Chris Roberts, a illustrator and a graphic artist from Toronto, Canada, made a foray into the fine arts field with his beautifully detailed depictions of classic movie monsters posed as subjects in classic paintings. From The Creature from the Black Lagoon’s Gillman in a re-imagination of The Death of Marat by Jacques-Louis David to a montage of Vincent Price’s various film roles, (including the fiendish Dr. Phibes) Roberts’ work consists of part imagination, part tongue-in cheek. My personal favorite would have to be the Universal monsters gathered around Frankenstein, posed as Da Vinci’s The Last Supper. Art history and horror fans rejoice!

I took the liberty of interviewing Roberts in order to discuss his affinity with horror films from a young age:

1. How did you start being interested in classic monster movies, as evident in your pieces?

My interest in classic monster movies began by watching the old Universal horror movies on TV, and reading about them in the pages of magazines like Famous Monsters and Castle of Frankenstein.

2. Did you grow up with horror as a kid? If so, what were some of the first films you remember watching?

Definitely! Some of the first films I remember were The Bride of Frankenstein, King Kong, and some of the early Hammer movies.

3. What’s your art background and what kind of materials do you like to use?

After taking a three year fine art course I began working as a graphic artist. I paint in acrylics and also sculpt using a material called Super Sculpy, which can be baked in an oven to harden it, and then painted.

4. What kind of TV and film illustration have you worked on?

I’ve done illustration and graphics work on such films as The incredible Hulk, Jumper, Still Seas, Total Recall and Orphan. I’ve also worked on props for several TV commercials and made for TV movies.

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