Dean Reeves

It's been a while since I created a Fett Noir (I really need to pick up the pace).

I was asked by Nucleus Gallery to participate in the upcoming show: A Saga in the Stars: A Tribute to a Galaxy Far, Far Away running from May 4, 2013 - May 26, 2013. The show features some amazing talent (check out the website to see the complete list), and on top of that the show will feature a solo of the late great Ralph Mcquarrie's Star Wars work - that's the type of thing you hear that makes you feel like Wayne and Garth at the feet of Aerosmith shouting "we're not worthy".

I picked the Lancaster classic Brute Force mainly because of the word force in the title, but I also liked the idea of doing something over the Sarlac pit and it's my first piece to actually have Luke pictured (he's been mentioned a lot but never shown). So this was a whole bunch of fun as well as an honour to be included in the show.

On Friday, April 26th the Calgary Expo goes into full swing. I've been pretty busy working on various materials for the show one that I am particularly proud of is this one:

You May Fire When Ready
I had so much fun with this one. I grabbed everything I could think of from my sci-fi overloaded brain…and then some. It started off as a quick sketch t-shirt idea (which was called lock and load because it was just going to be hand held weapons) then I thought it needed something to contain the weapons and what better than the ULTIMATE WEAPON (aside from the fact that it gets blown up twice). Once that idea formed I got the title for the piece which ties it all together.


In honour of the Lannisters arrival (Peter Dinklage and Lena Headey are coming to the show, I made The Quotable Throne. Again this started off as a shirt design and then it was felt that it would make for a pretty darn nice print too.

I also did a couple of homage shirt designs.

Starbucks. Pretty straightforward, Looking at it now I should have added stuff in the black area. Maybe next year.

And in honour of a comic book company that was waaaaay ahead of it's time. EC Comics. This one was created about 4 Calgary Expos ago when the show first introduced a horror component - that was my first year with the show. I thought, back then, that the program guide should take on an EC Comics flavour so I put this variant logo on the cover. I thought it was a pretty cool thing but it eventually got vetoed. But as we in the design/illustration field know - never throw anything away. The cover concept made it's way into this years Expo in the form of the "Weird Al" marketing materials (see below), and the logo homage is now a shirt…one that I will proudly be sporting at the show.

Last year I was asked to work on a shirt for the 2012 Emerald City Comic Con (ECCC), based on an idea from the Convention Director (Jim Demonakos), in honour of Christopher Lloyd coming to the show. I was happy to do it, and I was anxiously waiting to blog about it. Unfortunately Mr. Lloyd had to cancel his appearance last year and the shirt was put on hold.

Now hop into the DeLorean and go forward one year to the 2013 ECCC. Not only was Christopher Lloyd at the show, but the shirt was printed. Not only was it printed...it sold out (I think they sold out of every single shirt they made this year).

So here is the shirt I created for ECCC.

A fascinating review has been posted for the movie "This Is Not A Film" by Iranian director Jafar Panahi, on the web site Human Rights & Democracy. A representative of the organization contacted me to ask if they could use the image I had created last year when the film screened here in Calgary.

All I can say is that I was honored that they got in touch with me and wanted to use my poster.

The film (or "not the film") is not for everyone but I found it interesting and I appreciate how it demonstrates the drive of an artist who will do what it takes to have his voice heard. Read the review. Check out the film. Discuss.

Okay, not really. But that's how I feel about this. I was contacted about an illustration I had created a several years ago for the Calgary Expo. The original illustration was to celebrate Leonard Nimoy's "homecoming" to Vulcan (Alberta). I developed the image using the Obama Hope poster as a springboard (this was before everyone and their dog was turned into an Obama Hope poster), except instead of "hope" it read "home"…clever, no?

The image was not used (I did tweak it until I was happy with it even though it didn't get approved, I made shirts for my family - we all wore them to the Expo and got a lot of compliments) so I posted it on my blog and a few years later I was contacted by a book company on France asking if they could use the image with some adjustments to the colours and the cropping. After finishing my little happy dance what else could I say but Abso-friggin-lutely!

So at the top of this post is the final printed piece. Only available in Europe.

I know he was announced on the Calgary Expo site a while ago, but I just finished up the gig poster for the event and I wanted to post it.

I am a huge fan of "Weird Al", I have been for years (ever since "Weird Al" in 3-D, so yeah, it's been a long time), and working with the Calgary Expo I have had some fun projects to work on and this one falls squarely into that category.

My first concept - which I won't show just yet because I personally love it and I want to polish it up and get a print for "Weird Al" to sign when he comes to the show in April - was deemed "fun, clever and creative" by "Weird Al"'s camp but it was decided that the EC homage (pictured above) would be the best direction for the event and have a much broader appeal.

I'm thrilled with how the poster turned out because it has the right vibe (I think I captured that EC look and feel pretty well - Great! I just broke my arm patting myself on the back) and the use of the comic book design really ties the "Weird Al" experience in to the comic book aspect of the Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo.

FYI "Weird Al" will be at the Calgary Expo on Friday and Saturday signing autographs. The performance is a separate ticketed event on the Friday night. If it is anything like his last show (for his "Straight Outta Lynwood" album) it will be amazing!

It seems like only November since I had a sale at my Etsy Store. I thought it only fitting that if I offered a sale for Black Friday I should offer one for Boxing Day. If I didn't then I would be downright un-Canadian.

40% off on all prints at my store. This sale starts today, December 26th and goes until next Tuesday January 1st, 11:59 pm (Happy New Year!).

Please contact me for the coupon code.

It's been a while but here is the latest in my Fett Noir series - Point Blank starring Han Solo. A fitting title for the man who shot first (and he did shoot first people). Based on the Lee Marvin classic which was, in turn, based on the novel The Hunter by Richard Stark.

The 1967 movie is quite good but I prefer the Mel Gibson version titled Payback (the theatrical release not the directors cut).

But if you really want to enjoy the story read the book by Richard Stark. Quite simply put - it's amazing. Hell, any of Richard Stark's "Parker" novels are highly recommended. I also recommend Darwyn Cooke's Parker graphic novel series being published by IDW.

Just to let you know - I'm having a Black Friday/Cyber Monday sale for the next week on all of my posters and prints.

(In case you want to see the original Point Blank poster…here it is)

While standing in one of my many line-ups my daughter came up to me and said "you're going to like this" She pulled out her ipod and showed me a picture she had taken of someone at the show wearing the shirt I created for myself and my family (and Wil) for the Calgary Expo when Wil Wheaton came. I had some extras that I gave my brother to give to his friends but I never imagined one would show up at the Expo.

I geeked out a little…okay, a lot.

I was able to get Billy Dee Williams to sign a few posters that I forgot to get him to sign when he was in Calgary a few years back but the fun thing was getting him to sign my Fett Noir poster for "Night and the City". He paused when I brought it out and then I explained what I was doing - the whole combining my love of old posters/film noir/star wars - he asked me who Oola was and after I explained her role in Star Wars lore (Rancor snack) he signed the poster and said he thought it was pretty cool. So I asked him if he would like one, he nodded (I took it as a nod, maybe he was saying hi to someone behind me) and then I gave him the extra one I had in my tube (that was the purpose of the extra poster all along). So that was pretty awesome for me.

More stuff from the Edmonton Expo.
Me: Hi, I have never watched your show befo…
Misha: Neither have I!
Me: Anyway, my brother is a huge fan, he keeps suggesting I watc…
Misha: Don't. It's a piece of shit!
Me: Anyway, he's a huge fan but I don't know any of the sayings or phrases and I was wondering if…you…could…what's "assbutt"?
Misha: (with a big ass grin) He may know what that means.
Me: He probably will. Thanks.
Misha: no problem, take care.

I already told my brother that the rumpled raincoat photo above was what he got and I mentioned what Misha wrote and he sounded very happy.

I never watched Supernatural no matter how many times my brother said I should I just never got around to it. That will change because of this.

My daughter and I made the drive up to Edmonton on Saturday morning for the first ever Edmonton Expo and we both had a really great time.

As far as I was concerned Lee Majors was the main man to see, I grew up on the Six Million Dollar Man (and The Fall Guy) . I remember my first trip to Universal Studios and I thought that the tram ride through the spinning ice tunnel from the Sasquatch episode was incredible. And I especially remember that my brothers and I had the whole set of action figures including the guy whose face could be replaced.

While standing in line waiting for the guests to show up my daughter decided to go off and look around which is fine because line-ups suck. I'm sure she had a better time because she was unencumbered by her old man and she got to see more of the show than I did. So after a long wait (no way to sugar coat it the wait was long, signings were supposed to start at 10 but they really started at 10:30/11).  Julie Newmar came out and she was so apologetic for the wait, she kept telling everyone how much she appreciated them and their patience, then she sat down, reached over the table top and pulled up the drape that covers the front of the table and did an impromptu can-can dance. She's still full of life and very colourful.

Then Mr Majors came out next and he is a super cool guy. I got up to his table with what looked liked a head in a bag - sidebar story, last year when I worked at Corbis as an art director we did a photoshoot of a "cross-generational-happy-family" putting together a rocket. The plan was to show a generational interest in the hobby but I thought it would be cool if there was some extra element like a helmet to indicate that maybe this was more than a hobby, maybe Grandpa broke the sound barrier or something. So the helmet was bought (by me) and rented (to Corbis) for the shoot and to tell the truth the shots with the helmet were the best images from the day. Anyway, flash forward a little over a year, and as you no doubt guessed I did not have a head in a bag, I had this helmet because I thought "who better to sign a test pilot helmet than Steve Austin himself" - so that is why I had a bag that looked like it had a head in it. Anyway, as he's signing the helmet I ask if I could possibly take a picture because I have to blog about how cool this is and he said "you're not supposed to, but if you sneak one now I won't say anything". Awesome!

Well it's about time Boba got to be the big floating head on a poster. Here is the fourth poster in my Fett Noir series. My favorite part on this piece is the little book graphic (silly, I know) but I liked making it into a "Boba Fett Adventure" and rejigging the poster to fit and to give it the look and feel of a pulp novel cover. I guess that is, essentially, what film noir is anyway…a pulp novel put on the big screen.

I hope to be creating more of these soon. They are way too much fun creating.

This poster, along with my other three Fett Noir creations, has been made into a limited edition print (limited to 250 numbered copies), now available on my newly created Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/GraphicLanguage), and I have a discount on shipping if you order all four (just give me a shout and I'll pass along the top secret code)

I have always loved the look of this classic Bogart & Becall poster and I wanted to recreate it but I was worried it might appear too simple compared to the others, but then I figured "Hey, I want this on my wall damn it!", so I added a little Mandalorian symbology in the background and voilá. 

The pose from Empire Strikes Back was almost identical to the pose on the 1946 poster. It was eerie how close.

This poster, along with my other three Fett Noir creations, has been made into a limited edition print (limited to 250 numbered copies), now available on my newly created Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/GraphicLanguage), and I have a discount on shipping if you order all four (just give me a shout and I'll pass along the top secret code)

The Calgary Comic and Entertainment Expo has branched out to Edmonton. So this is the inaugural year for the latest venture and I wanted to tap in to my inner Vallejo (that doesn't sound wrong, does it?) with this illustration for the three headlining guests.

We're bringing in some pretty awesome people (I may have to make the trip to Edmonton and get Billy Dee to sign a few of my Star Wars posters), I don't think Nichelle Nichols has ever been to a show in Alberta so that's going to be pretty cool. Plus Mike frickin' Grell and Chris frickin' Claremont are coming to the show, among other comic book talent. So just for fun I wanted to do a fantasy art take off and I really wanted to work with the image from the Batman movie…so here you go.

The disappointment I felt after working on the Spirited Away poster was alleviated once I was told that the movie replacing it was Lost Boys. I loved this movie when it first came out. No cooler vampire on than planet than Keifer Sutherland (How are those maggots?). I had the soundtrack and everything.

In watching it recently I have to say that some of it doesn't hold up that well, but it remains a fun movie. I like Edgar and Allen Frog and Keifer Sutherland is still one of the coolest vampires.

Spoiler! I guess, now that I think of it, the poster itself is a spoiler. But I think screenings like this are for people who have seen the movie a gazillion times. Anyway, the two scenes in the movie I liked the most were the initial reveal of the vampires as they are about to feed and the scene near the end when David is about to attack Michael both of which have David oozing out of the inky shadows. That's why the poster looks like it does. Enjoy.

By the way, this post actually came out ahead of the screening (I'm all caught up now). So if you have to get your fix of the Lost Boys on the big screen go check out the Plaza on September 22nd.

This is one of my daughter's favorite Miyazaki flicks (I think the list order is Howl's Moving Castle, My neighbor Totoro, Kiki's Delivery Service and then Spirited Away), it's certainly the first Miyazaki flick we ever showed her and at the time it was pretty darn magical.

I try to operate on a basic principle when I design any poster I do - would I hang this on my wall? So all the while that I was doing this poster I kept asking myself would my daughter hang this on her wall? That was the unnecessary pressure I applied to myself on this project.

After laboring over it for some time I decided to pick her brain and then get feedback from her as I developed it. In the end I had a couple of versions and of the two versions this won out. She said it was one she would happily hang up once it gets printed. Guess what - that ain't going to happen. As it turns out we couldn't get the rights to show the movie. Too bad, I liked how it turned out.

I may print one off for my daughter anyway and test out whether or not she really would hang it up or if she was just messing with her old man.

This is a rough draft of Reservoir Dogs, it's one of my all time favorite movies and it was to be screened back in August. Unfortunately the pre-sale of tickets (which equaled zero tickets sold) meant that the screening was not going to take place so the poster was scrapped. I have a really rough sketch of this in a sketchbook from a few years ago and I was thrilled to be able to actually start it and I plan on finishing it one day (the dogs are going to be painted using watercolors, to give that full bleed-out look that I want to do).

The NeverEnding Story was screened in August.

A young hero riding around on a Luck Dragon - what could go wrong.

It's been a while since I've posted…sorry about that. I've been a little busy working on things for the Calgary Expo screening series, the upcoming Edmonton Expo (the Calgary Expo is branching out) materials and my own Fett Noir stuff (going on sale pretty soon here, I'm just figuring a few things out), I'll be posting my newest posters this weekend. So in the meantime I'm playing a little catch-up on some of the work I've been doing.

First up - The Goonies. I did a couple of posters for this screening from back in July. I quite like how the bold red one turned out but we opted for the old time adventure type poster.

Lando's chance to shine my friend. What better place to set a noir film than the cloud city of Bespin.

I decided to start exploring other characters within the Star Wars universe, which is why Oola gets to have a substantial role in this flick, I mean Leia can't be in everything! And I wanted to keep Wedge on as the director for this project. He strikes me as an Alfred Hitchcock kind of guy, someone who directs the film, makes a brief cameo, then lets everyone else get back to work telling the story. I always liked Wedge. He never took center stage, but he was always there when you needed him.

Enjoy.

By the way: This poster, along with my other three Fett Noir creations, has been made into a limited edition print (limited to 250 numbered copies), now available on my newly created Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/GraphicLanguage), and I have a discount on shipping if you order all four (just give me a shout and I'll pass along the top secret code)

I had this idea in my head for a while now. I wanted to combine a few of the things I love into one awesome poster. And here it is, a combination of film noir, old movie posters (of the painted variety), and of course Star Wars. I call it Fett Noir.

I had scribbled out a drawing a few years ago that I titled "This Blaster for Hire" - I thought I could change the title of the movie to fit into the Star Wars universe (I also had "Night and Cloud City" instead of "Night and the City" among others) - so I had this little scribble on my desk staring back at me and I kept telling myself "someday". I finally got fed up with waiting for someday and I got off my ass and actually started working on it. As I worked on it I decided I wasn't going to change the titles of the original movies. I liked the fact that the noir title is the same but the players are different.

This is the first in a series of posters and I plan on setting up an e-commerce site where I'm going to sell them online. I hope you enjoy them.

By the way: This poster, along with my other three Fett Noir creations, has been made into a limited edition print (limited to 250 numbered copies), now available on my newly created Etsy store (http://www.etsy.com/shop/GraphicLanguage), and I have a discount on shipping if you order all four (just give me a shout and I'll pass along the top secret code)

I have had a lot of fun, over the last few months, designing food trucks. It was something completely new for me. I had designed vehicle wraps before, but on a much smaller scale (a Volkswagen Beetle for a company I used to work for), but this was bigger, this was challenging and it was awesome.

Paul came to me with the name of his truck and explained his love of the Street Fighter. So the logo itself is an homage to the SF logo.

I have not had a chance to try out the food yet (I have been kind of busy lately), but I am making a point to do it this week. When I do I will take some pics of the truck in action.


Just so you know what to look for, here is a visual of what I sent the printer. Now go get some!

And I'm not just saying that because I designed the logo…


…and the truck.

It was a lot of fun to work on this project and April and Lindsay are amazing! So follow the Vasili's truck on twitter, or track them down by any means necessary, and try the food. You will not be disappointed.