The Art of Horror: An Illustrated History | Vincent Price’s legacy lives on in this colourful tome

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated HistoryFrom the team behind The Art of Horror and edited by writer/editor Stephen Jones, comes this vividly colourful companion book which takes a visual journey through the entire history of the horror film, from the early 1900s to today’s latest scare fests, celebrating one of the most crucial promotional elements: the movie poster.

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated HistoryBeginning with a foreword from director/screenwriter John Landis, who elaborates on why ‘the image of the poster must not just inform, but also entice’, each chapter charts the evolution of horror movies through the posters that were designed with the sole purpose to grab the film-goers attention and get those all-important ‘bums on seats’.

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated HistoryFrom The Sinister Silents to The 2000s Maniacs, these chapters are written by a host of esteemed guest contributors, including Sir Christopher Grayling, Jonathan Rigby, Kim Newman, Anne Billson and Ramsey Campbell, and are packed with over 600 images including posters, lobby cards, ads, promotional items, tie-in books (my favourite) and magazines; plus original artwork, including Graham Humphreys, who was responsible for Arrow’s iconic Vincent Price covers, as well as our 2015 Legacy poster and the Black Cat: Vincent Price Ale label (above); and US artist Jeff Carlson, who did this atmospheric private commission below.

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated HistoryGorgeously designed over 256 pages, this must-have tome celebrates not only the actors and filmmakers, but also the amazing artists who were responsible for ‘scaring the pants off successive generations of movie-goers’. Amongst those featured are Basil Gogos (who drew all of the best Vincent Price portraits for Famous Monsters of Filmland, including the one from Madhouse, below), Marcario Gomez Quibus, Reynold Brown, Robert Tanenbaum and Renato Casaro.

The Art of Horror: An Illustrated HistoryWhile Vincent Price features heavily (Jonathan Rigby’s column on the Merchant of Menace really put a smile on my face), there’s so much more for classic horror movie fans to enjoy… and there’s also quite a few surprises, especially the inclusion of posters from Far East countries like Taiwan and Thailand (which so deserve greater appreciation).

And once you have swooned over the artwork through the decades, it will leave you with one lasting thought – that no amount of clever photo-shopping (the mainstay of movie posters today) will ever replace the vibrant truth of pencil and paint.

Available from Applause Books and Amazon UK

And speaking of Graham Humphreys, just take a look at this wonderful original early piece from the artist, which he has donated to the Vincent Price Legacy UK. Thanks Graham. We love it!

Vincent Price in The Raven

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Save

Share This:

Victoria Price loves our Black Cat ale dedicated to her horror legend dad

Victoria Price gives her seal of approval to the wicked new brew, Black Cat. Pictured here with the label's designer Graham Humphreys
Victoria Price gives her seal of approval to the wicked new brew, Black Cat. Pictured here with the label’s designer Graham Humphreys

Vincent Price Ale: Black CatVictoria Price was in London, UK this week giving an inspirational talk on her legendary dad and his legacy. The event, at the BFI Southbank, which followed a screening of the rarely-seen 1960s western The Jackals, also gave her the opportunity to give her seal of approval to the first-ever British-made Vincent Price Ale, which has been especially created by Kent brewers Hopdaemon in honour of the Horror King, and whose label has been designed by the equally legendary Graham Humphreys (aka The Quadfather).

Black Cat, so named because of Vincent’s brush with meddlesome moggies in the film classics Tales of Terror and Tomb of Ligeia, is now available to order online. So if you fancy stocking up the perfect Halloween tipple, then check it out now: www.alesbymail.co.uk

 

 

 

 

Share This:

Vincent Price Ale to launch at Horror Channel FrightFest 2016

Vincent Price Ale - Black CatThe Vincent Price Legacy UK is proud to announce the release of the first officially licensed Vincent Price Ale in the UK which will be launched during Horror Channel FrightFest in London over the August Bank Holiday (25-29 Aug).

When he wasn’t hosting ghoulish parties in haunted houses, preserving maidens in wax, or filling his Theatre of Blood with the corpses of his critics, legendary horror film actor Vincent Price (1911-1993) liked nothing better than to sit back and imbibe a wicked brew – the darker the better, of course. Although hailing from the American mid-west, Vincent was a lifelong Anglophile, and that classic British combination of pie and ale were firm favourites of the Missouri-born actor, art expert, raconteur and epicurean.

In honour of the Master of Menace, the Vincent Price Legacy UK and Kentish ale brewers Hopdaemon have conjured up the first Vincent Price Ale (VPA), which we’ve called Black Cat – a name that’s a fitting tribute to Vincent’s frightful encounters with meddlesome moggies and possessed pussies in the cult classics Tales of Terror (1962) and Tomb of Ligeia (1965).

Hopdaemon

This specially-crafted VPA (which has a 4.6% alc vol) maybe wrapped in a dark cloak, but it tastes like a crisp Indian Pale Ale, which will certainly surprise your taste buds. Currently available only in 330ml bottles with a fantastic label designed by legendary British poster artist Graham Humphreys, Black Cat gets its launch at this year’s Horror Channel FrightFest where it has been especially invited to be one of the sponsors.

For information on how to order and stockists e-mail: info@hopdaemon.com

FOLLOW US ON:

Web-Facebook-Metro-iconinstagram-vector-logo-400x400twitter-icon

Share This: