Art Appreciation - November Edition

If you've been coming to Posterocalypse for any length of time, you've probably noticed that I review posters, sometimes at great length, in addition to providing their corresponding pricing, availability and edition info; this is both good and bad. On the one hand, this gives me time to wax philosophic about my love of poster design and steadily increase my dependence on sites like thesaurus.com and IMDb. On the other hand, I spend so much time writing my posts (keep in mind I have a full-time job outside of Posterocalypse) that I often don't have time to promote other prints or posters that I feel deserve the same level of love and affection - and that's exactly what I plan on remedying with my "Art Appreciation" column.

"The Many Faces of Patrick Stewart" Away Mission: Orlando Gig Poster
Tom Whalen - 18" x 24" - Limited to 125
$50 - Signed (by Tom Whalen) and Numbered
$195 - Signed (by Tom Whalen & Patrick Stewart) and Numbered

This awesome Tom Whalen created poster featuring "The Many Faces of Patrick Stewart" is currently available through the Vulcan Events storefront and comes in a non-Patrick Stewart signed version for $50 and, that's right, a Patrick Stewart signed edition for $195. If, like me, you're a fan of Patrick Stewart / Captain Picard / Captain Ahab / Professor Xavier / any of the other characters he's played, then this is a no-brainer. To see more of Whalen's work, visit strongstuff.net and follow him @strongstufftom. Make it so, Number One.

"The Moment Before" Art Print
Anthony Cozzi
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 30

Anthony Cozzi's beautiful "The Moment Before" screen print makes me think of the movie Bambi, or more specifically, Bambi's mother, and that makes me a bit sad. Nostalgic anguish aside, Cozzi's print is gorgeous in an eerie nature documentary-meets-art house cinema kind of way, and I'm positive it'll look incredible in person. The extremely limited emerald colored 18" x 24" print is currently available through the Street Anatomy storefront for $40. To learn more about Anthony Cozzi be sure to visit snowblinded.com and follow him on Twitter @Snowblinded303.

"Ringu v Poltergeist" Design Mark Mitchell T-Shirt - £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: Ringu and Poltergeist

"Ringu v Poltergeist" T-Shirt Mark Mitchell £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: Ringu and Poltergeist

"Shogun Assassin" Design Mark Mitchell £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: Shogun Assassin

"Shogun Assassin" T-Shirt Mark Mitchell £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: Shogun Assassin

"The Beyond" Design Mark Mitchell £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: The Beyond

"The Beyond" T-Shirt Mark Mitchell £18 (around $28) Limited to 30 Inspired By: The Beyond

I learned about Cigarette Burns Cinema from a reader not too long and was really impressed with what I found. Not only do they screen obscure cult classics in London, they've also got a really great shop that features some fantastic film-inspired limited edition shirts. All of the shirts were designed by artist Mark Mitchell and are limited to runs of 30 (i.e., tiny runs). Check out the shop, buy a shirt, visit the blog, and follow them on Twitter!

"Dead Beatles" Art Print
Brent Cheshire
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 100

"Reservoir Dogs / Star Trek Mash Up" Art Print
Brent Cheshire
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$30 - Limited to 100
Inspired By: Reservoir Dogs and Star Trek

These prints probably shouldn't entertain me as much as they do, but I just can't resist the inherent ridiculousness they both exude so proudly. Out of the two posters above, I probably prefer the crass "Dead Beatles" over the mash-up, though they're both great. Quick tangent - is it just me or does George Harrison kind of look like Tarman from The Return of the Living Dead? Both of these prints are currently available through Brent Cheshire's Etsy storefront for some pretty affordable prices. The "Dead Beatles" print costs $40 and the Reservoir Dogs / Star Trek print costs $30.

"Fear & Loathing" Art Print
Disturbia Clothing
16" x 23" - Open Edition
£15 (approximately $24)
Inspired By: Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas

"Fallout" Art Print
Drew Millward
18" x 23" - Numbered
£15 (approximately $24)

I'm fairly certain these two prints are by different artists (I couldn't find any information about who did the first one), but since they were both commissioned by and designed for Disturbia Clothing I decided to group them together. I tend to lean toward the film / book inspired artworks, hence the inclusion of the Fear and Loathing inspired poster, but I'm head over heels for Millward's insane "Fallout" screen print. Both of these prints are currently available through the Disturbia Clothing store. To learn more Drew Millward you can visit his website, his store and / or follow him on Twitter @DrewMillward. You can also follow Disturbia Clothing @disturbiatees and check out their website at disturbia.co.uk.

Aliens Movie Poster
Samuel Ho (AKA No Small Victories)
Multiple sizes - Open Edition
Priced depending on size

It's impossible not to absolutely love this print. I'm sorry, but it's true. Samuel Ho's amazing Aliens poster was originally part of the "Sci Fi Lullabies" art show, which I couldn't find a lick of information on. That's rather beside the point though, because this print is currently available through Samuel's Society6 store! To learn more about the Samuel Ho, visit his website at nosmallvictories.com and follow him on Twitter @samuelho.

They Live Movie Poster
Matt Needle
420mm x 297mm (around 16.54" x 11.69") - Open Edition
£25 (approximately $40)

I really dig Matt Needle's They Live print. I love the grinning skull (though I guess all skulls are technically grinning) and I think his use of red really makes of image jump off the page. I'm probably alone in thinking this, but doesn't this design look like it would make for a killer Captain America: The First Avenger poster? Needle's They Live movie poster is currently available through the Needle Design storefront for £25 (around $40). For more of Matt Needle artwork, head over to mattneedle.co.uk and follow Matt @needledesign.

"Anatomy of a Zombie" Art Print Doe-Eyed 18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered $20 - Limited to 60

"Choose Wisely" Art Print Jason Liwag 18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered $30 - Limited to 10

Both of these prints were released during the recent Zombie Art Show co-curated by Phone Booth Gallery and Jason Liwag of e•phem•er•al. The above prints are my favorite of the bunch, but there's a lot of great stuff that still happens to be available through the Zombie Art Show storefront. I believe this is going to be an annual thing, but I'm not 100% sure. For more info on design studio Doe-Eyed, head over to doe-eyed.com, and to learn more about Jason Liwag, visit jasonliwag.com.

"Brandt, The Big Lebowski & Bunny" Art Print
Joshua Budich
18" x 24" - Numbered
$35 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: The Big Lebowski

Joshua Budich has already released some amazing Big Lebowski themed triptychs, and with "Brandt, The Big Lebowski & Bunny" I think he's officially depicted all of the main players. If you already own Joshua's "Dude, Donny & Maude" and "The Stranger, The Jesus & Walter" posters, then I'm almost certain you have to buy this incredible print by law. "Brandt, The Big Lebowski & Bunny" is currently available through Budich's storefront through joshuabudich.com. There's only a few of these left, so I'd recommend buying now. In addition to visiting his website, you can follow Mr. Budich on Twitter @jbudich.

"Lotus War Pyramid" Art Print
James Jean
26" x 30" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 555

A lot of James Jean's artwork is what I imagine the world would look like if I had just taken a copious amount of hallucinogens, read a little bit of Hunter S. Thompson, and then turned on the Discovery Channel - and that's why I love his stuff. James recently released another example of his otherworldly artwork in the form of the "Lotus War Pyramid" print. James' print is currently available through jamesjean.com and costs $40, which isn't bad for a 26" x 30" print.

Night of the Treeple Movie Poster Alex Pardee 17" x 22" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Limited to 100

"Business Time" Art Print Alex Pardee 17" x 22" - Signed and Numbered $50 - Limited to 100

"Stop Lion" Art Print
Alex Pardee
17" x 22" - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 100

What can I say? Alex Pardee's Treeple prints are just bizarre and fantastic. He's created this crazy world that's at once horrifying, beautiful and kind of hilarious. These are all available right now through Pardee's ZeroFriends storefront. All of the prints cost $50 and measure 17" x 22". To learn more about Alex Pardee, head over to eyesuckink.com and follow him @alexpardee. Do it!

And that completes November's "Art Appreciation." Did I miss anything?

Oliver Barrett's "Once Upon a Time in the West" Movie Posters

UPDATE (11/19): These are available! Head over to tommygood.com to pick one (or two) up now! The post has been updated accordingly. Now go, go, go!

UPDATE (11/14): Updated post with release date. The prints will be released this Wednesday (11/16) in the afternoon. I'd recommend paying close attention to Tommy Good's Twitter feed around 12 PM PST.

Are you a fan of impossibly detailed prints? Do you love all things Sergio Leone? Is my introduction getting annoying? If you answered "Yes" to any of these questions, you'll be pleased to know that tonight's post will focus on Oliver Barrett's gorgeous Once Upon a Time in the West movie posters recently commissioned by Posterocalypse favorite Tommy Good.

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Movie Poster (Regular)
Oliver Barrett
16" x 26" - Numbered
5 Color Screen Print - Limited to 170

If you've ever seen an Oliver Barrett print (I've written about a few on this site), you'll know just how insanely complex his creations can be. Whether he's drawing the face of Jeffrey Lebowski from the Coen brothers classic or Frank's (Henry Fonda) grimacing mug from Once Upon a Time in the West, there's a rugged and jaw-dropping topography to his subjects' features. This cross-hatching style couldn't be more appropriate considering the film's unrefined desert setting and the weathered faces of Leone's cast. And by making those intricate portraits such a significant part of the design, Oliver has, knowingly or not, made a nice nod to the beautiful cinematography in Sergio Leone's films, which often favored a tightly framed close-up of a time ravaged and unkempt face followed by a lengthy long shot.

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Close-up

Once Upon a Time in the West Movie Poster (Variant)
Oliver Barrett
16" x 26" - Numbered
5 Color Screen Print - Limited to 60

In addition to the individual character portraits, there's a far deadlier force rearing its macabre visage in Barrett's design. I'm of course talking about the skull, a symbol of death, that's formed by the poster's seemingly disparate elements. Artist Oliver Barrett briefly spoke about this grim theme with Tommy Good in a fantastic interview that's currently up on their website, and which I've partially duplicated below.

"Well, to me, the film is about the end, or death of things. One being the old, wild west and the advent of the industrial revolution. There’s also the element of revenge, which only brings about sorrow and in this film’s case, more death. That being said, I was focused on bringing that theme of death into the poster. Obviously, I wanted to do some portraits in the poster, but I wanted it to be a part of the concept. After a series of rough sketches I arrived at the concept of creating a skull out of imagery from the film. The key portions being portraits of the film's protagonist and antagonist and the film's epic opening shootout scene."

As you can probably tell, the interview is great read and is super informative. I recommend checking it out.

Oliver Barrett's Once Upon a Time in the West posters is currently available through tommygood.com. There's a regular and variant - or as I like to think of them, dawn and dusk - edition of the poster, both measuring 16" x 26". The regular version is limited to 170 and the variant is limited to a much smaller edition of 60. To keep up with Tommy Good's future releases, I highly recommend following them Twitter @thisistommygood and signing up for their mailing list. To learn more about Oliver Barrett you've got a few options, including his website at ohbarrett.com, his Tumblr blog, his storefront, and his Twitter handle @oliverbarrett. There you have it.

Gimetzco's "Bargain Bin: Collected" Art Print

As you may know, Posterocalypse is fueled by my unhealthy passion for film and a bordering-on-obsessive love of art, but what may not be so well known, is that I’m also a huge comics nerd. When these three things come together to form some sort of super-powered Kryptonite-fearing holy trinity, I’ve got to tell the world about it.

"Bargain Bin: Collected" Art Print
Gimetzco (AKA Andrew Bargeron)
Multiple sizes - Open Edition
Priced depending on size

How would you describe "Bargain Bin: Collected"? Well..

“Imagine a world in which these specific films were never films at all, rather, they were comics, perhaps later to be made into the films we love...”

That’s how Gimetzco describes his print and I couldn’t have put it better myself, although I’m fairly certain that has something to do with the fact that I’m not the artist (or very concise in anything I write). I think what I appreciate most about Gimetzco’s “Bargain Bin: Collected," besides the obvious skill on display and the eerie sense of nostalgia he manages to capture so perfectly, is that he didn’t just translate the films directly to the comic format verbatim. Instead, he created a Fringe-worthy alternate universe where these films never existed and where everything, including the works of Kubrick, Tarantino, and the Coen Brothers, is just slightly off. I wonder if Bizarro Quentin Tarantino would be super relaxed and comfortable in his own skin during interviews? I’ll admit that it took me a few seconds to figure out a few of the references, but I think anyone who’s a fan of the moving pictures will really get a kick of what Gimetzco has put together.

In my opinion, the image of “Bargain Bin: Collected” at Society6 didn't do the print justice, so I thought I’d post the individual covers that make up this ode to cinema by way of the funny pages.

Inspired By: Inglourious Basterds

Inspired By: My Science Project

Inspired By: Planet Terror

Inspired By: Trainspotting

Inspired By: Teen Wolf

Inspired By: Repo Man

Inspired By: Hardware

Inspired By: Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior

Inspired By: The Fifth Element

Inspired By: Barton Fink

Inspired By: A Clockwork Orange

Inspired By: Run Lola Run

Gimetzco’s “Bargain Bin: Collected” is currently available through his Society6 store in a variety of sizes, and is an open edition. For more info on the artist be sure to visit his blog at gimetzco.tumblr.com and follow him on Twitter @gimetzco.

Tyler Stout's "Assault on Precinct 13" Movie Poster

I'm not really sure I need to say anything here, but I'd be kicking myself if I didn't at least post something about what is sure to be tomorrow's biggest release on the Interwebs.

Assault on Precinct 13 Movie Poster
Tyler Stout
24" x 36" - Numbered
$50 - Limited to 450

Tyler Stout absolutely kills it (again), and in all honesty, I think this version of the poster blows the Mondo Mystery Movie variant away color-wise. Stout's usual attention to detail is on full display here, but this poster does feel slightly less crowded that a lot of his previous work, which is neither a good thing or a bad thing - it just is. Though, if there was one element I could change, I would have liked to see some sort of reference, however small, to the killing of Kim Richards' character included. It's a small gripe, but it would have been nice, since that's such an important and shocking scene from the film. Bottom line: it's an amazing poster and will probably sell out in under a minute.

Tyler Stout's Assault on Precinct 13 movie poster will be available through Mondo at a random time on Friday (11/11). The poster will measure 24" x 36", is limited to an edition 450 and will cost $50. To stay in the loop and be there for the drop, be sure to follow Justin Ishmael on Twitter @MondoNews. And to keep up with the comings and goings of Tyler Stout head over to tstout.com. Good luck and good night!

Joe Wilson's "Blade Runner" Movie Posters

UPDATE (12/19): This print is available now! Head over to Joe Wilson's store to pick one up! The post has been updated accordingly. Get one now!

For many of us in the movie poster collecting community, the name Joe Wilson may not immediately conjure visions of beautiful film-inspired artwork or bring to mind a commanding sense of design. That's not because Mr. Wilson isn't capable of it, not at all, it just so happens that many of us pop culture-obsessed art nerds may not recognize the name at first or second glance. Well, I believe that's all about to change with his upcoming print release. Joe recently teased a poster for a film that holds a hallowed spot in the pantheon of great science fiction cinema, but before I say anything else, I think you should just take it all in. That's right...

Blade Runner Movie Poster (Regular)
Joe Wilson
300 mm x 620 mm (approximately 11.811" x 24.409")
£40 - Limited to 30

Blade Runner Movie Poster (Var. 1) Joe Wilson Price and Edition Size to be determined

Blade Runner Movie Poster (Var. 2) Joe Wilson Price and Edition Size to be determined

Yep. Blade Runner. One of the things that first drew me to Joe Wilson's art was the way he constructed his subjects. From a distance, they looks great, sure, but there's a lot more at play upon closer inspection (I recommend clicking on the images above right now). The majority of that depth and definition you see in these prints, is actually made of many, many smaller lines. This may not be a mind-blowing revelation, but I really think that, in addition to his already admirable talent, Joe's attention to detail is what brings everything he draws to life. Take, for example, the dove our sympathetic replicant is clutching and compare Joe's drawing of the bird with a screenshot from the film. I think you'll agree, that at least in this comparison, the poster's version of the scene appears more realistic, more detailed and livelier than in the movie's still. Yeah, I'm probably reaching, but what I'm ultimately trying to say is that one of this artist's biggest strengths is, in my opinion, his ability to create characters and environments that feel real and alive. Although, to label Joe Wilson a purely naturalistic artist would not be completely accurate.

Initial pencil version of Blade Runner Movie Poster
Joe Wilson
Not for sale

If you couldn't tell by looking at this post, there's still a ton of style. You'll notice in several of the images here that smoke, clouds, and fog are like sentient characters in his work. They writhe in and out of the frame and appear to be made of thick unrealistic, yet wholly organic, tendrils of stringy smog. I asked Joe a little more about his motivations behind his Blade Runner print and here's what he had to say:

"In terms of motivation, I love the film; the whole mood of it seems to inspire me. I guess the poster is an acknowledgment of, and tribute to, how good the film looks and is my take on an iconic scene and the film's truly original aesthetic."

It's a great film, it's a great print, and is sure to be a quick seller. Before closing this post I wanted to quickly share a few more of Joe Wilson's cinema-centric designs. I won't really say anything about them (in case it's not obvious, I really dig his stuff), but I think it should give you a fairly good feel for his style.

Little White Lies Cover Joe Wilson Inspired By: Alien

Little White Lies Cover Joe Wilson Inspired By: Attack the Block

Attack the Block DVD Cover Joe Wilson

Attack the Block DVD Back Cover Joe Wilson

Joe Wilson's Blade Runner print is currently available through his Big Cartel store for £40 (roughly $62 for US readers). The print measures 300 mm x 620 mm, is a five color screen print and is limited to an incredibly small run of 30. It looks like the variants will be available in the near future (I'll have more info as the release approaches). If you're a fan of Joe's work I recommend doing a few things: follow him on Twitter @JOE_WILSON (simple enough), visit / subscribe to his Tumblr blog, obsessively F5 his print store (well, not obsessively), and check out his work at joe-wilson.com. Fingers crossed we see a lot more stuff like this from Mr. Wilson in the future.

Scott Campbell's "The Open Road" Art Print

Easy Rider is one of those movies that almost every person has seen, or at the very least been told they need to see! It's iconic; it's as much a piece of American history as it is film history, but more importantly it's a great film. And now, fans of Easy Rider, like myself and probably you, have the chance to own a gorgeous print inspired by the film from artist Scott Campbell.

"The Open Road" Art Print
Scott Campbell
12" x 12" - Signed and Numbered
$50 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Easy Rider

Scott Campbell, who's best known for his "Great Showdowns" series, has created an absolutely stunning poster that celebrates one of American cinema's most influential films. Depending on how recently you've seen the movie, you may even recognize the image Scott painted as the exquisitely framed scene where our three bohemian protagonists are taking a quick bathroom break by the side of the road. A scene, which in my opinion, exemplifies the film's many attempts at bucking expectations and presenting a sometimes optimistic, often tragic look at the fringes of society. Campbell's artwork is at once classically appealing and still completely fun in the way that pretty much everything Scott Campbell does is. But beyond just being a stylish piece of awesome, this print has had a pretty interesting journey itself, though nothing to rival Wyatt and Billy's "trip." The above artwork was initially used as a portion of the Easy Rider movie poster (presented below) for the All Tomorrow's Parties / Criterion Collection screening of the film in 2010.

Easy Rider Movie Poster (for All Tomorrow's Parties / Criterion 2010 Screening)
Scott Campbell
Not Available for Purchase

It's a beautiful piece of artwork as you can tell, that has sadly never been released to the public for purchase. Thankfully, artist Scott Campbell decided to sell one of the original elements that made up this poster, or more precisely, the lower two thirds of the image sans encircled portraits, during Gallery 1988's most recent "Crazy 4 Cult" exhibit. It was a really exciting release, although that excitement was somewhat tempered by the fact that only one person would ever actually be able to own it. Long story short, I guess the demand was there, because Gallery 1988 has decided to release a print of this marvelous and important piece of pop culture artwork.

Scott Campbell's "The Open Road" art print is currently available through Gallery 1988 for $50. "The Open Road" is limited to an edition of 50, measures 12" x 12" and is signed and numbered. To learn more about Mr. Campbell head over to pyramidcar.com, greatshowdowns.com and follow him on Twitter @scottlava. And visiting Gallery 1988 at gallery1988.com should be a no brainer at this point, as they're always doing something cool and finding new and innovative ways to take our money. Finally, if you are in that second group of people I mentioned earlier, meaning everyone has told you to see the film and yet you still resist, do yourself a favor and watch it!

Tim Doyle's "Secret Show to the Future Part II" Gig Posters

If you grew up in the 80s, or even the early 90s, there's a pretty good chance that the Back to the Future trilogy played a big role in your childhood. The films had it all: science fiction, action, comedy, romance, a great score and some really spectacular visuals. And while I think the first film is superior to its sequels, Back to the Future II features more than enough awesome elements, chief among them the inspired guesstimate of what the future would look like, to safely reserve a spot in my moviegoing memory. It seems the film may have also made an impact on artist Tim Doyle, who has put together an awesome Back to the Future II inspired gig poster for the Secret Show to the Future Part II ("SSTTF2"), a live comedy event meant to celebrate and poke fun at the best time travel film starring Michael J. Fox from 1989. And no, I'm not talking about Casualties of War.

Secret Show to the Future Part II Gig Poster (Regular)
Tim Doyle - 16" x 26"
$50 - Limited to 110 - Signed (by Tim Doyle) and Numbered
$75 - Limited to 40 - Signed (by Tim, Anthony, Joe and Danny) and Numbered

Secret Show to the Future Part II Gig Poster (Glow in the Dark Variant)
Tim Doyle - 16" x 26"
$100 - Limited to 35 - Signed (by Tim Doyle) and Numbered
$125 - Limited to 15 - Signed (by Tim, Anthony, Joe and Danny) and Numbered

The first film took us to the 1950s, the third film took us to the 1880s, but the second film took us far, far, far into the future as Marty McFly journeyed to the year 2015 (less than four years from now for those at home counting). How badly did you want to travel to a future where auto-adjusting / self-drying jackets existed alongside hoverboards? I know I did. Personal tangents aside, Tim Doyle has captured that initial sense of sensory overload Marty suffers upon first arriving in a cutting edge Hill Valley. There's just so much going on here that it's practically impossible to focus on just one thing (although the 3D holographic Jaws shark caught my attention first), and that's not a bad thing in my opinion. Doyle's cinematic assemblage gives us, the viewers, a delightfully stylized look into Marty's first experience with the what appears to be the exact opposite of Blade Runner's overpopulated dystopian cityscape. Whether you agree with my analysis of the prints or not, you've got to admit they're pretty cool. And if the variant above is to be believed, then you'll have the chance to purchase one of the most impressive glow in the dark posters I've ever seen.

Tim Doyle's SSTTF2 gig posters will be available on Saturday (11/5) at 10 PM EST, the same time the show starts, through the SSTTF2 storefront. The regular version of the print measures 16" x 26" and is limited to an edition of 150. Of those 150, 40 will be signed by Anthony Cumia, Joe DeRosa and Danny Ross, and will cost $75, while the remaining 110 prints will cost $50. The glow in the dark version is limited to an edition of 50, with 15 signed prints costing $125 and the remaining 35 costing $100. Every print, no matter the price point, will be signed by Tim Doyle. And here's the kicker, 100% of the poster proceeds will go to Michael J. Fox's TEAMFOX organization, so everything you purchase will be donated to a great cause. To learn more about the show, be sure to visit secretshowtothefuture.com and follow @DannyJRoss on Twitter. For more Tim Doyle shenanigans head over to mrdoyle.com, nakatomiinc.com, and follow him @NakatomiTim.

Spoke Art's Second Annual "Bad Dads" Art Show

UPDATE (4/5): Interested in winning an AP of Randy Ortiz's “We Got the Tail, but We Missed the Fox” print? Well, you now officially have your chance! Randy is giving away one of his Fantastic Mr. Fox prints as part of a Damn the Design Facebook contest. For contest rules and directions head over to Randy's Facebook page now!

Spoke Art has finally released their remaining "Bad Dads" inventory to the unwashed masses of the Interwebs (that's me) and I couldn't be more thrilled. Although, to be honest, this has been a mixed blessing of sorts. Sure, there's a ton of amazing artwork inspired by some of my favorite Wes Anderson films. But for every stupefying work of art I buy, I end up dropping somewhere around $30, $40, or $50 - that adds up fairly quickly. And while I didn't purchase every print I'm about to discuss in this post, I was incredibly impressed with everything below and would heartily recommend collecting one or all of these posters while they're still available. Note: everything mentioned here was still available for purchase at the time of this writing.

"He is The Zissou" Art Print Tim Doyle 16" x 20" - Signed and Numbered $40 - Limited to 75 Inspired By: The Life Aquatic

"Stephen Zissou" Art Print Zach Landrum 12.5" x 18" - Signed and Numbered $30 - Limited to 50 Inspired By: The Life Aquatic

As an FYI, you should probably know that The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou is my all time favorite Wes Anderson film. With that confession out of the way, let's get to the good stuff. I had to place these prints together, I just had to. This is a perfect example of why I love art. You can have two portraits that depict the exact same thing, Steve Zissou's head in this case, but presented in such completely different manners. Tim Doyle's playful and inventive "He is the Zissou" conveys just how connected Zissou is with the maritime creatures he studies, which raises the question, where does the aquatic end and Steve Zissou begin? Conversely, Zach Landrum's "Stephen Zissou" conjures up an old, tired, but still kind of badass man far past his prime, with memories literally written on his face (or neck, rather). Zach's print also seems to play with some religious iconography as there appears to be some sort of halo behind our "Bad Dad." I'd join the cult of Zissou!

Tim Doyle's "He is The Zissou" art print is currently available through the Spoke Art store and costs $40. The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou inspired print measures 16" x 20" and is limited to an edition of 75. To learn more about Austin-based artist Tim Doyle, be sure to visit his portfolio at mrdoyle.com, his store at nakatomiinc.com, and follow him on Twitter @NakatomiTim.

Zach Landrum's "Stephen Zissou" print is available through the Spoke Art store for $30. The print measures 12.5" x 18" and is limited to 50. I couldn't really find any sort of web presence for the man besides an abandoned MySpace page, and a barely touched GigPosters profile, so just know that somewhere out there Zach Landrum exists and is creating art. I'm almost positive.

"Wild Animals" Art Print
Rhys Cooper
24" x 36" - Numbered
$80 - Limited to 50
Inspired By: Fantastic Mr. Fox

If you've ever seen a Rhys Cooper poster, you'll immediately recognize his somewhat grungy, but still immaculately detailed and breath-taking artwork. With "Wild Animals," Rhys has chosen to depict some of our favorite characters from Fantastic Mr. Fox along with their genus and species. One of the things I like so much about this print, besides the previously mentioned attention to detail, is how Rhys communicates the disposition and mannerisms of each character through both the clothing and the posturing of the four "Wild Animals." It's a beautiful print and I'm sure it will look awesome in person. Cooper's "Wild Animals" print is currently available through Spoke Art for $80. The print measures 24" x 36" and is limited to 50. And if the $80 price tag is just a bit too much for you, you can also purchase each of the four characters in 12" x 18" form for $30 apiece. To get the full scoop on Rhys Cooper, be sure to visit his Studio Seppuku store at studioseppuku.bigcartel.com.

"Fantastic Mr. Fox!" Art Print
Kelly Perry
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$40 - Limited to 30
Inspired By: Fantastic Mr. Fox

I just adore this print! I think out of all the posters in tonight's entry, this piece most perfectly channels the whimsy and charm of Fantastic Mr. Fox. It's just perfect in my opinion. I'd never heard of Kelly Perry, whose more naturalistic style works wonderfully with the somewhat fantastical Fantastic Mr. Fox, but you can bet I'll be following her work very closely moving forward. Does anyone else think that this would make an amazing cover for the Roald Dahl book? I look at this poster and just want to watch the movie all over again. Kelly Perry's "Fantastic Mr. Fox!" art print is available for purchase through Spoke Art right now. The piece measures 18" x 24", is limited to an edition of 30, and costs $40. To see more of Kelly's artwork I recommend checking out her website at kellyperryart.com and her Society6 storefront.

“We Got the Tail, but We Missed the Fox” Fantastic Mr. Fox Movie Poster
Randy Ortiz
18" x 24" - Includes a certificate of authenticity
$50 - Limited to 75

Finally, we come to Randy Ortiz's gorgeously conceived and brilliantly executed Fantastic Mr. Fox movie poster. The print reads like a lesson in smart design, and by that I mean, Mr. Ortiz has done a spectacular job at concisely getting across much of the film in a relatively minimalistic, yet incredibly detailed, manner. Simply stunning. This was definitely one of the five prints I purchased from the show and I absolutely can't wait to get this beauty framed. Randy Ortiz's "We Got the Tail, but We Missed the Fox" print is currently available through Spoke Art for $50. The print measures 18" x 24", is limited to an edition of 75, and comes with a certificate of authenticity. For more Randy Ortiz related goodness, check out the man's Cargo Collective website, Tumblr, Etsy store, and follow him on Twitter @damnthedesign. I REALLY hope he plays around with more film stuff in the future. Mondo, are you listening?

All of these prints, and much, much more, can be found at Spoke Art's store at store.spoke-art.com, but that's not all. You'll also find info about upcoming events and future releases by subscribing to the Spoke Art mailing list, following Spoke Art's founder Ken Harman on Twitter @Spoke_Art, and checking out Spoke Art's always enjoyable Tumblr page.

New Flesh's "Rosemary's Baby" Movie Poster

We now move from the lowbrow (i.e., the disgustingly enjoyable Troma films of yesteryear) to the high, with Polanski's tale of urbane Satanism. And to help us make that journey, the guys at New Flesh have created a wonderful poster.

Rosemary's Baby Movie Poster (Regular)
New Flesh
18" x 24" - Signed and Numbered
$20 - Limited to 45

I'd like to apologize for the brevity of this post, but I wanted to get it up quickly, as there appears to only be a few Rosemary's Baby posters left for sale (the variant has already sold out). With that in mind, let's delve into this beautiful print. Already, you can tell the design for Rosemary's Baby is in stark contrast to New Flesh's previous movie poster outing, but one constant remains: an obvious love for the material and a great eye for detail. I guess that's actually two things. My bad. The image above immortalizes the moment after Rosemary wakes up and attempts to reconcile her "dream" with what really happened while she was sleeping (scratches and all), and watching over all of this are a set of diabolical yellow eyes, a reference to both Rosemary's baby and his father. Rosemary's Baby is a great film that showed audiences a new and more disturbing type of horror, and in my opinion, New Flesh's print does the film justice (a dark and demonic justice, but a justice nonetheless). In addition to the wonderfully creepy scene depicted, I also wanted to call out the great use of color, especially the pinkish lips / scratches and amber eyes, and the disturbing baby block lettering. These aren't all things that jump out at you immediately, but they really do go a long way in conveying the constant unease Rosemary feels throughout the film.

Unfortunately, the Rosemary's Baby variant is already sold out, but there are still a handful of the regular prints available through the New Flesh storefront. The signed and numbered poster measures 18" x 24", is limited to an edition of 45 and only costs $20. To learn more about the artists behind this print head over to newfleshprints.com and follow them @newfleshprints on Twitter. Good night!

Rhys Cooper's "The Toxic Avenger" and "Surfer Nazis Must Die" Movie Posters

You may (or may not) remember I wrote about Godmachine's depiction of the Troma classic The Class of Nuke 'Em High in August. Well, the boys at Skuzzles are at it again, this time with an even more recognizable Lloyd Kaufman creation, The Toxic Avenger, and a slightly lesser known Troma treasure, Surf Nazis Must Die.

Surf Nazis Must Die Movie Poster Rhys Cooper 12" x 36" - Numbered Limited to 130

The Toxic Avenger Movie Poster Rhys Cooper 12” x 36” - Numbered Limited to 130

Toxic Avenger & Surf Nazis Must Die Double Feature Poster (Variant)
Rhys Cooper
24" x 36" - Numbered
Limited to 50

I've enjoyed many a midnight airing of The Toxic Avenger, but unfortunately I've never seen the Palme d'Or winning (not really) Surf Nazis Must Die. And although I've only seen half the films mentioned in tonight's post, I can say with complete certainty that Rhys Cooper is the perfect artist for this material. Rhys tends to create colorful, dynamic designs, but more importantly, he's not afraid to make something disgusting or gory - two adjectives that are often used to describe the work of Troma Studios. If I had to choose a favorite between the two prints, I'd choose the amazing double feature variant, thereby rendering the necessity to choose one over the other moot, but since that's kind of a cop-out, I'd probably have to pick Cooper's Toxic Avenger print. Though that's mostly because the film played such a big role in my childhood (does anyone remember Toxic Crusaders?). Much like Godmachine's Class of Nuke 'Em High prints, Rhys Cooper's posters succeed not only because they're gorgeous in a toxic-waste-meets-bloody-surfboards-multiplied-by-death-metal kind of way, but because Cooper's style, with his vibrant, no holds barred approach, closely parallels many of the inventive, defiant and earnest qualities which have become hallmarks of the Troma archive.

Rhys Cooper's Toxic Avenger and Surf Nazis Must Die posters will be available later today (11/1) through the Skuzzles storefront at a random time. Both The Toxic Avenger and Surf Nazis Must Die 12" x 36" prints are numbered and are limited to 130. The variant, which I think I'll be going for today, contains both posters, measures 24" x 36" and will be limited to an edition of 50. To find out more about Skuzzles, where you can still purchase some Maximum Overdrive and Class of Nuke 'Em High prints, head over to skuzzles.com and follow them on Twitter @SKUZZLESCAN. And to pick up more Rhys Cooper artwork or learn more about the man behind the mystery, head over to his storefront at studioseppuku.bigcartel.com or check out his Facebook page. Good luck!