Matthew Buchholz takes vintage photos, panoramic maps, and other printed ephemera, and adds in monsters, zombies, and a little altered text and, voila – alternate history suitable for framing! When we saw his “1932 Zombie Killing Games in Los Angeles” map, we immediately ordered a copy.

Under the name “Alternate Histories,” his Etsy page is filled with a treasure trove of other clever prints, often taking place in major cities and familiar landmarks. Of course, we’re most giddy about his selection focused on Los Angeles.

Down-Town Los Angeles in 1909 by Matthew Buchholz (detail)

“I started out making prints depicting Pittsburgh because that’s where I live,” Buchholz told us, “and then other cities have been added mainly because I travel and do different craft fairs. When I go to a different city, people want to see images of monsters destroying their town, so I always create new work for each city I go to.”

He says that a visit to L.A.’s Renegade Craft Fair in July that prompted him to create a number of prints for our city, but it wasn’t easy.

“LA was one of the harder cities to do,” he says, “simply because of the lack of distinguishing landmarks from early in the city’s history.”

He currently has Godzilla preparing to breathe fire on an early century Santa Monica Pier, a monster eating the last four letters of the Hollywoodland sign, a lizard emerging from underneath downtown, circa 1909, among others.

Perhaps he could take on the La Brea Tar Pits, Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, or, going a little modern, the Watts Towers?

“I’m always hoping to expand and add new pieces, but right now I’m focused on finishing work for the Chicago Renegade Craft Fair, and then possibly Toronto. But I’m sure I’ll come back to Los Angeles soon!”