Artist Tyler Stout’s Giant Frankenstein Poster Leads New Universal Monster Art Exhibitions

Fans of classic horror and alternative films have something truly monstrous to look forward to this weekend. Coda and Sideshow are teaming up for two incredible art exhibitions celebrating the Universal Monsters, and leading the charge is a massive new poster from the legendary artist Tyler Stoutwith a gigantic tribute to Frankenstein it is as bold and electrifying as the creature itself.

Debuting exclusively on io9, Stout’s brand new poster for the 1931 horror masterpiece Frankenstein is not your average print. Instead of sticking to standard poster sizes, Stout went massive, and this piece stretches out to a staggering 24 x 72 inches, echoing the Monster’s commanding presence.

It will make its first appearance at Coda and Sideshow’s special Universal Monsters exhibition at the Canopy Gallery in Austin, Texas, which opens Friday. A second event will take place at the same time as Celebrity Authentics at Universal CityWalk in Los Angeles, making it a truly monstrous bi-coastal mix.

The screenprint, priced at $120, is available in an edition of 300 and was expertly printed by DL Screenprinting in Seattle. There are also two exclusive variants, one available only to Austin attendees who sign up in person, and another variant that will appear later at a yet-to-be-announced convention.

Cofounder of Coda Rob Jones shared his admiration for Stout’s work, saying:

“Tyler Stout’s work has undoubtedly popularized the concept of alternative film posters more than other artists in the industry. His work has spoken to people with an active relationship with cinema.

“His dense slice of characters, their relationships, and the pressures acting on them remain unlike the approach of any other artist in the history of the medium.”

Jones went on to explain the inspiration behind the poster’s enormous size:

“While he is always a joy to work with, the main pleasure comes from watching his brain fly as he figures out where to land on the page. In this case, he lands on two pages, or rather two sheets.

“Tyler hoped to evoke a pop culture icon that drew him from the back pages of his childhood comics: the Jack Davis ‘Life-Size Frankenstein’ poster.

“To make this happen feasibly as a screenprint, he split the image across two 24-by-36-inch sheets. The results are unlike any AMP made for Frankenstein, and all expertly printed by DL Screenprinting in Seattle.”

And in a final reflection that perfectly captures the creative spirit behind this project, Jones added:

“I love these results and perhaps over-identify with Henry Frankenstein, so consumed by the personal quest that Tyler shows him living within the confines of his own work, i.e. the monster.”

As amazing as Stout’s Frankenstein piece is, it’s just one part of a sprawling celebration of horror cinema. Both the Austin and Los Angeles exhibitions will feature original artwork and silk-screened posters from an extensive roster of artists, each putting their own spin on legendary Universal Monsters from Dracula and The Mummy to The Creature from the Black Lagoon.

The Los Angeles show kicks off on October 23, at Celebrity Authentics at Universal CityWalk, 11am-9pm daily through November 2. Meanwhile, the Austin event will open on October 24th at the Canopy Gallery, from 6-10pm, and run all weekend, closing on October 26th.

Each city will host a unique selection of artworks exclusive to that location, with some prints going online in waves this November at codacurates.com and via Sideshow.

Check out the art below and tell us what you think!