Well I have decided that I will do away with a movie of the day post and decide to produce a little humble brag article for today. As some of you have read before, back in January I and another guest blogger both picked out our favorite top ten Mondo posters of 2012. You can see the articles here and here. Now if you aren’t familiar with Mondo, let’s just say that it is some of the most impressive, artistic and collectible movies posters out there. Anything that has to do with Mondo is highly collected and coveted. I have been trying to collect Mondo’s since 2011, a little late to the game but still I think I have amassed a sizable possession of posters that have come to be some of the best art a person like me can own. They are absolutely striking and captivating, often giving a movie a new life with some of the best artists out there giving it a new twist.
So today I wanted to showcase what I currently have in my collection. I pulled images from the internet as I don’t have a high grade camera to get the details of the poster to shine. Believe me though, the pictures don’t do them justice and must be seen to believe. Enjoy!
Army of Darkness
Artist – Randy Ortiz
This beautiful poster came courtesy of the Mondo Event at Alamo Drafthouse Mainstreet KC. It was an amazing evening in which we got to see a 35mm print of Army of Darkness and we all walked out with this glorious poster. Randy Ortiz knocks it out of the fucking park with his perfect poster for such a cult film. He also did our Goonies print that was also part of a Mondo event back in July. While Ash is missing from the print, it still has the true army of darkness and absolutely one of my favorite prints this year.
The Iron Giant
Artist – Mike Mitchell
My lord I love this print with all my being. I love the Iron Giant, so much so that I am toying with having a tattoo done with the Iron Giant on display. This Mitchell print just captures that perfect moment where a boy and his giant robot meet. No one is scared, just this touching moment of shared astonishment and friendship. Simple and elegant.
Beyond the Black Rainbow
Artist – Jay Shaw
For a movie that was such a vibrant and dark flick, I would not have imagined a print of the movie to have a lot of white space left over. I mean Jay Shaw really turned this into a stunning print with an eerie, ethereal print that managed to have the essence of the flick without it being so graphic considering the source material. Really just a stellar print for a movie that was purely style instead of substance.
The Dark Knight Rises
Artist – Olly Moss
I ended up getting this print, my one and only Moss print, during the 24 hour sale that Mondo did for the Dark Knight Rises. Moss is incredible when it comes to creating minimalist prints. I don’t know how, but his are some of the best prints out there if you are in to minimalist movie posters. This also reminds me a lot of the Batman animated series as well.
Pris
Artist – Craig Drake
When I saw this print I had to do what it takes to call this mine. Part of the Mondo Gallery by Craig Drake, his Patrick Nagel inspired work is frankly the most eye catching of all. All of his prints that he has done for other galleries capture the female form in such an elegant way, often in striking poses and simplicity. It’s a clean looking print with such a lot of depth. I hope to acquire a few more of his prints as I am currently bidding and tracking some down.
Drive
Artist – Tyler Stout
One of two Tyler Stout prints I own, this print of Drive was one that I needed. I missed the Ken Taylor print he did last year in 2012, but I managed to snag one from a friend at the gallery in Austin. For me this print is Drive, with its inclusion of the city into the poster. The city itself was as much a character in the movie as Gosling was to the movie. This print is pure 80s nostalgia for me, something that the movie definitely exuded when you first watch it.
V For Vendetta
Artist – Caesar Moreno
Now I consider this more of an art print than a movie poster, but that doesn’t take away from the beauty and detail this poster has. When you take a closer look at it, you can see the elements that make up the movie. The burning man, the rose and the exploding clock tower, all engulfed in flames, in which the hero was born into.
The Raid
Artist – Jock
Yes yes yes. Nothing could ever come close to capturing the epic scale that was The Raid. I mean the apartment complex was the real villain of the film, basically trapping the heroes and filling it with so many bad guys that meet our heroes in awesome fight scenes. Jock took his comic book sensibilities and just flat out made a striking print.
Watchmen
Artist – Ken Taylor
The first thing I noticed about this print when I got it a while back, the metallic inks in it. This poster is beautiful. I mean just absolutely eye catchingly beautiful. Fantastic work by Taylor and the colors are rich and vibrant. Definitely one of my favorites from his gallery work.
In the House of the Undying
Artist – Daniel Danger
One of several Game of Thrones prints that I own, I think it is safe to say that this my favorite. Daniel Danger brings his deep color work to a print that is haunting and gorgeous. One of my favorite scenes from the series and this has so much detail that isn’t even portrayed in the image.
Friday the 13th Part 3D
Artist – Jay Shaw
Great use of the white space the print, another Jay Shaw in my collection. I will say I bought this purely for the look of it as I am not the biggest Friday the 13th fan. There is a lot of detail in such a minimalist print as the eyes have a glint of a skull in it and the mask holes spell out the title of the film.
Django Unchained
Artist – Rich Kelly
There were two prints of Django that came out during the Mondo Oscar poster releases. The other poster was a Tyler Stout print that a lot of people wanted. For me, this is by far the best looking Django print out there. The Stout one is done in true Stout fashion, but Kelly ended up going with a striking and simple profile image for Django. It conveys all it needs and I was excited to get it in the drop.
Zero Dark Thirty
Artist – Jock
Another Jock print I scored during the Oscar releases, I immediately loved this take on Zero Dark Thirty. Upon looking at the print further, I didn’t realize that the men repelling down the helicopter spell out the title of the movie. I wouldn’t have mind getting the variant edition which is colored like night vision goggles.
Attack the Block
Artist – Tyler Stout
Man, Attack the Block is easily one of my favorite alien invasion movies…maybe ever. An unseen flick that should have gotten a lot more love out there, but you know what, I will take some love for this movie in the form of a Tyler Stout print. Although I wish I got the variant glow in the dark print as the teeth of the aliens start to glow.
Metropolis
Artist – Ken Taylor
I have basically stared at this poster almost everyday since I got it. Metropolis is such an iconic piece of cinema and the poster itself by Taylor is a work of art. I love the vertical scale of the print as the scale of the movie itself is wonderful. The metallic ink in the print just pop right out at you and another score from his recent gallery presentation.
The Ambassador
Artist – Delicious Design League
If you have never seen this documentary, you should immediately check it out on Netflix. What makes this poster for me is the use of the diamonds that form the face of the lead of the documentary. Really astounding work and a nice addition to the collection. Also having it signed by the documentary filmmaker is a big plus for me.
Creature from the Black Lagoon
Artist – Laurent Durieux
So this was the only poster I managed to score from the Universal Monsters Gallery that Mondo did back in December. I was hoping to nab a few more on the secondary market, but for the time being I am thrilled to have my first Laurent print be of Creature from the Black Lagoon. You can’t really tell, but Laurent put in a lot of detail to this fake cartography map in that the island has points of interest and longitude/latitude markings. Outstanding details and the choice of print paper gives it a worn feel as well.
Robocop
Artist – Todd Slater
Yeah baby, man and machine come together in this print to form a more digital look than anything else. I personally enjoy the more busy approach to the Robocop print instead of the past prints where it looks a bit more muted in terms of the detail. Typically I have seen more prints of Robocop that are profile work instead of just melding together a blueprint look to the figure. I got this during their black friday sale.
Jodorowsky’s Dune
Artist – Kilian Eng
God how I wish that we got to see a Jodorowsky version of Dune. I mean don’t get me wrong the version we have is good, but considering that Jodorowsky was working with some of the best artists at the time like Mobius and Giger, means it would have been a visual spectacle unlike anything out there. Kilian Eng brings to life a poster for a movie that never was, making me yearn for this old school, visual film.
Jurassic Park
Artist – Ken Taylor
Ferocious and perfect, another Taylor print that pretty much shows why you remember this movie fondly. I have wanted a Jurassic Park print for the longest time since I have seen the Aaron Horkey print he did a few years ago. I will take the T-Rex over raptors any day.
Friday the 13th
Artist – Francesco Francavilla
Now this is what i am talking about. While a lot of artists will want to showcase the mask or Jason himself, this for me is a great print because it is of the original movie and is about the ominous woods that surround Camp Crystal Lake. I was a little worried about the color scheme but it is so aggressive and vibrant that I ended up loving it a lot more. Plus it’s my first Francavilla print too
The Man with the Iron Fists
Artists – Tomer Hanuka
While the movie itself was a little underwhelming, this print by Hanuka is stunning with its bold metallic ink and action pose. The details in the poster are insane, which are conveyed nicely in the picture but the print is far more impressive in person.
The Batcave
Artist – JC Richard
Richard amazes me time and time again with his elegant landscape posters. I will showcase another one of his work later but for now there is so much detail to take in with this print. From the costumes in the bottom left-hand corner, to the vehicles in the background and finally the solemn looking Batman illuminated from the cave light. It is somber to admire and beautiful as well.
Jon Snow
Artist – Jock
A third Jock print for me and great looking print. While there is a lot to work with in the Game of Thrones world, I really find this print to be stunning in that Snow is lording over the land of Westeros, his sword precisely striking the map, and protecting the realm from the North.
North of the Wall
Artist – JC Richard
Oh my yes. Another landscape work from Richard and the most impressive of the gallery. It is staggering to even imagine in your mind what the wall truly looks like and Richard does his best to make everything seem so dwarfed by this massive ice wall. Plus you get a hint at what lies beyond the wall.
Bran Stark
Artist – Richey Beckett
The most poetic looking print, one suitable enough to hang on the walls of the Winterfell house. The Beckett print belongs in the pages of the book, with rich details and a striking image torn from the pages of the book. This will be getting a suitable frame for it in the future.
The Lord of the Rings Trilogy Set
Artist – JC Richard
I had to track down this set from a secondary seller as it was a San Diego Comic Con release and I am a Lord of the Rings fan. The tapestry feel to these prints pluck a particular scenes from the film and just astound me through and through. Richards layers on a lot of little details that are only seen when looked up close. From far away, they are vibrant and appealing, but once you get close to each print, you notice a warn feeling, like they have aged in Middle Earth. I absolutely love this set of prints.
Well I hope you enjoyed my prints and I will surely be updating in the future when I get more as I am an avid collector.