The Art of John Rozum

I have a new website to display and sell my cut paper art. The website will have art added regularly in a wide range of prices. There will be a bunch of Halloween themed art introduced to the store tied in directly with my Halloween Countdown here. Please take a look at The Art of John Rozum, visit often, and help spread the word.

Recent Commission

Squid. 3-D cut paper. 2019. 

G-Fan #124

G-Fan #124 is now available. G-Fan is a magazine entirely devoted to Godzilla and other kaiju films and projects. For this issue, which was timed to be released with the new movie, Godzilla: King of the Monsters (currently showing at a theater near you), I created a wrap around cover featuring Godzilla, and his four classic Toho co-stars, King Ghidorah, Rodan and Mothra, as they appear in the new film.

This piece was done in 3-D cut paper at actual magazine size. At the time I started it, there was no plot information available, one trailer, and no clear look at any of the monsters beyond a few images of toys that would also be released now. When I finally saw the movie I was surprised to discover that the image I created was actually pretty accurately representative of the movie, right down to being located in Boston (I did take liberties with the skyline for compositional reasons). 

You can obtain a copy at many comic book retail shops, or via the G-Fan website. If you are a fan of Godzilla, I recommend simply subscribing at a very affordable rate. 

Little Shoppe of Horrors #42 Now Available

I have an illustration in the current issue of the outstanding Little Shoppe of Horrors magazine. Ordering information for issue #42, as well as all of their stellar back issues, can be found here.

Crazy 4 Cult 12 Preview 2

Here's the second piece I did for the Crazy 4 Cult 12 show opening tonight at Gallery 1988. "Mosura praegrandis" based on Mothra (1961) and numerous Godzilla films. 3-D cut paper.

Crazy 4 Cult 12 Preview 1

Here's a look at one of the pieces I did for the Crazy 4 Cult 12 show opening tomorrow night at Gallery 1988. "The Bear Suit", based on The Shining (1980). Cut paper.

I'll preview my second piece tomorrow before the show opens.

Next Month...

I will have two cut paper pieces in next months annual Crazy 4 Cult show at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. I'll be previewing them a few days before the show opens on December 7.

In the meantime, Gallery 1988 still has a few pieces of mine, including inexpensive postcard prints, if you are looking for gifts. You can find them here.

Revenge of Frankenstein 200

Chogrin has curated a show which opens tomorrow at The Dark Art Emporium celebrating 200 years of Frankenstein. "The Revenge of Frankenstein 200" features some great artists presenting their interpretations of the Frankenstein monster in his numerous incarnations.

Here's mine:

This was constructed in 3-D cut paper. The 3-D is subtle, but as seen in the first two photos with the switch in lighting, still pretty apparent. If you are in southern California, stop by the gallery and see it in person.

31 Days of Halloween - Day 6

Above is a cut paper recreation of a Collegeville mask of the Metaluna Mutant from Universal's This Island Earth (1955) that I did as a private commission.

At this link you'll find a Halloween related piece I did just for the fun of it back when I was in college.

Mad Scientist #33 now available for pre-order

Issue #33 of Martin Arlt's wonderful, Mad Scientist magazine is now available to pre-order )or, if you are attending G-Fest you can pick up a copy there). The issue is devoted to dinosaurs and features a wrap around cover that I created as a 3-D cut paper piece featuring the cast of The Lost World (1925). You can view the full contents, and also order, here.

Quatermass and the Pit

Issue #40 of Little Shoppe of Horrors, the outstanding magazine dedicated to the films of Hammer Studios, is dedicated to one of my favorite genre films, Quatermass and the Pit. I created two cut paper illustrations for this issue which can be found among the outstanding articles, photos and artwork all behind this amazing Mark Maddox cover. This issue ships this month. You can find ordering information here.

Work In Progress

Here's a sneak peak of a magazine cover I'm currently working on. Stay tuned for the completed image.

Recent Commission

This is a recent commission. Cut paper.

"Thirty Years Later" Now Open

"The Predator" is the 3-D cut paper piece I made for the "30 Years Later" show, celebrating the films of 1987, which is now on exhibit at Gallery 1988(West) through August 12, 2017. Visit in person, if you can.

Mad Scientist #32

Issue #32 of Martin Arlt's excellent magazine, Mad Scientist is now available. It's a mere $8.00, including shipping, and can be ordered here, where you can also view the contents of this issue. I created a cut paper portrait of Boris Karloff in The Black Cat which can be found within this issue.

Derry, Maine - 1957

For the Stephen King show, now on exhibit at Gallery 1988 (West), I told myself I wasn't going to do anything related to It. My decision had nothing to do with my feelings for the book (it's one of my favorite King novels), but because I figured Pennywise would be getting a lot of exposure in the show. However, when this idea occurred to me I had to do it.

The tower in the background, which features prominently in the novel, is based on the Thomas Hill Standpipe in Bangor, ME, which is the actual bit of architecture that King used for the Drrry standpipe in the book. In fact, if you visit the actual site, you'll find that the entire location is pretty exact to how it's described. I took liberties with the setting though.

The boy in the piece is actually based on a photograph of Stephen King as a boy and seemed like the perfect trusting, innocent little boy unaware of the horrors of the world (or those he'd later create).

I did try to give Pennywise the silver clown suit he wears in the book, but it just didn't look right. I ended up going with dark blue because the blue connected to the boy's clothes, only much darker, giving them a relationship. I don't think I need to go into any of the other symbolism in the image. It isn't subtle. I'm actually really happy with how this one turned out.

I Am the Doorway

The Stephen King show opens at Gallery 1988 (West) tomorrow night. I have two pieces in the show, including "I Am The Doorway" shown above.

My piece is 3-D cut paper and obviously based on the initial paperback cover of Night Shift with art by Don Brautigam (shown below with it's die cut outer cover).

Brautigam (1946-2008) created the covers for the paperback versions of some of King's earliest books, including The Stand, Firestarter, The Dead Zone, Different Seasons, and Cujo (as well as numerous other books and well known record album covers as can be seen here.) Even before I'd ever read a Stephen King book I was drawn to the covers. As far as I'm concerned none of the covers of subsequent editions has come close to recreating that sense of the uncanny that Brautigam's covers brought to King's works.


The covers for Night Shift and The Stand resonated with me the most, and I'd initially planned to recreate both of them, but time and life had other intentions.

Friday...

Thirty-Three: Celebrating 33 Years of the Independent Spirit & Sundance Film Festival

If you are attending the Sundance Film Festival be sure to stop by the Kimball Art Center to check out the current exhibit, "Thirty-Three: Celebrating 33 Years of the Independent Spirit & Sundance Film Festival" which runs from January 19, 2017 - February 12, 2017. Curated by Independent filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock and Jensen Karp and Katie Sutton of Gallery 1988, the show features some major contemporary artists. I'm honored to be a part of this and sharing wall space with some folks whose work I love. Thanks to everyone involved for having me.

You can learn more here.

At the Sundance Film Festival

I'm honored that filmmaker, Morgan Spurlock has chosen my cute paper portrait of Joel and Ethan Coen to be part of "Thirty-Three: Celebrating 33 Years Of The Independent Spirit & Sundance Film Festival" to be exhibited, in conjunction with Gallery 1988,  at the Kimball Art Center in Park City Utah. The show runs January 19, 2017 - February 12, 2017, during the Sundance Film Festival.

If you are attending the Sundance Film Festival, please check it out. There are some amazing artists participating.

For more information please check out the Kimball Art Center's website, or this article from The Salt Lake Tribune.