The legendary George A. Romero unleashed a truly menacing nightmare 50 years ago. Night of the Living Dead stumbled into theaters on October 1, 1968 as a low budget, indie horror movie. The narrative parallels that of controversial epidemics flooding society during its time, continuing on to present day. Click here to read a more brutally honest review that details the underlying metaphorical context. With his directorial debut, Romero introduced the idea of the recently deceased coming back to life caused by some unearthly radiation. The ghouls were very minimal and unrestricted which gave them the power to manifest into your isolated fears. They made an impression that cemented the foundation of the zombies we know today.
the film itself is a gut-wrenching tale of survival from the monsters and from ourselves. The walls slowly close in and viewers begin to realize that no one is safe. There is no happy ending, no one gets out alive… a reality check that death is inevitable. Night of the Living Dead phenomenally delivered fear in a personal way, leaving you questioning your ability to survive. Romero reinvented the rules of the horror genre, single handedly creating a new sub-genre.
Today marks the 50th anniversary of the film’s debut on society. What better way to celebrate that than by exhibiting some of the amazing artwork inspired by the film?
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_20180930_020743_670-300x212.jpg)
Comic book artist and colorist William “The Psycho Slaughterman” Anderson designed this amazing work of art to commemorate the 50th anniversary of Night of the Living Dead. He is offering a 50 limited print run to celebrate the film and the debut of his new storefront at his website. Be sure to follow him on Instagram to keep up with his latest work.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/20180930_024050-300x300.jpg)
Kelly Durette is a photo-realistic artist who formulates beautiful, anatomically correct works with pencils and color pencils. This portrait of Kyra Schon (Karen Cooper) is wonderful and may stand out from her usual subject matter, which is inspired by an interest in medical illness, anatomy, mortality, and death. Her obsession with horror, paired with remarkable skill creates for wonderful fan art, is thrilling to behold. To see more work by Kelly, make sure to visit her Instagram page.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/Night-of-the-Living-Dead-final-redux-300x225.jpg)
Jason Edmiston’s appreciation for pop culture radiates throughout his art. An array of horror movie motifs fill his portfolio. With the above scenic piece of art, he encompassed the hysteria and panic felt while this iconic scene unfolds. The modest depiction leaves little room for error, resulting in a piece of breathtaking art. Like what you see? Be sure to check out his website where you can get links to his social media and flip through the pages of amazing artwork.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/NIght-of-the-Living-Dead-green-glow-300x225.jpg)
Freelance artist “Ghoulish” Gary Pullin has created horror art for fans for many years. One thing he is most notable for is his alternative movie posters, primarily horror movies. This Night of the Living Dead movie poster is smothered with nostalgia, proving why he was given the nickname, “Ghoulish Gary.” And yes, it glows in the dark. As a life-long horror fan, he just gets it. Want to see what other fan favorites Gary as polished up for fans? Check out his Instagram page, where you can also access his website if you’d like to make a purchase.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/IMG_20180930_020709_013-225x300.jpg)
Night of the Living Dead has inspired all kinds of medium regarding art. Ian Fetterman transforms ordinary fruit into art as he hand carves images into foam pumpkins. The above gourds will forever hold the essence of the movie, effortlessly complementing the Halloween season. Ian has carved countless designs and other familiar faces. Click here to see what else he’s captured on pumpkins.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/SDeck-NOTLD-Graveyard-Sunset-Regular-Editionjpg-200x300.jpg)
Illustrator and designer Sara Deck has mastered the skill of grasping keen detail with an iron fist. Released by Grey Matter Art to honor the 50th anniversary of the film, this image screams fright and paranoia. The ghouls lurk in the shadows as they engulf the center of the image. Just by looking at it, my heart starts to race. Deck has harmonized exquisite beauty with grotesque horror scenes, and I cannot get enough. Check out more of her artwork throughout her Instagram profile.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/10/z112717notld_criterion_extra-300x216.jpg)
Comic book artist Sean Phillips offered this profound art for The Criterion Collection: Night of the Living Dead Blu-ray DVD. As the wraparound sleeve, this image personifies that claustrophobic feeling of uncertainty and threat. The panoramic spotlights the terror that enfolds, scene by scene – resulting in the hair at the back of your neck to rise once you notice all the fine details. What a powerful image that can reinforce that kind of psychological effect! For more works from Sean Phillips, take a look at his website.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/kilian-eng-notld-final-300x200.jpg)
Known for his extravagant sci-fi art, Kilian Eng clearly possesses the skill of delivering a bone-chilling representation of Night of the Living Dead. As his first poster in the horror genre, Killian Eng ideally captured the atmosphere and environment of the film, both of which are important artistic elements that make the movie most effective. It perfectly complements the movie’s tone with the color scheme and choice of iconic scene. Please click here to find out more information about Kilian Eng and to see more of his lavish artwork.
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/received_1113554542136104-215x300.jpeg)
![](https://pophorror.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/09/received_492692931204894-215x300.jpeg)
And lastly, ZOMBIES! There’s countless gory characteristics that can be embodied through a zombie. These two artists have managed to manifest unique characters, achieving an awestruck result but with two noteworthy different styles. Freelance artist Tony Orcutt managed to captivate a stunning decayed zombie with a hint of emotion behind the eyes. His artwork has since evolved and is most certainly realistic geared. For more prints available for purchase, click here. True to is individual style Scott Spillman’s zombie is fruitful in color and balanced with attitude. Scott has a plethora of horror art that’s swept across conventions across the nation. Follow him on Facebook and scope through his online store.
A special thank you to all the artist for allowing PopHorror to feature their artwork.