The first official pieces of original pop art inspired by Iron Maiden have just gone on display at San Diego Comic Con by Fine Art publishers Acme Archives, who are renowned for showcasing the cream of the Entertainment Industry’s properties in new and innovative fashion. These include artworks licensed from such illustrious companies as Twentieth Century Fox, DreamWorks, Lucasfilm Ltd., Microsoft, Saban and Cartoon Network.
Asked about this unique art collaboration, Blake Jones, ACME Archive’s Creative Director said;
"Iron Maiden is one of the most iconic bands of all time, I have felt so utterly privileged to be able to work with them in any regard and when we got the chance to collaborate on this project I nearly screamed! This was one of the best, and most fun projects I’ve been able to work on to date - I listened to nothing but Iron Maiden for an entire month, and it never got old. With the artists I asked to work on these images, I knew they all had the ability to go dark, but I also wanted to ensure there was a fair amount of diversity within the collection. We looked to each artist to create original artwork based on their favourite Maiden song or album and to totally re-imagine them. As the images rolled in, I became ever more excited to see them in print. I can’t wait for the public to see the results, as these talented artists have nailed it. I hope you guys enjoy these images as much as we enjoyed making them!"
While Iron Maiden’s manager Rod Smallwood commented;
“Eddie has long been recognised by our fans as an iconic figure – for Maiden and also for metal in general. That ‘Pop Culture’, which draws upon movies, art, comics and literature, should wish to welcome him to their ranks is a huge tribute to his longevity, unique symbolism and importance to millions of fans around the world. With such a rich canvas and so much love for the character, it is fitting that he stands inside Acme Archives with his peers. And of course terrorises them all!!”
There are 5 pieces (plus two glow-in-the-dark variants and one colour variant edition) are currently on display at SDCC - ACME Archives booth #5629 – and are also available to buy online. All are priced at $50 plus shipping and are available from DarkInkArt.com
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| Powerslave - a silk screen print by Dan Mumford Limited edition of 250 Red variant edition limited to 100 “The epic cover of Powerslave is an image that was burned in my brain from an early age. Released in 1984, it was something I always associated with real metal and was consistently on the shelves of CDs I would look through as a kid. It was the clear winner for me, not only does it raise Eddie up to his rightful God status, but it allowed me to play with some incredible imagery and create a piece that hopefully does him and the band justice." - Dan Mumford |
2 Minutes To Midnight - a silk screen print by Zombie Yeti Limited edition of 250 Glow in the dark variant edition limited to 100 “My exposure to rock/metal really was spearheaded by Iron Maiden. The visuals alone drew me in as a kid, obviously! I chose '2 Minutes To Midnight' for my piece because I have such a vivid recollection of expecting Nuclear War at any moment in the 80's. Soviet Russia and Nuclear War were the epitome of fear back then. I love that the song seems to be ahead of the curve on a bit with its romanticised perspective of the world at that time" - Zombie Yeti |
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| To Tame A Land - a silk screen print by Arik Roper Limited edition of 250 "To Tame A Land hits the ears with a thick riff assault that moves mountains. You can practically feel the warm winds of an exotic desert planet blowing your hair back as dual suns blaze on the horizon and Sandworms thunder below… this one was the clear choice for me. It's something I'd been waiting to do for decades, and so here we have Eddie as leader of the Fremen, standing victorious after the famous duel. Up the Irons!” - Arik Roper |
Speed Of Light - a silk screen print by Santi Casas Limited edition of 250 “Heavy music is a huge part of my life, and Iron Maiden is the band that has inspired me for decades so I could not imagine a better gig to work on! Based on the title of this new track I decided to create a flat colour image like the ones on the sides of old arcade machines. Of course it had to be bold, powerful, and it had to jump straight out at the viewer - so Eddie, once more, is coming to get you!” - Santi Casas |
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Killers - a silk screen print by Godmachine Limited edition of 250 Glow in the dark variant edition limited to 100 “The first thing I remember drawing as a kid was Mickey Mouse, the second thing I remember trying to draw was Eddie from Iron Maiden’s album covers. I was into Run DMC and Beastie Boys at the time and didn't appreciate metal like I do today. Their Killers album cover freaked me out! It wasn't just the crazy eyes but the atmosphere of the whole cover: windows into everyday people, safe at home, watching TV or darning socks or whatever... and outside was this monster on the prowl. Even today the oddness of the cover makes me shudder - those TV antennas as symbols, the person peeking out of the window... I came around to metal and discovered a slew of equally awesome Iron Maiden covers, but Killers is a winner for me." - Godmachine |
