It’s the NFL Playoffs this weekend. And nothing gets me more pumped for football than football movie posters! Yeah, not exactly…but Coach Pacino’s lockerroom speech from Any Given Sunday is pretty damn good.
Category Archives: 1980s posters
Solie Patrol!
Meet John Solie, yet another movie poster artist who now mainly does Western Art (Remember Robert Tanenbaum and Howard Terpning?). By the way, what’s up with all these ex-movie poster illustrators into Western Art? Maybe it pays better.
Anyway, Mr. Solie is well-known for his portraits of the well-known (i.e., celebrity portraits) and has done a ton of stuff for TV Guide, Reader’s Digest, and even NASA! I guess those astronauts must’ve loved Strange Brew.
Jungian Posterology
Solid Gold!
Bill Gold Advertising is undoubtedly one of the most successful poster design companies in the history of the movie business. This New Yorker was chiefly known for his productive relationships with Bob Peak and Clint Eastwood, with whom he worked with for over 30 years of his movies.
Speaking of Clint, there’s an excellent book out now called Clint Eastwood Icon: The Essential Film Art Collection…
John Alvin’s Chipmunks
Although Alvin & The Chipmunks are squeakin’ at the box office today, they don’t got nothin’ on legendary poster designer, John Alvin, who died tragically at the age of 59 from a heart attack back in 2008. Fortunately for us, his hopeful, inspirational work lives on…
The Royal Tanenbaum
No, not the Wes Anderson movie — this is the work of Robert Tanenbaum! One of the go-to-poster artists for major movie studios back in the 70’s, he has since moved onto specialize in doing portraits of Native Americans, dancers, and sports figures.
Philberts
Phil Roberts is yet another contemporary artist who draws in that humorous Jack Davis style. In fact, he not only draws like him — he actually did the poster for The Bad News Bears remake in 2005. But what’s interesting is that he also happens to be a very well known surf artist, too!
Let There Be Lettick (1919-1986)
Whenever I’m browsing through DVDs of old 70’s and 80’s movies, I’m always attracted to this former magazine illustrator’s work. You see, when Birney Lettick was not busy doing movie posters, he apparently had a very prolific career drawing portraits of such powerful figures as Ayatollah Khomeini and Ronald Reagan for Time.
And what an unusual spelling of his name! I’ve heard of a lotta Bernies before (Bernie Mac, Bernie Madoff, Bernie Kopell, etc.) — but never Birney. So if you’re in the mood, take a moment to stop your world and melt with Birney’s Valley Girl and many other classics.
Indiana Jones: Amsel vs. Struzan
Whose Indy work do you prefer: Richard Amsel’s (top) or Drew Struzan’s (bottom)?
(NOTE: If you zoom in, you can see the artist’s signatures on the bottom lower right of each poster…something I’m sure today’s corporate studio marketing departments would never allow!)
Movie Poster Museum 