Masters of Horror: Six Great Horror Poster Artists
Hi there, horror nuts! If you’re like me, you love a good cinematic scare, and nothing sets the mood better than a great horror movie poster. You know, the ones that make you curious, nervous, and excited to watch the film, that stick in your mind and stay with you for years afterward. The ones that are also works of art, created by talented artists who know how to capture the essence of horror. So in this blog post, the Longbox of Darkness will cover some of the best horror movie poster artists of all time. It goes without saying that we’ll also be looking at some of their best work. Let’s get started!
Bill Gold
Bill Gold is a legend in the movie poster industry, having designed over 2,000 posters for some of the most famous films ever made. He worked with stars like Clint Eastwood, John Wayne, and Audrey Hepburn, and created iconic posters for films like Casablanca, The Maltese Falcon, and A Clockwork Orange. But he also had a knack for horror and created some of the most chilling and memorable posters for films like The Exorcist, Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), and Deliverance. His posters were often simple and symbolic, using minimal colors and elements to create a sense of mystery and dread. For example, his classic poster for The Exorcist shows a figure arriving at the house where a girl is possessed by a demon, with a beam of light shining from a window. Pretty simple concept, right? The minimalist poster manages to perfectly convey the theme of good versus evil and the isolation and fear of the character as he is about to enter the mouth of hell. Gold once said that he wanted to create a poster that was “quiet and eerie.” Well, he nailed it.
Reynold Brown
Reynold Brown was a master of painting movie posters in the 1950s and 1960s, especially for science fiction and horror films. He had a talent for creating realistic and detailed images of giant monsters, aliens, and creatures that captured the imagination and excitement of the audiences. He worked on hundreds of posters for films like Creature from the Black Lagoon, Attack of the 50-Foot Woman, and I Was a Teenage Werewolf. His posters were colorful and dynamic, often featuring action-packed scenes and dramatic perspectives. He also added elements of terror and danger, such as blood, claws, and teeth. Brown once said that he enjoyed working on horror and science-fiction movie posters most of all because, in his own words, “they give me a chance to exercise my imagination.”
Saul Bass
Saul Bass was a legendary graphic designer and filmmaker who revolutionized the field of movie title sequences and posters. He worked with some of the greatest directors of all time, such as Alfred Hitchcock, Stanley Kubrick, Martin Scorsese, and Steven Spielberg. He is famous for his minimalist and geometric style, using simple shapes, colors, and typography to convey the essence of the film. Some of his most notable horror movie posters include Psycho, The Shining, Vertigo, and Rosemary’s Baby. His posters often use visual metaphors and symbolism to create a sense of intrigue and tension. For example, his poster for Psycho shows a fractured silhouette of a woman’s face, implying her psychological breakdown and the violence she will face.
Graham Humphreys
Graham Humphreys is a British artist who has been creating horror movie posters since the 1980s. He has a distinctive style that is colorful and stylized, often paying homage to classic horror films and genres. He has worked on some of the most popular horror films of all time, such as The Evil Dead, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and The Lost Boys. His posters reflect his passion and knowledge of horror cinema, as well as his artistic flair and creativity. Humphreys said that he likes to create posters that are “eye-catching and memorable”, and that he tries to “capture the mood and atmosphere of the film”.
Drew Struzan
Drew Struzan is not only famous for his posters for blockbuster franchises like Star Wars, Indiana Jones, and Harry Potter, but also for his work on horror movie posters, such as The Thing, The Howling, An American Werewolf in London, and The Walking Dead. His posters are characterized by his realistic and detailed portraits of the actors and characters, often using airbrush and acrylic paint. He also adds elements of mystery and suspense, such as shadows, silhouettes, and glowing eyes. His poster for The Thing is considered one of the best horror movie posters ever made, as it shows a man in a parka with a bright light emanating from his face, suggesting something sinister and unknown. Struzan said that he wanted to create a poster that was “simple and direct”, and that he was inspired by the film’s tagline: “Man is the warmest place to hide”.
Tom Chantrell
Tom Chantrell was a prolific British artist who worked on over 7,000 movie posters in his career, spanning from the 1930s to the 1980s. He is best known for his work on Hammer horror films, such as Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, and The Curse of the Werewolf. He also created posters for other horror classics, such as The Exorcist, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre, and Dawn of the Dead. His posters are known for their vibrant colors, dynamic compositions, and sensationalist imagery. He often used photo references and models to create realistic and expressive portraits of the actors and characters. He also added elements of gore, nudity, and violence to attract the attention of the viewers. His poster for The Exorcist is one of the most iconic horror movie posters ever made, as it shows a priest standing in front of a house with a demonic light shining from a window.
And that’s it! I hope you enjoyed the post. If you did, please leave a comment below and let me know what you think. Which artist and which poster is your favorite? Do you have any other suggestions for horror movie poster artists that I should check out? The Longbox of Darkness would love to hear from you!
Thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more horror-related content! Until next time, keep it creepy! 👻
Article Info
Process: This post was outlined and drafted in LOD’s go-to writing app Scrivener, polished in Sudowrite, and rocketed into the Social Media Stratosphere by Crowdfire.
All images are owned by their respective copyright owners unless stated and are used for promotional and review purposes only.
Disclosure: Some of the links above are affiliate links. This means that The Longbox of Darkness will earn an affiliate commission at zero cost to you if you click through the link and finalize a purchase.
Herm
On my fifth birthday a relative gifted me a black box filled with old horror, war, and superhero comics. On that day, my journey through the Weird began, and The Longbox of Darkness was born. Four decades of voracious reading later, and here we are.
