I’ve never collected matchbooks. Occasionally I might pick one up if I like the design that is on the cover of the book or box, but even back in my smoking days I never seemed to hold onto them. Perhaps if they had looked as cool as these hand painted matchbooks matchbook paintings by Joseph Martinez I would have.

Martinez’s matchbook paintings are done in sets of three when he has enough books to complete the set. They feature pop icons ranging from Star Wars to Frankenstein with a large focus on movie characters. The miniature paintings are on real matchbooks that are just a couple of inches in size. You can get them unframed or in framed sizes 5 by 7 inches.  The link above takes you to his site where you can see the entire collection.