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Tag: Universal Monsters

  • A Giant-Size ‘Frankenstein’ Poster Highlights Stellar New Universal Monsters Art

    In the world of alternate movie posters, the name Tyler Stout always stands out. Stout’s work has been a gateway to so many young poster fans, so anytime his name shows up on a list of people contributing to a show, we take special notice. When that list is of artists doing work of the iconic Universal Monsters, it’s an extra level of special. And when that list is split across simultaneous events happening in both Austin, Texas, and Los Angeles, California, as a kind of mega exhibition, it’s monstrous.

    io9 is excited to exclusively debut Tyler Stout’s incredible and unique new poster for 1931’s Frankenstein, which will first be available at a special Universal Monsters show, presented by Coda and Sideshow, at Canopy Gallery in Austin, Texas, on Friday. (There’s also an event at Celebrity Authentics at Universal Citywalk in Los Angeles, but more on that below.) Unlike a traditional poster-sized image, though, Stout and the team decided to go big with this one. It’s a 24 x 72-inch print, meant to approximate the giant size of the iconic monster. Here’s the full image.

    Tyler Stout’s ‘Frankenstein’ – Coda/Sideshow/Universal

    This two-sheet screenprint costs $120 in an edition of 300. There are also two other versions, one only available to attendees of the Austin show (they’ll have to sign up in person), and a third one will be at an upcoming convention, to be announced.

    “The work of Tyler Stout undoubtedly popularized the notion of alternate film posters more than other artists in the field. His work spoke to people with active relationships to cinema,” Coda co-founder Rob Jones told io9 over email. “His dense servings of characters, their relationships, and the pressures that act upon them remain unlike any other artist’s approach in the medium’s history.”

    “While it’s always a joyous jolt to work with him, the primary pleasures come from watching his brain fly while it figures out where to land on the page,” Jones continued. “In this instance, it lands on two pages, or sheets rather. Tyler hoped to evoke a pop culture icon that beckoned from the back pages of his childhood comic books: the Jack Davis ‘Life Size Frankenstein’ poster. To make that happen feasibly as a screenprint, he divided the image across two 24 x 36-inch sheets. Results are unlike any AMP made for Frankenstein and all expertly printed by DL Screenprinting in Seattle.”

    “I adore these results and perhaps overly identify with Henry Frankenstein, so consumed with personal pursuit that Tyler shows him living within the confines of his own work, i.e., the monster,” Jones concluded.

    Now, if the show were just the Stout Frankenstein alone, it would be awesome enough, but there’s so much more. Coda and Sideshow have recruited an incredible number of artists to do original art and screen-printed posters themed to Universal Monsters and here’s just a small sample of the other work in the shows.

    In Los Angeles, the show takes place at Celebrity Authentics at Universal Citywalk starting today, October 23, from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and will remain on display through November 2. In Austin, the show takes place at the Canopy Gallery from 6 to 10 p.m. on October 24. It remains on display there only through the weekend, October 26.

    Each location has a wholly unique show so each poster seen above will only be available, at least at the start, at those galleries (which we’ve noted in specific instances above). Leftovers will go online sometime in November and will be split into multiple waves. Keep an eye on codacurates.com for more information or head to Sideshow for more specifics.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    Germain Lussier

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  • James Wan May Take His Aqua-Skills to Creature From the Black Lagoon

    James Wan May Take His Aqua-Skills to Creature From the Black Lagoon

    James Wan is making a third aqua man movie. No, not a third Aquaman movie. A third movie about a person in the water. The director of Aquaman, as well as Saw, Insidious, Furious 7, and more, will produce and potentially direct a remake of the classic Universal Monsters film The Creature From the Black Lagoon.

    According to Deadline, Wan is “developing a grounded modernized retelling that leans into visceral horror whilst paying respect to the original classic.” So, basically, it’ll fit in with the other modern Universal Monsters remakes such as The Invisible Man and the upcoming Wolf Man. Both of those are helmed by Leigh Whannell, a close friend and collaborator of Wan’s who co-created Insidious and Saw with him. The film will fall under the new deal where Wan’s Atomic Monster teamed up with Blumhouse over at Universal.

    There’s much to discuss here, so let’s dive in. Creature is one of those properties that, unlike Dracula, Wolf Man, Mummy, Frankenstein, and others, has never gotten a proper remake. But not for lack of trying. For almost 40 years Hollywood has been trying to bring the Creature back to the big screen. So, right there, you must take this news with a grain of salt. Wan is a powerful producer and talented director, but many others have tried and failed in what he’s attempting here.

    It’s also fun to consider this in the wider context of Wan’s flirtation with the water. Of course, he made two Aquaman movies but he also began to develop a Trench movie based on those films, which actually was going to be a Black Manta movie. He has yet to pick his next directorial effort, and it very well may be this—but if so, to do three out of four studio movies set underwater in a row is wild. (The excellent Malignant being the other one.)

    As for the Creature himself, he originated in the 1954 classic directed by Jack Arnold. A film that, now pushing 70 years old, is just as effective as ever. Some think it should never be remade. Others think maybe it already has, in a way. But either way, this is going to be a fascinating journey.

    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest Marvel, Star Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    Germain Lussier

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  • Stores Have Decided That This Summer, Halloween Is Already Here

    Stores Have Decided That This Summer, Halloween Is Already Here

    Beetlejuice Beetlejuice and Bluey fever join horror classics and spooky lore-inspired collections at major home decor retailers and seasonal pop-up giants Spirit Halloween and Party City.

    Halloween’s niche in horror fandom has expanded way beyond October 31, so it makes sense that home decor and goods inspired by scary movies, classic monsters, and supernatural legends are becoming more and more a staple of everyday life. Hey—if the comic book and sci-fi nerds do it all year, so can the spooky season folks. What’s so shocking, however, is that Halloween teases are now dropping so soon after July 4. In previous years, anticipation for stores to fill their shelves with orange-and-black delights got more of a chance to build, at least until back-to-school aisles were cleared. And while some retailers are apparently still checking the calendar—including Target, which has thus far kept its Halloween collection under wraps—if you visit the sites or even locations for the Disney Store, Lowe’s, Spirit Halloween, Home Depot, Party City, Michaels, At Home, and Joann, you can start shopping pumpkins, ghosts, skeletons, and more.

    © Spirit Halloween

    You’ll have to be quick though! Early-bird horror fiends are already raiding the aisles—as are re-sellers intent on snatching up any items with the potential to go viral and become the Halloween must-haves for 2024. That’s why so many are sold out in the middle of summer—though most will be re-stocked, so if you see something you can’t live without, get on those alerts so you’ll be first in line when it returns. And keep in mind what’s been dropped so far isn’t everything; there’ll be more as we get closer to fall. The Disney Store just started its release schedule with  The Haunted Mansion collection but has more planned in the coming weeks. And Beetlejuice stuff has begun to trickle out to retailers like Spirit Halloween—witness this giant inflatable at Party City of the circus carousel ghost with the most—but it’s worth noting that so far it’s only been product from the iconic first film. We have yet to see anything from Beetlejuice Beetlejuice, but it’s definitely coming. Tim Burton fans will be happy to learn that The Corpse Bride will be a huge feature at Spirit Halloween as will slashers like Scream and John Carpenter’s Halloween franchise. Home Depot will feature the Universal Monsters, the not-so-scary (but clear-cut kid favorite) Bluey, and more Nightmare Before Christmas with that 13-foot Jack Skellington animated statue (which we hope comes with a Sandy Claws outfit for Christmas).

    Michaels halloween
    © Michaels

    But what if you don’t need pop culture splattered all over your seasonal decor? Fans of supernatural folklore, witchy classic literature, kooky familiars, sentient pumpkins, and paranormal specters aren’t getting left behind either. Michaels, At Home, and Joann Fabrics have some deeply aesthetic collections of their own out to shop that aren’t IP at all but will make your abode feel supremely haunted. We particularly love the Midnight Moon and Haunted Forest collections at Michaels that harken to some classic monster and A24 atmospheric vibes. Then for those into astrology, traditional Halloween, and graveyard goth, definitely look into the drops at Joann and At Home (but shout out to these awesome Jack Skellington pieces). And lets not forget Lowe’s truly epic aquatic horror line. There’s a huge front yard Kraken that’s already hard to get your hands on, because who doesn’t want to release the Kraken for Halloween?

     

    There’s already something for everyone and picking a theme is going to be so hard this year! Let us know if you’ve managed to secure anything already or if you’re going to wait and show up only to find Christmas aisles in September. Don’t say we didn’t warn you.


    Want more io9 news? Check out when to expect the latest MarvelStar Wars, and Star Trek releases, what’s next for the DC Universe on film and TV, and everything you need to know about the future of Doctor Who.

    Sabina Graves

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