Gallery: At This Gallery, the Alien Queen Loves Popsicles and RoboCop Is a Cabbie
01Robocabbie
In the current Tumblr era, fan art is everywhere, filling blogs, and graffiti-strewn alleys, and BuzzFeed almost every day with things [mashups and tributes](http://stag-komodo.wired.com/underwire/2013/08/90s-game-of-thrones-breaking-bad/). But at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, it gets elevated to the level of fine art. You know, the kind people shell out money to buy – not just reblog. Since 2004, the LA gallery founded by Katie Cromwell and Jensen Karp has been showcasing elegant pieces by artists paying homage to everything from *The Avengers* to *Lost*. Each year the Hollywood spot holds its Crazy 4 Cult art show, where it showcases the best pieces from its most pop-culture-obsessed artists. In recent years, the annual event has even attracted fans like director Edgar Wright and buyers like Joss Whedon and Kevin Smith. Next week, the gallery will release [*Crazy 4 Cult: Cult Movie Art 2*](http://nineteeneightyeight.com/products/gallery-1988-crazy-4-cult-cult-movie-art-2-book) – the second collection of the best-of-the-best from the annual event. It's a collection of art ranging from Iron Giant/Vin Diesel mashups to a reimagining of RoboCop as a cabbie in the same universe as the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man. Most are so good they'll make you wish they were entirely true to their source material – come on, don't you kind of wish Alien was really into popsicles like he is in Jason Edmiston's painting? Just a little bit? Karp does. "Just the idea of the Alien being super into popsicles makes me laugh," Karp said in an email to WIRED. "Like he's a killer and trying to destroy humans, but if you handed him a popsicle, he becomes very loving and child like. That's the type of Alien I could get behind." WIRED asked Karp to pick out some of his favorites from the second *Crazy 4 Cult* book collection, and give a little insight into why he loves each piece. __Above:__ *Robocabbie* by Jason Edmiston ------------------------------ Originally, this piece by artist Jason Edmiston was a concept that Karp and crew asked him to make for the gallery's [Crazy 4 Cult show in New York in 2012](http://nineteeneightyeight.com/collections/crazy-4-cult-new-york). The idea was for Edmiston to create an image that encapsulated the spirit of the L.A. outpost's great trip East. "As stoked as we were for Jason to be doing it, I don't think we ever imagined it being this epic," Karp said. "The amount of movie references he fit in this piece, all from cult movies taking place in NY, is unreal. Every time I look at it, I notice new things. He's such a talented painter and smart creator, so we we're thrilled to have this be the quintessential piece from our first trip to NY." *Images courtesy Gallery 1988*
02Too Cool For School
*Too Cool for School* by Julian Callos -------------------------------------- Karp met Julian Callos when he was still in art school at Otis College of Art and Design, where his instructors asked the gallery owner to judge a series of student work done in the Crazy 4 Cult style. It turned out to be quite a good scouting exercise for Karp. "SO many talented artists came out of this experiment – Julian is one of them," he said. "He's since shown in maybe a dozen galleries and sells almost every piece he puts up, including this mash up between *Battle Royale* and *Kill Bill*. We're so honored to have been the first gallery he showed in and to be able to still hang up pieces like this one from him."
03In George We Trust
*In George We Trust* by Eric Tan -------------------------------- Artist Eric Tan spends much of his time doing retro-cool [travel posters for movies like *Wall-E* and *The Incredibles*](http://www.slashfilm.com/cool-stuff-eric-tans-wall-e-incredibles-and-ratatouille-poster-art/). But when he's not doing that, he's making brilliant riffs like this take on Marty McFly's class presidential campaign. "Eric has turned into one of the most sought after artists in our gallery, who is still at Disney and kicking out great work for them as well," Karp said. "He's a big *Back to the Future* fan, as we are, and he's revisited the subject matter a few times over the years. This mock poster for McFly's high school campaign is awesome."
04Try Again?
*Try Again?* by N.C. Winters ---------------------------- Over the years painter N.C. Winters has watched how his work performed in gallery sales and paid attention to what kind of styles and subject matters have proven popular. This is especially true of this riff on Edgar Wright's movie version of *Scott Pilgrim vs. the World*. "As we've learned, being a great painter is sadly not always enough when dealing in gallery sales," Karp said. "Buyers also want to connect with you, especially as they'll be hanging the work in their house and seeing it everyday." It's investment not only financially, but emotionally. N.C. gets that."
05Portrait of an Iron Giant as a Young Vin Diesel
*Portrait of an Iron Giant as a Young Vin Diesel* by Mike Mitchell ------------------------------------------------------------------ Over the years, artist Mike Mitchell has amassed a pretty big following in the Gallery 1988 community – one that Karp said has grown out of talent, not hype. This Iron Giant painting is from "before his big boom" Karp said but was still snapped up by Damon Lindelof to give to the movie's director Brad Bird. "\[He's\] developed a huge fan base," Karp said. "It wasn't just because so-and-so bought one, or because his pieces sold out and fetched a lot of dough on eBay, it was because the work is good."
06The One That Got Away
*The One That Got Away* by Anthony Petrie ----------------------------------------- Gallery 1988 has called on screenprint artist Anthony Petrie to make pieces for everything from *Sharknado* to *Breaking Bad* and consistently crushes it, Karp said. This Predator image is no exception. "I'm not even a huge fan of Predator (I know, I'm sorry), but I love this piece," Karp said. "That's always a great sign when a cult piece actually speaks to you, even if you don't LOVE the movie."
07Way to Go Robo
*Way to Go Robo* by Jonathan Way$hak ------------------------------------ Artist Jonathan Way$hak works in everything from comics to painting and, according to Karp, "has the ability to create these dark, almost dismal, pieces that at the same time are comforting and part of a world you want to know more about." This is particularly true of this RoboCop piece, which paints the robotized crime fighter in a whole new light. "You can just tell that in Jonathan's world RoboCop has a totally different goal and personality and it involves anger and a lot of blood," Karp said. "Almost RoboCop's revenge."
08Rocket Queen
*Rocket Queen* by Jason Edmiston -------------------------------- This Alien vs. popsicle piece was also from the work Edmiston did for the New York Crazy 4 Cult show. "\[It's\] one I remember well because it's now in the collection of director Frank Darabont, which is awesome," Karp said.
09Ray
*Ray* by Bruce White -------------------- This image of Dan Aykroyd from *Ghostbusters* is part of a series that artist Bruce White did of the parapsychology spook-hunters. It's also done on black velvet, like those Elvis paintings seen in so many places of kitsch. "Bruce is just the master," Karp said. "So much so, that his technique is a secret within the black velvet world (that exists), because he's just that good and we don't need copycats." Karp is such a fan of White's series that he longs for the day he continues it. "I hope one day he can get around to doing Rick Moranis from *Ghostbusters* too," he said. "Just to continue this specific series."
10Shark vs. Zombie
*Shark vs. Zombie* by Keith Noordzy ----------------------------------- Keith Noordzy's poster for that New York Crazy 4 Cult show is another that – like Edmiston's RoboCop piece – has "many layers of geekdom," Karp said. Not only does it pit shark vs. zombie, it's also a riff on the [Andy Warhol vs. Basquiat bill](http://dangerousminds.net/comments/andy_warhol_and_jean_michel_basquiat_in_1986) from the 1980s art scene in New York. "I also love seeing that the show's address was on this piece, because Katie and I just worked so hard on this art exhibit," Karp said. "Any memory I can have from it (and not actually have to work that hard again to feel it), I'll take."
111988
*1988* by Andrew Wilson ----------------------- Much like Edmiston's *Robocabbie*, Andrew Wilson's *1988* is also a mashup of classic flicks, from *Beetlejuice* to *Who Framed Roger Rabbit* to *The NeverEnding Story*. "Wilson is a guy who's been with us from almost Day 1," Karp said. "For this piece, he took movies from the late '80s (in ascending order) and had them all live in the same universe. I love Andrew's work because his characters almost seem like independent video game characters. I wish we could make toys out of all of them."
