The Breakfast Club poster

   Once again, I feel really lucky to be hired to do an alternative movie poster for a personal favorite film, this time, "The Breakfast Club".  It had been a while since I'd done a design with a lot of negative space, so it felt nice to jump back into something that felt almost like a take on a 60s jazz poster.

  I felt that the scene where everybody is dancing would be a good moment to focus on, since their individual dancing styles speak to their personalities, and they are finally united.  I also decided to put a bit of each person's signature color into the others, a symbol of their influences on each other.

The reference material:

"We Are Not Alone" - Karla Devito / The Breakfast Club soundtrack

The dancing scene:

Thanks for reading!

C3P0 painting (for a Star Wars charity thing)

  I did this painting about 10 years ago, for a Skywalker Ranch charity event - and for the life of me I just can't remember what it was!!

  As I rebuild the blog and put the art and process back up, I'd probably need to go to the Internet Archives to try and see exactly what the context was for this, but I just remember a very intense NDA to fill out.

  Anywho, I really loved how this painting turned out!  Acryla gouache on heavy Reeves BFK paper.  

  I wonder who owns it now!

"The Fatal Push" Magic the Gathering X Marvel Card art

  Last year I was asked to illustrate a card for Magic The Gathering; the Marvel edition, and was very fortunate to get such a big card.   Many thanks to the art director Sarah Wassell and everybody at Wizards of the Coast for asking me.

 When I worked at a comic shop in my teens, we sold many packs of Magic cards every day, but never really learned how to play it well.  I think we managed a few duels once in a while with friends but I can't even really remember the rules.

   However, the game still retains its popularity, and this is one of a few cards Wizards of the Coast has commissioned. Below is the reference from the scene in the original comic.  I tried a few different camera angles before the art director settled on the above shot.

I hope I get to see one in person someday, I've never seen my art on a Magic card before! 

Shelly / Twin Peaks commission

 

A commission I'm quite happy with.  Time for a Twin Peaks rewatch since David Lynch is gone...

 

Shadow portrait + Austin talk

 

oil on wood painting, 8"x10", 2006

 A portrait for a patron who lost his dog, Shadow.  When I painted this originally, it had been many years since I knew the sadness of losing a beloved pet.  Years later, when we put Austin down, I really felt what Bob must have been feeling when Shadow died.  It's just absolutely awful.

  Austin made me a dog person, and I'm grateful we had close to 10 years with him. 

Andy and Austin, Adam and Austin

The Addams Family poster process

24" x 36" silkscreen on heavy duty paper

  Originally, this group hired to me to illustrate the Addams Family sequel, and sadly I just didn't make the first design work.  My cartoony take on a bizarre camp poster never really took off, and the group kindly let me shift to a different movie all together.

  I just adore this movie, The Addams Family (1991), like The Brady Movie, is able to take the source material and bring the humor to a new level.  This concept went much smoother, I felt like I had a concept and a vision clearly from the start, and was able to get it done relatively quickly.

  The silk screen was printed masterfully, the colors look even better on paper than on the monitor.  There are 3 of these artist prints left (as of publishing tthe addams the addams familyhis blog post) and available on my Big Cartel shop.    >>>   https://veronicafish.bigcartel.com/

and the one we ditched:

"Heathers" poster process

   

   When I first saw the movie "Heathers", I was actually terrified.  I'm not sure why, but it took another viewing later on in life for me to fully appreciate its dark humor.  Maybe when you're younger you take things too literally.  

  (And it's not often you see "Veronica" as a main character like that, which is great)

  For a while I was really into images that were trapped within a larger silhouette.  Just before I exhausted myself on that concept, this one popped up in the sketching process and seemed successful to me, given that the visual metaphor is a big part of the film's opening, and isn't just relegated to sight-gag.

  Looking back on these earlier designs, I have to say I actually like them all, and will develop them as well.

"Beetlejuice" poster process work

 I've been hired by different groups throughout the years to take on alternative movie posters, and I'm grateful for the opportunity to make them, especially when the printers used by these groups are so good they make the art sing much more than if it just sat in a digital space.  I can't stress enough how wonderful the quality is on these silk-screens, and I can't recommend printers like VG Kids or Ben Ashton enough - and more companies too, that I will look up and credit here. 

I like when risks can be taken in these kinds of posters, and the decision to make Beetlejuice implied rather than seen was one of those chances.  I think it turned out well, thanks to the group for letting me do that.

I gotta say, it looks stellar in black light!

"Beetlejuice" remains one of my all-time favorite films, for a number of reasons.  

1. I have so much respect for writers who go out on a limb and create an original script with unique characters, that takes real creativity.  

2. The art direction and overall style of the film is so brilliant.  

  Every character speaks dialogue that is so suited to them, you couldn't switch the lines and have the scenes work.  The costuming, lighting, makeup is also specifically made to enhance each scene so well you can understand where the story is even without the sound on.  

3. The foundation of the story and what really brings the film together is the idea of family, and in the end, it's better to try to get along than to despise each other.

And the soundtrack! I wish it came with everything, but some of the most atmospheric Danny Elfman tracks aren't included.  Thankfully some nice internet person makes them available with some minor digging.

♪ Here is a link to a-difficult-to-find track: The Afterlife