Write Up: Christopher Lee's "Ghostbusters" Movie Poster

I first found out about this print a few hours ago and haven't been able to think of much else since. If you enjoyed Christopher Lee's midi-chlorian-filled Star Wars poster series as much as I did, then you're sure to be wowed by his spectacularly playful Ghostbusters artwork. Don't believe me? I'll go ahead and refer you to the image below, thank you very much!

Ghostbusters Movie Poster
Christopher Lee
16" x 20" (Giclée) - Signed and Numbered
Price TBD - Limited to 100

Lee's cartoony Schoolhouse-Rock-meets-the-films-that-shaped-our-childhood aesthetic is the perfect fit for a movie that features a monstrous marshmallow man of the Stay Puft variety, and lines like, "Is it just a mist, or does it have arms and legs?" Ghostbusters, with all of its crazy set pieces and strange creatures, really encourages an everything but the kitchen sink approach, and it looks as if artist Chris Lee has impressively risen to the challenge (which is no small feat considering how difficult it must be to balance the desire to include everything you want in there while also making sure the overall design doesn't become too convoluted.) And is it just me, or does this poster totally make anyone else want to watch the animated Real Ghostbusters? I miss that show! Ultimately, Christopher's Ghostbusters print is an easy recommendation for me to make, given the poster's adherence to the film's antic and fantastical tone, and the top-notch artistry on display. Oh yeah, and I love the cleverly placed ECTO-1 license plate - what a nice touch!

I don't have an exact release date for these prints, but you can be sure I'll update this post once Chris spreads the word. In the meantime, you can learn more about Mr. Lee by visiting thebeastisback.com and following him on Twitter @thebeast_isback.

New Flesh's "That's a Big Twinkie" Art Print

New Flesh Prints' recent ectoplasmic entry represents yet another high point in the studio's relatively short history. Not only because N.E.'s art continues to impress, but it's also the first glow in the dark poster that New Flesh Prints has ever done.

"That's a Big Twinkie" Art Print (Glow in the Dark Edition)
N.E. (New Flesh Prints)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Signed and Numbered
$30 - Limited to 84
Inspired By: Ghostbusters

"That's a Big Twinkie" Art Print - When Seen in the Dark

I'll be writing the rest of my review later today, but I did want to let everyone know that this kickass print will be available on Monday (6/25) at 10 AM Central (8 AM Pacific). The poster will be available through New Flesh's online store for $30. It measures 18" x 24" and will be signed and numbered. To learn more about the fine folks at New Flesh Prints, checkout newfleshprints.com and follow @newfleshprints and @nenewflesh on Twitter. Good luck!

Justin Van Genderen's Film-Centric Travel Posters

Remember those old (and occasionally vaguely racist) illustrated travel posters that beckoned tourists to "Visit Cuba" or "See India," often with beautifully minimalistic artwork? Well, as you know, everything is cyclical and what once was cool shall be made cool again. Case in point: Justin Van Genderen's film inspired travel posters, which masterfully remix the nostalgia of yore (minus any uncomfortably outdated stereotypes, of course) with the pop culture nerdiness of today.

"Los Angeles" Travel Poster Print
Justin Van Genderen
21" x 31.5" - Signed and Numbered
$35 - Limited to 60
Inspired By: Die Hard

"Chicago" Travel Poster Print Justin Van Genderen 21" x 31.5" - Signed and Numbered $40 - Limited to 60 Inspired By: Road to Perdition

"New York" Travel Poster Print Justin Van Genderen 21" x 31.5" - Signed and Numbered $40 - Limited to 60 Inspired By: Ghostbusters

All three of these posters are screen printed and are sure to look quite classy on any wall they adorn. I think my favorite might be the Die Hard inspired "Los Angeles" print, but I'm probably a bit biased since I live in LA and my fiancee currently works at Nakatomi Plaza (also known as Fox Plaza). I could go on ad nauseum about how much I enjoy this series, but I'll sum it up with this: like many of my favorite artists, Justin is incredibly skilled at connecting and melding the geeky film stuff I devour with the world of fine art I affectionately respect (and am just a little intimidated by). In other words: I like it! Now onto my favorite part of this review, the non-review interview part! Justin was nice enough to take some time out of his day and answer a few of my questions about these prints. Check 'em out below!

Posterocalypse: The pop culture travel posters are a great idea and a beautiful melding of the new and old, but what inspired you to start creating them in the first place?

JVG: The first set of travel posters that I created were of various Star Wars Planets. The inspiration for these came to me after re-watching the original Star Wars trilogy and thinking of how old these movies must seem to the newer, younger generation of Star Wars fans. The travel poster idea seemed to be the perfect mix of old style and (relatively) new subject matter. From there the idea spread to thoughts on escapism with famous comic book locations and now to ideas on location playing a role in films with the movie location posters. For me the travel poster is a great medium for combining classic design techniques and ideas on contemporary or pop culture subject matter.

Posterocalypse: Why Die Hard, Ghostbusters and Road to Perdition? What makes these film locales so important? Were there any films or cities that were in contention, but just didn't make the cut?

JVG: I actually started by creating a long list of different film locations that could work as travel destinations. I ended up working with these three movies because in each film I think the location plays a significant role in the story telling. I can't imagine what Die Hard would have been like if it wasn't a NYC Cop in L.A. or if Ghostbusters didn't take place in NYC. I also always loved the scene in Road to Perdition when Tom Hanks character pulls into mobster-era Chicago. Without these specific locations I think these movies would be totally different. I also thought it would be nice to start off this series with 3 of the largest cities in the U.S. I think it helps tie the series together a little better.

Posterocalypse: You've tackled superheroes, the planets of Star Wars, and now three classic films (with Road to Perdition being a modern day classic in my opinion), any thoughts on what the next project will be?

JVG: Hard to say, I'm always trying out new things but I would definitely like to continue with this idea. I still have a long list of possible destinations and I've already started on a couple more prints that concentrate on cities from our future.

A big thanks to Justin for being so responsive and open about his process!

Justin Van Genderen's movie inspired travel posters are currently available for purchase through his 2046 online storefront. The "Los Angeles" print costs $35, while the "New York" and "Chicago" print cost $40. Every design measures 21" x 31.5", is signed and numbered, and is limited to an edition of 60. There are several ways to learn more about the artist, but I'd recommend the following: visit his portfolio (where you can sign up for his mailing list), his various stores (he's got several), and follow him on Twitter @justinvg.

Gallery 1988's "Crazy 4 Cult 5" Art Exhibit

Well it's been about a week since "Crazy 4 Cult 5" premiered, and now it's time to take a look at Gallery 1988's inventory and see what's left. As a heads up, there's a lot more available than what I'm mentioning here, the posters below just happen to be a few of my favorites.

"1984-1987 at 1988" Art Print
Andrew Wilson
18" x 24"
$70 - Limited to 88
Inspired By: Predator, Goonies, Big Trouble in Little China, and The NeverEnding Story

This poster is a perfect condensation of my childhood. You've got Arnie kicking some Predator ass, a gang of kids set on discovering a long lost treasure, Kurt Russell kicking some mystical wizard ass, and a kid named Bastian riding a dog/dragon/Mr. Snuffleupagus-type creature named Falkor through the sky - yep, the 80s were a strange/awesome period for blockbuster films. To get a better picture of all of the details that went into making "1984-1987 at 1988" such a success, I highly recommend checking out the preliminary digital sketch. The "1984-1987 at 1988" giclee is currently available through the Gallery 1988 website for $70. The signed and numbered poster is limited to an edition of 88 and measures 18" x 24". For more information on artist Andrew Wilson, be sure to visit his blog at andrewandavid.blogspot.com.

"Coffee Break" Art Print
Pat Kinsella
11" x 14"
$50 - Limited to 55
Inspired By: Ghostbusters

Pat Kinsella really nailed this. All the little details, like the smoking Ghost Trap, the tabletop with the hole blasted through it, and the spilled coffee…everywhere, are what really tell the tale of our lone hero and his previously precarious predicament (yeah I'm a sucker for alliteration). I’ve never wanted a Proton Pack this badly before. Again with the detail, I’m just blown away! The artist was totally able to delineate all of the whirring, buzzing and humming wires, cables and cogs (oh my!). Pat Kinsella's "Coffee Break" art print measures 11" x 14", is limited to an edition of 55 and costs $50. The print is currently available through Gallery 1988 and is signed and numbered. To check out Pat's portfolio and blog head over to patkinsella.com. Note: I think this piece may have originally been for Gallery 1988's "3G" show, but it's listed in the "Crazy 4 Cult" inventory, so I'm going for it.

"Onda Punk" Art Print
Jay Shaw (Iron Jaiden)
19" x 25"
$30 - Limited to 40
Inspired By: Repo Man

I love Repo Man, it's such a strange combination of genres and seemingly incongruous elements that somehow mesh together to make a zany, fun little piece of 1980s magic. There's a lot of good things I could say about this poster, but I think the artist sums it up best (taken from the Jay's website):

"'A Onda Punk' was the title given to the American film Repo Man for it's release in Brazil. The title literally translates to 'The Wave Punk'. Brazilian film posters of the 60s, 70s and 80s often incorporated very bright colors coupled with absurd imagery. The idea was to make the posters more appealing to young Brazilians than the films themselves. This approach to film advertising was taken because most of the movies released in Brazil during that period were goofy comedies considered culturally harmless by the military dictatorship that ruled the country from 1964 to 1985. A Onda Punk was not released in Brazil until 1986 after the dictatorship fell. Rumor has it the inclusion of the Circle Jerks song 'Coup D'Etat' in the beginning of the film was the primary reason for the delay in release. A Onda Punk was never given a proper poster for it's Brazilian theatrical release so I thought it would be fun to make one now. It features Fox Harris' character, Frank, wearing the grill of the 1964 Malibu as glasses while he drives around Los Angeles."

Bottom line, this is a kick ass screen print at an amazing price by a really talented up and coming artist. Iron Jaiden's "Onda Punk" art print is available through Gallery 1988 for the surprisingly low price of $30. The print measures 19" x 25" and is limited to an edition of 40. To learn more about Jay Shaw (AKA Iron Jaiden) head over to kingdomofnonsense.com.

Suspiria Art Print
Keith Noordzy
13" x 10"
$35 - Limited to 20
Inspired By: Suspira

This one is particularly awesome. I haven't seen Suspiria since I was a little kid obsessed with mutilated corpses and armed with a subscription to Fangoria (that came out a lot creepier than I intended it to be), but I remember how elegantly and stylish was despite my initially low expectations. Pretty impressive. Keith Noordzy has created a wonderful ode to Argento's masterpiece and has somehow captured the spirit of the 70s with this print. Like all of the artwork included in this post, Keith's Suspiria print is available through Gallery 1988's website. The poster is limited to an edition of 20, measures 13" x 10" and costs $35. For more info on Keith Noordzy check out his blog and portfolio at quid-squid.com.

Conclusion? It's amazingly cool to see "Crazy 4 Cult 5" artwork in the gallery, but if you can't see it in person, at least you and I have a chance to pick up some fantastic prints after the fact. I recommend checking out the rest of Gallery 1988's offerings when you have some time, because there's far more available than what I've included here.

By the way, I just realized this is my 100th post! I think I should buy a poster in celebration, or something.