alfred Hitchcock?” Art Print
Derek Eads
18" x 30" - Numbered
$45 - Limited to 50

Alfred Hitchcock, or as I like to think of him, the director who photo-bombed his own work way before it was cool or recognized as a meme (like way, way, way before), was certainly no stranger to the cameo. Alright, I guess he wasn't technically "photo-bombing," since that term usually implies some sort of negative effect (often of the hilarious variety) on the photo in question and the suggestion of spontaneity, but there's no denying he enjoyed popping up in his own cinematic creations. Taking full advantage of this fact, artist Derek Eads exquisitely illustrated many of Alfred's appearances in an appropriately classy black and white. I can't imagine these will be around for too much longer, so my advice would be to act fast and pick one up now. Derek Eads' "Where's Alfred Hitchcock?" print is currently available through Gallery 1988's online storefront for $45. The three-color screenprint measures 18" x 30 and is limited to an edition of 50. To learn more about artist Derek Eads, be sure to visit his Tumblr page and follow him on Twitter @Derek_Eads. And for those of you who are interested in learning more about Hitchcock's cameos, there's a fairly comprehensive list with pictures at hitchcock.tv.

“Oh God, Mother! Blood! Blood!” Art Print
Joshua Budich
24" x 36" - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Psycho

If you've visited Posterocalypse in the last week, month, or year, then you'll already know I really dig this Joshua Budich fellow. His tightly constructed assemblage of illustrations plays like a cinematic "Best Of" and shares many similarities with the picturesque work of Martin Ansin, Grzegorz Domaradzki and Tyler Stout. Joshua's "Oh God, Mother! Blood! Blood!" provides a truly terrifying and visceral take on Hitchcock's Psycho, and much like his recent "Brutally Cool" print, uses a few strategically placed splashes of color to highlight the story's violence and dysfunction. Budich's "Oh God, Mother! Blood! Blood!" poster is currently available for $50. The print measures 24" x 36", is signed and numbered, and is limited to an edition of 100. If you'd like to read more about Joshua, head over to joshuabudich.com and follow him on Twitter @jbudich.

“Blood Stained Blues” Art Print
Mayra Fersner
12.5" x 19" - Signed and Numbered
$25 - Limited to 25
Inspired By: Stage Fright

Mayra Fersner is an artist that I've been consistently in awe of since first discovering (and then immediately purchasing) her Network print from the Kingdom of Nonsense curated Sidney Lumet tribute show. Her prints are often dark in theme and feel right at home in Hitchcock's wicked world of paranoia and double-crossings, two elements that have played a large part in the master director's filmography. Mayra's "Blood Stained Blues" Stage Fright poster celebrates one of Hitchcock's lesser known works (that clicking noise you heard was me adding the film to my Netflix queue), and successfully manages to evoke the fear and lunacy that to go hand-in-hand with Hitch's penchant for intricately plotted murder mysteries. Here's what Mayra had to say about the poster (taken from her blog):

"I have been really excited and looking forward to sharing the print I designed for this show. I wanted to base my design on one of his more obscure films. Due to the fact that I am a huge Marlene Dietrich fan, I knew I wanted to pick Stage Fright."

Mayra Fersner's "Blood Stained Blues" poster is currently available through Gallery 1988 for $25. The movie print measures 12.6" x 19" and is limited to an edition of 25. To see more of Mayra's work, head over to hagcult.com and follow her @HagCult.

"We're All Born Accompanists" Art Print
Alex Todaro
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 51
Inspired By: Lifeboat

Alex Todaro's "We're All Born Accompanists" is easily the most abstract poster in this selection of striking artwork, and that's one of the things that really attracted me to it. To be fair, I'm also head over heels for its kaleidoscopic interpretation of the sea. And I'm incredibly impressed with its surprisingly diverse monochromatic palette, which goes a long way in capturing the film's spectacular black and white photography. Alex Todaro's "We're All Born Accompanists" print is available through Gallery 1988's online storefront for $40. The screen print measures 18" x 24", is signed and numbered, and is limited to an edition of 51. To check out more of Alex's artwork, head over to alextodaro.com and follow him on Twitter @__Todaro.

“Presents” Art Print
Jessica Deahl
12" x 18" - Signed and Numbered
$30 - Limited to 60

I'm not completely sure what it is about Jessica Deahl's "Presents" print, but it just works for me. On second thought, maybe this poster is the most abstract of the bunch. If I had to try and assign meaning to it, I'd guess that the massive swirly hair ball represents Hitchcock's mind and the red ink that's shaped like a bloody mass of his iconic creations represents his imagination. That sounds good, right? Or maybe it's just a reference to his television show Alfred Hitchcock Presents. Or both? Who knows? One thing I do know, is that the nice thing about writing your own blog is you don't need to try and assign meaning to everything, so I'm just going to go with: I really, really like this poster and I hope you do too. Deahl's "Presents" print is currently available for a super low $30 through Gallery 1988's website. The poster measures 12" x 18" and is limited to an edition of 60. To learn more about the artist, visit jessicadeahl.com.

That's it folks! Thanks for your time and goodnight...or good morning.