THE ACT 3 POSTER
(Take 3)
First of all, remember to Save the images if you need to. Click on the act poster to see full size.
So that image up there is what I came up with. Its central idea is the Household. I really liked how it looked when I drew the House rather small on the page, framed by ample negative space, and that influenced how I wanted the rest of the image to look. It also meant the actual details of the piece would be very small. If you decide to do this, consider it a challenge in distinct small silhouette.
Let me zoom in on each specific detail for you.
In the front door, in the center of the house, is Jordan. The Door is open, Jordan is standing inside, with his right hand (our left) reaching out and resting on the wall/doorframe.
Behind him are two flickering shadows-- The Musicians.
In the bottom-left window is Donnie, standing at the window with her left hand (our right) pressed against the window.
In the room, positioned between her and Jordan, is Salmacis, hands on hips, who I have drawn here with an additional arm coming out of her head. This alludes to Salmacis's body horror that's always looming under the surface. Admittedly I'm not 100% attached to the arm-out-of-the-head thing, but maybe if it's drawn in a better pose it'd work fine? I do like the horror, as it gives expression to Donnie's anxiety. Jordan has invited Salmacis into her House, and she has to cope with it.
In the bottom-right window is Fentzy, in a withdrawn pose, clutching herself.
In the room with her is a giant shadow of a hand. This is our representation of The Beast. I think ideally the hand should be rearing back as if preparing to grab her? For reference, consider what's probably still the scariest scene in Monster House. Hopefully that video works for you.
In the top-left window is Bones, reposed against the wall rather aloof.
In the room with him is Tiresias. I don't really have a specific idea for their interaction, but the drawing here looks like Tiresias might be engaged in conversation with a listening Bones, and that works.
The exact rendition of Tiresias there comes from my previous attempt at sketching an Act 3 poster. He is wearing a little beret and holding a large grey book. It's okay if you draw him differently than this.
In the top-right window, finally, is Danny. There is no Fear in the room with him, but instead he has his arms outstretched, mirroring the Archangel's pose (below), and cruelly foreshadowing the pose we will find him in when he dies. But this picture here still allows some ambiguity, as maybe he's just stretched in comfort or joy.
Floating above the house, in fact I placed him directly in the plume of Morphs (in inverted colors), is The Archangel, arms outstretched as he orchestrates his megalomaniacal schemes. His head is a gas mask, and he's probably wearing some kind of big coat.
It is possible to miss him when looking at the image. I am alright with that.
Crawling on the wall of the House is The Anathema. He has his two legs and one arm dug into the House for purchase, with his other arm reaching an eager claw forward. His eyes are visible even in silhouette.
I really like the immediate creepiness of seeing him on the wall. Seeing my own drawing makes my brain think I'm looking at a spider.
Entering the scene from the left is the Gunslinger, aka Phil Collins. He is walking towards the House, wearing a cowboy outfit, and he has a gun visibly drawn.
It is preferable that the Gunslinger remain the only figure Outside of the general vicinity of the House. I like that he stands out, he draws the eye. I really like the broken symmetry here. He is a figure that rather conspicuously enters the story here, changing the tone. He is not here, in this image, to hunt any Fears. He is here to hunt the Kids.
Also worth mentioning is the pillar-cloud of The Morphs. They do not originate from the House but instead are flying from somewhere behind it. They fill the sky. As small details, when seen from afar they resemble a plume of smoke, as if the House is burning. And they just.. look good. They fill the upper half of the image and provide a textured visual.
The bottom third of the image is white negative space. This provides room for the text to appear unimpeded, and it makes the textless version look all the more striking. The minimalism of this piece, coupled with the focus on small details, makes it feel like a horror movie poster to me. And, above all else, this image is clearly distinct from any other Act Poster in the story. This image has an Identity.
I'll leave you with the textless version. Clicking on it will bring the full size.
