Mondotees

“If we have to explain what we are, you wouldn’t understand.” – Mondo

First lets go back to the start; The Alamo Drafthouse. Here you’ll find a lifestyle entertainment brand with an acclaimed cinema-eatery, the largest genre film festival in the United Sates and an amazing online collectible art boutique (that’s Mondo, the one I’m about to introduce you to.)

But first a little more on The Alamo. Entertainment weekly named it “the best theatre in America” and since opening in Texas it has built its reputation as a film lover’s paradise. It fulfils people’s love of great film with that little added extra, a full dinner and drinks menu to accompany you in your viewing. Alamo Drafthouse founder Tim League went a little further then and created Fantastic Fest, a world renowned film festival showcasing eight days of offbeat cinema from independents, international filmmakers and major Hollywood Studios.

Then there’s Mondo, the Alamo Drafthouse’s collectible art boutique. It features designs from world famous artists based on licenses for popular TV and Movie properties (think Star Wars, Star Trek & Universal Monsters to name a few.) Championed for their limited edition screen printed posters since 2005, Mondo focuses on bringing the art back to movie posters and has so far worked with artists such as Olly Moss, Tyler Stout and Martin Ansin. They create breathtaking works for beloved classics and contemporary films while also producing great posters for featured Alamo Drafthouse events.



One of the main guys behind Mondo is Justin Ishmael, a creative director with a lifelong fascination in comics, toys, movies and art. Along with Mitch Putnam and Rob Jones, Ishmael’s expanded Mondo from a small t-shirt shop in the corner of Austin’s Alamo Drafthouse, to a design studio working with legendary directors and artists. “Never did I think that all of my favorite things would get rolled up into one job and that I could actually make the things I’ve always wanted. My name is Justin Ishmael and I have found my dream job.”

Inspiration comes from things as simple as a walk around their houses. “We’re all big collectors of toys, VHS tapes, comics; pretty much everything I mentioned liking as a kid, we still buy now. Our houses are filled with the stuff, and what led us to getting one of our very first licenses in 2009 was me looking at the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle pizza shooter from when I was a kid and thinking, “I want to work with Eastman and Laird.” Our hoarding has also lead to other licensing deals such as Universal Monsters, Star Trek and Star Wars. ” Other film posters to be recreated include cult classics like Planet of The Apes, The Gremlins, Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream, a minute sample of the ever expanding legacy.



Wez Craven, horror filmmaker of Nightmare on Elm Street and Scream was one of the lucky few chosen to be honoured by a director’s series of posters commemorating his films. Ishmael speaks highly of the horror makers talent; “Answering the phone. Taking a nap. Going to the movies. One man has made each of these seemingly innocent and normal activities terrifying, Wes Craven has been traumatizing audiences for years and we are very proud to add this master of horror and suspense to the ever-growing ranks of Mondo Director’s Series.”



The officially licensed Star Wars Series is another worth a mention considering the brand and films have gained almost cult like status among movie fans worldwide. Ishmael spent a year emailing and calling Lucasfilm to try to attain a license from the famously protective studio to allow his artists create their unique Star Wars inspired graphics. They persevered and managed to get approval from Lucasfilm having sent them a group of posters in the belief that to fully understand what they are, they must be seen in person. Justin Ishmael speaks excitedly to Slashfilm.com at the half way point of the series “I love that this is the first time in the Star Wars series…we’re half over and it’s the first time you’re seeing Luke and Vader. Now everyone’s going to know we can do whatever we want, that it’s deliberate. We wanted to focus on smaller stuff, but on the other hand, we’re not snobby. We’re going to do more of these, big posters with big scenes. But think about a pay-per-view event: they don’t put the biggest scene first. It’s all part of the excitement about not knowing what’s coming.” –. At Mondo they don’t have the pressure of dealing with studio execs or producers voicing any dislikes. For the most part they just tell the artists “hey, do whatever you want”, and it comes back looking excellent.



On the reasoning as to why Mondo’s poster program has gained such popularity (they sell out within hours, sometimes even minutes of going on sale.) “I think people are losing interest in unimaginative posters. It goes back to the ’70s, when most posters would be this giant face and a celebrity’s name. Now, when you see a poster where it’s just two dudes standing around looking tough, it’s kind of a groaner.” At Mondo the artist can create something bigger and more complex, something that’s so often more appealing or exciting than the original film covers or posters.

Ishmael and the gang haves gone a step further in recent months to bring back even more old school nostalgia to their fans with the recent creation of Mondo Video following a partnership with Intervision Picture Corporation. Their first release was 1983’s Sledgehammer. “I am downright crazy about VHS, so it gives me great pride that we get to make Sledgehammer the first release on our new Mondo Video label. There has been a major resurgence in VHS collecting the last few years after it was announced that the tapes would stop being made, so being fans ourselves, we jumped at the opportunity to actually resurrect the format and release some of our favourite movies on VHS. People thought they killed the video tape back in 2008, but like a phoenix, it is rising from the ashes! Never Forget!” Sledgehammer was released on May 10th to coincide with the film’s first release on DVD. It is the first of many video releases to be expected from Mondo Video, a label created to release rare genre films in a collectible VHS format.



There’s something really great about Mondo and what they stand for, the pride put into what they do. They stand by what they believe to be great pieces of film, not what anyone else attempts to decide for them. “We try to only work on things that we like. If someone came to us and said ‘Do something for Yogi Bear,’ we wouldn’t do it, even if they were paying us. We take our reputation seriously. People will go see the movie because we put the poster out; it gives the movies a second life in some circles.” – Ishmael, Texas Monthly.

As for what’s in store this year “We have so much stuff coming out in the next year that I’d love to let you in on, but isn’t waiting part of the fun?” -Ishmael. Mondo has come a long way from the small t-shirt shop to the renowned highly coveted art boutique it’s become today. Check them out at www.mondotees.com