Artwork of the Day: Movies, Five Cents

Posted on November 25, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Movies, Five Cents (1907, John French Sloan)

How long have movies been an important part of life? Well, consider this. The painting above, John French Sloan’s Movies, Five Cents, was painted in 1907! It depicts what most of us, up until a few years ago, would have considered to be a fairly modern scene. A group of people sit in a theater and watch a movie. Well, almost all of them are watching. The center of the painting is the one woman who is not watching the movie but who instead appears to be staring straight at the observer. Is she watching us or has she caught us watching her?

Of course, today, things are changing. There are so many new ways to watch movies that it’s hard not to feel that the whole ritual of going down to a theater to see the latest release will soon be as passé as dial-up internet or having a landline phone. Right now, you look at this painting and you marvel at the very idea of being able to see a movie for five cents. In the future, we may find ourselves marveling at the idea of actually leaving the house to watch a film. We may look at this painting and say, “This painting reminds me of what it was like when movie theaters still existed.” And then our children will say, “What’s a painting?”

That’s life.

Til then, I love this painting. Movies, Five Cents is a prime example of the Ashcan School of art. Inspired by socialism and Marxism and all that stuff, The Ashcan School rebelled against both impressionism and academic realism and instead, attempted to capture scenes of real life, especially among the poor. John French Sloan was one of the leading artists in the Aschan School and he remained a fervent socialist for his entire life.

Is there a political subtext to Movies, Five Cents? Honestly, who cares? I’m more interested in trying to figure out what movie they’re watching. It looks romantic!

Artwork of the Day: Blood Freak

Posted on November 24, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

Today’s artwork of the day has a Thanksgiving theme!

Now, it may not be obvious from looking at the poster above but 1972’s Blood Freak is a film that is uniquely suited for today’s holiday. What’s the film about? Well, in short, it’s about a kinda beefy dumb guy who gets a job working at a turkey farm. He spends all of his time surrounded by turkeys. Well, except for the time that he spends smoking dope!

That’s right — marijuana! The weed with roots in Hell!

He takes a few hits off a joint and, when next he awakes, he discovers that he has been transformed into a blood-thirsty monster that has the body of a man and the head of a turkey!

No, this movie is not a comedy. At least not intentionally. However, it is a classic. And so is the poster! Needless to say, the woman on the poster never appears in the film but the artist, whoever he was, did an excellent job of capturing the essence of the turkey monster.

The only unfortunate thing about the poster is that it doesn’t include a picture of the narrator. That’s right, Blood Freak has a narrator. He pops up randomly through the film, sitting behind a desk and smoking a cigarette. At one point, his narration is interrupted by a sudden coughing fit.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Happy birthday, Erin Nicole!

(And if you want to read more about Blood Freak, check out my review here!)

Artwork of the Day: They Call Her One Eye

Posted on November 23, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

They call her One Eye.

Of course, her name was originally Frigga. It was only after she was kidnapped, forced into prostitution, and had her eye removed as a punishment that Frigga became known as One Eye.

And, in much the same way, They Call Her One Eye was originally known as Thriller, A Cruel Picture. It was a Swedish picture, a feminist-themed revenge flick that had been banned for both its brutal violence and its explicit sexual content. In 1974, when American International Pictures brought Thriller to America, they cut out the hardcore sex scenes, left the violence untouched, and gave the film a new name: They Call Her One Eye.

They also came up with the absolutely brilliant artwork seen above! Even if They Call Her One Eye wasn’t one of the best and most subversive grindhouse films ever made, it would still deserve a place of honor just because of this poster.

It’s a classic in every sense of the word.

(And after looking at the poster, why not check out this list of Arleigh’s nine favorite revenge films?)

Artwork of the Day: Ms. 45

Posted on November 22, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

I don’t know who designed the poster for the classic 1981 film, Ms. 45, but it is truly brilliant.

Directed by Abel Ferrara, Ms. 45 tells the story of a mute seamstress named Thana (played by Zoe Tamerlis) who, after being raped twice in one day, uses a 45 caliber pistol to take revenge on almost every man in New York City. The film’s tagline announces, “She was used and abused — and it will never happen again!” and Ms. 45 is a feminist masterpiece, one that exposed and attacked the same type of men who, undoubtedly expecting to see a typically low-budget, nudity-filled revenge flick, probably flocked down to 42nd Street to see the film when it was originally released.

Like the film itself, the poster is a work of transgressive brilliance, promising sex and violence while, at the same time, announcing that Thana was never again going to be a victim of an exploitive and patriarchal society. One can only imagine how many men were lured into the theater by the legs on this poster, just to then by left in a state of shock as they literally watched themselves being blown away and punished for their misogyny on screen. (Reportedly, even the most hardened of grindhouse audiences were left stunned by Ms. 45‘s intense final scene.)

The poster for Ms. 45 is definitely one of the best in grindhouse history and it’s also our latest artwork of the day!

(If you want to read more about my feelings about Ms. 45 and grindhouse cinema in general, please be sure to read my rightfully acclaimed essay on the subject, Too Sordid To Ever Be Corrupted.)

Artwork of the Day: Disco Dilemma

Posted on November 21, 2016 by Lisa Marie Bowman

By Mort Kunstler

Do a google search for “Disco Painting” and this is one of the first images to come up. Entitled Disco Dilemma, it was painted by Mort Kunstler and, according to what I read online, it was used as the cover for the January, 1968 edition of a magazine called For Men Only.

(As my friend, Mark the Australian hippy, once pointed out, Kunstler is German for artist.)

A part of me wonders if that date is correct. Did they have discos in 1968? To me, this seems more appropriate for 1978 than 1968. Just check out that ascot on the bearded man over on the far left side of the picture. (The bearded man, incidentally, bears a vague resemblance to Charlton Heston. Heston famously wore a similar ascot all through Soylent Green.) According to Wikipedia, For Men Only published from “at least the 1950s to the 1970s,” which is pretty damn vague for the internet’s go-to source for information. Wikipedia also states that it started out as a “men’s adventure” magazine before going pornographic in 1970. Personally, I just think it’s amusing that there actually used to be a magazine called For Men Only. Is that a threat or a dare? If I found an old copy of For Men Only and I opened it, would it lead to some sort of Ark of the Covenant-style divine retribution?

(“CLOSE YOUR EYES! DON’T LOOK AT IT!”)

Well, regardless of when this was actually painted or if I would even be allowed to be in the same room as the actual magazine, here’s Disco Dilemma!

(Speaking of disco, be sure to check out my reviews of Skatetown USA, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band, Saturday Night Fever, Prom Night, Staying Alive, and Thank God It’s Friday!)

(And remember…if I can’t have you, I don’t want nobody, baby….)

(…’Cause we’re living in a world of fools. Breaking us down when they all should let us be. We belong to you and me…)

It’s Love, Part 2

Posted on February 14, 2016 by Dazzling Erin

Last year, at this time, we shared some classic romance comic book covers. Starting in the late 1940s, many comic book companies tried to broaden their audience by publishing romance comic books. These comics told dramatic love stories in which young women had to deal with issues of cheating, divorce, jealousy, heartache, and the search for the one.

By Gene Colan

Because it’s Valentine’s Day, here’s more love and romance.

By Bob Oskner

By Jay Scott Pike

By Nick Cardy

And remember, while you’re searching for love, be careful and don’t accept a ride from the first guy who offers. Or you could end up with a bad reputation like Toni!

Happy Valentine’s Day, everyone!

By Gene Colan

Horror Artist Profile: Bernie Wrightson (1948- )

Posted on October 5, 2014 by Arleigh

Horror fans know who Bernie Wrightson is even if not by name, but by the work he has done in the horror field.

Born in October 27, 1948, Bernie Wrightson has made his name creating some of the more recognizable horror illustrations since the 1970’s. Wrightson would have his break out work in conjunction with Len Wein in co-creating the character Swamp Thing for DC Comics in 1971. In time, Wrightson would move on from DC Comics and the character he created for Warren Publishing that were well-known for producing black-and-white horror titles.

Throughout the years, Wrightson would end up producing some classic images for horror stories ranging from Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein right up to several Stephen King novels (The Stand, Cycle of the Werewolf and Wolves of the Calla).

Here’s to hoping that Wrightson has many more years of horror work ready to fire up the imaginations of horror fans everywhere.

Game Review: Artist Survival Simulator

Posted on May 27, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

You’re looking at this post and you’re asking yourself, “Since when has Lisa cared about games? I thought she only cared about Italian horror films and Lifetime movies! Is Lisa seriously reviewing a game?”

Well, as a matter of fact, I am.

Why?

Because I love the Artist Survival Simulator.

The Artist Survival Simulator is a work of interactive fiction that was designed by using Twine. As the title suggests, the Artist Survival Simulator allows you to live the life of an artist. And who doesn’t want to be an artist, right? But, as this game shows, the life of an artist is not an easy one.

The game begins by asking you three times whether or not you really want to embark on this life. At the very least, you can’t say that you haven’t been warned. After clicking yes three times, you are informed that you have just completed your studies in fine arts! Yay! Your inspiration is strong (though, as you’ll soon find out, your inspiration increases and decreases depending on your actions throughout the game). You worked while you were in college so you’ve got 5,000 Euros saved up.

(That’s right — you’re European! So, while the rest of your fellow Europeans are busy voting for the UKIP and the Front National, you’re saving the world through art! Yay!)

Each month, you’re given four options. You can make art, you can work for a living, you can apply for a grant, or you can go on an inspirational excursion. Now, if you’re anything like me, you’re going to want to make art and that’s great. Depending on how or low your inspiration may be, you might create anything from a “timeless painting” to a “controversial monument” to a “mediocre sound art work.” But here’s the thing — regardless of what you create, you’re not going to make any money from it.

“That’s okay,” you say, “Art is not about money!”

Well, that’s all good and well and hey, good luck with that and enjoy your Occupy reunion, you moonbat. The fact of the matter is that, in both the game and real life, you need money to live. Each month, your living expenses total 1,000 Euros. As soon as you’re out of Euros, the game ends. So, go ahead and just concentrate on creating art. The game will be over in 5 turns.

So, let’s say you decide to spend a month working. Hey, that’s a good idea. At least you can make money. But here’s the problem — each month you spend working, your inspiration decreases. And here’s the thing — as your inspiration decreases, your art becomes less and less impressive and once you have totally run out of inspiration, your artistic career is over.

Luckily, there is a way to increase your inspiration. You can go on an “inspirational excursion,” which is also known as a vacation. These excursions are great because you return from them ready to create something wonderful. The only problem is that they cost 2,000 Euros, which means that as soon as you return, you’re in danger of running out of money. And how do we make money? By working, which decreases the inspiration that you just spent so much money to build up.

Okay, so how can you make money without destroying your inspiration? Well, you can apply for a grant but — much as in real life — there’s no way to predict whether or not you’ll actually get that grant. If you do get it, you’ll be able to spend a few months creating art but, if you don’t, it just means that you’ve wasted an entire month and you’re down another 1,000 Euros.

The challenge is to balance the need for money with the need for inspiration. Because, as soon as you run out of money and/or inspiration, you’re informed that maybe its time to start thinking about paying back your student loans…

THE HORROR!

I love the Artist Survival Simulator because it proves something that I’ve always suspected. If you want to survive as an artist, it helps to come from a rich family.

Play it here!

Don’t Look Back: The Walking Dead 2014 Teaser Poster

Posted on January 2, 2014 by Lisa Marie Bowman

AMC has released the teaser poster for the upcoming season of The Walking Dead and looking at it, two things are obvious. First off, the prison is gone. Secondly, Rick and Carl are on their own.

The Walking Dead returns in February to AMC.

Artist Profile: Joe Chiodo

Posted on April 21, 2013 by Arleigh

Joe Chiodo is a name not unknown to comic book aficionados. The youngest of four boys, Chiodo would grow up to be one of the comic book industry’s most sought after cover illustrators and colorists. His popularity rose during the 1990’s as he contributed cover illustrations for the group of artists who would form the indie publishing, creator-owned company of Image Comics (especially the Wildstorm and Cliffhanger brands).

Chiodo’s pin-up style lends well to the so-called “bad girl” style of comic book characters such as Vampirella, Lady Death, Witchblade and a host of others. His pin-up style was reminiscent of classic pin-up and cheesecake artists such as Dave Stevens and Gil Elvgren. He would add a certain Disney cartoon-style to the mix that would become the unique Chiodo-style fans have come to admire and love.

Joe Chiodo continues to do cover illustrations and coloring for comic book artists and companies. He has also released his own series of artbooks that focuses on his cover works and original art and painting throughout the years.