The SAW and TAZ adventure is one that goes a decade deep.
For this famously gruesome horror film, Jim Evans/TAZ brought the iconic, devilishly cruel clown puppet to life in his chilling poster interpretation for the film’s initial release back in 2004. From that day onward, this familiar, rather terrifying image of the SAW clown became enmeshed in pop culture – emblazoned across t-shirts, hoodies, tanks, and, of course, posters.
Working with Lionsgate Films’ marketing chief Tim Palen, that Evans describes as “an amazingly creative guy who comes up with ideas that make work fun,” Evans/TAZ is responsible for designing a series of 200 limited edition collectible posters for SAW and SAW II. Silkscreened by Rolo Castillo, this particular creative venture, beginning in 2004, actually brought together the original TAZ team. Implementing Palen’s concept of designing a special limited edition collection of silkscreen prints using iconic imagery from SAW and SAW II, and dispersing the prints to filmmakers, distributors, et al, these original signed posters have become rare and cherished bits of design and film ephemera.
Though Evans’s digital design company Division 13 worked on the marketing for many of the SAW films, 
including websites, ads, and viral marketing, he did not produce any artwork for SAW III and SAW IV. He did, however, create a couple images for SAW V, which ran as limited edition giclee prints rather than silkscreens.
This past October, in honor of Halloween and a decade after the first poster’s inception, Evans/TAZ and Palen revisited their original SAW revelation. Available for just one week only, the film’s theatrical re-release obviously needed a new collectible horror poster to honor the SAW 10th Anniversary event. A number of artists were commissioned to recreate the original SAW poster in any style they chose, and Jim Evans/TAZ
and Palen, working together again, reinterpreted the classic SAW head clamp, known as “The Death Mask” or “Venus Fly Trap,” a recognizable torture device not unlike the medieval “Iron Maiden.” (See this SAW 10th Anniversary TAZ poster below.)
The SAW series isn’t over yet – more gore’s to come in 2015, in the way of the “SAW VIII.” More gore and, perhaps, more fantastic, unforgettable TAZ designs along with it.
November 24, 2014
Jim Evans, founder of the T.A.Z. collaboration, which created hundreds of rock gig posters, record sleeves, and rock ephemera, has been working on new posters including his recent double sided Limited Edition signed and numbered T.A.Z. Pearl Jam poster.
But Jim and T.A.Z. have been working behind the scenes creating unique posters for a number of film studios. Here are a few that stand out:
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles
The Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles have always been a cool comic myth, and represent the kind of characters that an artist loves to have a chance at interpreting. When Paramount called and told me about their idea for the Legend of the Yokai, I got pretty excited. They wanted a number of different artists to visualize one of the more nobel aspects of the Turtles. I choose brotherhood, and took the opportunity to pay homage to my favorite pop poster artist Tadanori Yokoo with a wild psychedelic design.
Saw
Lionsgate 10th anniversary release of the film Saw as designed by T.A.Z. If you like Saw or if you’re a fan of horror films, try these
T.A.Z. works with Beck and L7
T.A.Z. has worked with many great artist including Beck and L7.
click here to see the complete collection of T.A.Z. work
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