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Pop Culture Art/Posters/Prints |OT2| Signed and Numbered Edition of 20000

IronRinn

Member
broken_image_icon.gif

(There will be a header here at some point, I swear.)

Welcome one and all to NeoGAF’s all-encompassing poster and print thread, colloquially known as Fancy-PosterGAF. Here you’ll find a small, but ever growing community of collectors, connoisseurs, and insane people devoted to the hoarding and, sometimes, display of a wide variety of printed art, ranging from the cheap and mundane to the absurd and absurdly expensive. If you’re returning, welcome back to the treadmill. If this is your first time here, we have some info for you to help you get started.

Section 1: $100.00 for a poster?

(So sick)

Well, yes. No doubt you’ve been putting those glossy, mass-produced posters on your walls. Shiny images of a sick, cherry red Lamborghini Countach or maybe a Dragon Ball Z wall scroll. No more! You’re an adult now, time to start collecting and paying like one. The prints we’re usually talking about are a step above in both quality and, perhaps more importantly, exclusivity. That is to say: while there are endless copies of that DBZ wall scroll, there may only be five hundred copies of the DBZ screen print you’re looking to buy (and, oftentimes, far fewer than that). You are also now, in effect, partaking in the world of collecting art, a world that can be both extremely volatile and extremely competitive. As such, you’re not just dealing with the popularity of an image, but that of the person who made it. Who’s hot this month can affect price and availability as much as anything else. As for production, you'll most likely be looking at three different types of prints: seriagraphs (screenprints), giclees, and lithographs. For more info on the various methods of printing, see here.

I would say that the majority of the art that you’ll find in this thread will be of the screen printed variety, but there are more and more artists coming up whose work is too difficult to produce adequately in this fashion and are releasing giclee prints (artists whose work is closer to traditional painting tend to favor giclees).

Along with varied methods of printing you will find a vast array of subjects. Pop culture art has exploded over the last few years, and you may have already seen some of the tidal wave of movie and video game art that has been produced. But there’s also art from street and graffiti artists, concert posters (a market that has existed for decades now), and fine art prints. There is a staggering amount of print art out there, catering to most anything one might be interested in. Let’s take a look at where you can go to get your fix.

FINE, where do I buy these things?

  • Mondo: The Behemoth. Regardless of what you think of there output as of late, I think it cannot be disputed that they are the biggest name in pop culture posters, if only for the time being. If this is your first time here, there is a good chance that what brought you here was a Mondo print. Make an account, log in before the drop, and keep your fingers crossed while you hammer the F5 button on drop day.
  • Bottleneck: They started out small, but in the past year their output has grown by leaps and bounds in both quality and quantity. Want something besides movie poster? Hit up sister galleries Arcadium and UTBNYC for non-pop culture prints from a wide range of artists.
  • Black Dragon Press: BDP's portfolio of prints has been steadily on the rise, producing work for films from directors like Tarkovsky and Herzog, as well as prints for literary works such as Watership Down and a small but impressive collection of art prints. Keep an eye on these guys.
  • Gallery1988: Two galleries in LA with a regular new shows covering a spectrum of pop culture subjects. Some big names really blew up courtesy of these guys.
  • Dark Hall Mansion: Despite a limited pool of artists and properties, Dark Hall has put out consistently good work, even if they lean heavily on that Peanuts license.
  • Hero Complex Gallery: Leaning more towards the video game end of the spectrum, but plenty of tv and movie work in there as well.
  • Postersandtoys: Headed by Mitch Putnam of Mondo, you’ll often find smaller releases and Artist Proof’s from Mondo talent sold here. Tougher to get a drop here and prices are marked up based on aftermarket value. Mitch also runs Pwints, for kid-friendly art.
  • Grey Matter: Leaning more towards horror, Grey Matter has slowly been building a catalog of great prints.
  • The Vacvvm: One of the newest players, The Vacvvm is artist commune also headed by Mitch Putnam, and headlined by Aaron Horkey, that releases art prints by some of the the hottest up and coming artists.
There are a TON of other places to buy prints from, including directly from the artists. Check out Section 4 for a list of other galleries and artists’s websites.

Section 2: Storage and Display.

So now that you have a glut of paper taking up room in your house, what do you do with it. Well, there are a few options:

Storage:

Before you even get into storing these prints, make sure they are flat! I think it’s safe to say that many of us keep them rolled up in their delivery tubes when we are first starting out. While this is convenient, the longer they stay rolled up, the harder they will be to flatten out. Do yourself a favor and get your prints out of the tube as quickly as possible. I like to let them relax for a few days before I start flattening them out. You can use use anything (books, for example) that doesn’t damaged the paper to weight down the corners or use the the foam board method mentioned below. You can even buy poster weights to help with the flattening process.

41363_X.jpg

(Baby steps.)

Acid free foam board and glassine sheets: Here’s the most basic setup you can get. Grab some big sheets of acid free foamboard from an art supply store and separate prints with acid-free glassine sheets. Clamp down the edges with binder clips and your print sandwich is done and you can hide it under a couch or bed so that no one can see your shame. As previously mentioned, helpful for flattening prints even if you don’t ultimately store them this way.

stein-design-picturesque-presentation-case-closed.jpg

(This is fine. Everything’s fine.)

Display portfolio: Here’s where many start to get serious. A display portfolio is great if you don’t have room for a flatfile, and it’s also easily hidden away. Sizes can range from 8.5” x 11” to up to and beyond 24” x 36”. Stein deSign makes a great case, and can be found at a number of online art stores like AWS Express and Jerry’s Artarama. (Keep an eye out for coupons.) The biggest downside to a presentation case is that the pages can be expensive and a bit fragile.

flatfile1.jpg

(My girlfriend/boyfriend/wife/husband is leaving me, but at least I have these prints.)

Flatfile: If you are really serious about hoarding paper, and you have the room, you’ll want a flatfile. Made from a variety of materials in a variety of styles, these multi-drawered pieces of furniture are the made to store large pieces of paper. Best bet for finding one is to check Craigslist. People have done some really interesting things with them as well, like putting a glass window in the top and using them as a coffee table.

Display:

Believe it or not, some people actually buy prints to display, as in hang them up so that other people can look at them. I know, it’s crazy. There are a number of things to take into account when framing art. The biggest concerns when framing prints are going to be light exposure, humidity, and chemical degradation. These are the archiving concerns, and are completely separate from those of aesthetics. I could probably fill up an entire page’s worth of posts regarding the ins and outs. Thankfully, much of this work has been done already by more committed and experienced people, so get ready for some links.

Frame Destination’s in-depth framing information.

Smithsonian Museum Conservation Institute: Housing and Environment Options for Display of Documents

Frankly, you can get crazed with this stuff. The short version is this:

  • Make sure to use spacers or a mat to keep the paper from touching the glass, unless you will be rotating prints in the frame.
  • Make sure to protect the print from direct sunlight. Use glass with UV protection or rotate images to avoid fading.
  • Make sure the print has room to expand and contract within the frame.
  • Make sure the print can be easily removed from the mat/frame. Hinges should not use strong adhesives and NO DRYMOUNTING.
  • Make sure mat, hinges, and backing boards are acid free (This goes for any storage, including the presentation cases I mentioned above. Just like mushrooms, the only paper acids you should be working with are the ones that let you see the face of god.)
This is all stuff to keep in mind if you take your prints to a professional framer. The good ones will know all of this. Be careful when going to the bigger stores, like AC Moore or Michael’s. Could be you get someone who knows what they’re doing, but it’s just as likely that you’ll get someone working part time in the framing department. That’s not a knock against those people, it’s just the reality of those stores.

Lastly, here's a great article for beginners ordering a frame online from places like Frame Destination or American Frame.

Section 3: Further References and Worthwhile Websites

Expresso Beans The premiere poster collecting website on the internet. Well, maybe not, but one of the more popular places to buy, sell, and argue about poster art.

OMG Posters! Print blog run by Mitch Putnam (that dude really gets around). Good source of upcoming releases.

Inside the Rock Poster Frame Like it says on the box, this mostly deals with concert (or gig) posters but they also update on gig-poster artists’ releases as well.

Cult Collective Good news section for releases. They also have a small store of their own.

The original Off-Topic thread.

(Big thanks to sushigod7, fallengorn, FilthySlug, Blingaling, and Dreweyes for their help with the new OP and of course an enormous thanks to Mockingbird, without whom this thread might not exist.)
 

Browny

Banned
Firstly, lovely new thread smell. And a big thanks to IronRinn, Mockingbird and all others for bleeding my wallet dry... Although I'm looking forward to the day I have to ask for recommendations on flat files and the like!

My most recent addition is this Ferguson Iron Man - photo courtesy of my iPotato 4 (quoted for size):


Just awaiting a hammer (and me to tweak the bottom of it slightly).

The rest of my office can be found here from the old thread. If I'm going to be sat down browsing GAF working all day, I may as well make the place look interesting...

Edit: also, is it worth asking for it to be switched to Off Topic? I seem to remember other re-booted community threads having a few weeks there to start with, to bring it to people's attention.
 

IronRinn

Member
Edit: also, is it worth asking for it to be switched to Off Topic? I seem to remember other re-booted community threads having a few weeks there to start with, to bring it to people's attention.
Ah shit. I'll contact a mod and ask. I just automatically assumed it went into Community.
 

Zombine

Banned
Wonderful and informative thread and it isn't even complete yet! This past year has introduced the world of art to me and it sank it's teeth into me real good. I'm still growing and developing my tastes, but I feel like this is the most fulfilling hobby I've ever had, and is an awesome way of expressing your fandom for a specific work of pop culture.

Edit:

I don't think that OT 2-onward get moved to off topic but I could be wrong. It may be at the discretion of whoever the mod is. I know monthly threads are created and stay in OTC.
 

V_Ben

Banned
Whoa, we've made it to a new thread. Awesome :D Been a while since i've bought a poster... might need to get updated :p
 

Browny

Banned
Monthlys are community straight away - but a few other threads have been OT (New Board Gaming, Miniatures, Plastic Scale) IIRC...

http://www.cultcollective.co.uk/ is a good place for press release info (although obviously nowhere near as quick as Twitter and specific websites).
 

IronRinn

Member
Monthlys are community straight away - but a few other threads have been OT (New Board Gaming, Miniatures, Plastic Scale) IIRC...

http://www.cultcollective.co.uk/ is a good place for press release info (although obviously nowhere near as quick as Twitter and specific websites).

Mods have been notified. We'll see where this ends up. Sorry about that guys.

Added Cult Collective to section 3. Thanks!
 
Woohoo! High fives all around! Welcome back to the old faces and welcome in to the new ones.

My inaugural post in the new thread had to include my absolute favorite pop culture prints, Horkey's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
IMG_6603_zpsrlkow5ni.jpg
 

IronRinn

Member
Woohoo! High fives all around! Welcome back to the old faces and welcome in to the new ones.

My inaugural post in the new thread had to include my absolute favorite pop culture prints, Horkey's Lord of the Rings trilogy.
IMG_6603_zpsrlkow5ni.jpg

These still look fantastic. One day this dude is going to do a print for a movie I really like. He did a print for Fantastic Planet, which I love, but the print didn't do much for me. The only thing I have by him is "Black Lake".
 

LaneDS

Member
Nice job Rinn!

Will that forthcoming header include a sample of some of the mostly agreed upon best pieces? That was what initially drew me into the last thread, the OP full of stuff I wanted (and then saw the pricetags on).
 
Paintings ok ?

Ultra crappy pictures :

cA4Swncl.jpg


Snake

UJ9KU9sl.jpg


Star Fox, FF VI

LnG4jhzl.jpg


Drake/Sully & Joel / Ellie

sJd1JQgl.jpg


MGS 1 limited print, numbered and signed by hand

NJq0N5Zl.jpg


Cassandra, Dragon Age Inquisition

oXoDRCYl.jpg


Journey it's the artwork I got myself painted and framed. It's huge the redbox on the right in a cognac bottle for scale

iIPSUpCl.jpg


This one is from art god gaffer Orioto
 

IronRinn

Member
Nice job Rinn!

Will that forthcoming header include a sample of some of the mostly agreed upon best pieces? That was what initially drew me into the last thread, the OP full of stuff I wanted (and then saw the pricetags on).

Well, I guess that's up to you guys. The actual header is being worked on by Dreweyes. Honestly, when I wrote it my purpose was to avoid an image-heavy OP. This thread is super image heavy by necessity, but the first page of the old thread especially loaded like molasses for me. But I think if we can agree on some pieces I could stitch 'em together and drop them in there, sure.

Paintings ok?
Welcome! (Oh, wait, you posted in the last thread. Well, welcome back!) And sure, paintings are fine.

How do those Ukiyo-e Heroes look in person? I really should get around to picking one up.
 
These still look fantastic. One day this dude is going to do a print for a movie I really like. He did a print for Fantastic Planet, which I love, but the print didn't do much for me. The only thing I have by him is "Black Lake".
I've got a wish list a mile long. Are you not big on Pan's Labyrinth? It's my 2nd fav of his movie prints. Fantastic planet is dope too.
 

IronRinn

Member
I've got a wish list a mile long. Are you not big on Pan's Labyrinth? It's my 2nd fav of his movie prints. Fantastic planet is dope too.
Ah, I forgot about that one. Yeah, another one that didn't wow me. I think his best movie stuff is the LotR trilogy and his TWBB, but I just don't dig the films enough to hang a poster for them. Dude is an amazing illustrator, don't get me wrong, just that his work and films haven't quite lined up for me yet.
 

omgkitty

Member
These still look fantastic. One day this dude is going to do a print for a movie I really like. He did a print for Fantastic Planet, which I love, but the print didn't do much for me. The only thing I have by him is "Black Lake".

I really like his prints for There Will Be Blood and Pan's Labyrinth, but usually his stuff is way too busy for me. Sometimes less is more. I tend to like the stuff he does that has more negative space to it. His lettering is also pretty much illegible for me.
 

Filthy Slug

Crowd screaming like hounds at the heat of the chase/ All the colors of the rainbow flood my face
Awesome job with the thread, IronRinn! Love that we're sharing great frame-ups, too, as that's probably my favorite part of the hobby.
 
I really like his prints for There Will Be Blood and Pan's Labyrinth, but usually his stuff is way too busy for me. Sometimes less is more. I tend to like the stuff he does that has more negative space to it. His lettering is also pretty much illegible for me.

Oddly enough TWBB is the only Horkey I ever sold, it just never grabbed me, even after a few months on the wall. He's pretty polarizing, but that's the great thing about the subjectivity of art, and all opinions are valid. Remember that kids: ALL OPINIONS ARE VALID :)
 

omgkitty

Member
Oddly enough TWBB is the only Horkey I ever sold, it just never grabbed me, even after a few months on the wall. He's pretty polarizing, but that's the great thing about the subjectivity of art, and all opinions are valid. Remember that kids: ALL OPINIONS ARE VALID :)

Stop-liking-what-I-dont-like.jpg


:D
 

suplex

Member
Someone should sell me a TWBB variant for cheap.

Nice job with the new thread! Nice to have a bunch of good info in one place.
 

fallengorn

Bitches love smiley faces

Guess someone made a mistake, they fixed the info. I'll go ahead and update the post.

Edit: But yeah, like Slug said, they do giclee printing. Actually... I think Clockwork Printing is just the name Bottleneck is using for their printing services.
 

IronRinn

Member
They do professional giclee printing as well.

I saw a preview of the Daredevils a few months back and they're rad as fuck!

Guess someone made a mistake, they fixed the info. I'll go ahead and update the post.

Edit: But yeah, like Slug said, they do giclee printing. Actually... I think Clockwork Printing is just the name Bottleneck is using for their printing services.

Interesting. I had no idea.
 

Meier

Member
Welcome to the new thread, folks! Thanks again to Rinn on hooking a brother up with the Danger Hannibal! Some day I'll get it and the two PCC ones I have framed.. ha ha ha..
 

Filthy Slug

Crowd screaming like hounds at the heat of the chase/ All the colors of the rainbow flood my face
He's done a Rambo thing for Gray Matter, and some other more low-key stuff.

Shame what happened with that Prometheus thing, 'cause it really wasn't a big fucking deal.
 

IronRinn

Member
Yea, clockwork, like utbnyc or arcadium just popped out from bottleneck.

Hey everyone, it's deadbolt1388! (Everyone says deadbolt1388, Cheers-style).

Unrelated. Don't know how many are into Cleon Peterson, but I've been digging some of his work, so:

Available Tuesday, August 11th at 2pm EST exclusively on Library Street Collective: "Balance of Power"

Screen_shot_2015_08_09_at_9_58_40_PM.png


Two colorways (black and gold) 40" x 20" hand pulled screen print on 290gsm Coventry Rag paper with deckled edges. Signed and numbered edition of 75 (each, I assume). $200.00
 
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