Mondo's "Drive" Double-LP

The time has come! Mondo promised us a killer Drive vinyl a little less than a year ago, and here it is, or rather, here it will be...tomorrow. As the saying goes, "Good things come to those who wait." Covered in beautiful neon-flavored Tyler Stout artwork, there's no doubt that this will be a hot item. And as if it wasn't cool enough that an amazing film, with a fantastic score, now has an awesome double-LP release, Mondo has also opted to place a few electric pink records in several of its packages. Yowza!

Drive Double-LP
Composer: Cliff Martinez
Remastered By: James Plotkin
Package Design By: Tyler Stout
$25 - Indeterminate Edition Size

Mondo's Drive LP will be available tomorrow (3/22) at a random time through mondotees.com for $25. The packaging design was completed by artist Tyler Stout and the album was remastered by James Plotkin. To get the drop on this drop be sure to follow @mondonews on Twitter. Good luck!

Kickstart This Art - March 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 campaigns that are currently running and competing for your money.

"A Fiend In Need" Art Print ($1,000 Goal)


The Pitch: You know that picture of all those dogs playing poker? There's actually a few of them, so don't feel too bad if you're not all thinking of the exact same one. (I'm specifically talking about C. M. Coolidge's "A Friend in Need.") Now imagine if each one of those probably racist dogs (it was painted in the early 1900s, after all) had been replaced by an ass-kicking, name-taking deity of heavy metal and you just may start to understand what artist Dave Berns is concocting here.

Why I Love The Idea: What's not to love here? Dave has taken an iconic image and turned it up to 11. And aside from the poster's sweet composition, he's also decided to employ the services of Nakatomi Inc to handle the printing, meaning everything will look top-notch in person.

Bottom Line: A fun, funny, affordable, rocking print that's sure to please the all the metal fans out there. Could you imagine the stories these guys would be trading at this game?!

God Hates Astronauts: The Complete Ed. ($15,000 Goal)


The Pitch: The God Hates Astronauts comic has been Ryan Browne's pet project for the last six years and is completely serialized at godhatesastronauts.com. But what about those people who want to see more of the God Hates Astronauts universe than is currently available? What about the folks who want a slick looking hardcover graphic novel to show their friends and / or balance that uneven table? What about the people who want an MP3 of the original GHA theme song written and performed by the band Murder by Death? Believe it or not, there's a Kickstarter specifically designed to appease that demographic.

Why I Love The Idea: I thought God Hates Astronauts creator Ryan Browne summed it up nicely when he described his comic as, "kind of like The Venture Brothers or Aqua Teen Hunger Force, mixed with that hilarious movie The Astronaut Farmer with Billy Bob Thornton, rolled in a flour tortilla of Robocop, and sprinkled with a little bit of Die Hard." If such a burrito existed, would it even be possible to resist? I think not. Seriously though, this project is coming from someone who has already launched a successful Kickstarter campaign (his Blast Furnace: Recreational Thief Volume One!), and features some of the coolest backer rewards around (be sure to read about "The Defaced Edition" of GHA).

Bottom Line: It's a cool project by a super talented dude. Also, it features Carl Winslow with gorilla arms. 'Nuff said.

Torment: Tides of Numenera ($900,000 Goal)


The Pitch: Remember Planescape: Torment? The game was developed by Black Isle Studios and released by Interplay in 1999. If you were into RPGs around that period, then there's a very, very good chance you were as obsessed about it as I was. In Planescape, the player controlled The Nameless One as he attempted to figure who and / or what he was. In many ways, it reminds me of what I imagine a dungeons and dragons version of Memento would look like. It was a brilliantly written game, featuring amazing characters, story, and innovative gameplay. I mention all of this as an introduction to the Kickstarter-funded Torment: Tides of Numenera, a new game "crafted in the Torment tradition," according to it's Creative Lead, Colin McComb.

Why I Love The Idea: While I don't necessarily know what "crafted in the Torment tradition" means, since Tides of Numenera won't be an actual sequel to Planescape, I'm still fully on board. InXile Entertainment, the company started by Brian Fargo, the guy who also founded Interplay, has assembled many of Planescape: Torment's core development team for Tides' production. I figure I'll gladly roll the dice if I can get something even approaching the Planescape experience.

Bottom Line: If the folks at InXile Entertainment want to create a - I'm going to call it - spiritual follow-up to Planescape: Torment with many of the game's original dev team in tow, I'm in.

Kickstart This Art - September 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 campaigns that are currently running and competing for your money.

Charlie Kaufman's Anomalisa ($200,000 Goal)


The Pitch: Charlie Kaufman, the genius behind films like Being John Malkovich, Adaptation, Eternal Sunshine, and one of my all time favorites, Confessions of a Dangerous Mind, wants to make a movie. But not just any movie. The guy wants to create a stop-motion animated film about, "a man crippled by the mundanity of his life." What does that mean? I have no idea, but I'm sure it will be equal parts challenging and entertaining.

Why I Love The Idea: Dan Harmon (creator of Community) is producing, Kaufman is overseeing the film's creation and wrote the play Anomalisa is based on. Hmm...I feel like I'm forgetting something. Oh yeah, and it's freaking stop-motion animation! I'm not sure if you've already watched the above video, but the whole thing is narrated via an animated puppet. How cool is that? The answer is "None. None more cool." If this isn't worth your hard-earned mula, I don't know what is.

Bottom Line: I'm going to throw out a few words at you: Kaufman. Harmon. Animated. Stop-Motion. Kaufman. 'Nuff said.

Strange Kids Comix Magazine - Issue #3 ($2,500 Goal)


The Pitch: Picture just about everything you loved from the 80s. Can you visualize that for me? Okay. Now imagine all of those things forced to inhabit the same universe and drawn by artists like Jason Edmiston and Brent Engstrom and then finally printed on paper and made into a magazine. Sounds pretty good, right?

Why I Love The Idea: If the pitch or video didn't grab you, then Strange Kids Comix may not be for you. However, if, like me, you saw the above illustrated Videodrome-esqe fever dream and immediately fell in love, then congratulations, you're one of the good guys. In all seriousness, this is a great opportunity to support something that's made by nerds for nerds and it's being independently published to boot (you don't even need to live in Portland or some other hipster-y town to contribute!)

Bottom Line: Oh. And did I mention there's still a few hirsute Teen Wolf posters by Ze Burnay left for those donating $35 or more? Go ahead and click the "Back This Project" button below. Issue #3 is so close to actually reaching its goal. Make it happen!

Garry Brown's DIE HARD Poster ($1,200 Goal)


The Pitch: Do you like the movie Die Hard? I mean, really like the movie Die Hard? Well, so do the folks behind the Die Hard poster campaign and they'd love it if the National Film Registry felt the same way.

Why I Love The Idea: Not only is this a really great idea (who wouldn't want Die Hard to be in the National Film Registry?), but as a reward for supporting the campaign you can pick up a pretty sweet Die Hard print by Garry Brown. Not sure who Garry Brown is? Well, if you're a fan of Brian Wood's The Massive, you may recognize the man's work, as he's the regular interior artist. If you're not a fan of or have never hard of The Massive, then just know that he's a kickass artist.

Bottom Line: What could be better than supporting the preservation of great film and getting an awesome poster to beautify your wall? Not much! Although, it would be cool if Nakatomi Inc was doing the printing.

Heads Up: Death Waltz's "Halloween II" and "Halloween III" Vinyl Albums

I've heard that vinyl recordings give off a musical "warmth" that you just can't get with digital. And we can't forget about the cool factor, which I believe empirically states that regardless of a record's quality, being in close proximity to said vinyl imparts an aura of knowledge, wisdom, and sophisticated musical taste to everyone in the immediate area. There's also something incredibly romantic about the tangibility and immediacy of a record that just doesn't exist in other audio formats. So, why on Earth did it take me so long to delve into the wonderful world of vinyl? Well, I guess the short answer would be I was intimidated. Rightly or wrongly, I always pictured those who were into records as the musical elite - snobs who would no doubt raise their nose at me and my naiveté the moment I approached the register. How wrong I was, dear friends! Thanks to the folks at Death Waltz Recording Company, I've been slowly amassing a beautiful record collection that appeals to the movie lover in me both visually and auditorily. What does all this mean? Hmm. I guess this rather long-winded exploration of my troubled psyche is my way of telling you that you need to support these guys. Not only does Death Waltz use some of today's most talented cine-obsessed artists when designing their album covers, they go that extra mile, working with the people behind the music to ensure they have the best possible product out there. As proof of their dedication to everything I love, Death Waltz just put their Halloween II and Halloween III: Season of the Witch albums on sale a few minutes ago. Need more convincing? Take a peek at the beautiful artwork below.

Halloween II Album
Artwork: Brandon Schaefer
Music By: John Carpenter & Alan Howarth
£20 - Limited to 400 (I think)

Halloween III: Season of the Witch Album
Artwork: Jay Shaw
Music By: John Carpenter & Alan Howarth
£20 - Limited to 400 (I think)

Death Waltz's Halloween II and Halloween III albums are currently available for pre-sale through their website for £20 each. Both albums also come with a 12" x 12" lithograph print and a folded A2 poster. If you have any interest at all in amazing music, amazing artwork, and the films that made the two previous elements possible, be sure to sign up for the Death Waltz newsletter and follow @deathwaltzrecs on Twitter. Oh, and did you see tricked that out black and orange record? Beautiful stuff!

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?

Links I Like - Volume 4

It's been a while since I've done of one these, but to quickly summarize: I'll be posting links to websites that I like along with why I like them. Pretty straight forward stuff. Most of the links will probably be poster or film related, but I'll be sure to occasionally throw something weird in the mix, just to keep you on your toes.

Crome Yellow

http://www.cromeyellow.com

This one's been a long time coming, although that's primarily because I haven't posted a "Links I Like" column in over six months. Crome Yellow is the perfect encapsulation of everything I'm obsessed with. Film? Check. Art and design? Check. New music, which I almost assuredly wouldn't have known about otherwise? Check. Okay, okay, so I'm not technically obsessed with that last one, but I think it's pretty cool nonetheless. In other words: all the geeky stuff I think is the cat's pajamas (and therefore force my very understanding fiancée to endure), the guys who run Crome Yellow also seem to like. It's a win-win. A few of my favorite recent posts include, but are in no way limited to: "John V. Muntean’s ‘Magic Angle’ Sculptures," "The ‘Ruins Of Detroit’ By Marchand & Meffre," and "Pattern Designs From Andy Gilmore." Check 'em out!

Ape on the Moon

http://apeonthemoon.com/

This is another website I've been in love with for quite a while now. Ape on the Moon is run by two London-based illustrators who clearly have a knack for finding incredible art and sharing it with us, their voracious readers. Their posts cover the strange and avant-garde to the more traditionally picturesque, and everything in between. Ape on the Moon also features some fantastic interviews and the occasional step-by-step tutorial for any aspiring artists out there. Highlights include: the "Chris Madden Tutorial Using Printed Ink Textures," "Hand-carved, Wooden, Sculptural Frames by Bonsoir Paris," "Model City Typography by Creative Studio, Soon," and "Happycentro’s Paper, Pen, and Plasticine Typography." Pretty cool, right?

Eye Sea Posters

http://www.eyeseaposters.com/

Did you enjoy Jay Shaw's Bullhead print? Do you like your movie posters with a dash of strange and a healthy heaping of what the fuck? Well, Eye Sea Posters is the place for you. Eye Sea specializes in the sale of Polish one sheets from the 60's and 70's by artists like Jerzy Flisak, Wiktor Gorka, Andrzej Krajewski and Maciej Zbikowski and is a must-have bookmark for anyone who loves movie posters. Sure, Posteritati may technically have a larger inventory, but I really appreciate the passion Eye Sea pours into their site and selection, making them the online authority on Polish posters in my book. Oh yeah, did I mention they've also got a great blog? You should probably visit that too. A few of my favorite Polish posters include: Gumshoe (AKA Prywatny Detektyw), Romancing the Stone (AKA Milosc Szmaragd i Krokodyl), and The Terrorists (AKA Godziny Grozy). It's like I always say, "Nobody does eyeball pistols like the Polish."

Poster Collective

http://www.postercollective.com/

If you like Posterocalypse, then there's a pretty good chance you'll love the Poster Collective. The Poster Collective, much like this site, is dedicated to poster art, with the majority of its focus centered on the wonderful world of film. Unlike Posterocalypse, the three hoodlums that run the Poster Collective have created some incredibly clever and very enjoyable features, including: "10 Valentine’s Day Movies (And Posters) For Every Relationship Status," "A DRIVE Through Car Movie Poster History," and their recurring "8 Questions" interview series. To add insult to injury, they've also got a better looking site and a much snappier motto ("Wall Things Considered") than I do. Thankfully for me, the Internet is a big enough place for more than one poster site to comfortably exist, and I consider Poster Collective to be among the best.

Movielicious!

http://www.chongweikk.com/

First things first: I cannot and have never been able to speak, read, or write Chinese. Granted, I've only got a questionable understanding of English and have retained about a paragraph's worth of Español from my time spent in Spanish 3, but again, Chinese is not my forté. Despite this obvious hindrance, the Chinese-language site Movielicious! is one of my favorite places to visit whenever new content is posted. I don't really know anything about the person or people who run Movielicious!, but I'm fairly confident we would be great friends based on their apparent affection for all things cinematic. No matter your ability to understand Chinese, Movielicious! is a website that deserves your attention. A handful of my favorite posts include: "12 Reinvented Visual Arts for Miyazaki’s Anime," "2012 Best Films Custom Art: BAFTA vs. OSCAR," and "Revisiting 2011: 10 Favourite Short Films." Enjoy!

What do you think? Know of any other good sites?

Drew Struzan: Oeuvre (2011) Book Review

Drew Struzan. There. Need I say more? Oh, I'm expected to give a review that consists of more than just two words? In that case I'll give you a few more reasons why you should pick up Titan Books' newest title, Drew Struzan: Oeuvre. First things first, if you've never heard of Drew Struzan, shame on you. Now that that's out of the way, let's do a little Struzan 101. Drew Struzan is an American artist who's best known for doing some of the most important and beautiful movie one-sheets to ever grace a theater facade. He's done artwork for Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Back to the Future, Hellboy, and the Police Academy series, among others. Unlike another well known artist, Saul Bass, whose minimalist aesthetic became his trademark, Drew's posters feature an airbrushed photorealism that leaps off the page - though to only view his work within the framework of the film industry would be shortsighted. He's also created artwork for comic books, albums, magazines, and stamps (yes, stamps). This leads me to one of my favorite things about Oeuvre: the breadth of its focus.

The Thing Movie Poster

Torrente 3: El Protector Movie Poster

It would have been easy to simply cram all of Struzan's film-based art into an omnibus and call it a day. Don't get me wrong, there's no doubt that would make for an amazing book, but by including work that comes from his other, non-movie related, personal and commercial assignments, we're able to put some context around the cinephilic illustrations we all know and love. That's not to say this book doesn't contain a ton of movie poster goodness, it does, and then some. Flipping through Oeuvre is stupefying to say the least, as it becomes quite clear (especially as a child of the 80s or early 90s) how big a role Mr. Struzan played in shaping the iconography of our adolescence. From First Blood to Big Trouble in Little China to The Shawshank Redemption, it's impossible to go through this book without summoning some sort of fond recollection of a bygone era when movie tickets were affordable and movie posters were works of art.

The Walking Dead Poster

Star Wars Movie Poster

As expected, Titan Books has put together a great package with thick, quality paper and a beautiful dust jacket. The book is divided into five sections (Music, Movies, Publishing, Commercial, and Personal) and features a brief introduction for each category written by Drew and Dylan Struzan (Drew's wife). As is usually the case with art books, at least in my experience, Oeuvre isn't very wordy, instead the reader is treated to beautiful illustration after beautiful illustration. And whatever you may think of George Lucas, there's no denying that Drew and George have had a very long and mutually beneficial friendship - I imagine this was the the reason he was chosen to write the foreword. All in all, even if you only have a passing interest in movie posters or the art of Drew Struzan do yourself a favor and grab this book. You won't regret it!

Squirm Movie Poster

Pan's Labyrinth Movie Poster

Drew Struzan: Oeuvre was released today and carries an MSRP of $49.95, but at the time of this writing it's available at Amazon for $31.33 and qualifies for free shipping. So that's cool. To learn more about Drew Struzan, head over to drewstruzan.com and peruse his vast body of work. If you've got a ton of spending money, I'm talking upwards of $100,000, you can even purchase an original illustration from the man, though I think the book is a bit more affordable for most of us. If Oeuvre interests you, be sure to visit titanbooks.com, where you'll find more great books including, but not limited to: The Art of Drew Struzan, The Art of Hammer, Watching the Watchmen, and Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art (my review).

RATING: 5/5 Stars

Links I Like - Volume 3

To make a short description shorter, I'll be posting links to websites that I like along with why I like them. Pretty straight forward stuff. Most of the links will probably be poster or film related, but I'll be sure to occasionally throw something weird in the mix, just to keep you all on your toes.

Mr. Hipp Strikes!

http://mrhipp.blogspot.com/

I wasn't sure what to call Dan Hipp's blog, as I'm not completely sure what its official title is, but "Mr. Hipp Strikes!" seemed as good a name as any (I'll tell you why in a second). For those unaware, Dan Hipp is an incredibly talented artist who has done work for a number of awesome companies / publications including, Wired, DC Comics and Image Comics. Not willing to simply rest on his laurels as a published artist, Mr. Hipp has created a home for all of the crazy pop culture mishmashes he can dream up, often posting something new every other day, if not every day. I first found out about Dan when I read his and Mark Andrew Smith's The Amazing Joy Buzzards comic, but it's the man's regular contributions of artistic brilliance (and lunacy) that keep me coming back for more. While in San Diego a few weeks back (Comic-Con I think it's called), I happily picked up his fantastic new book, titled (wait for it) Mr. Hipp Strikes! for a very reasonable price. I think a few are still available, so please, do yourself a favor and visit Dan's digital domain right now! See how I came full circle there?

Planet-Pulp

http://www.planet-pulp.com/

I discovered this site about three months ago and have been visiting regularly ever since. The premise behind Planet Pulp is that every 30 days or so they choose a pop culture theme (80's action heroes, Star Wars, Saturday morning TV shows, etc.) and then post submitted artwork related to the chosen subject. The artwork is almost always jaw dropping and since the designated theme is constantly changing, nothing ever feels stale or overstays its welcome. A few of my favorites include: Nelson Dániel's "Sloth," Brett Parson's "Dagobah," Steve Dressler's "Admiral Animal Traps" and Jayson Weidel's Pixar-inspired "Presto." If you're a fan of places like Gallery 1988 or Mondo, then this will definitely be a site you'll enjoy.

Fake Criterions

http://fakecriterions.tumblr.com/

This is a Tumblr blog, with, you guessed it, fake Criterion packaging. When the blog started late last year, it was essentially a place where ridiculous fake Criterion Collection covers could be posted, and when I say "ridiculous," I mean films that would never in a million years be a part of the Criterion Collection. To give you a taste of the built-in hilarity the premise promises and a better idea of the the blog's tone, I present the following for Criterion consideration: Baby's Day Out, 3 Ninjas, Encino Man and Uwe Boll's Postal. Recently though, Fake Criterions has started including posts for good films too, films that could maybe even one day be in the Criterion Collection, like The Tree of Life, Woman on the Moon and The Fury. I'm excited to see how this blog evolves.

Thwipster

http://www.thwipster.com/

You've heard of sites like Woot! and Groupon before, right? They offer a daily deal or deals at a discounted rate and usually only have a limited supply available (although that doesn't apply as much to Groupon nowadays). Well, Thwipster is essentially the Woot! for nerds. "But wait a minute," you say. "Isn't Woot! already for nerds and the like?" Well yes, but to be more precise, Thwipster has stuff we would actually want. They offer a comic deal of the day, a collectible deal of the day and a supermega deal of the week, and the deals are consistently fantastic. So far I've ordered Warren Ellis' Ministry of Space, Paul Pope's Batman: Year 100, and Jodorowsky & Moebius' The Incal. I am in no way being paid or compensated for recommending Thwipster, I'm just completely enamored with the website as a whole. Step one: sign up for their newsletter. Step two: buy, buy, buy. You can thank me later!

What do you think? Know any other good sites?

Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art (2011) Book Review

I've lived in Los Angeles for about five years now, and I only found out about Crazy 4 Cult about three years ago, but for the first time last year I actually got to see the show in person. Needless to say, it was an incredibly exciting and fruitful (if crowded) experience. There's something really rewarding about being able to see one-of-a-kind movie-themed artwork before the Internet gets its hands on the images and decides to make it a viral sensation (deservedly so) on every film and poster blog the world over (Posterocalypse included). It's even cooler when the artwork in question is for one of your favorite films. Yep, last year's Crazy 4 Cult was a blast and I imagine this year's, brilliantly titled "Crazy 4 Cult 5: I'm Getting Too Old for this Shit," will be even bigger. Unfortunately, I won't be able to make it this time around, because I'll be out of town for much of the show's duration. Meaning many pieces of the artwork I may have had a chance to purchase, will be proudly hanging on someone else's wall. With that said, I received something last weekend, that officially went on sale yesterday (6/21), and has managed to somehow fill the 18" x 24" void left in my heart (what can I say, I've got a big heart). The item in question is a book, and that book is of course Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art.

Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art Cover "Mushroom Cloud-Layin' MF" Billy Perkins Inspired By: Pulp Fiction

"Necesito Más Cerebros" Frank Gonzales Inspired By: Dawn of the Dead

I know that the first part of this review has mostly just been me prattling on about myself with nary a word really spent talking about Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art, but that's because there's not really all that much to say. This book is brilliant in just about every single possible way. Besides an introduction by Kevin Smith, who's enjoyment of dick jokes seems to know no end, the book is very light on text. Instead, Titan Books and Gallery 1988, the publisher and curator of Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art respectively, let the artwork speak for itself. And speak it does, having been to the Crazy 4 Cult show only once before (as was previously stated ad nauseam) I was blown away by the sheer creativity on display. Freaks, A Clockwork Orange, Dawn of the Dead, Jaws, Pulp Fiction, Goonies, Harold & Maude, it's all here. And much like the show, the book features a diverse range of artists and artistic styles from polymer clay figures and graphite on matchbooks (yes, matchbooks) to acrylic on wood and screen prints on archival paper.

"The Parking Ticket"
Scott Listfield
Inspired By: Star Wars

I'm not going to lie, this book hurts my soul just a little, because it reminds me of what I'll be missing out on this year, but I'd be remiss if I didn't tell you that Titan Books' Cult Movie Art is probably one of the classiest and coolest ways one could celebrate the geek art culture, which thanks to Gallery 1988 and others like it, is currently thriving. One last thing before I get off my soapbox, the majority of the art books I own focus on one artist, which is great if you love the work of that one artist, but not very helpful if you want to discover anyone new. Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art is in complete opposition of that, because not only is there a huge cast of artists including many names you will and won't recognize, but at the end of the book each and every artist (that has a digital presence) has their website listed. This artist directory allows both new and old fans alike to learn more about these very talented people. That alone would be worth the price of purchase in my opinion.

"Henry" Paul Barnes Inspired By: Eraserhead

"Positive Surrender" Yoskay Yamamoto Inspired By: Akira

If you're at all interested in movie-themed artwork then Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art is the book for you. A word of warning though, if you're not already infected, there's a very good chance this book may start you down the (often expensive) rabbit hole known as art collecting, and before you know it you'll be taking down all of those family pictures to make room for a family portrait of The Shining cast. The book is available right now through Amazon and is surprisingly affordable at $23. I'd highly recommend making a blind purchase of this title, you won't regret it.

Rating: 5/5 Stars

Coming Soon - Crazy 4 Cult (2011) Book Review

I meant to write a proper review for this amazing book today, but to be honest I didn't get any sleep yesterday, and am thoroughly exhausted. This means two things, first, the full review will published tomorrow (promise!), and second, in anticipation of tomorrow's review I wanted to briefly tell everyone about the must have book of the week/month/year. Bottom line: if you're a fan of Posterocalypse (I know one day I'm going to misspell the name of my own website, if I haven't already), if you're a fan of Gallery 1988, if you're a fan of Mondo, if you're a fan of art, then this is the book for you. And it's available today!

Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art

Seriously, Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art is absolutely amazing and should be picked up by anyone and everyone who considers themselves a moving pictures enthusiast. It's surprisingly affordable at around $23 (at least at the time of this writing), especially given the fact that it's a fat hardcover, the paper is super high quality, and the art is indescribable in its awesomeness. As a side note, this book is put out by Titan Books. These are the same people who put out the wonderful Art of Drew Struzan and The Art of Hammer; both incredible art books for us movie poster geeks, so clearly they're doing something right. More to come tomorrow!