Ahoy, squirts! The ever crusty and revenge-seeking seaman, Quint, here with the second edition of my regular (to semi-regular) column: Quint's Chum Bucket. This time I have some particularly nasty little tidbits full of blood, revenge and Queen... The perfect bait for the rogue geek!
I want to thank all you folks for the great feedback from the premiere Chum Bucket. It was overwhelmingly positive and made this seaman squirt a salty tear. For those of you Dark Tower nutters (like me), wait 'till you get a load of my next column... It's a doooooosey.
But, that's for another day. Today I have a really cool interview for you fine squirts that I conducted with comic artist extraordinaire, Tim Bradstreet, about his recent series of PUNISHER posters that he created for the upcoming film. I have yet to see PUNISHER, so I can not vouch for its success as a film, but damn if Bradstreet didn't put out some purty posters. We also delve a bit into his upcoming film and comic book ventures.
Stick around. After the interview, I'll give you folks a rundown on the current CD that I can not, for the life of me, get out of my head: The SHAUN OF THE DEAD soundtrack. It physically refuses to leave my CD player. But first, here's the interview with cool-ass images to boot!
QUINT:I WOULD VENTURE TO GUESS THAT YOUR PAST WITH THE PUNISHER COMICS HELPED YOU LAND THE GIG DOING THE POSTERS, BUT HOW DID YOU TALK AVI INTO LETTING YOU DO YOUR THING ON THE ONE-SHEETS?
BRADSTREET: ? Most definitely the comics work helped land the gig. There were probably a host of factors that went into it. The first contact I had was with Jonathan Hensleigh. A mutual friend hooked us up almost a year before principle photography started. Jonathan and I connected well and he was very much a fan of the cover work that I had done. We yapped back and forth about ideas, he sent a script and I was fully anticipating doing pre-production conceptual and design work for the film. This went on for a few months. We had a long talk and an email about what to do for the first teaser trailer and a lot of what I suggested made it to the screen. That was very cool.
So anyway, skip ahead a few more months and it started to become obvious that I was not going to participate in pre-production. I was pretty bummed. I spoke to Ari Arad about this but they just didn't see any reason to bring me in. A couple weeks earlier he wanted me to take part in the skull re-design but I wasn't being paid yet so I let that slip through the cracks. Unfortunately Jonathan did not have a say in this. He felt terrible but could do nothing. During one of the several conversations I'd had with Ari I mentioned the idea of doing a teaser poster for the film. I really tried to sell him on it because I have always wanted to do a film poster. I tried to implore to him that it would be a cool thing for the fans of the comic to see art for the movie by the guy who is known for the comics. I pretty much said, It would be my version of Thomas Jane as The Punisher.
As a fan of film and comics I thought that would be a cool hook and a nice bridge between the two. He concurred but it was left up in the air. That's where my association with this thing ended as far as I knew at the time. It was very disappointing to be left out but that is life and I moved on.
A few more months go by and I'm at the San Diego Comic Con. Just before I left the house to go to the show Friday morning, Ari called and said "Hey, you wanna do a poster?" After I collected myself I responded with a big fucking YES. I was freaking out that I was getting a shot. I went to the con in utter disbelief. You were there, was I not walking around on a cloud? It was just surreal. I got through that weekend and on Monday I began to get the thing organized. I was going to get to do my own photo shoot with Tom so I could light it the way I wanted to and was given carte blanch to get my shots.
Over the next few months the job grew from doing just the assigned teaser image to creating 4 additional illustrations. Towards the end of the job it was decided that I would also create the official US one-sheets. Ari, Avi, Lion's Gate, Hensleigh, and Tom Jane all got behind me and let me run.
QUINT: ARE ALL THE POSTERS GOING TO BE USED IN THEATERS?
BRADSTREET:? Not sure about that. The official teaser illustrated poster will be in selected theaters. The one-sheets are everywhere, and the rest are on billboards, magazine ads, buses and so forth. The 5 teaser illustrations are being turned into 40X60 subway posters and will be seen in certain theaters. And everything I did is all over the net. You know the biggest surprise in all of this is that Marvel and Lion's Gate let me keep my name (signature) on all the images. I was sure that they would get edited out but these guys have been true blue and are giving me full credit for everything. I think that is amazing.
QUINT: LET'S GET INTO THE PROCESS... YOU HAVE THE GO-AHEAD BY THE STUDIO (THE FAT PAYCHECK IN YOUR HANDS) AND A BLANK CANVASS SITTING IN FRONT OF YOU. WHAT'S THE STEP BY STEP?
BRADSTREET:? It went something like this. After the shoot with Tom I picked my favorite shots and submitted them for approval. There were three separate entities that had to sign off. Marvel, Lion's Gate, and Tom Jane (who had likeness approval). Let me tell you, that was tough. Once I had approved images I pretty much had full freedom to come up with concepts.
The first thing we had to get out of the way was the main teaser image. That took the longest. It was months of back and forth and tons of micro management. When we finally nailed it the rest came easy. I probably did about 20 to 30 different designs with hundreds of permutations. I compose the illustration in photos and graphic elements in Photoshop. Then the whole thing is illustrated in black and white. Then they were painted digitally. The one-sheets are more photo based but that was a TON of work as well. At one point I was working at 27X40 in layers, I glanced at the file size and it was like 1.4 gigabytes. Those suckers took some time. Again, it was very liberating to have the freedom to come up with concepts on my own. They put a lot of trust in me. All I wanted to do was to make Jane look like a complete badass. He made it easy.
QUINT: THIS IS YOUR FIRST TIME DOING A MOVIE POSTER, RIGHT? HOW IS IT DIFFERENT FROM THE COVERS, PANELS AND PIN-UPS YOU'VE DONE IN THE PAST?
BRADSTREET:? Yeah, first movie posters. To tell you the truth it's not a whole lot different than doing any illustration. I'm so very influenced by the art of film posters that it's pretty much already a part of how I construct a cover or pin-up for comics. It's a lot of the same elements. For me it was just all about getting the right attitude and doing something iconic with the character. After over 50 covers for the Punisher I feel like a have a pretty good take on that vibe. All I had to do was inject Tom Jane into the mix. When I saw him in the full costume during the photo shoot, as he slipped into character, I knew that I was going to have no real trouble making him look cooler than shit. In a nutshell that is my job. Make these characters look like the could really exist, and make them look bad as hell.
QUINT: WHAT ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE MOVIE POSTERS? LIKE, WHAT DO YOU HAVE UP ON THE WALL? I'D BET YOU HAVE A DREW STRUZAN OR TWO!
BRADSTREET: Love Struzan. Had a chance to meet him last August over at Frank Darabont's place. He brought 4 originals with him. A Frankenstein piece, The new Blade Runner DVD cover poster art, and two unseen Indiana Jones pieces. Seeing them in person is so much more satisfying than seeing them printed. The colors and details are so much more vibrant. Absolutely stunning.
A couple weeks ago Darabont sent me a look at Drew's new painting for the 10th Anniversary Shawshank Redemption DVD. Drew is the quintessential likeness illustrator. I've been a fan for looooong time. I've had his First Blood poster since I was in High School. I also recently realized that he did the artwork for Black Sabbath's "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath" album. As a major Sabbath freak I thought that was pretty cool. I'll be getting my hands on one of those Blade Runner posters eventually. I'd really like to see the poster art he did for "The Thing", which he has listed on his site.
Another favorite is of course, Hellboy. Must get one. As for other posters my favorite film poster is The Outlaw Josey Wales (I've got a giant subway), followed closely by High Plains Drifter. I love the Hellboy one-sheet of just him standing in profile. I love about everything that Bob Peake ever did. Missouri Breaks and Apocalypse Now are favorites. I once got a paper sample from the Mohawk paper company that featured about a half dozen Peake paintings from Apocalypse. Hands down some of the coolest film associated artwork I've ever seen. Two of my prized possessions are the style "A" and "B" one-sheets from Near Dark . I also have a half-sheet Mad Max that I have had since the early 80s. Jesus, this list could go on all day. How about a list of my top ten?
1. The Outlaw Josey Wales
2. High Plains Drifter
3. Apocalypse Now
4. Once Upon A Time In The West (the art featuring the low level showdown on the train tracks)
5. Papillon (The painting by Tom Jung)
6. Near Dark (Style B) - Black and white, grainy, stretched perspective of Henricksen, Paxton, Goldstein, and Josh Miller -
7. Near Dark (Style A) - Bill Paxton as "Severin," bloody, beaten, burnt, and covered in gasoline.
8. Bullitt ? Just that iconic shot of McQueen. Awesome.
9. Le Pacte des loups (Brotherhood of the Wolf) French posters
10. Anatomy of a Murder ? I'm a huge Saul Bass fan
QUINT: WOULD YOU LIKE TO DO MORE POSTERS IN THE FUTURE?
BRADSTREET: Most certainly. I feel like that's in a sense what I've been doing with comic covers for a long time. Or at least attempting to do on a certain level. I don't get a chance to play with graphic design as much with comics on every cover. Sometimes I'm just doing story elements. One thing is for sure. Getting a bigger payday and a bigger deadline means that I can put a lot more time and effort into a movie poster than a cover. I can pull out all the stops and go for a superior illustration a lot easier that way.
With covers and the publishing industry, the deadlines are just so tight, especially when you are working on 3 to 6 projects at all times. Doing posters is a natural progression for me. It's something I've always wanted to do. All I needed was an opportunity. I've already got at least 3 separate movie poster gigs in various stages of development right now so I'll definitely be doing more. Although doing more film work will not prevent me from continuing to do cover work or other illustration jobs. It's business as usual here except just a lot more busy.
QUINT: WHICH IS YOUR FAVORITE "PUNISHER" POSTER?
BRADSTREET:? My favorite is teaser 5. It was the last one I did. I had the most freedom with it and I feel like I nailed the likeness of Jane. I went for a sepia look to the color against a heavy black background The body language, the design, and the execution all met my expectations. That's Gale Anne Hurd's favorite as well. She has good taste.
QUINT: IT SAYS ON YOUR OFFICIAL SITE THAT YOU'RE OFF IN EUROPE A LOT THESE DAYS WORKING ON A FILM. WHAT ARE YOU HIDING FROM US? IS IT LIKE YOUR DESIGN WORK WITH GUILLERMO ON "BLADE 2?"
BRADSTREET: ?Ahh, The Italian Job, as I call it. Well I wish I could say more about it right now. Like what the project is. But I can tell you that it is a 3D animated feature film. It will have some of the same demands as Blade 2 did as far as conceptual character design and illustration go. Another similarity is that the director is an open minded artist /collaborator. A beautiful man in much the same way as Guillermo. Those are the kind of guys you really want to work with. Totally creative and they trust you to do your thing. Basically, I and a couple of other buddies are creating all of the characters, art directing, and developing the master 3D models for everything. It's going to look like a Pixar film but with ultra realistic characters instead of 3 dimensional cartoons.
The director, Dario Piccau, told me that it's going to look like my illustrations running around in a movie. It will be photo real but not totally photographic. It will have a heavy artistic influence. When you find out what it is you will be surprised because it's not the kind of story that people would associate me with considering the work I'm known for. But that is what is so cool and challenging about it. Dario didn't pigeon-hole me, he sees the potential for what I'm capable of. That is both flattering and scary as hell. It's a story that most everyone of our generation knows at least a little. I think Miramax will be distributing in the US and I just learned that it will premiere in the states before Europe. That's about all I can say for now other than it's a beautiful story and it's going to be a beautiful experience. We'll be there for 6 months.
QUINT: ANYONE WHO HAS BEEN WITHIN 100 FEET OF HIM HAS A GOOD GUILLERMO DEL TORO STORY. TELL ME ONE.
BRADSTREET: ? Try within a mile of him. Jeez, where to start. There are so many. Let me just say this. Guillermo is a rare individual. When you are working with him you feel like you're working with a brother. He's a little kid. He loves what he does, he loves creativity, he loves to laugh, and he loves to collaborate with other artists. What's so great about him is that he's one of US who is doing what we would all kill to do, and he's doing it at a master level. He's incredibly intelligent and passionate. He makes everyone around him feel special. And most importantly, Guillermo knows a good place to eat no matter where you are.
The bastard is magnetic. You just want to be around him. Normally I'd tell you some story about how he made a couple of nuns blush at a funeral, or that he has this odd fetish for seeing things wrapped in clear plastic, or that he can use the word 'crap' in every sentence he utters though it would have a different meaning every time. Suffice it to say that knowing and working with del Toro is the experience of a lifetime.
QUINT: SO, IS THE UPCOMING "CONSTANTINE" (BASED ON THE HELLBLAZER BOOKS, WHICH YOU HAVE DONE MUCH ART FOR) GOING TO BE AS SHITTY AS THE EARLY WORD IS LETTING US TO BELIEVE?
BRADSTREET: ? At first I was incredibly jealous that I was not working on that project. I still am a bit. It's certainly disappointing that Constantine will not be fucking blonde or from the UK. I equate that to making the Punisher bald and of Asian decent. Considering that, we're talking the fact that this will be a broad interpretation of the book. It's the kind of thing that really alienates the core audience in my opinion. To use another analogy, it's like taking the ears off Batman's cowl and making him wear white. Certain main reoccurring characters are 180 degrees different from how we know them. It's certainly not the way I'd have approached the property. Will the end result make a good film? Who's to say? Francis Lawrence could have a surprise up his sleeve. I'll reserve final judgment until I see the film.
QUINT: SINCE YOU HAVE SPENT A LOT OF TIME PAINTING THESE GUYS, WHO WOULD HAVE BEEN YOUR DREAM CASTING FOR "CONSTANTINE" AND "PUNISHER?"
BRADSTREET: ? I've been singing about Paul Bettany for Constantine since I heard they were making it, back when Nick Cage was set to star. As for The Punisher . . . That's a tough one. Since meeting Jane I haven't really thought of anyone else but him. I think early on I was hoping for Dominic West from "The Wire." I was thinking of actors who resemble my model Tom O'Brian from the comic books. Tom's kind of bummed out that he was never considered. He takes his role very seriously. People have said that they don't believe Jane is big enough (size wise) for the role, including me back when I first met him. But I changed my mind entirely. Onscreen I think he's perfect.
QUINT: WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON NOW IN THE COMIC BOOK WORLD?
BRADSTREET: ? Just my two regular monthly cover jobs (Hellblazer and Punisher) as of now and for the foreseeable future. At least until I get back from Italy. I've been talking to Marvel very recently about doing a 2-3 issue mini series with Garth Ennis. But that wouldn't start until this December at the earliest. I've got a lot of stuff in the pipeline but everything is in a holding pattern for the next six months.
QUINT: GARTH ENNIS, HUH? CAN YOU ELABORATE? I'M A HUGE, HUGE, HUGE, HUGE "PREACHER" FAN, YOU SEE...
BRADSTREET: Yeah, I got an email last week from my editor, Axel Alonso. He said Garth really wanted to work with me on a Punisher project. The whole thing is very much in its infancy. We've been discussing strategies and scheduling. But I see it as a strong possibility. I've known Garth for a while and who in their right mind in the comics industry doesn't want to work with this man? The idea is that he would write something especially for me, knowing that I will need to shoot most of it. So we're thinking small scale, intimate and personal morality play. That is something I'm very interested in doing. Right now it's only a matter of time.
QUINT: WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE DIRTY JOKE?
BRADSTREET: ? Almost everything I say outside of interviews is filthy in general. The fact that I cannot recall a good dirty joke Is not only inexcusable, it's a shameful thing to admit. Time to brush up on some Bill Hicks.
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Told ya' it was a good read... Now here's a little peak into the SHAUN OF THE DEAD soundtrack. I'm gonna list off the tracks and give a little commentary with 'em as I go. Let's get going!
TRACK 1 - Figment This is a bit from the beginning of the movie... Like the Tarantino soundtracks, the SHAUN OF THE DEAD ST is filled with lines from the films... This one introduces us to Ed and Shaun. "Can I get any of you cunts a drink?"
TRACK 2 - THE BLUE WRATH (I Monster) This is a goofy little song with "Boiinnnggg" type sound effects throughout, with a chorus of "La-la-la-la" as if sung by castrated chipmunks.
TRACK 3 - MISTER MENTAL (The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster) Starts with a bit from the trailer... "It's not the end of the world" Not my favorite track... a bit heavy and not as goofy fun as I prefer, but good nonetheless.
TRACK 4 - MELTDOWN (Ash) Hehehe... "We're coming to get you, Barbara!" This is a really upbeat song... If I remember correctly, it's a cover of an '80s British Punk Anthem... I could be wrong... I'm a movie geek, not a music know-it-all. But it's a good song no matter what.
TRACK 5 - DON'T STOP ME NOW (Queen) Once you cunts see the movie, this song will have a whole new meaning for you. It's on the same level as hearing WE WILL ROCK YOU at the end of REVENGE OF THE NERDS... Just as cool and iconic as the Kurgen with baby-pins in his neck driving around... Great Queen put to great use in film... Don't even get me started with the opening titles to FLASH GORDON...
TRACK 6 - WHITE LINES [DON'T DO IT] (Grandmaster Flash & Melle Mel) This is my new favorite song and it's perfectly introed by one of my favorite gags from the movie... Ed and Shaun drunk and singing "WHITE LINES" while unknowingly amongst the undead. Classic! "What's he doin'? He's supposed to say base... or freeze... What a tit!"
TRACK 7 - HIP HOP, BE BOP [DON'T STOP] (Man Parrish) - Opens with Darth Maul yelling obscenities at Shaun and Ed. Then a really funky tune. We learn in the next track that it's no hip-hop, but Electro! Entertaining, jumpy track.
TRACK 8 - Zombie Creeping Flesh - "The next time I see him... he's dead!" Another track that's only sound clips from the film with some of the pulse-driven, Carpenter-esque score by Daniel Mudford and Pete Woodhead.
TRACK 9 - ZOMBI (Goblin)/KERNKRAFT 400 (Zombie Nation) - Yes, you read that right... Argento's Goblin did a remix of an old, old video game soundtrack and when combined with Zombie Nation's sweet scratching and sound bites from the film, it makes for a killer track! This is one of my favorites on the soundtrack. "Who died and made you king of the zombies?"
TRACK 10 - Fizzy Legs - More score by Mudford and Woodhead... "We're going to the Winchester!" Great line from the movie. Drunk college kids everywhere will be saying this to kick off Friday Nights at campus' everywhere.
TRACK 11 - SOFT (Lemon Jelly) - "They're for your mum, aren't they?" "Yeah." "Smooth." Not my favorite track, but kinda creepy and melodic and it really isn't trying to be anything but a smooth song... which is what makes it kinda creepy! Also has a Beach Boys feel to it... like KOKAMO '80s Beach Boys... weird.
TRACK 12 - Death Bivouac - More original score...
TRACK 13 - THE GONK [REMIX] (Kid Koala/The Noveltones) - Oh... Hell... YEAH! The Gonk! Aka the mall music from the original DAWN OF THE DEAD. Fantastic to have this... Supposedly Kid Koala released an entire underground/bootleg album with remixes of the original DAWN soundtrack... I have to find this... Great track for all you hardcore Romero people out there!
TRACK 14 - Envy the Dead More dialogue. "I did a lot of stupid things at college, Shaun. I dressed up as Frank N'Furter. I drank Snake Bite Black. I slept with a fat girl. Doesn't mean I wanna do any of them for a leaving!" Has my new favorite word from the movie. "Fuck-a-doodle-doo" (still one word since I put in the -'s, bitches!)
TRACK 15 - GHOST TOWN (The Specials) - The weird Reggae song from the sound track... I'll give Harry $1 if he puts this in his movie as is!
TRACK 16 - Blood In Three Flavours Sound clips and score again... Bunch of news reporters talking about the zombie phenomenon. Apparently all these newscasters are real, big deals in the UK... The equivalent of having Walter Cronkite on TV during the original NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD.
TRACK 17 - PANIC (The Smiths) - Honestly, I usually skip this track as I love the next two tracks that follow...
TRACK 18 - EVERYBODY'S HAPPY NOWADAYS (Ash feat. Chris Martin) - Happy, happy song. Very cool driving music. Has the fun of '80s pop, the driving backbeat of ZZ Top, yet more modern vocals... but retro-modern... I know, I'm confusing. That's why I'm not a music reporter.
TRACK 19 - YOU'RE MY BEST FRIEND (Queen) I've always loved this song. The placement in the film is great, almost as perfect as Queen's other contribution to the soundtrack, DON'T STOP ME NOW. Ah, the joy that is Queen. And yes... I know. That statement leaves me open for all kinds of filthy minded jabs...
TRACK 20 - YOU'VE GOT RED ON YOU: SHAUN OF THE DEAD SUITE - More score from Mudford and Woodhead. This time, undeniably taking cues from Carpenter or Carpenter films... The beginning reminds me of Ennio Morricone's score for THE THING and then it kinda segues into a more HALLOWEEN-ish score.
TRACK 21 - Normality "The moment when it really hit home... I almost choked on the words... I had to say, "Removing the head or destroying the brain." Suddenly the words sank in. It's not something I ever expected as a newscaster to ever have to say on air. "Removing the head or destroying the brain." Incredible." Hehehe
That's it for the listed tracks... There's a bonus 22nd track with a wackier, almost Dr. Demento type take on THE GONK...
This is a great soundtrack. I've been obsessing over it ever since I saw the movie. You UK readers who want to get your mitts on this can pick it up anywhere on April 12th. For us in the US, you either have to be a lucky stiff like me or spend the big bucks and order it off of Amazon.co.uk or hit Ebay sometime after the 12th and try to find a cheaper copy.
The other alternative is to hit SHAUN OF THE DEAD's official website (the awesomely titled ROMZOM.COM) and explore there... find the jukebox and you can listen, too... At least to bits and pieces of it, to hold you over until Focus decides what they're going to do with the film for US release... For a hint of that hidden track, pretend you're Damien and type in the devil's number at the jukebox.
That's it from me, squirts. Long, long, long article, but full of much coolness... at least the shit I like. Movie poster art, badass soundtracks... I'm like Fred Astaire... I'm in Heaven. Stay tuned, squirts. I got one helluva of a Chum Bucket coming up. I'm planning on having it out on Monday, but don't hold me to it. It's well worth the mystery and suspense, I assure you. 'Til then, this is Quint bidding you all a fond farewell and adieu.
-Quint
