Mike Vraney (1957-2014) and Lisa Petrucci have always been a tremendous pleasure to work with, and I’m overjoyed to have gotten the chance to design several of their signature clamshell VHS cases, special event showcards and movie posters.
From a design standpoint “garish and trashy” are probably the only guidelines I’ve ever really been asked by them to adhere to, and I could not have been happier in obliging.
Top Left: Something Weird Spook Show Poster
Top Right: “That’s Sexploitation!” Documentary Poster
Bottom Left: “That’s Sexploitation!” – Severin Blu Ray Cover
Bottom Right: “That’s Sexploitation!” – Severin Promo Flyer
Something Weird Spook Show Poster
Designed to emulate the cheap, crude and fantastic Spook Show posters from the mid 20th century, this silkscreen print on chipboard was printed and colored by Lance Thingmaker, and features the always amazing Lisa Petrucci as the Spider Girl.
“That’s Sexploitation!” Documentary Poster
Produced by Something Weird Video, Frank Henenlotter’s documentary THAT’S SEXPLOITATION! reveals the untold story of American cinema’s gloriously sordid cinematic past.
Above: The K. Gordon Murray Collection
The K. Gordon Murray Collection
K. Gordon Murray is a legend in the world of oddball cinema, and this collection focused on the Mexican horror and children’s films that he purchased for US distribution back in 1959. His sometimes bizarro translations of the already far-out subject matter only enhance the uniqueness of the “Murray Edits”, which are cemented in the minds of millions of movie-watchers thanks to the “World of Terror” package licensed off to television during the 1960’s.
The rights to these films have also changed hands several times over the years, which made my designs for this VHS collection a real “blink and you missed it” chapter in Something Weird’s history.
Above: Various VHS Titles
Various VHS Titles
Here’s a grab bag of several (though by no means all) of the other covers that I’ve created for Something Weird over the years.
Sure, sure — naturally a number of these titles eventually made their way over to DVD, but you never forget your first love, right? Well for me that means the signature clamshell VHS cases with the outrageous colors and almost crude ad-mat style graphics first introduced by Something Weird back in the early 1990’s. I’m pleased to have made at least a few contributions to that tradition.
CONTACT JASON WILLIS