The Poster Boys – Details, episodes & analysis

For the final episode of The Poster Boys, designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith round up the most notable movie posters of 2019, celebrating some of their personal favorites while reflecting on general trends in key art, festival posters, design agencies, and other aspects of the industry.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Movie Poster of the Week
Screen Fonts
Posterized Propaganda
Posterwomen Newsletter
Posteritati
JozefSquare

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Prelude from The Last Black Man In San Francisco; God Gave Rock And Roll To You II by KISS.

Thank you to our patrons: Aschley Fish, Logan Norris, John Paino, That Robot Guy, Jay Shaw, Midnight Marauder, Dylan Marchetti, Christian Laliberte, Lee Turner, Mike Guzman, Jason Suzuki, Ben Toupein, Jacob Lindström, Maddox Finkel, Matthew McCarthy Film Art Gallery, DRW, Matt McKee, Matthew Goodman, Dafna Pleban, Max A. Butler, Alex Kintzle, Robert Ewing, Scott Saslow, Sean Greathead, Llenn Kohlman, Tim Cook, Joaquin Morin, Makiko, Marie Julian, Neven Udovicic, Nico, Bryan West.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

With Martin Scorsese’s critically-acclaimed new film THE IRISHMAN hitting theaters and Netflix this month, poster designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith take a look back at the posters of Scorsese’s filmography. From his early iconic classics like MEAN STREETS and THE KING OF COMEDY to his additional DeNiro collaborations TAXI DRIVER and RAGING BULL, as well as his genre diversions AFTER HOURS and BRINGING OUT THE DEAD and his recent string of Dicaprio-led hits like THE DEPARTED and THE WOLF OF WALL STREET, the Boys reflect on poster design trends from the late 70’s to today.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Hat and Beard Press: The Art of Akiko Stehrenberger
Inside Martin Scorsese’s Movie Poster Collection
MOMA: Scorsese Selects
Alex Griendling’s unused designs for Shutter Island

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; The Ronettes - Be My Baby; Bernard Herrmann - Taxi Driver.

Thank you to our patrons: Aschley Fish, John Paino, DRW, That Robot Guy, Jay Shaw, Midnight Marauder, Dylan Marchetti, Christian Laliberte, Mike Guzman, Ben Toupein, Jason Suzuki, Jacob Lindström, Matt McKee, Maddox Finkel, Matthew Goodman, Matthew McCarthy Film Art Gallery, Dafna Pleban, Sean Greathead, Alex Kintzle, Scott Saslow, Robert Ewing, Max A. Butler, Unsupervised Kids - Juan, Tim Cook, Makiko, Joaquin Morin, Marie Julian, Daniel Mouton, Nico, Neven Udovicic, Logan Norris, Bryan West.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

If you could preserve only fifty movie posters, what would they be? For their 50th episode, The Poster Boys try to answer that question for themselves by traveling back through the last 100+ years of key art from around the globe to select fifty of their favorites. From 1920’s Sweden to the US in the present day, Brandon and Sam discuss what they’d save and why they’d leave certain posters behind.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

The Blog of F Ron Miller
Twitter’s Favorite Movie Posters Ever Made

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Hot And Cold by Jermaine Stewart from WEEKEND AT BERNIE'S (1989).

Thank you to our patrons: Aschley Fish, Jay Shaw, Max A. Butler, Keenan Luciani, Makiko, Midnight Marauder, Bryan West, Dylan Marchetti, Jacob Lindström, Matthew McCarthy, DRW, Dafna Pleban, Robert Ewing, Tim Cook, Juan Motoa, Andrew Elmore, Daniel Mouton, Neven Udovicic, Matt McKee, Scott Saslow.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

Kicking off the start of a new year, The Poster Boys dive into the work of the legendary poster art of John Alvin, who found notoriety as an artist at Intralink Film and Graphic Design before establishing Alvin & Associates with his wife Andrea in the early 1990s. From Blade Runner to Beauty and the Beast, Brandon and Sam look back on and discuss the process behind some of the most iconic film posters ever created between the mid-1970s all the way through the early 2000s.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

John Alvin Art
The Art of Andrea Alvin
ArtInsights Interview with John Alvin
ArtInsights Gallery - Alvin Originals
Titan Books Interview with Andrea Alvin
The Art of Movie Posters: Interview with Andrea Alvin
Amblin Road: Interview with Andrea Alvin
The Hidden History of the Jurassic Park Logo by Craig Caro
The Art of Bob Pepper
(CORRECTION: Bob Pepper did not recently pass away, as Sam said on the show; He has been passed away for a long while! We apologize for the goof, and recommend you check out his art nonetheless!)

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Remembering Childhood from HOOK (1991); The Goonies 'R' Good Enough from THE GOONIES (1985).

Thank you to our patrons: Jay Shaw, Aschley Fish, Max A. Butler, Midnight Marauder, Makiko, Jacob Lindström, Matthew McCarthy, DRW, Scott Saslow, Matt McKee, Dafna Pleban, Robert Ewing, Juan Motoa, Tim Cook, Andrew Elmore, Daniel Mouton, Neven Udovicic, Logan Norris.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

Designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith round up the most notable movie posters of 2018, celebrating some of their personal favorites while reflecting on general trends in key art, festival posters, design agencies, and other aspects of the industry.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Adam Maida interview

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Has Ended by Thom Yorke from SUSPIRIA (2018).

Thank you to our patrons: Jay Shaw, Aschley Fish, Max A. Butler, Midnight Marauder, Makiko, Jacob Lindström, Matt McKee, Scott Saslow, DRW, Matthew McCarthy, Juan Motoa, Tim Cook, Dafna Pleban, Andrew Elmore, Neven Udovicic, Logan Norris, Daniel Mouton.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

This month, designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith do a little detective work uncovering the key art designed by Philip Gips, a business partner of acclaimed advertising director Stephen Frankfurt, including iconic and famous poster designs for ROSEMARY’S BABY, DOWNHILL RACER, and ALIEN among others previously attributed to Frankfurt. Gips, who also designed the ESPN logo, was a key member of the New York design community in the late 60’s that fostered contemporaries such as Saul Bass. In this podcast, he is celebrated and reframed as an unsung legend of modern poster design.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Yan Jhen-Fa: the Last Film Poster Painter of Taiwan
Cotta & Los Libros del Mirasol
Pablo Ferro - A Career Retrospective
Movie Poster of the Week: “Khrustalyov, My Car!” and the Posters of Andrzej Klimowski
Gips Associates
Movie Poster of the Week: The Movie Posters of Stephen Frankfurt

The Poster Boys give special thanks to Phil and Barbara Gips, and to Dana Gips for her assistance, insights, and generosity.

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Into the Groove by Madonna from Desperately Seeking Susan.

Thank you to our patrons: Aschley Fish, Jay Shaw, Juan Motoa, Max A. Butler, Andrew Elmore, Logan Norris, Natalie Slack, Makiko, Midnight Marauder, Jacob Lindström, Matt McKee, Scott Saslow, DRW, Dafna Pleban, Tim Cook, Daniel Mouton, Neven Udovicic.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb.

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

After opening the Flat File on Dario Argento’s SUSPIRIA for their Patreon supporters last month, designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith survey the macabre visions of Italian Horror film posters. These wild and weird designs, much like Argento, Bava, Martino, and Fulci’s films themselves, tap into the highest and lowest measures of aesthetics, from the sleaziest to the sublime.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Alphaville Design
Lazy Dog Press - Pittori di cinema
Silver Ferox Design
Made in Hell: A Pictoral Voyage Through Italian Horror
Renato Casaro
Sandro Simeoni
Manfredo Acerbo
Ercole Brini
Giuliano Nistri
Anselmo Ballester
Silvano Campeggi

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; PROFONDO ROSSO theme by Goblin; “Head Over Heels” by Douglas Meakin from AENIGMA.

Thank you to our patrons: Aschley Fish, Jay Shaw, Juan Motoa, Max A. Butler, Andrew Elmore, Logan Norris, Natalie Slack, Makiko, Midnight Marauder, Jacob Lindström, Matt McKee, Tim Cook, Neven Udovicic, Scott Saslow.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb.

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

The Poster Boys interview one of the most accomplished and multitalented movie poster artists working today: Akiko Stehrenberger. Jumping between styles from the photorealistic (including her award-winning FUNNY GAMES poster listed by Adrian Curry as the best movie poster of the decade) to the playful (in winking illustrated spoofs on National Lampoon and Yellow Submarine) to deceptively simple photographic solutions, Akiko works independently with filmmakers and clients as well as with shops and agencies to produce truly stunning and unique key art with a human touch and a visionary, often times surreal, aesthetic voice. After speaking with Akiko on her process and more, designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith also talk about their favorite Akiko designs.

The Poster Boys are now offering bonus episodes and exclusive content on Patreon in addition to their regular episodes. For these episodes plus much more exclusive bonus content, visit Patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Akikomatic
Akiko on Instagram
Movie Poster of the Week: an Interview with “Funny Games” Poster Designer Akiko Stehrenberger
Akiko’s Top Ten Favorite Posters

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” opening theme; Mica Levi - “Love” from the UNDER THE SKIN original soundtrack; Steven Hufsteter - “ Love Theme” from the KISS OF THE DAMNED original soundtrack.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb.

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

Coinciding with the launching of The Poster Boys on Patreon (patreon.com/theposterboys), this month designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith are changing it up! Hitting the drawing board to unveil original posters designs for SEVEN SAMURAI, as chosen by listeners, the boys discuss their design process, celebrating the unique, different approaches designers can take to honor Akira Kurosawa’s classic film in the form of a fresh and iconic poster. They also open the Flat File to look at the other SEVEN SAMURAI posters from around the world. Top-level patrons in the Poster Boys’ new Patreon community can own these posters themselves as commemorative gifts, among other rewards and exclusive offerings. To support the Poster Boys and join their family of friends, patrons, and producers, visit patreon.com/theposterboys.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Saul Bass Archive at film/art gallery.

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; Seven Samurai original score by Fumio Hayasaka.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.

Produced by Adrian Cobb.

Support The Poster Boys on Patreon!

In Part II of The Poster Boys’ 80’s movie poster spectacular, designers Brandon Schaefer and Sam Smith pick up right where they left off last month, hand-selecting and discussing their favorite Movie Posters of the 1980’s, from the remarkable illustrated work of John Alvin (EMPIRE OF THE SUN) and Robert Tanenbaum (ERNEST GOES TO CAMP) to the iconic and enduring power of designs for 80’s classics like GHOSTBUSTERS and E.T., not to mention the decade’s most uncanny horror film posters, from FRIDAY THE 13TH to THE VISITOR, finding new appreciation for a transitional period in poster design.

SHOW NOTES & LINKS

Music selections: “Bass on Titles” theme; “Invincible” by Pat Benetar from THE LEGEND OF BILLY JEAN.

Follow Brandon Schaefer at @seekandspeak, and Sam Smith at @samsmyth.