Paula Hammond - Features EditorThink B-movie. Think schlock horror. Think cheesy, no-brain entertainment. And you pretty-much sum up the ethos of Troma Entertainment.
The company, established by Lloyd Kaufman in 1974, was born out of a desire to bring back the sort of weird, disturbing film you’d discover one night, after rolling in from the pub, then spend the next decade telling your friends about. Troma films are the epitome of the cult movie, made with zero budget but tons of chutzpah.
The fact that Troma’s Toxic Avenger has just had a big-name make-over, starring Peter Dinklage and Elijah Wood, may seem surprising but, then, Troma has always hit way above its weight … so why not?
To celebrate this curious reboot, Titan Books latest release is an all-new art and making of volume featuring everything you could possibly want to know about everyone’s favourite gore-laden superhero franchise.
Packed into 160 pages, Toxic Avenger: The Art and Making of the Movie includes concept designs and production art, alongside insight from the writer-director, crew, producers, and actors. The cover even glows in the dark — which is the sort of added detail that really gives a nod to the fans of this long-running and much-loved series.
Troma merch is hard to find, so this new volume isn’t just a welcome addition to the world of Tromaville collectables, it’s a genuinely fascinating glimpse behind the curtain of everyone’s favourite brand of gory mayhem.
Dan Jolin is the author of Quentin Tarantino: The Complete Unofficial Guide and The Coen Brothers: The Complete Unofficial Guide. He is a contributing editor to Empire, the world’s biggest movie magazine, and also writes for Screen International and Time Out London, among other publications, and regularly hosts masterclasses at the National Film and Television School. Dan is also the editor and co-founder of Senet, an award-winning independent magazine about tabletop gaming. In his spare time, he enjoys mountain biking, creating DJ mixes and playing board games. He is based just outside London, in the UK.
Toxic Avenger: The Art and Making of the Movie by Dan Jolin is out now from Titan Books, ISBN 9781789099904, RRP £29.99.
