Modern Posters With a Retro Touch

Tom Whalen started working with illustration influenced by his grandmother, who took care of him during the Sunday afternoons. As she had a candy shop and not much time for her grandson, he spent great part of the afternoons reading the comic books that were spread out through the store for the clients.

Inspired by those books, Tom started spending hours trying to imitate those drawings and, gradually, started making his own illustrations. He discovered his tallest: with no academic education -- something he only got later at university -- he made characters inspired by Marvel and DC comics.

Now, this American man is 36 years old and his illustration style is something that mix the billboards and movie posters, the comic books, pop culture and religious iconography. Beloved by drawings and typography, the result is posters with a vintage aspect.

He chooses popular themes: Star Wars, The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, Dracula, The Thing and The Fly are some of the movies recreated by Tom, who admitted, on an interview, the lack of time because of the great number of purposes he receives and invitations to participate of expositions. Besides, all his works have a lot of retro: precise forms and colors highly inclined to maroon. That's what can happen when you are created by your grandmother.