Write Up: Grzegorz Domaradzki's "Raging Bull" Movie Posters

Prints like these are the whole reason I created Posterocalypse. I mean that. There's something incredibly satisfying about seeing an artist's work who you've come to respect (and write about) go from a jaw-dropping, but ultimately unattainable, collection of concept illustrations in his Behance portfolio, to now being able to purchase that very artwork you've drooled over for what feels like an eternity. Actually, let's rewind a bit, I'm feeling talkative. Grzegorz Domaradzki ("Gabz") is someone I've been following for a while now (no, not in a "I'm calling from inside your house" sort of way) and was one of the first artists I ever wrote about here. It was January 31st in the Year of our Lord two thousand and eleven, the site had been around for a little over a month, and I was desperately trying to figure out what Posterocalypse was / is / could be (for the record: I'm still not sure). Racked with the sort of indecisive apathy that often accompanies any twentysomething worth his weight in Pringles that decides to create a blog in that most sacred of periods often referred to as "free time" (also known as the 72 hours I was neither working at my soul-crushing job or sleeping in my lumpy bed), I needed to find something that excited me. Well, I found it and its name was "Grzegorz Domaradzki's Vector Movie Posters," or rather, that was the title of my post about Grzegorz Domaradzki's vector movie posters. Long story short, I was blown away by Gabz's Raging Bull artwork and had this to say about the piece:

"And last but not least, we have this wonderful Raging Bull poster. This poster may be my favorite as it perfectly captures the film's beautiful black and white cinematography and much like the boxing bouts, is very minimal except for the flashing bulbs of the reporters. Will somebody please make these posters a reality?!" - Me (1/31/2011)

And here we are! There's an actual Raging Bull print by Grzegorz Domaradzki coming out on Friday (8/24) through Spoke Art! This either means the poster gods are real, love to read art blogs, grant wishes, and watch Minecraft strategy videos on Youtube, or (and this one is far more likely), a ton of other people saw what a talent this guy is and decided they would be stupid not to work with him. Without further ado, here's the art that inspired this lengthy jumble of words and run-on sentences.

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Regular - English)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$40 - Limited to 75

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Variant - Polish)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$75 - Limited to 25

I love, love, love these prints! Gabz's frenzied line work evokes La Motta's mercurial nature and the quote below De Niro's bust provides that one-two punch to the gut. Also, I'm not sure what it is about foreign languages, I feel the same way about Doyle's and Moss' Japanese prints, maybe it's the otherworldliness of a recognizable image, coupled with words I can't hope to read or understand, but I find it lends the Polish versions of the Raging Bull posters a beautifully strange and surreal quality (which I'm quite partial to). Finally, I really admire the visible restraint on display. To go a bit further, by constructing the background almost completely without detail except for the diffused light from the flashes of the reporting press, Jake La Motta's head is that much bolder and set apart from the world around him. It makes for a beautiful and startling effect.

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Regular - Polish)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$40 - Limited to 75

Raging Bull Movie Poster (Variant - English)
Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz)
18" x 24" (Screen Print) - Numbered
$75 - Limited to 25

Grzegorz Domaradzki's Raging Bull screen prints will be available at a random time on Friday (8/24) through Spoke Art's online store. Warning: these posters are gonna go fast, so be sure to follow @Spoke_Art on Twitter for the exact drop time! To learn more about artist Gabz, be sure to checkout iamgabz.com and his Facebook page.

Zoltron's "Raging Bull" Movie Poster

What I'm going to post today is a little lazy as some of it is from my previous poster blog, but I'm honestly shocked (and maybe even a little angry) that this print is still available for purchase. It should have sold out within minutes of going online (a la Mondo)!

Raging Bull

Zoltron's Raging Bull poster is absolutely beautiful and perfectly reflects Scorsese's breathtaking and uncompromising vision. One of the things that first popped for me with this poster was the artist's crazed Ralph Steadman-esque title work. It just gives everything around it a manic energy, something De Niro as La Motta absolutely exudes in certain scenes. Which brings me to the man himself, Jake La Motta. This guy just looks beat to hell. The blotchy variations of gray on his body really go a long way in not only illustrating what appears to be blood, sweat, cuts and bruises, but also providing some visual depth to his face and torso. The bottom line is this, it’s an amazing film and an absolute stunner of a poster - you should own both!

This post is actually perfectly timed because Zoltron's Raging Bull poster has been available for about one year now (I bought mine in May of 2010), so this is kind of like an anniversary. The poster was originally designed for the Red Vic Movie House in San Francisco, but whether you're by the bay or not, this belongs on every cinephile's wall. The Raging Bull poster measures 16" x 22", is limited to an edition of 100, costs $40 and can be purchased through Zoltron's website. Again, how are these still available? While you're there be sure to take a look around at some of Zoltron's other insane designs (*cough* Tim and Eric gig poster *cough*). Tomorrow I'll be covering Chris Ware's new poster for Mondo. Have a great night everyone!

Grzegorz Domaradzki's Vector Movie Posters

I love and despise the Internet at the same time. On the one hand, with the Internet I can get step-by-step directions to just about anywhere, I can get a 50" television for an insanely low price, I can download entire seasons of television series that only plays in the UK, and discover amazing new artists who I'd have never heard of otherwise. On the other hand, I can find amazing artists who have more creativity in their pinky finger than I would have in three of me combined (cue the shame spiral). Case in point, Polish graphic designer Grzegorz Domaradzki (AKA Gabz). He created a series of movie posters as a personal project, and they're amazing! The only bummer (and it's a big one) is that these aren't real posters and can't be purchased anywhere.

In Grzegorz's words:

"I start with Adobe Illustrator working on portrait photography found in the internet using Bamboo tablet. Once finished I paste it into Photoshop and start designing the posters, adding typography, textures, effects, filters and all sorts of adjustment layers."

I've chosen four of my favorites, but you can view the rest of posters through his Behance Network portfolio. Volume 1 consists mostly of newer films while Volume 2 has more of the films that would be considered classics.

Apocalypse Now

"Another Apocalypse Now poster?" you say. Yep, but as you can tell this and Doyle's poster from yesterday's post really have nothing in common besides the fact that they both feature the warmonger Lieutenant Colonel Kilgore. The placement of the "Napalm" quote is brilliant - not only is it a fantastic quote, it also happens to form the brim of Kilgore's hat (along with the crossed swords). A very smart composition!

The Deer Hunter

I figured, why stop with a good thing - let the Vietnam War movie poster bonanza continue. Gabz's The Deer Hunter poster is a playful take on the film's title and our characters' favorite pastime (hint - hunting deer). The Deer Hunter has always been a favorite of mine, especially for Christopher Walken's powerful and intense performance (long before he became a pop culture punchline).

Blade Runner

Another stunner by Grzegorz. Rutger Hauer has never looked so…blonde. This poster has a ton of great little touches - the Blade Runner font, the 100 MPH motion blur, and even the neon sign that became the benchmark for all future depictions of a metropolis laid waste by overpopulation and advertising.

Raging Bull

And last but not least, we have this wonderful Raging Bull poster. This poster may be my favorite as it perfectly captures the film's beautiful black and white cinematography and much like the boxing bouts, is very minimal except for the flashing bulbs of the reporters. Will somebody please make these posters a reality?!

Well that about wraps up this spotlight on a very talented guy. Again, he has several more movie posters and a ton of other artwork available for viewing at his Behance portfolio and his personal website. Mondo, if you're listening to this, do us all a favor and get in touch with this man!