Sunday, January 31, 2021

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Laura Braga

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.

The art of Laura Braga.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Glimpse The Cosmos' by Lorenzo Mastroianni

'Glimpse The Cosmos' by Lorenzo Mastroianni.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

Saturday, January 30, 2021

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Laura Bifano

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.

The art of Laura Bifano.

'Battle Royale' Limited Edition 5 Disc 4K Bluray Boxset through Zavvi

'Battle Royale' limited edition 5 disc 4K bluray boxset.

Limited edition includes:

  • Brand new 4K restoration of the Original Theatrical Version and Special Edition Director’s Cut of Battle Royale from the original camera negative by Arrow Films, approved by Kenta Fukasaku
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of both versions of Battle Royale
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation of the Battle Royale II: Requiem theatrical cut and the Battle Royale II: Revenge extended cut
  • Original 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio and 2.0 stereo
  • Optional English subtitles
  • Original soundtrack CD for Battle Royale [Limited Edition Exclusive]
  • Kinji Fukasaku: Man of Rage, an exclusive 120-page monograph on the director by Japanese cinema expert Tom Mes [Limited Edition Exclusive]
  • Illustrated collector’s booklet featuring new essays by Matt Alt and Anne Billson and archival articles
  • Exclusive Battle Royale collectors’ Trump Card set [Limited Edition Exclusive]
  • Reversible poster with new artwork [Limited Edition Exclusive]

DISC ONE – BATTLE ROYALE: ORIGINAL THEATRICAL VERSION

  • Brand new audio commentary by critics Tom Mes and Jasper Sharp 
  • Battle Royale at 20: Back to School, an exclusive new 42-minute documentary about the legacy of Battle Royale
  • Bloody Education: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale, a brand new exclusive interview with the film’s producer and screenwriter
  • The Making of Battle Royale: The Experience of 42 High School Students, documentary featuring footage from the shooting of the film and cast and crew discussions
  • The Slaughter of 42 High School Students, a look behind the scenes of the shoot
  • Behind the scenes footage with comments from the cast and crew
  • Filming on Set, a look at the shooting of key scenes from the film
  • Conducting Battle Royale with the Warsaw National Philharmonic, archive footage of Masamichi Amano conducting the soundtrack rehearsal

DISC TWO – BATTLE ROYALE: SPECIAL EDITION DIRECTOR’S CUT 

  • Shooting the Special Edition, on-location featurette with footage of the cast and crew reuniting for the shoot of the Special Edition
  • Royale Rehearsals, featurette on Kinji Fukasaku directing the film’s young cast 
  • Masamichi Amano Conducts Battle Royale, archive featurette
  • Takeshi Kitano Interview, filmed on location with the Japanese star
  • The Correct Way to Fight in Battle Royale, instructional video explaining the rules of the game
  • The Correct Way to Make 'Battle Royale': Birthday Version, a new version of the original instructional video made to celebrate Kinji Fukasaku’s birthday
  • Premiere Press Conference, preceding the film’s first public screening
  • Tokyo International Film Festival Presentation, with footage from the gala screening at the Tokyo International Film Festival
  • Opening Day at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre, archive footage of the Japanese opening 
  • Special Effects Comparison showing how the film’s violent killings were created
  • Original Trailers and TV spots
  • Kinji Fukasaku trailer reel, a collection of original trailers for Fukasaku’s classic yakuza films from the 70s
  • Image Gallery

DISC THREE – BATTLE ROYALE II: REQUIEM

  • Bloody Graduation: Kenta Fukasaku on Battle Royale II, an exclusive brand new interview with the director and screenwriter of Battle Royale II
  • Behind the Scenes of Battle Royale II, on-location featurette during the film’s shoot
  • Rehearsals footage of the auditions and pre-production rehearsals 
  • War and Struggle, featurette of the cast discussing their thoughts on war
  • Alternate Piano Scene
  • The Recording of the Music Score, archive footage of Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra.
  • Opening Gala with the Orchestra, featuring a public introduction by the director and main cast
  • Battle Royale II Premiere, a featurette on the film’s first screening at the Marunouchi Toei Movie Theatre
  • Trailers and TV spots
  • Image Gallery

DISC FOUR – BATTLE ROYALE II: REVENGE [Limited Edition Exclusive]

  • A Tribute to Kinji Fukasaku, featuring scenes of Kinji Fukasaku on the location of Battle Royale II
  • Kinji Fukasaku's 73rd Birthday: A Speech by Kenta Fukasaku, paying public tribute to his father

DISC FIVE – BATTLE ROYALE SOUNDTRACK CD [Limited Edition Exclusive]

  • CD featuring the complete score to Battle Royale by Masamichi Amano and the Warsaw National Philharmonic Orchestra
On sale for pre-order for £54.99 now through Zavvi. (Release date: April 26 2021)

'Donnie Darko' Limited Edition 4K Bluray through Zavvi

'Donnie Darko' limited edition 4K bluray.

Limited edition includes:

  • New 4K restorations of both the Theatrical Cut and the Director’s Cut from the original camera negatives by Arrow Films, supervised and approved by director Richard Kelly and cinematographer Steven Poster
  • 4K (2160p) UHD Blu-ray presentations of both cuts in Dolby Vision (HDR10 compatible)
  • Original DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • 100-page hardcover book featuring writing by Nathan Rabin, Anton Bitel and Jamie Graham, an in-depth interview with Richard Kelly, an introduction by Jake Gyllenhaal and contemporary coverage, illustrated with original stills and promotional materials
  • Double-sided fold-out poster featuring newly commissioned artwork by Luke Preece
  • Six double-sided collector’s postcards
  • Limited Edition packaging with reversible sleeve featuring original and newly commissioned artwork by Luke Preece

DISC 1 – THE THEATRICAL CUT [4K UHD BLU-RAY]

  • Audio commentary by writer-director Richard Kelly and actor Jake Gyllenhaal
  • Audio commentary by Kelly, producer Sean McKittrick and actors Drew Barrymore, Jena Malone, Beth Grant, Mary McDonnell, Holmes Osborne, Katharine Ross and James Duval
  • Deus ex Machina: The Philosophy of Donnie Darko, a documentary by Ballyhoo Motion Pictures on the making of Donnie Darko, containing interviews with writer-director Richard Kelly, producer Sean McKittrick, cinematographer Steven Poster, editor Sam Bauer, composer Michael Edwards, costume designer April Ferry, production designer Alec Hammond and actor James Duval
  • The Goodbye Place, Kelly’s 1996 short film, which anticipates some of the themes and ideas of his feature films
  • 20 deleted and alternate scenes with optional commentary by Kelly
  • Trailer

DISC 2 – THE DIRECTOR’S CUT [4K UHD BLU-RAY]

  • Audio commentary by Kelly and filmmaker Kevin Smith
  • The Donnie Darko Production Diary, an archival documentary charting the film’s production, with optional commentary by cinematographer Steven Poster
  • Archive interviews with Kelly, actors Jake Gyllenhaal, Jena Malone, Drew Barrymore, James Duval, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Holmes Osborne, Noah Wyle and Katharine Ross, producers Sean McKittrick, Nancy Juvonen, Hunt Lowry and Casey La Scala, and cinematographer Steven Poster
  • Three archive featurettes: They Made Me Do It, They Made Me Do It Too and #1 Fan: A Darkomentary
  • Storyboard comparisons
  • B-roll footage
  • Cunning Visions infomercials
  • Music video: Mad World by Gary Jules
  • Galleries
  • Director’s Cut trailer
  • TV spots
On sale for pre-order for £34.99 now through Zavvi. (Release date: April 26 2021)

'Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark' Bluray Steelbook exclusively through Zavvi

'Elvira: Mistress Of The Dark' bluray steelbook.

Special features include:

  • 2018 restoration from a 4K scan of original film elements
  • High Definition Blu-ray (1080p) presentation
  • Original uncompressed stereo 2.0 audio
  • Optional English subtitles for the deaf and hard of hearing
  • Introduction to the film by director James Signorelli
  • 2017 Audio Commentary with director James Signorelli, hosted by Fangoria editor emeritus Tony Timpone
  • 2017 Audio Commentary with Patterson Lundquist, www.elviramistressofthedark.com webmaster and judge of US TV show The Search for the Next Elvira 
  • Too Macabre – The Making of Elvira: Mistress of the Dark – 2018 version of this feature-length documentary on the making of the film, including interviews with various cast and crew and rare never-before-seen archival material
  • Recipe for Terror: The Creation of the Pot Monster – 2018 version of this featurette on the concept and design of the pot monster, as well as the film’s other SFX
  • Original storyboards
  • Extensive image galleries
  • Original US theatrical and teaser trailers
  • Limited edition Steelbook featuring newly produced artwork
  • Limited edition booklet featuring a foreword by writer and director Sam Irvin and writing on the film by Kat Ellinger and Patterson Lundquist

On sale for pre-order for £17.99 now through Zavvi. (Release date: April 26 2021)

'Blade Runner 2049' 4K Mondo Bluray Steelbook through Zavvi

'Blade Runner 2049' 4K Mondo bluray steelbook, with exclusive box art by Pascal Blanché.

On sale for pre-order for £29.99 Saturday January 30 at 6pm UK through Zavvi.

Front
Back

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Eradicator Valkyrie' by Tyler Jacobson

'Eradicator Valkyrie' by Tyler Jacobson.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

Friday, January 29, 2021

#CoolArt: 'The Midnight Sky' print by Max Löffler through Mondo

'The Midnight Sky' by Max Löffler.

Officially licensed 18" x 24" screen print in a numbered limited edition of 100 for $45.

On sale Friday January 29 at 11am CT through Mondo.

#CoolArt: 'Son Of Godzilla' print by Peter Santa-Maria (Attack Peter) through Mondo

'Son Of Godzilla' by Peter Santa-Maria (Attack Peter).

20" x 30" Linocut print on handmade Lokta paper in a signed and numbered limited edition of 120 for $100.

On sale Friday January 29 at 11am CT through Mondo. (Ships worldwide except Japan & China)

#CoolArt: 'The Avengers: Steed & Peel' print set by Francesco Francavilla through Vice Press

'The Avengers: Steed & Peel' by Francesco Francavilla.

Officially licensed A3 sized (11.7" x 16½") fine art pigment prints on Mohawk Superfine 270gsm archival paper, in a limited edition of 250 for £34.99 for the 2 print set.

On sale Friday January 29 at 5pm UK (12pm ET) through Vice Press.

'The Avengers: Emma Peel'
'The Avengers: John Steed'

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Land Of Terror' by Frank Frazetta

'Land Of Terror' by Frank Frazetta.

#CoolArt: 'Hannya' print by Shoko Ishida through The People's Print Shop

'Hannya' by Shoko Ishida.

15" x 15" archival pigment print, in a signed and numbered limited edition of 40 for $40.

On sale now through The People's Print Shop.

Thursday, January 28, 2021

#CoolArt: 'Empathy' Blotter print by Chuck Sperry

'Empathy' by Chuck Sperry.

9" x 11¼" blotter print with ¼ inch perforations on 80# unbleached cotton paper, in a signed and numbered limited edition of 300.

Available on Chuck's website at a random time on Friday January 29.

Follow Chuck on Twitter @yosquirt, Facebook and on Instagram @yosquirt for the on sale announcement.

#CoolArt: 'Bad Omen' prints by NC Winters

'Bad Omen' by NC Winters.

18" x 24" screen print, on Neenah cotton rag paper with deckled edges, in a signed and numbered 'Vintage' edition of 75 for $150, a signed and numbered 'Mono' edition of 50 for $100, and signed, numbered, and uniquely hand embellished with ink wash, acrylics, interference inks, clear varnish, gold leaf, etc editions of 10 (in each colourway) for $400 each.

On sale Friday January 29 at 11.43am PT from his website.

'Vintage' Edition
'Mono' Edition

#CoolArt: 'Hello Kitties' TIMED Release print by Matthew Grabelsky through Thinkspace Projects

'Hello Kitties' by Matthew Grabelsky.

TIMED Release fine art print on Signa Smooth 300gsm paper, in a signed and numbered 30" x 35½" Deluxe edition for $250, and a signed and numbered 17½" x 20" Standard edition for $125.

On sale Friday January 29 at 9am PT until Sunday January 31 at 9am PT through Thinkspace Projects.

#CoolArt: 'Lilo & Stitch' print by Daniel Arriaga through Cyclops Print Works

'Lilo & Stitch' by Daniel Arriaga.

Officially licensed 18" x 24" 16 colour screen print on French Speckle Tone paper, in a numbered limited edition 225 for $60.

On sale Thursday January 28 at 10am PT through Cyclops Print Works.

#CoolArt: 'Wolverine' print by Vincenzo Riccardi through Sideshow Collectibles

'Wolverine' by Vincenzo Riccardi.

Officially licensed giclee print, in a signed limited edition of 375 in a framed edition for $270, an unframed edition for $95, and a HD Aluminum Metal edition of 50 for $300.

On sale for pre-order Friday January 29 between 9am-12pm PT through Sideshow Collectibles.

#CoolArt: 'Harley Quinn' print by Warren Louw through Sideshow Collectibles

'Harley Quinn' by Warren Louw, originally Variant cover art for 'Harley Quinn & Poison Ivy' issue #2, published October 2019 by DC Comics.

Officially licensed giclee print, in a signed limited edition of 375 in a framed edition for $270, an unframed edition for $95, and a HD Aluminum Metal edition of 50 for $300.

On sale for pre-order Friday January 29 between 9am-12pm PT through Sideshow Collectibles.

#CoolArt: 'From The Desert To The Sea And Everything In Between' prints by Madeleine Tonzi through PangeaSeed

'From The Desert To The Sea And Everything In Between' by Madeleine Tonzi, the first fine art print release of 2021 for PangeaSeed's educational print program, 'Printed Oceans', that raises awareness and education of pressing marine environmental issues through the lens of some of today's most respected creative minds.

18" x 24" giclee print on Canson Aquarelle 310gsm paper, in a signed and numbered 'Daylight' and 'Midnight' limited editions of 35 for $75 each.

On sale now through PangeaSeed.

Proceeds from this print will go to help power PangeaSeed Foundation's global ARTivism efforts and the artists who dedicate their time and talent to their cause.

For more information on how you can help save our seas, please visit https://www.pangeaseed.foundation.

'Daylight' Edition
'Midnight' Edition

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Revitalize' by Mathias Kollros

'Revitalize' by Mathias Kollros.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

#CoolArt: 'Saint Maud' print by Jack Hughes through Mondo

'Saint Maud' by Jack Hughes.

Officially licensed 24" x 36" screen print, in a numbered limited edition of 175 for $55.

On sale now through Mondo.

Wednesday, January 27, 2021

#NewComicBookDay: My Comics Pull List This Week

My comics Pull List This Week.

  • Monstress #31 (Image Comics)
  • We Only Find Them When They're Dead #5 (Boom! Studios)
  • The Last God #12 (DC Black Label)
  • Usagi Yojimbo: Wanderer's Road #3 (IDW Publishing)
  • The Witcher: Fading Memories #3 (Dark Horse Comics)
  • Red Sonja #23 (Dynamite Comics)

'Monstress' #31 (Image Comics)
Cover art by Sana Takeda

#CoolArt: 'Ripple' prints by AJ Masthay through Bottleneck Gallery

'Ripple' by AJ Masthay.

14" x 24" fine art giclee print, in a signed, numbered, titled and embossed Regular edition of 350 on Moab Entrada Bright White 290gsm cotton rag paper for $100, a signed, numbered and titled Moonlight Variant edition of 250 on Moab Slickrock Metallic paper for $125, and a signed, numbered and titled Graphite Variant edition of 150 on Unryu with hand-deckled edges for $150.

On sale Wednesday January 27 at 12pm ET through Bottleneck Gallery.

Regular Edition
Moonlight Variant Edition
Graphite Variant Edition

#CoolArt: 'Hazy Shade Of Winter' TIMED Release print by Djamila Knopf

'Hazy Shade Of Winter' by Djamila Knopf.

15.2" x 10.3" giclee print on 16.5" x 11.7" 308 g/m² Hahnemühle Photo Rag paper, in a signed and numbered TIMED Release edition for €60.

On sale now until Monday February 1 2021 at 10am ET through Djamila's website.

#CoolArt: 'The Elder Scrolls Online' Art Collection prints through Cook & Becker

Cook & Becker, in conjunction with Bethesda Softworks, present 'The Elder Scrolls Online' art print collection featuring concept art from the game.

Each officially licensed giclee print is hand-numbered with a signed certificate of authenticity.

On sale now from the Cook & Becker website.

'Dark Brotherhood'

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Draugr Necromancer' by Dave Rapoza

'Draugr Necromancer' by Dave Rapoza.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

Tuesday, January 26, 2021

#CoolArt: New Cover Art for Alexander Darwin's 'The Combat Codes' Novel

New cover art by Felix Ortiz, with cover design by Shawn T King, for 'The Combat Codes', book 1 of the trilogy written by Alexander Darwin.

You can read my review of the book here.

#CoolArt: 'Blade Runner 2049' prints by Pablo Olivera through Bottleneck Gallery

'Los Angeles 2049' by Pablo Olivera.

36" x 12" giclee print, in a numbered Regular Version A edition of 150 for $50, a numbered Foil Variant Version A edition of 75 for $60, a numbered Version B edition of 100 for $60, and a numbered Version C edition of 100 for $60.

On sale Tuesday January 26 at 12pm ET through Bottleneck Gallery.

Version A
Version B
Version C

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Righteous Valkyrie' by Chris Rahn

'Righteous Valkyrie' by Chris Rahn.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

Monday, January 25, 2021

#CoolArt: 'Selkie' print by Malleus

'Selkie' by Malleus.

70cm x 50cm 10 colour screen print on black paper, in an AP edition of 70 for €60.

On sale now from the Malleus website.

Graphic Novel Review: 'The Metabarons' by Alejandro Jodorowsky & Juan Gimenez

'The Metabarons', written by Alejandro Jodorowsky and illustrated by Juan Gimenez, first published in 1992, is a science fiction, space opera comic series that tells of the lineage of the ultimate warrior, The Metabaron, first seen as a minor character in Jodorowsky's 'The Incal', as narrated through two abandoned robots left in the impregnable 'Metabunker' for maintenance issues.

The first in this eight part series introduces Othon von Salza, the first Metabaron, on the planet of Marmola, and after a freak accident, how the revelation of epiphyte - a secret anti-gravity substance - becomes the catalyst for an all out war above the planet for the substance, and with the creation of the Metabaron.

As well as introducing Othon, Volume One also reveals the origins of the code of principles that runs through the Metabaron bloodline, their cybernetic implants, and why the only way to become the next Metabaron is for the son to defeat his own father in a mortal combat. 

This is classic Jodorowsky. Weird, crazy, and at times intriguing, with a mix of violence, sex, a good dose of deus ex machina to speed up the narrative, paper thin characters, some dodgy sci-fi and the use of 'Paleo', 'Techno', 'Meca' etc as prefixes to make it sound futuristic can be a bit annoying at times. The art by Gimenez is the highlight of this series for me though. The space battles, violence, characters and more are beautifully rendered by his artwork. Nice big panels capture all the action in loving detail, and a lot of detail there is to admire!

It's not as engaging as 'The Incal' was, but there is still enough there to keep you turning the pages to find out what happens next, and how the Metabaron legacy continues as they battle against forces corrupted by greed, power, and terror throughout the galaxy. If you're a fan of Jodorowsky or Gimenez, then this is essential reading.

Available at:
and other comic and book stores.

 

#CoolArt: 'Judy Álvarez Cyberpunk 2077' inspired T Shirt from Hard Times Clothing

'Technician'.

185gsm 100% Cotton T-shirt for £25.99.

Available for pre-order now through Hard Times Clothing.

#CoolArt: 'I Am Mother' Official Print Collection through Posterspy

 'I Am Mother' official print collection, in partnership with the film’s writer/director Grant Sputore, through Posterspy.

17 giclee prints available in numbered limited editions.

On sale Monday January 25 at 5pm UK (12pm ET) through Posterspy.

by Adam Cockerton

#CoolArt: 'Dracula' & 'Frankenstein' prints by Greg Staples through Vice Press & Bottleneck Gallery

'Dracula' and 'Frankenstein' by Greg Staples.

Officially licensed 24" x 36" lithograph prints on Edixion Offset 250gsm paper, in numbered Regular Movie editions of 195 for £45 / $63 each, or £84.99 for the 2 print Regular Movie edition set, and numbered Art Variant editions of 175 for £50 / $70 each, or £94.99 for the 2 print Art Variant edition set.

On sale Tuesday January 26 at 5pm UK (12pm ET) through Vice Press and Bottleneck Gallery.

'Dracula' Regular Movie Edition

#CoolArt: New Neil Gaiman Book Cover Art by Leo Nickolls

New cover art by Leo Nickolls for a new reprinting of Neil Gaiman books from UK publisher Headline Books.

The new reissues will be available from Spring 2021.

#ArtOfTheDay: 'Glorious Protector' by Hugh Pindur

'Glorious Protector' by Hugh Pindur.

Card art for the 'Kaldheim' expansion set, released January / February 2021 by Magic: The Gathering

Sunday, January 24, 2021

Artist Spotlight: The Art Of . . . Lars Grant-West

Showcasing art from some of my favourite artists in the field of visual arts, including vintage; pulp; pop culture; books and comics; concert posters; fantastical and imaginative realism; classical; contemporary; new contemporary; pop surrealism; conceptual and illustration.

The art of Lars Grant-West.