Posts Tagged ‘horror’
Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011
Remember those old Wacky Packages cards from the late 70′s or Garbage Pail Kids cards from the 80′s? Remember how you could combine those puzzle piece back-sides of some of the cards? Well Crud’s releasing their Sophomore album on four, 7-inch records, and the inside of the record sleeves combine, a-la collector cards, to form a giant 14.5″ x 30″ poster that’s exclusive to these releases. The cover art has been remixed to reflect the low-tech feel of vinyl to look like spot color printing that’s been worn and torn. The back-sides of the sleeves have additional photos and design, as well. It’s an art-splosion! As usual, click the above image for a really, really big version of it so you can see the wicked detail.
nix
Below are a couple of the new pieces of art used for the records in their full-color format.
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Tags: crud, Detroit, horror, japan, kaiju, monster, pulp, retro
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Wednesday, September 29th, 2010
So, a while ago I received an e-mail from a fellow named Brian. Brian runs a small-press publishing company named Hades Publications. Said e-mail was in reference to a piece of art I had completed a bit ago that he was interested in licensing for the cover for one of his books called “Rigor Amortis”; a small anthology of lurid, sexy and sometimes-salacious tales of zombies and the undead. To quote the sell-line from the book jacket design, “Horror and erotica. Zombies and romance. Rigor Amortis.” Anyway, this e-mail evolved into Brian utilizing my talents to flesh out (heh) the art for this mini-tome of zombie love to full jacket design, advertising, bookmarks, web-icons and a delightful wallpaper.
So, where am I going with all this? Well as cool as this is, it uses an already-created piece of art. Brian then contacted me to design more book cover design, this time from the ground up and created especially for the book’s theme. This up-coming book, entitled, “Those Who Fight Monsters” is an anthology for those that love their 30′s and 40′s era film-noir with a slimy, vomitous coating of the occult. Think a darker, sleazier, less-1980′s “Cast A Deadly Spell” (don’t worry, I know you’ve never seen this movie, let alone heard of it).
The best part? I kinda-sorta revisited an idea I wanted to execute with photography/photomanipulation, but solely with illustration. Sure this iteration’s far simpler than what I might have been envisioning for the final photo piece, but I think the art style is actually better for the piece. Anywayyyy….. long, tired, two-fifteen-in-the-morning rant is over. Enjoy the preview!
Nix
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Tags: 40's, chhulu, film noir, horror, lovecraft, magic, monsters, occult, private detective, pulp, vintage
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Friday, August 13th, 2010
Friday the 13th seems an appropriate day (y’know, both a ‘bad luck’ day and a horror movie) to reveal the first in a hopefully long series of prints. Taking cues from the old days of film poster design, I’m putting out a series of ‘vintage’ posters with accompanying lobby cards. Posters to non-existent movies. The first movie in question? A little flick called Two-Wheeled Death Machine.
I feel that this is a great way to give props where props are due to the creatives that collaborate with me on these endeavors. People like Myla, of course, with her make-up and costuming skills (not to mention brainstorming), Kat Von Pire’s make-up skills, Dave at Detroit Bros. Custom Cycles and his sweet-ass rides, and of course featuring the models (in this case, Sandra Shay of the Detroit Derby Girls, Brandy Dawly, Nicholas Comeau and Kris Machnicki, all people I’ve worked with while having stints in Toronto). And the best part is (to me, anyway), they’re all featured right in the credit block on the one-sheet. It just seems so right when many people are involved in a project.
As for the story of this set, it’s funny how you have one thing in mind, then things happen and it evolves much differently than you planned. This went from being a piece set for cross-marketing of one of Dom Kreep’s projects, to becoming it’s own, individual project. And the design itself evolved greatly from my initial drawings to what you see above. And hopefully, if this does well enough, there’ll be more, too. Ranging from retro sci-fi, to blaxploitation, carsploitation, b-movie trash, zombie, kaiju and, of course, straight up horror (just to rattle off a few).
As for this set itself, there will be 50 sets made. All signed and numbered by hand. They will only be sold as a set (one sheet and three lobby cards). And as of right now, I don’t have a price yet (but I aim on keeping them affordable). Nor do I have a firm release date. I’m sure they’ll be available by October. So keep your eyes peeled here for updates, release dates and future pieces from Coming Soon!.
As always, click the image above for a higher resolution version.
Nix
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Tags: b-movie, biker, detroit brothers, grindhouse, horror, motor city, photography, pin-up, retro, trash, vintage
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Sunday, August 8th, 2010
A couple years ago I was contacted by Geoff Bough to do a poster for his Revenant Film Festival. It is, to this day, one of my favorite pieces. I spent way more time on it than I should have, but it’s just tops. Fast forward to this year, Geoff contacted me again to do the poster and collateral for this year’s festival of the undead. And I love the fact it’s light-years different from the one I previously did. But still totally my schtick.
In any event, we had a hell of a time getting the photography done for this. We thought we had an old moving-pictures film camera, but after unearthing an entire packed storage space, we had found nothing. Then I asked around if anybody had a vintage film camera (not still, mind you) to no avail. We, eventually, starting hitting pawn shops around Toronto (as that’s where I was at the time) and came across this crazy guy who had dozens of these cameras! All we needed to do was have Myla hold it in her hand and I’d take a quick shot with my Canon point-and-shoot (mind you, it’s a bad-ass, 15-mpx P&S). But this guy was a real ass. And drunk. We walked in and he was saying to some fella that I was there ’cause he called me in to kick his ass for whatever reason. Not the case.
So Myla and I started talking to this drunkard, desperately trying to let us see the camera we were interested in, merely so she could hold it and I could click a frame. He wouldn’t budge and insisted we were interested in a late-1980′s model Sony handy cam. Could not be more wrong drunk. So we ambled on over next door and found what you see in this poster, and under the guise of “we need a reference shot for whom we’re buying it for”, got a few shots. A couple hours of photoshop adding flesh-rot and bones later, here we are!
Don’t let anybody ever tell you this job is without it’s occupational hazards.
Nix
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Tags: 1950's, b-movie, grindhouse, horror, retro, undead, zombie, zombies
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Wednesday, May 19th, 2010
My boys in blood-and-black in Detroit, Graveside Manner, has a new album coming out sometime in June, and I just finished stitching together their album artwork. And let me just say, I’m very, very proud of what the guys have let me do for them. I won’t spill the blood on the entire package just yet, so I’m merely providing a preview of the cover which I illustrated from one of my own photos.
Rocking the devil horns and corset is a model that’s local to Toronto named Ashley Lotecki. The always evil Myla Strange did the hair and make-up, while Miss Lotecki provided her own wardrobe (as can be seen in the previous post). I then used the photo as an underlay and went to town making her red and devilish. A little back-and-forths with the gravediggers in the band, and bam! Mind you, this is just the cover. I’m chomping at the bit to show off the whole package… but I’ll wait. More to come…
Nix
Update: Below you’ll find the full spread of Graveside’s Devil Girl album artwork. Warning, it’s a large file, so please be patient. (I believe it’s 1400 pixels wide, so be prepared to scroll!)
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Tags: 1950's, 50's, burlesque, design, Detroit, horror, motor city, pin-up, psychobilly, retro, rockabilly
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Wednesday, April 21st, 2010
One of Myla’s friends (and ergo, my friend) Salar Madadi, came to Detroit for his first time in search of awesome urban decay and good, undead times. And as you can see below, a good time was had, indeed. Salar has his own zombie suit which he is sporting, and as always, Myla kicks ass with the zombie effects. Even got an old suitcase and filled them with parts and fake entrails. How appealing. The best part? After the shoot, we went to Detroit’s own Slows Bar-B-Q for some much-earned dinner. And Salar was in full costume still. Fun times!
Hopefully this won’t be his last trip to Detroit. Even if to just come down and get some of those jalapeno blasted cheetos.
Nix
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Tags: blood, Detroit, grindhouse, horror, monster, motor city, photography, undead, zombie, zombies
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Wednesday, April 14th, 2010
I’ve actually been sitting a version of this illustration for quite some time now. Originally it was just a simple pin-up that I was making from an old photo I took. Then it became a sort-of self-promo piece, with a logo of mine big and filling that left negative space. Now I’ve finally finished the damned thing (not for lack of want, I’ve wanted to show this for a while, but waited) and can show it off. And, surprise-surprise, it’s dipping its toes in the pond of 50′s B-movie horror.
Anyhow, yes, I know there’s an ugly, unsightly, horrendous watermark/copyright over the damndable thing. But that’s out of necessity, as I’m sure you can figure out. I’ve had a number of images misappropriated in the recent past. So hopefully an ugly pockmark upon its face will deter the would-be thieves from pilfering my wares. Cross your fingers.
That being said, if you would like a copy of this unmarred by ghastly watermarks, I’m thinking of selling this at this year’s Festival of Fear that’s part of FanExpo. Then selling online perhaps via Etsy. Penny for your thoughts, people. As always, clicken-to-embiggen.
nix
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Tags: 1950's, 50's, b-movie, babe, cadillac, cemetery, creepy, custom, girl, grave yard, halloween, headstones, horror, kreepy, kustom, lead sled, monster, pin-up, psychobilly, rat-rod, retro, rockabilly, spooky, undead, vintage, zombie
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Monday, April 12th, 2010
If you frequent this site, odds are you’ve heard of The Toronto Zombie Walk. Or if not that, at least some local zombie walk in your area which was inspired by the Toronto Zombie Walk. Now, do you know who organizes and promotes said undead flash-mob? That would be the lovely ghoul you see in these pictures; Thea Munster.
We worked together with my very own ghoulfriend on getting these sassy, zombie shots crawling. Thea provided her dress, blood, make-up and gore, and Myla and myself worked on sets, props, styling and that fucking sweet tiara made from real bones. Let me tell you about that bone-tiara… I suffered so it could exist. Second degree burns that have yet to completely heal will always be a reminder of this lil’ ol’ shoot. Myla assisted with the make-up, too. She’s the best right-hand a scattered photog could ask for. And a special shout out to Ankixa Risk for letting us use her place as a studio, even though you can’t tell it’s her place.
Don’t be surprised if you see one of these used for the 2010 Toronto Zombie Walk poster. In fact, that’s kind of what these were for to begin with! Also of note, a little detail which you most likely won’t be able to make out too clearly, but the frame on the little green table? It has a photo of Miss Munster with the one-and-only George A. Romero. Just a fun, little detail I like to throw in to these sorts of things.
Click the image to the left for a larger version and check the gallery of the rest below.
nix
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Tags: glamour, horror, monster, pin-up, psychobilly, retro, rockabilly, thea munster, toronto, walk, zombie, zombies
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Thursday, March 4th, 2010
I love doing these DDG posters. I don’t get to do many Detroit shows, believe it or not. So when they come around, I try to do my damndest. Featured on this particular poster is the derby girl, Yin, of the Detroit Pistoffs. I shot her at her boyfriend’s house and my lovely lady did her make-up (not that you can tell in the poster’s style). Anyway, enjoy! As usual, click to enlarge!
Nix
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Tags: Detroit, Detroit Derby Girls, grindhouse, horror, pulp, Roller Derby, Yin
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Monday, February 22nd, 2010
There’s a bit of a long story behind this logo design, but I shan’t bore you with it. This is the new logo for west-coast horror-pin-up Katie Kasket’s Kasket Kustoms; her boutique and soon-to-be clothing line. Ideally, I’d love to have my hands on every aspect of a company’s identity (web presence, flyers, etc. etc.), but I’m learning to not be so anal-retentive with my design. (It’s a good thing.) Plus it’s unrealistic to expect someone to be able to afford proper design for all aspects of their run-out-of-their-home boutique. Anyway, there’s business cards and, more importantly, t-shirt designs yet-to-come. So there will be more. Stay tuned, boils and ghouls.
Nix
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Tags: b-movie, design, horror, kasket kustoms, katie kasket, logo, logotype, psychobilly, rockabilly, subculture, typography
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