Cool Stuff: Tom Whalen's 'The Jungle Book' Print
Cyclops Prints has teamed with Disney to release a screenprint for the Walt Disney Animation classic The Jungle Book. Created by artist Tom Whalen, who we've featured many times in the past, the print focuses on the classic characters. Hit the jump to see the full Tom Whalen The Jungle Book print and read a quick interview with the artist.
The 9 color serigraph features a varnish finish with authenticity seal, printed on 36x24 conventry rag vellum 320 gsm in a numbered edition of 285. The print will go on sale on April 15th 2016 at 12 PM PST at cyclopsprintworks.com. There will also be some other releases on that day, and you can follow @cyclopsprints on twitter to find out about them and see printing process photos.
Peter Sciretta: What is your personal connection to The Jungle Book?Tom Whalen: Unlike a slew of other Disney films, I didn't have a strong connection to The Jungle Book when I was young. In fact, I believe my viewings leading up to this project may have been the first times that I saw the entire film. That said, it was liberating to go in with a blank slate instead of being nostalgically influenced by the (many) iconic scenes in the film.Peter: Your composition has a strong focus on the characters, what can you tell me about this design?Tom: Watching the supplemental features on the DVD, I learned that Walt Disney placed a strong focus on character design and animation over story for this film. It was a showcase for the amazing design, colors and movement that the characters exhibit. I wanted my poster to reflect that focus.Peter: I also love that you used the tagline "a swingin safari of laughs" from the comic book, which I remember having as a kid. Why did you choose this over the more obvious theatrical tagline?Tom: There are a few iconic taglines associated with The Jungle Book, but I think this one best fits the vibe of the artwork.Peter: Have you seen the new movie yet?Tom: Unfortunately, no! I'm hearing great things and I'm hoping to check it out this weekend.
Peter: I also recently saw you previewed a cool Star Trek anniversary print, what can you tell us about when and where people can get that?Tom: Thanks. I'm honored to be part of CBS' 50th anniversary celebration and travelling art show. It was a blast to work on an official print of the Enterprise, one of the most amazing ship designs ever. I will have screenprints of my piece available in early summer. You can drop me a line here to get on the waiting list: http://www.strongstuff.net/contact/Peter: And of course, what are you currently working on that you're allowed to tell us about?Tom: Oh, man! SO much fun stuff in the pipeline. I can't really give details on anything, but I am currently cranking on an exciting gallery show with a few amazingly talented folks. The announcement should be forthcoming in the next few weeks. Stay tuned!