Meet the Artist Bringing Bold Style to Modern Posters
Poster artist Tom Whalen on his work, process, and how ‘The Blob’ helped kickstart his career
Artist Tom Whalen’s been making posters and prints for well over a decade, and his inimitable style has caught the attention of Disney, Marvel, Lucasfilm, Microsoft and more. Whalen’s a key figure in the modern poster scene, and is featured as an interviewee in 24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters (now streaming exclusively on Tribeca Shortlist). We spoke with Tom about his work, his inspiration, how he first got into the biz.
Tribeca Shortlist: Can you tell us a little bit about how you first got into making posters?
Tom Whalen: A friend and I — this is probably 14 years ago now — were producing a little mini comic zine that we were putting a lot of effort and love and heart into. We decided to take it to Wizard World Philly to sell it at Artist Alley. Leading up to the show we realized the table would be kind of empty with just those one or two issues that we had, so I just made some little 3x5 prints of some of my favorite pop culture characters. The books didn’t move that well but the little pop culture things did!
After that initial kickstart of inspiration, how did you make the leap to posters?
Eventually I started to kind of expand that world. I contacted the Colonial Theatre, where they filmed The Blob back in the ’50s. They have a First Friday Fright Night series, and I asked them if I could do the posters for that every month for a year. I produced a series that we sold at the theatre and that they put in the display window at the front of the theatre. Because of that I got hooked up with Mondo. Mondo and Gallery 1988 are really how I got my break into the movie poster scene.
You have a very distinct style. Was that style already in place early on? Or is it something that you’ve worked toward?
The seeds were there, definitely. And at the time I worked as an editorial illustrator full-time, and I studied graphic design and illustration, so I really try to mesh them and merge them whenever I can. So, I think that’s really where my style, the base of my style lies. To be able to practice through those little prints really helped me find my style and find my voice.
Can you explain what goes into — I guess every poster is different — but what’s the step-by-step approach to a new poster project?
The first thing is to watch the property. The main hook or image that I could build the poster around. Whether it be a visual gag, a hero shot, or something I could use as an anchor point for the rest of the poster. Typically, my designs are collage-type with one central image, and images or themes cascaded around that central image. I watch the TV show or movie and do a quick pencil sketch to get my ideas down, then I start to build a color rush.
Do you have a favorite print or two of yours that you’ve done?
I really enjoyed and am happy with the result of the Lilo and Stitch print that I did, the Alice in Wonderland print that I just completed this year. I feel that the Disney and animated stuff that I do is probably what I’m best suited for, so I gravitate toward that stuff.
What are you working on next?
I’m putting the finishing touches on a gallery show for Gallery 1988 later this year, and I always have poster projects working. I have a few coming out at San Diego. I’m really excited to start showing those off.
In closing, there’s a light debate that rises in the film about working with or without regard to copyright or being hired by studios. Where do you fall in that conversation?
It’s definitely a conversation that comes up very frequently in this scene. For me, I got my start doing posters that weren’t licensed and properties that I didn’t have rights to do, but that was kind of my calling card to get into the scene. All of my work now is licensed. But I realize that it’s a different space now than seven, eight years ago when I started. At this point, I understand where people who don’t have licensing want to do it as a calling card. I think at a certain point you have to hang up that guerrilla attitude if you are getting licensed work and realize that’s where bread is buttered. But I can’t really condemn it because that’s how I got my start.
It seems like there’s a difference between doing that to get the attention and the eyes that you need on your work and then letting that go to pursue a career, versus taking that and then riding it even further.
Right. There’s a time to me where it seems you have to walk away from that when you’re doing licensed work. But to each his own, and I can’t really condemn it because some people are just trying to get their feet wet and get noticed. There have been plenty of times I’ve been offered jobs that would be great and fun to work on, and then there’s no licensing involved and I really can’t jeopardize what I have right now to take a risk like that.
Right, you don’t want to make Disney mad!
They’re first and foremost. A lot of people ask about sold out prints, “Can you just do another print run of these Disney prints?”. There’s no way I would ever, ever risk what I’ve worked for to make a few thousand dollars.
[Laughs] There’s not enough poster money to make that worth it!
No! [Laughs]
Check out more from Tom Whalen and purchase one of his incredible prints at his site.
Dive into the world of illustrated posters by streaming 24x36: A Movie About Movie Posters exclusively on Tribeca Shortlist now.
