The fifth in our series of Fringe Benefits Project Artist Interviews is with "Ghoulish" Gary Pullin who created the poster for Episode 1.13 - The Transformation.

Q - Mr. Jensen Karp is the mastermind behind Gallery 1988 and The Fringe Benefits Project. When did he contact you about participating in the series? How much advance notice/working time did you have? Especially as the episodes were voted for by the fans of the show.

A - Back in December I got an email from Jensen asking if I liked Fringe. I'll be honest, living the freelance life hasn't opened up a lot of time for TV so I had only seen a few episodes but thought it was an awesome show. In fact, a lot of it was filmed in an old church just steps away from my home here in Toronto. When he sent me the episode "The Transformation" how could I resist, it had a great monster and I knew I wanted in on the project.

Q - If you had the chance to create another print in this series what moment would you have chosen?

A - If I had to do it again, I'd love to do up one of Dr. Bishop in his dark and dingy lab, he always reminded me of Dr. Frankenstein.

Q - Were you restricted/instructed in anyway ?

A - No, not at all. Jensen is awesome at giving the artist free reign. I presented an initial sketch and he said "Go for it!"

Q - Are there sketches or preliminary drawings that we might see?

A - It's VERY rough, so I would prefer not to post it.

Q - What's it like to watch a reveal drop from your end? Did anyone let you know when your print was to be revealed, so you could witness the reaction online ?

A - Jensen was pretty secretive about the project so after I submitted the artwork I just watched it unfold like everyone else. The reaction has been great so far. I've received quite a few emails from fans of the show and it is nice to know that they dig the print.

Q - Are you going to be releasing AP's? If so, a hint as to when they might drop? :D

A - I will have AP's in my store at some point, yes, but I'm not sure when at the moment. People can follow me on twitter - @GhoulishGary or on facebook facebook.com/GhoulishGaryPullin where I will be sure to post the details when I have them confirmed.

Q - Are you a fan of Fringe and did you re-watch episodes for inspiration for key details ?

A - As I mentioned the freelance life unfortunately does not leave me with much time for TV but I do like the show. I was really impressed with the few episodes I have seen and after watching "The Transformation" quite a few times for inspiration a Fringe marathon is definitely in my future.

Q - If you are a fan Who is your favourite character in the show ?

A - Walter Bishop

Q - Any favorite quotes?

A - One from The Transformation

Peter: God, I hope I never have to hear him say the word "nipple" again.

Q - Do you have a favorite moment / episode ?

A - The the nipple scene from "The Transformation" I think would be pretty hard to beat.

Your Art

Q - How did you get into print making? What was your first print you ever did?

A - Back in 2009 Mondo contacted me to create a poster for Street Trash and from then on I was hooked. I love taking a movie or episode and distilling it into a single image. I am still learning with each new print I create and I have to admit I am lucky to be busy creating this type of artwork.

Q - Do you pull your own screens or use outside source?

A - I don't do my own printing, so I have the opportunity to work with a few great printing houses. I've worked with D&L Screen Printing, Nakatomi and Kid Icarus here in Toronto.

Q - For those who are just getting into collecting art prints, what advice would you give to them regarding storage and upkeep that you wish you knew when you started?

A - Buy a flat file and store them in that as soon as you get them. It's even better if you can board and bag them in archival sleeves.

Q - Are you a collector of prints yourself? If so, what are some of your favorite prints you own from other artists?

A - Yes, I started a few years ago and have got some great ones in my collection. Some of the artists I like to collect are Ken Taylor, Jason Edmiston, Phantom City Creative, Martin Ansin and Jay Shaw to name just a few. At the moment my all time favourite print is Ken Taylor's Maniac. I love that movie and his portrait of Joe Spinel is sobering, it's so good. Phantom City's The Burning is quite amazing too, just a great concept all around.

Q - Of all the prints you've done so far what's been the one you've been most excited to drop?

A - I hate to pick a favourite, as Freddy Krueger once said, "They're all my children now!" But if I had to pick just one, it would probably be my Psycho poster for Gallery 1988, mainly because I did it solely on my own and I'm a huge fan of Hitchcock. It sold out right away. I really wish I had made the edition a bit higher, but you never know what's going to catch on with people. I'm considering doing a third variant.

Q - What would be your dream print to create for a gallery/studio (tv show, movie, band, or all three?)

A - I've been dying to do a print for The Changeling (1980). It's my favourite ghost story, ever. I actually have a rough mock up of one that I'm pitching. I also have ideas for Silent Night, Deadly Night and the Italian film Demons I'm working on, as I haven't seen any screen prints made for those films yet.

For TV, I'd love to do a classic Twilight Zone print. And for a band, you can never go wrong with Alice Cooper.

Q - What is craziest request you've had from a fan/client?

A - Someone actually wanted me to draw the head of a bull around his nipple piercing once and he was going to get that tattooed. It was pretty easy to say no to that.

Q - Have any crazy fan stories?

A - I signed someone's tattoo once, but that was kind of cool. Most the people I've met at shows and conventions are just awesome movie and art fans, so nothing has happened that was too crazy. When I attended Mondo's Universal Monsters art show, it was pretty nuts. Fans in the line-up were calling out my name and coming up to meet me, it was just a really great feeling but a little bit surreal. It is just amazing to be surrounded by people that love and appreciate art as much as I do.

Q - Can you give us any hints of any prints you'll be dropping soon??

A - At the moment, I'm working on new posters with Fright Fest Originals in the UK and with the people at Poster Collective and Skuzzles, but I can't reveal anything just yet. Let's just say they are for some of my favourite horror films and I'm excited to see the fan's reactions.

As with all the artists featured in this series of interviews we must say a huge thank you to Gary for his time in answering our questions.

You can see much more of Gary's work on GhoulishGary.com and you can also get up to the minute updates by following him on twitter - @GhoulishGary