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Exclusive: Never-before-seen poster design for Tim Burton's 'Batman'

By

Josh Wilding

·

on Exclusive: Never-before-seen poster design for Tim Burton's 'Batman'

John Alvin was responsible for creating a number of beautiful painted movie posters across four decades, including the likes of Predator and Star Wars.

Thanks to Titan Books, we can exclusively share with you one of his designs from upcoming release, The Art of John Alvin, a book which collects his work, both seen and unseen. This one is for Tim Burton's Batman, a movie that many fans still consider to be the best big screen outing for the Caped Crusader.

Do you think they should have used this poster back in 1989?

John Alvin’s movie poster art is among the most iconic of the last 40 years, from Disney films such as Beauty and the Beast and Pinocchio, to Empire of the Sun, Gremlins, Blazing Saddles, Predator, and Star Wars 30th anniversary posters. This book not only collects some of Alvin’s finest work, but also includes previously unseen comprehensives and in progress sketches.

Update: THR was sent some posters as well, and they received the finished version of the Batman News exclusive above:

Batman1

This is an archive of Batman-News.com from 2010 to 2025. For the latest news, check out BatmanNews.com

33 comments

  1. ShahbazW Avatar
    ShahbazW

    Two face wasn't in the first movie right? Looks like fan-art

    1. Sarcasmos Avatar
      Sarcasmos

      That's the Joker.

      1. ShahbazW Avatar
        ShahbazW

        The drawing on the right awfully looks like Tommy Lee Jones. But I guess it's Michael Keaton

        1. Batfreak Avatar
          Batfreak

          It doesn't look ANYTHING like Tommy Lee Jones.

    2. Batfan nana nana nana Avatar
      Batfan nana nana nana

      I can't tell if your fucking with me or just haven't seen the movie

    3. JOnnyKnows Avatar
      JOnnyKnows

      are you a teenager or something?

  2. Sebastian Avatar
    Sebastian

    Batman's pose, resembles The Dark Knight Returns pose

    1. Me Avatar
      Me

      It's basically the exact same pose except seen by us from a different angle :)

    2. Steve Avatar
      Steve

      Even more so, it resembles this image by Frank Miller from the interior pages of Batman: The Dark Knight Returns (themes of which were part of the creative process for Burton's Batman). ;)

      1. Steve Avatar
        Steve

        Whoops! Looks like the pic I posted didn't show (as of this posting). Here's a link to it, or scroll down. Someone else posted it too. ;)
        http://www.4thletter.net/wp...

    3. Spurple Avatar
      Spurple

      FAIL. It looks nothing like that picture.

  3. Timothy Straw Avatar
    Timothy Straw

    And Knox on the right, I think.

    1. BatmanNewsChris Avatar
      BatmanNewsChris

      I'm pretty sure that's Michael Keaton. Knox wasn't a big enough character to warrant being featured on a poster.

    2. Sergio Avatar
      Sergio

      that's jack nicholson on the left, on the right is MK.

  4. Connor J. Quinn Avatar
    Connor J. Quinn

    I wish they'd go back to painted posters. Much better than the photoshopped ones we get today.

  5. Steven Kirk Avatar
    Steven Kirk

    "Excuse me, Mr. Alvin, Frank Miller's attorney is on line one." I'm gonna assume that he was just using Miller's art as part of the concept for the poster :)

    https://ditto004.files.word...

    1. Queef Police Avatar
      Queef Police

      Thats funny. Alvin must not of had many original ideas.

    2. DontBeMeanInternet Avatar
      DontBeMeanInternet

      My first thought, too.

  6. YvonneWW2 Avatar
    YvonneWW2

    The eye is drawn towards the car in this poster. It fails to focus on the story.

  7. The Dark Knight Avatar
    The Dark Knight

    Here Batman looks far more badass than film version. And suit looks also better here. Film version has so toy and uncomfortable feel.

  8. Drew Breeze Avatar
    Drew Breeze

    Does Wayne have a cigarette? Holy bat shit that's blasphemy

    1. WhiteBoner Avatar
      WhiteBoner

      Much better than holding an alcoholic drink, because alcohol is far worse for your hormones than cigarettes. (And, yeah, cigarettes look kinda cool.)

      http://www.peaktestosterone...

    2. Drew Breeze Avatar
      Drew Breeze

      True... but then again when I think of a man in tip top physical condition both mind and body I think of Micheal Keaton. .lol

      1. Knight-Errant Avatar
        Knight-Errant

        And remember, his Wayne (and Kilmer's) wore glasses too!

  9. Queef Police Avatar
    Queef Police

    It must have been a very calculated move having Jack out of the joker makeup. I wouldn't be surprised if there was some stipulations in his contract about that.

  10. MAxoman Avatar
    MAxoman

    Who is the person on the right supposed to be? Knox?

  11. John Avatar
    John

    It's hilarious that Bruce Wayne is holding a lit cigarette on the poster when he never smoked in the movie. "Hey kids! Be like Batman and smoke 2 packs a day!"

  12. Queef Police Avatar
    Queef Police

    woah that rules!

  13. Barry Horowitz Avatar
    Barry Horowitz

    looks like robocop's suit

  14. Knight-Errant Avatar
    Knight-Errant

    Interesting how the bottom area underneath Nicholson, the Batmobile, & Keaton (right above "Batman") looks like part of the bat symbol.

  15. Gothamite1939 Avatar
    Gothamite1939

    Cool poster, image saved.

  16. Mark Avatar
    Mark

    Interesting that when they went with the actual poster, they kept the shiny "BATMAN" lettering:

    http://imgs.abduzeedo.com/f...

    I remember the late Dan Miller, the announcer/sidekick on The Pat Sajak Show, saying that there were these billboards all over town that looked like teeth, and he didn't get what they were for. I don't think that would have been an issue with the Dark Knight-esque version (and for all those who say he ripped off Miller, this was only a few years after TDKR and DC probably wanted to keep the imagery alive).

  17. Brad Hicks Avatar
    Brad Hicks

    Is it just me, or does the suit in the finished version look kinda . . . quilted?

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This is an archive of Batman-News.com from 2010 to 2025. For the latest news, check out BatmanNews.com