Frankenstein’s Monster, Pepsi ‘Monster Match’ 1991

Don Ivan Punchatz created this Frankenstein’s Monster for a Pepsi campaign, and right away you can see how Punchatz is using a full palette, not afraid to mix vibrant color with the dark subject matter. It's this tension between the playful and the grotesque that makes the piece so compelling. Look at the monster’s face. The detail is incredible, each line and shadow meticulously rendered. You can see the texture of the skin, the subtle variations in color that give the face depth and dimension, each stroke of the brush carefully considered. The bolts coming out of his neck aren’t just metal, they gleam with reflected light, and the scar on his forehead is practically throbbing. Punchatz doesn’t hold back. This isn't some hastily thrown-together sketch, it’s a fully realized vision, a monster brought to life with painstaking detail and a clear love for the process. You can almost see echoes of someone like R. Crumb in the level of detail and embrace of the macabre, that same willingness to push boundaries and challenge our perceptions.