All This Brand New Pop Culture Art Is Freaking Awesome

Two new shows, one at Gallery 1988 and one at Spoke Art, tackle some of pop culture's biggest franchises.

Residents of Los Angeles and San Francisco each have awesome pop culture art shows to visit this weekend—but if you don’t live in those cities, io9 is bringing the shows to you, right here, right now.

The first is called “4x4 Etc.,” the latest collaboration between artists Dave Perillo and Tom Whalen. We’ve covered the concept in the past, where each artist creates four-inch by four-inch prints, usually in sets of two, of characters that go together. It opens at 7 p.m. July 9 at Gallery 1988, 7308 Melrose Ave, Los Angeles, CA, and remains on display through July 23. The first seven slides in this slideshow are all brand new, exclusives pieces from the show featuring pieces from Back to the Future, Flash Gordon, Jurassic Park, Superman, and more.

Up the coast a bit, Spoke Art is opening a new show called “Sugoi!”, and it’s a tribute to Japanese animation. We’re talking Dragon Ball Z, we’re talking Studio Ghibli, Akira, Mobile Suit Gundam, you name it. It opens at 3 p.m. on July 9 and runs through July 30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. You’ll find a selection of pieces from that show after the ones from “4x4.”

For more on the Los Angeles show, click here. For more on the San Fransiscio show, click here. And click the arrow to see all the images.

Predator by Tom Whalen

This, and the next several slides, are debuting exclusively here on io9.

They’re all from the “4x4” show debuting at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles July 9. The whole show will be available to view and buy online July 10.

The Last Starfighter by Dave Perillo

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Back to the Future by Tom Whalen

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Weird Science by Dave Perillo

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Jurassic Park by Tom Whalen

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Flash Gordon by Dave Perillo

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Superman by Dave Perillo

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

The Thing by Tom Whalen

From here on out, the rest of the image have already debuted elsewhere online, but are part of the same show: “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Freddy vs. Jason by Dave Perillo

Part of “4x4” by Tom Whalen and Dave Perillo, from July 9-23 at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. See them online here starting July 10.

Mobile Suit Gundam: The 08th MS Team by Dakota Randle

And now, the second show. The remainder of this slide show are from “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Akira by Ise Ananaphada

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Hyper Kinkreet by Jonathan Bartlett

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Dragon Ball Z by Joshua Budich

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Forest Green by Kevan Hom

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Spirited Away by Steve Thomas

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

Akira by Van Orton

Part of “Sugoi!”, a tribute to Japanese animation. It’s on display at Spoke Art from July 9-30 at 816 Sutter Street, San Francisco. Visit this site for more information.

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