When the pandemic began, I had a brief period with a lot of extra time on my hands. I began a series, which I plan on finishing in the near future, of posters centered around the classic (and thankfully public domain!) works of Edgar Allen Poe. Taking inspiration from cartoons of the 1930s, the short stories of Poe, and the classic Roger Corman/Vincent Price collaborations of the 60s, I began the series with my first poster, a take on The Pit and the Pendulum. Much of the inspiration here comes from classic lobby cards and posters for the Silly Symphonies, Merrie Melodies, and Betty Boop/Popeye shorts of the 30s. I love the vibrancy of the colors in those posters, and the way the characters are staged to create drama. This one definitely owes a bit of a debt to the Mickey Mouse short “The Mad Doctor” and I really hope I brought enough of my own vision to it to not make it seem like an obvious copy or rip-off. These classic posters real inspire me, but I like to think that other influences shine through ranging from my adolescent obsession with classic Mad Magazine, the 60s and 70s sci-fi art of my father’s bookshelf, and the darker, weird side of Dr. Suess.
