Mitch Putnam, Creative Director
#1 - THE VVITCH by Aaron Horkey
My favorite film of the year gets my favorite poster of the year. It’s always exciting to see Aaron take his work to the next level, and I think this one really represents yet more artistic progression (who knew he could draw hands so well?). I try to remind myself every year how lucky we are to have Aaron around the poster scene, he’s such an incredible leader of this whole movement.
#2 - THE GRADUATE by Rory Kurtz
I first learned about Rory’s work earlier this year, and he instantly made two of the best Mondo posters in recent memory. His compositions are just as great as his rendering. I seriously can’t wait to see what he does next.
#3 - THE THIN RED LINE by João Ruas
One of my biggest initiatives within Mondo is to blur the line between ‘fine art’ and the poster world. Nothing represents that better than João’s take on The Thin Red Line. It’s simultaneously the most frightening and beautiful thing we put out all year. I’m also a huge fan of Malick’s films, so this one really hit home.
#4 - UNDER THE SKIN by Matthew Woodson
Under the Skin is a tough assignment. It’s an amazingly complex film that, if approached the wrong way, could turn out disastrous. Luckily we have recent Austin transplant Matthew Woodson around, and he matched the mood perfectly here. Unanimously one of the most beautiful posters we released all year. I hope you all watched the film.
#5 - HÄXAN by Becky Cloonan
This was another dream project to work on. When Becky brought up Häxan, a 1922 silent film about witchcraft, it already seemed like a great idea. But when the screening was backed by a Werckmeister Harmonies performance, it got even better. I’m also so glad to be working with Becky more and more often, she’s the best.
#6 - A CLOCKWORK ORANGE by Rory Kurtz
Rory Kurtz, again. What else is there to say about his work in 2016? He is, quite simply, the most exciting new poster artist of recent memory. Stunning perfection.
#7 - THE MARTIAN by Oliver Barrett
We’ve been friends with Oliver for years and always knew we’d work with him eventually. When The Martian hit our desks, it finally seemed like the perfect fit. He definitely went way above and beyond our expectations and secured himself a spot in our regular rotation (if he’ll have us).
#8 - THE TREE OF LIFE by Tomer Hanuka
I always love working with Tomer because he is constantly pushing boundaries. From the first time we ever worked with him, he has been challenging what can be done with a movie poster. I can’t even wrap my head around how this was drawn, it’s just magical.
#9 - THE HATEFUL EIGHT by Jason Edmiston
Painted collage movie posters have been done a lot, so this isn’t breaking a ton of new ground in the composition department, but it shatters the ceiling of what can be screenprinted. This poster looks even better in person, proving that Jason is as much as technical wizard as he is a draftsman.
#10 - DAYS OF HEAVEN by Laurent Durieux
Another Malick film in the countdown, maybe showing my bias here. The minute we signed the Malick deal, I knew I wanted Laurent to do the poster for Days of Heaven. Its dusty, dusky landscapes are a perfect match for L’s illustration style. If you haven’t seen this film, please follow the poster’s advice and watch it now.
