Posts Tagged ‘retro’
Monday, April 18th, 2011
Here we have the new logo for Detroit/Dearborn Heights’ own Calling All Sinners. A horror/punk/psychobilly/cowpoke band made up of the remnants of other great locals like Blood Bricks N’ Booze and Nuke & The Living Dead. A Frankenstein’s monster, if you will, patched together by alcohol, pom-ade and guitar strings. Check them out if you haven’t already. It’s okay, I’ll wait.
…
I know, right? So anyway, after having talked with the band’s vocalist and guitarist, Rik Miller over the span of what feels like years at this point, I finally convinced them to take the plunge and relinquish their death-grip-like hold on their limited cabbage and have me do some art for them. What you see here is the result. I can’t wait to see this on shirts, stickers, patches and the like. Oh, and I already have ideas for their album art, if it ever comes to that.
Funny note, I hadn’t actually seen any of the art they made themselves (or however they worked it). Or if I had, it didn’t sink into my brain tissue. So I find it amusing that I created a piece of art, unbeknown to me, that actually looks like a sweetened up version of something they already had. Weird.
As usual, click the image above for a larger version.
Nix
Share on Facebook
Tags: 1950's, b-movie, design, Detroit, logo, logotype, motor city, psychobilly, punk, retro, rockabilly
Posted in Design | No Comments »
Sunday, March 27th, 2011
Here we have another tour poster “blank” for the uproariously unusual Peculiar Pretzelmen. Look closely at the poster… it will look back at you. The mastermind, Kevin Incroyable, and myself have had lengthy conversation regarding all thing music-and-art-related, and I assure you, there is much, much more over-sized, salty goodness to be baked in our collective ovens. Stay tuned, and I hope you’re hungry.
Nix
Share on Facebook
Tags: antique, classic, classical, design, peculiar pretzelmen, retro, steampunk, typography, vintage
Posted in Design | No Comments »
Thursday, March 3rd, 2011
What you see above is the first part in The Odyssey of Doctor Wax, a new record from Seattle hip-hop producer Doctor Wax and his compatriot, Odyssey. The music is an uplifting mixture of late-60′s and early-70′s soul samples and current, positive hip-hop trends. I have loads of fun doing work for these guys, as you can see by the art above. The second part will be the back-side of the record’s release. That will come eventually, as the music gets completed. Should be a blast!
nix
Share on Facebook
Tags: b-movie, blacxploitation, funk, grindhouse, pulp, retro, vintage
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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.
Share on Facebook
Tags: crud, Detroit, horror, japan, kaiju, monster, pulp, retro
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Wednesday, October 13th, 2010
What you see above is the album cover to Crud‘s next album, “Crud on Monster Island”. I had sat down with the space vampire his’self, Vinnie Dombrowski, to see what he was wanting to do for his next CD artistically. Seems he and I are frequently on the same page. For his previous Crud release, we were both into sleazy trash cinema (well, I use past tense, but I’ll always be into trash cinema) and this reflected in the CD art. For this sit-down, we seem to have been both on a big kaiju binge. For those of you that may not know (or can’t figure it out from the image above), kaiju is the word the Japanese have given to their giant monster movies (and TV shows, and comics, etc. etc.). Originally, we had planned for Danielle to be battling Godzilla himself (as Monster Island is where all of the Toho monsters reside). But after an exhaustive search, the only place we could have gotten a decent Godzila (or Godzilla-like suit), is Tokyo – from Toho themselves. And they weren’t renting outside of Japan. Or making our own, but that’s way too expensive and time consuming. So here forms Plan B.
Plan B mixes classic kaiju with the absurdity and low-budget shenanigans of the American 50′s and 60′s Sci-Fi cinema. Specifically that of the movie, “Robot Monster”. They spared no expense cobbling together a heinous creature from the deepest of space with… a gorilla suit, skull/gas mask and a diving helm. (Note sarcasm.) So with the intent of going completely absurd with the imagery, we had a plan. Giant Space Monkey versus Giant Amazon Woman, but in a classic kaiju style. After buying props, brorrowing goods, creating costumes from scratch and a shit-load of compositing, we have what you see above.
Danielle’s costume was hand-crafted by the one-and-only Myla Strange. Her make-up was done by Karri Farris (not that you can really see it from the image above). Vinnie’s costuming is thanks to Lynch’s (the monkey suit), Amazon (the skull mask) and Keven Carter for letting us use a piece of his space suit costume from last year’s Theatre Bizarre. Also, special shout to Barret Streu for making sure my Japanese wasn’t gibberish (or the American version of Engrish).
Also included in this post? The poster for Crud’s record release show (seen below). This was actually done before the album cover was finished. So it shares only a passing resemblance to the album art.
Can’t wait to show the rest. As always, clicken-to-embiggen.
Nix
Share on Facebook
Tags: cinematic, crud, godzilla, kaiju, monster island, retro, robot monster, sci-ci, vintage
Posted in Uncategorized | 3 Comments »
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
Share on Facebook
Tags: b-movie, biker, detroit brothers, grindhouse, horror, motor city, photography, pin-up, retro, trash, vintage
Posted in Uncategorized | 4 Comments »
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
Share on Facebook
Tags: 1950's, b-movie, grindhouse, horror, retro, undead, zombie, zombies
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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!)
Share on Facebook
Tags: 1950's, 50's, burlesque, design, Detroit, horror, motor city, pin-up, psychobilly, retro, rockabilly
Posted in Uncategorized | 1 Comment »
Friday, May 7th, 2010
Thanks to a long-time CCS buddy, Dang, I scored a fun, little gig for Tesco Vee‘s Hate Police. The legendary meat man and his pile of cronies were, to say the least, a hoot to work with. Their concept is to have tongue-in-buttcheek photos of the band as a group of early-twentieth-century hooligans. Well, early-twentieth-century-ish. In any event, between the mug shots and the group shots, I about pissed myself laughing. These guys are more fun to work with than honey-covered chimpanzees. Especially when Leighton made his “oh hellooooo, Mister kitty cat” face. Funny that a band called Hate Police has such a sense of humor.
And as always, Myla impresses with her make-up and effects. Especially with Leighton’s cat scratch fever. She always comes through with the right stuff for what’s required. Even bestiality scars. And since it might be gone in a matter of months, let me also say that the group shots were shot at a portion of the old Packard plant. Seems they really want to tear this thing down, so I’m extra glad I got to shoot a band there. Check out the images below (and as always, feel free to click the big image up there for a larger version).
nix
Share on Facebook
Tags: band photography, convict, custom truck, Detroit, jail, metal, prison, punk, retro, scoundrel, tesco vee's hate police, the meatmen, the packard, urban decay, vintage
Posted in Uncategorized | No Comments »
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
Share on Facebook
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
Posted in Uncategorized | 2 Comments »
