It will be 30 years this June since The Thing was released in theaters for the first time. 

I saw the movie for the first time when I was just a kid in primary school. I remember my dad bringing me the VHS from our local video store when he got back from work and setting up the VCR in my room. I was probably sick at the time… because I was constantly sick when I was a kid :)

I remember the movie making a huge impression on me and for many reasons – the plot, the special effects, the atmosphere – it was something totally different than the B-horror movies I loved so much at the time. It then became one of my favorite movies of all time. 

I was thinking of making a poster for The Thing, but I though my style just didn’t fit it. Still, it kept haunting me. I watched the movie again recently and decided it’s time to finally have a crack at it. I also decided to do it totally different from what I have done in the past. I went for a 4 colour screen printing base (was 5 colours in the beginning), and I did it 100% vector. 

It was a challenge, I have to admit, and not without it’s share of problems, but I think it was all worth it in the end.

The original color scheme was closer to that most people expect from a The Thing poster – blues, turquoises, greys, but I just didn’t feel it. I watched the movie again and immediately knew what I wanted to do – the pinkish reds from the flares that changed the scenes in the movie so dramatically, they were the way to go.  

The funny thing is, I did about 20 sketches before I begun the digital work… and the final piece looks nothing like them… not even close :)

The final thing will be a 24″x36″ 4 colour screen print on a dark purple paper.