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December 10, 2011 – January 2, 2012
Gallery Nucleus
210 East Main Street
Alhambra CA 91801 (Get directions)

This past weekend saw the opening reception for one of Gallery Nucleus’ latest tribute exhibitions, The Lovers, the Dreamers, and Me, dedicated to a man who has inspired countless others in his pure, simple pursuit of dreams… Jim Henson. For those that aren’t aware of my affection for puppets let me just say that I am a HUGE fan of the artistry behind puppetry; a love that was inspired largely by the works of Henson and his countless co-conspirators.

Henson (by way of his children and protégés) and what are arguably his most famous creation, The Muppets, recently made their return to the public eye this past November; inspiring an entirely new generation of creatives. Gallery Nucleus’ latest show is a tribute to that”enduring impression” Jim Henson has left on the world:

Timed with the release of Disney’s The Muppets motion picture and news on a forthcoming Henson biopic, Nucleus has invited more than 30 artists to pay homage to this universally beloved visionary whose inspiring concepts and characters have impacted our culture in a monumental way. The collection will showcase a variety of mediums from a roster of professionals who are also genuine fans.

Artwork by Mike Mitchell

Artwork by Sebastien Mesnard

Artwork by Scott Campbell

Artwork by Felt Mistress

Artwork by Alberto Cerriteño

Artwork by Jeni-Yang

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September 30 – October 22
Closing Reception:
Friday, October 21st (6-10pm)
Paradigm Gallery + Studio
2020 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19146 (Get directions)

Dead and Dreaming: A Tribute to H.P. Lovecraft, curated by illustrator Sam Heimer is an art show dedicated to the literary works of author H.P. Lovecraft – an appropriately themed one at that for the Halloween season. The show has bee described by Heimer as one of his “dream-shows” to have put together in collaboration with The Autumn Society, The Philadelphia Cartoonist Society and Paradigm Gallery + Studio.

Featuring 20 different artists, each participant was asked to interpret a story or character from the author’s extensive cast of “weird fiction” and otherwordly oddities. As the title of the show would suggest, Lovecraft’s work often takes the reader on wildly imaginative flights of fantasy that exists somewhere between death and a dream and from the sample pieces I’ve seen from the show it made for some great inspiration (see below).

The Call of Cthulhu by Same Heimer

The Dunwich Horror by Michael Bukowski

The Shadow Over Innsmouth by Germán Orozco

From the press release:

In re-printed volumes, personal sketch books, mythos inspired film, games, and writing, Lovecraft’s work takes on almost a second life, a horrible re-birth by the hands of hundreds of artists worldwide, carrying on Lovecraft’s legacy, weather for print or pure pleasure, they keep the green, noxious flame burning in some burrow, tomb, or cyclopean vista just beyond the wall of sleep.

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Sunday, October 2nd, 2011
(thru October 31st, 2011)
Saturdays from 11am to 5pm
Sundays from 11am – 3pm
Mountain View Mausoleum
2300 N. Marengo Avenue
Altadena, CA 91001

It’s that time again. October is right around the corner and the chill in the air is slowly creeping its way down our spines and along with it a slew of Halloween-inspired art shows! Yesterday we mentioned the Autumn Society’s Iconoclastic Dead show opening this Saturday in Mexico and today we’ve got another show to share with you which will take premiere on Sunday: Creature Feature’s October Shadows art show.

Going on it’s fourth year celebration, October Shadows will take place at a very appropriate location this year – an actual 19th century mausoleum – and showcases the world’s most “prestigious group of artists from the worlds of fine art, comics, film, TV and animation” including Justin Mabry, Gris Grimly, William Stout, Drew Struzan, William Basso (see above), Corlen Kruger, Eric Pigors, Gary Pullin, Randy Queen and many more! Unfortunately, no preview artwork has made its way online yet, but with a line up like that how could you not want to attend?!

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Saturday, October 1st, 2011
(thru October 31st, 2011)
6:00pm – 12:00am
Gurú Tienda Galería
Colima 143, LA ROMA
Mexico City, Mexico

Coming right off its first international show in France, the Autumn Society is showing no sign of slowing down with their next art show opening in Mexico this Saturday (another first for the art group!). Entitled The Iconoclastic Dead, the theme of the new show is “Dia De Los Muertos” (Day of the Dead) where over 40 artists have assembled to celebrate some of the iconic people who they truly admire (dead or alive) and includes special guests such as Alberto Cerriteño and Jorge Gutierrez among others.

The show, which opens Saturday, October 1st, is being hosted by Galeria Guru in Mexico City will feature live music and food. The Iconoclastic Dead was curated by German Orozco, Chogrin and Jorsh Pena.

Jermaine Clement by James Gilleard

Dr. Suess by Rhode Montijo

Penn Jillette by Glen Brogan

Emiliano Zapata by Jorge Gutierrez

Jim Henson by Xander Laytin

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Friday, September 2, 2011
(thru October 1, 2011)
7:00pm – 10:00pm
Gallery 1988 Melrose
7020 Melrose Ave
Los Angeles, California 90038

September is looking to be a pretty awesome month for those of us who grew up in the 80s with Gallery1988 announcing its month-long celebration of “Childhood Items We Miss The Most Month.” Set to begin this Friday, September 2nd, Gallery1988 kicks things off with a tribute to Garbage Pail Kids– “the gross-out phenomenon from the 80’s!” A show nearly two years in the making GPK1988 will feature “over 100 of your favorite artists [who] were asked to create their own Garbage Pail Kids… some may even become actual cards soon!” The show is being produced in partnership with Topps Trading Cards and The Hundreds.

The following night, on September 3rd, Gallery1988 and Cinefamily will co-host a Garbage Pail Kids (see trailer) movie screening at the Silent Movie Theater (Cinefamily) on Fairfax at 10 PM. As an added bonus, stars from the film, Mackenzie Austin and Arturo Gil, will be on had for questions.

Below are a few sneak peeks that have already leaked, dripped, oozed, barfed and crawled their way out from the trash bins to get fans excited about the show.

Handy Randy by Glen Brogan

Manny Heads by Steve Seeley

UnDead Ted by Ryan Jones

Modern Art by Jaw Shaw

Ultra Vincent by Rhys Cooper

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Thursday, August 11, 2011
7pm to 11pm
2147 W. Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA 90026

Since 2005 Los Angeles, CA has been host to an annual invasion of video game-based artworks (not too be confused with the alien invasion video game Space Invaders) courtesy of the creative think tank known as iam8bit. Every year attendees from all over come to LA in droves to celebrate their favorite games and gawk at the hundreds of remixed video game memories and this week they’ll get a chance to do it all over again at the 5th Annual Super iam8bit celebration!

This year, opening night will take place on August 11 from 7pm to 11pm at the new iam8bit headquarters in glorious Echo Park (2147 W. Sunset Blvd. Los Angeles, CA 90026) and feature “over 100 artists [who] will reimagine their 80’s gaming fantasies, delusions and secret desires via all sorts of media – painting, sculpture, plush, and even some more interactive experimentation.” With entertainment provided by electronica musicians Leeni and A_Rival, a 30th anniversary Galaga tribute featuring the world’s largest “arcade cabinet,” and a “retro-fied” Kinect hack from Double Fine super-artist Drew Skillman this event may just be the closest thing the gaming heaven you’ll ever experience!

Super iam8bit Flyer by Dave Crosland

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Residents of Burbank, CA are in for a real treat this weekend when over a dozen artists including Brent Engstrom, Corlen Kruger, Justin Gray, Glen Brogan, and Karla Jane converge to celebrate the two most loved films of writer/director Fred Dekker; Night of the Creeps and Monster Squad.

“When I was in my last year of college I began remembering and getting inspired by my childhood heroes,” says remarks Joseph Game (aka Chogrin). “Memories of the Goonies and other ‘Kids dealing with weird sh*t’ movies kept coming to mind… these movies are gems and truly signify the magic that 80s movies had on kids like me growing up.”

The exhibit, Monster Creeps, is scheduled to take place for 1-Night Only on Saturday, August 6th at Dark Delicacies (www.darkdel.com) from 8-10pm. Fred Dekker himself is scheduled to be in attendance and there will be a special screening of Monster Squad will be held at the Banshee Theater featuring a special Q&A with /FILM’s Germain Lussier & Fred Dekker. Check out the samples below for a taste of the terror that’s to come:

Monster Creeps is sponsored by: The Autumn Society, Strange Kids Club, Fright-Rags, and Dead of Night Radio.

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TMNT ART SHOW AND TRIBUTE

The clan at the ever-hopping Autumn Society are at it again this weekend with a double bill of art shows going on coast to coast! Things kick off today (Friday, June 3rd) from 6pm-9pm in their home base of Philadelphia with Shell Shock, a TMNT Art Show and Tribute taking place at Brave New Worlds Comics… it’s going to be “one shell of a time!” There will even be a planned appearance by Brittney Schneck’s Turtle Van (see insert)! It’s truly a celebration 25+ years in the making- definitely don’t miss out on all the TMNT-themed awesome.

“THIS IS OUR TIME NOW” (A GOONIES ART SHOW)

As if that weren’t enough, the Society will also be taking over Lunar Boy Gallery for an exclusive Goonies tribute in Astoria, Oregon (hint: that’s where the film was made).

The show will open on Saturday, June 4th from 5pm-8pm and run through June 24th and even be one of the featured attractions of this year’s Astoria Art Walk on June 11th from 5-9 pm.

That’s two art shows – twice the nostalgia laden fun – all in one action-packed weekend!

ABOUT THE AUTUMN SOCIETY (www.theautumnsociety.com)
The Autumn Society is a collective of Illustrators from around the world. From art galleries, art books, to fundraisers, the Autumn Society will rise to any creative need or challenge.

ABOUT BRAVE NEW WORLDS COMICS (www.bravenewworldscomics.com)
Brave New Worlds Comics, located on 45 N. 2nd Street in Philadelphia, PA is your #1 stop in Philadelphia for comics, graphic novels, toys, collectibles, comic reviews, and month-to-month art galleries!

ABOUT LUNAR BOY GALLERY (www.lunarboygallery.com)
With a focus on contemporary and low brow art, Lunar Boy brings together an impressive fine art collection including everything from children’s book illustration to edgy pop surrealism. We represent both professional and emerging artists from the U.S., Canada, Europe and Asia as well from our own lush corner of the planet – Oregon’s gorgeous North Coast.

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Press Release

The idea of having to wait until Saturday to see your favorite shows means nothing in a instant access world of on-demand cable. There used to be something to actually look forward to on Saturday Mornings. We’ve preserved that feeling of excitement with 29 pieces of awesomeness. The Hey, Saturday Morning TV Show, currently up on display on PLANET-PULP, was created by some of the internet’s hottest pop-culture artists.

PLANET-PULP’s members are known as Rogue Artists, who come from all walks of the comic and entertainment fields from places like Disney, Lucasfilm, Pixar, IDW, Marvel, DC, Wildstorm, independent publications along with several other super talents on the verge of their first big break. [Sp] grab a bowl of your favorite sugary cereal and enjoy!

Artwork © Adam Limbert

Artwork © Brett Parson

Artwork © Christine Larsen

Artwork © Wayne Harris

See the entire gallery collection: click here.

ABOUT PLANET-PULP (www.planet-pulp.com)
PLANET-PULP is an Intergalactic Online gallery on a mission to orbit a pulp-culture theme every 30 days. Here you will discover a collection of talented rogues bound together by sheer awesomeness, illustrating and designing monthly themes as we celebrate our shared love of Pulp Culture!

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The 3B Show poster by Glen Brogan

If you’re a California native and/or just a nostalgia nut like myself then get ready for a triple dose of art-infused film fun with The Autumn Society’s latest gallery opening: The 3B Show. Some of you may remember last year’s 3G Show which featured highlights from 80s genre classics Gremlins, Ghostbusters and The Goonies. This year, AS has chosen to focus on three more of my favorite flicks that start with the letter B. As you can through the amazing artwork of the show, these are tributes to: Back to the Future, Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure, and Beetlejuice.

The show opens this Thursday, May 5th from 7-10pm at Gallery1988 Venice and was curated by Autumn Society’s very own Chogrin Muñoz. Here’s some highlights:

Artwork © Glen Brogan

Artwork © Jorsh Pena

Artwork © Bryan Brinkman

Artwork © German Orozco

Artwork © Christine Larsen

ABOUT THE AUTUMN SOCIETY (www.theautumnsociety.com)
The Autumn Society is a collective of Illustrators from around the world. From art galleries, art books, to fundraisers, the Autumn Society will rise to any creative need or challenge.

ABOUT GALLERY 1988 VENICE (www.nineteeneightyeight.com)
Gallery 1988 has quickly become one of the world’s most talked about art galleries. Opened in 2004 on the famous corner of Melrose and La Brea, by California natives Katie Cromwell and Jensen Karp, the gallery has become the nation’s number one destination for pop-culture themed artwork and the premiere venue to witness the rise of emerging artists before they break.

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In tribute of Tim Burton’s Edward Scissorhands celebrating its 20th Anniversary and dedicated to two cinema legends (Stan Winston and Vincent Price), artist Sebastien Mesnard and Gallery Nucleus have teamed up for a globe-spanning art exhibit.

The exhibit features over 40 artists and their respective illustrations, paintings, prints, and sculptures; each inspired by “the story and its’ characters and executed through the artists own unique approach.” The exhibit will run from April 16th until May 9th in the main gallery with an opening reception to be held on April 16th from 7PM until 11PM and is a FREE, all ages event with refreshments, raffle prizes and more.

Here’s a few of my favorite contributions (click to enlarge):

Israel Sanchez

Josh Parpan

Aurore Damant

Jérémie Fleury

Alex "Xander" Leighton

For more information, please see: http://scissorhands20th.blogspot.com
Find them on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=182314455145520

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For those unfamiliar with European legend, the Krampus is a mythical being thought to the antithesis of Santa Claus who travels from home to home dispensing all sorts of wicked, cruel punishment to those children who were naughty (and you thought getting coal was bad). Of course this legend was changed once Santa Claus made his way into American culture, but the Krampus is never too far behind lurking in the shadows of sinful deeds. Krampusnacht, or Night of Krampus, a celebration held on the eve of Santa Claus’ arrival in which adults dress in wild, devilish costumes to scare the children into being good.

To continue this rich tradition, the Resistor Gallery in Toronto, Canada has recently kicked off its 2010 Krampusnacht Art Show featuring over 25 different artists from all around Canada showcasing their interpretation of the sinister saint including some past guests (Brian McLachlan, Jes Fortner, Drazen Kozjan).

Drazen Kozjan

Artwork © Copyright Drazen Kozjan

Jes Fortner

Artwork © Copyright Jes Fortner

Michael Wandelmaier

Artwork © Copyright Michael Wandelmaier

Faez Alidousti

Artwork © Copyright Faez Alidousti

Marek Colek

Artwork © Copyright Marek Colek

Brian McLachlan

Artwork © Copyright Brian McLachlan

Hyein Lee

Artwork © Copyright Hyein Lee

For more information on either the show or Resistor Gallery, please visit http://www.resistorgallery.ca/. The Krampusnacht Art Show runs from December 2, 2010 until January 10, 2011.

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This past weekend, the biggest comic convention of the east coast took place: New York Comic Con! Since I’m a southern, mid-west gal located in Texas, I didn’t have the pleasure of being there, but I did follow the happenings on Twitter and vicariously lived through the comic fanatics that were able to make it. Tons of cartoonist and artist and comic creatures came from all over to take part in the festivities. Most notably, Mr. Stan Lee, father of all things holy in comics, was in attendance (and if you don’t follow his twitter you really should) and I’m sure he gathered quite the crowd wherever he happened to be.

I’m a huge traditional comic nerd, but today is Wednesday and that means it’s time to celebrate the comics of the web. Happy Webcomic Wednesday everyone! To tie in New York Comic Con with today’s post, I’ve gathered together a few of the webcomics that made their rounds at the convention. You can check out more webcomics, artwork, and illustrations by NYCC artists over at the Artist Alley page. Enjoy!

PVP

• PVP, Scott Kurtz
• Updated: Monday through Friday

Freewheel

• Freewheel, Liz Baillie
• Updated: Monday, Wednesday, Friday

Evil Inc.

• Evil Inc., Brad J. Guigar
• Updated: Monday through Saturday

The Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal

• The Epic Adventures of TJ & Amal, E.K. Weaver
• Updated: Tuesdays

Spooky Doofus

• Spooky Doofus, Marc Lapierre
• Updated: Tuesday & Thursday

Least I Could Do

• Least I Could Do, Ryan Sohmer and Lar deSouza
• Updated: Everyday

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If you are in New York, check out The Book Show by the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department from the School of Visual Arts. It’s always fun and exciting to see what the latest crop of young illustrators are putting out there.

School of Visual Arts: The Book Show

The Book Show

September 24 – October 14
Reception: Tuesday, September 29, 6 – 8pm

School of Visual Arts (SVA) presents “The Book Show,” an exhibition of 20 book projects completed by students in the MFA Illustration as Visual Essay Department. The exhibition is curated by Department Chair Marshall Arisman and faculty member Carl Nicholas Titolo.

The exhibition features Emma Augylius’ book Kylie’s Dream Recipe about a mouse that visits a girl who doesn’t have dreams; Jonathan Bartlett’s Tertium Comparison, which combines images and quotations; Wesley Benson’s Cynthia’s Robot, about a new girl in town who befriends the robot next door; Kristy Caldwell’s There’s No Picnic without a Pickle, about a who girl gets help opening a pickle jar from magical creatures; Siyu Chen’s The Treasonous Hippocampus, an illustrated memoir of the author’s life; Christopher Darling’s 111th Street, a story about a day in the life of a deer living in New York City; Anat Even-Or’s sketchbook story about the lives of five different characters; Kelley Hensing’s book about a child coming to terms with the concepts of free will, self-awareness and the loss of innocence; Brendan Leach’s Flin Flon, Manitoba, about a young man’s preoccupation with ice hockey legend Bobby Clarke; Hye Su Lee’s Shall I invite you to my childhood?, a recreation of the author’s childhood diary; JP Peer’s Brazil is With You, a story of a young professional soccer player who leaves Brazil for a career in England; Laura Peyton’s story about the separation of two friends; and Clayton Rodery’s MARTIAN, about a Martian colonist who goes missing during a routine space walk.

The exhibition also features the work of Matthew Barteluce, Nathan Bulmer, Jeffrey Dalessandro, Anne Emond, Thomas Knowler, Sarah Knotz and Andrew Roberts.

SVA Gallery / 209 East 23 Street / Free and open to the public

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There is a small exhibit of Polish posters created between 1945-1989, during the Cold War era, on display at the MOMA. While the exhibit showcases only a sparse number of pieces, the work is remarkable—not just for the striking images, but because these posters would never be produced in a capitalist society, where a sales team would dictate the contents.
 

(above images via posterati)

Under communist control, there was a shortage of materials like paper, and there was no art market. There was, however, unlimited funds provided by the state to produce poster art, so many artists flocked to the field for a chance to do what they loved. The printing techniques were somewhat dated, forcing the artists to be creative and not use photographs. Since they had little influence from the west, their posters took on an illustrative style all their own, where an artist’s interpretation of the subject could flourish. A number of the posters used visual whit to showcase their product, and many artists found ways to rebel against the repressive regime. Most alluring during this era are the film posters, where the artist’s representation of the movie is often more poetic than literal.