For Urban Light Studios MAD Magazine Tribute show I devised a contemporary Fold-In of my own to pay homage to the satirically creative virtuoso, and creator of the MAD Fold-In Al Jaffe.

A Mad Fold-In consists of a single drawing, with a paragraph of text underneath, and a panel across the top with a question. Each Fold-In also features instructions on how to manipulate the Fold-In, as well as a picture illustrating the procedure. Under the instructions are two arrows labeled “A” and “B”. When the paper is folded so that points “A” and “B” are touching, the remaining unobscured text underneath the picture becomes the answer to the question, and the picture itself changes into a fresh image reflecting the new text, as the middle 50% of the drawing vanishes. The Fold-In reveals a hidden picture and answer to the question at the top of the page. Each Fold-In is wrapped in visual trickery and typographical genius leading to a sort of double entendre of ironic witticism.

The headlining question is: “What exclusive academy accepts young musicians who lead fast lives only to further heighten their star status?”. The main image appears to be a red-carpet event set at a stage adorned with a large Grammy surrounded by a crowd and several standing musicians . The headline continues with “Year in and year out the awarding of young star-status achievers occurs just before a new rash of the hot-n-new step up. The music industry will always exploit famous talent. And yet, one group of brilliant miserables rise high without a drop of aid from anyone and pay a price. Fold in page as shown to see just what group makes legends of the world’s most popular and addictive icons”.  The next line of deceptive clues appears at the bottom to say “Twelve nominees a year for rock is plenty. Several artists talent can only be proven with a euphoric ceremony. Clues about who flys next is the hubbub.”

It would appear that the forward answer would be the Grammy’s. The stage is set and the red carpet is rolled out to the five artists in the foreground. However, hidden in the composition are other clues and paraphernalia to hint at the underlying answer to the decoy query. More evidence is laid out right in front with the five musicians who face the stage. Here stands Kurt Cobain, Jim Morrison, Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, and Amy Winehouse. The Fold-In reveals a new image that turns the stage into a skull, the columns into a syringe, pills stacking, and a hidden bong. My favorite element of the folded image is perhaps the locking arms of Amy Winehouse and Kurt Cobain, the more recent of the pictured musicians to die from drug related addictions. The true ironic answer at the bottom unveils: Twenty-Seven Club.

For the exhibition there will be a large display canvas of 27 Club for the masses to enjoy. Along with the exhibit piece I have created post card renditions that will accompany the show for patrons to fold-in and enjoy as they view the original display piece. There is a collector’s edition of prints that will be sold exclusively through the gallery opening night and online. Only 27 of these primo 11×17 prints will be offered, all hand signed and numbered. It is going to be an amazing show with an extensive group of talent and not one to be missed. If you can’t make it to the show, enjoy the interactive display above and feel free to contact me directly to buy your very own limited edition print of the 27 Club. Al Jaffe would be proud!

As usual, working with a corporate giant such as Microsoft came with endearing quick deadlines and astute perfection with the proposal and finalized product. The scope of the project included creating graphics and fonts for use on promotional materials such as laptop skins and hats. The theme for IO is driven by their optimization-forward tools and software. Optimized! Ready to Discover was the pitch for getting customers acquainted with the IO system and how once a part of the system were already in the future of facilitating needs of business progression through efficient IT solutions. The Microsoft Optimization Website is a Microsoft customer-facing portal designed to educate existing or potential Microsoft customers about the value and opportunities surrounding Microsoft Optimization. There is a critical element of project management in order to manage and facilitate input from multiple optimization-focused organizations. The site utilizes Microsoft SilverLight elements, adheres to stringent Microsoft corporate Web standards, and multi-level staging and production system requirements. After reviewing 4-6 proposals we agreed to move forward with an image that spoke future and optimization through visual elements.

Optimized! Ready To Discover | Laptop Skin Graphics for Microsoft

Our creative group came up with the concept of the first-person user flying into port of the future which inevitably became a vibrant cloud city. Along for the creative process I worked with Zac Atkinson who assisted in the flattening and color sectionalization of the composition and traffic. Cloud city was not built in a day. We retooled the background several times to get the perfect sense of atmosphere, perspective, and focal points. There is an extreme amount of detail that went into the buildings of the cityscape, digital painting in the background, special effects in our flying vessels and piloting indicators, and well over 200 layers of digital imaging before the final file was to go to press. Along with a few tricks of the trade, several conference calls, ground freight delaying product materials, an ice storm, and a few all nighters we pulled off a unique piece of imagery that garnered great attention and feedback from Microsoft and the respective customers. As a huge sci-fi fan this design was a real treat to put together.

Since this was a future-forward concept with “Ready to Discover” I wanted to give the font style a block, wide-flat, semi-deco look. After a few sketches for the font, which included a variation of line work and kerning, I nailed a bold font style that worked seamlessly with the laptop skin and the embroidered title for the promotional hats. This font was developed to compliment the geometric patterning and ‘futuristic’ appearance of the graphic. In a nutshell I was thinking TRON with more stylish deco-related atonements. It really made the promotional packets cohesive utilizing various media outputs.

Optimized! Ready To Discover Font | Graphic Treatment

Optimized! | Font Design for Microsoft

Back of hat read “Ready to Discover”. IO hats and laptop skins created by Beery Method Studio for Microsoft ©2011 Nick Beery.

Earth Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Valentine's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Veteran's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Subicasso ©2011 Nick Beery

Thanksgiving ©2011 Nick Beery

St. Patrick's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

President's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

New Years ©2011 Nick Beery

Mother's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Memorial Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Labor Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Fourth of July ©2011 Nick Beery

Halloween ©2011 Nick Beery

Father's Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Easter ©2011 Nick Beery

Cinco de Mayo ©2011 Nick Beery

Christmas ©2011 Nick Beery

Arbor Day ©2011 Nick Beery

Seattle drivers love their Subarus!

Winged King Were-Bear vs Oranga-Squatch ©2011 Nick Beery

As with all artwork that I produce I always create a hand inked and vector graphic for print reproductions, stickers, tee shirts, and all the collateral swag that goes into production for the greater awareness and pimping of my projects. Below is a peek at the original hand inked drawing and what it looks like when it goes to vector. Of course the color palettes, gradients, and line work tends to change when using Live Trace in Illustrator.

The color graphic is now available in 5×7 stickers. Hit me up if your in need of some beastly sticker lovin!

Bear Knucks Drawing | Design ©2011 Nick Beery

WINGED KING WERE-BEAR

The story of Winged King Were-Bear is a tale wrapped in Russian fairytale and Northwest American folklore. The tale begins in the easternmost point of Russia where a rising Siberian prince was to come to power. The prince was one of three sons and heir to a vast kingdom under the rule of an aging tsar named Berendey.

One day the tsar discovered his coveted golden apples that grew from a vibrant tree in the palace orchard were being stolen. He was furious and set his guards to catch the thief. Though they watched all night the royal guards were unsuccessful in catching the apple robber. The tsar’s three sons stepped up to the challenge of apprehending the slick crook.

The eldest son kept guard, but fell asleep on a grassy bank after walking the orchard grounds. When asked by the tsar if he had good news his son replied “No father, I did not sleep a wink all night, but saw no one.” The following night the tsar’s second son went to guard the orchard. He too, slept all night and the next morning told his father he too had seen no sign of a thief, although he had not closed his eyes.

Now was the turn of the youngest brother, Prince Ivan, to guard the orchard. About halfway through the night he saw a light in the orchard. When he went to investigate he saw that the light was coming from a Firebird, which was sitting on the apple tree and pecking at the golden apples. When the young prince went to catch the bird it spread its wings and flew away, leaving a single tail feather in the prince’s hand.

The tsar took the feather, looked at it, and no longer felt sorrowful, but he thought a great deal about the Firebird. One day he sent for his sons and told them, “My dear children, I want you to saddle good horses and ride forth into the world to see whether you can find and bring back the Firebird.”

The young men bowed to their father, saddled good horses, and set out on their travels: the eldest in one direction, the second son in another, and Prince Ivan in a third direction.

He rode near and far, high and low, along by-paths and by-ways – for speedily a tale is spun, but with less speed a deed is done – until he came to a wide, open field, a green meadow. And there in the field stood a pillar. On the pillar these words were written: “Whosoever goes from this pillar on the road straight before him will be cold and hungry. “Whosoever goes to the right side will be safe and sound, but his horse will be killed. And whosoever goes to the left side will be killed himself, but his horse will be safe and sound.” Prince Ivan read this inscription and went to the right, thinking that although his horse might be killed, he himself would remain alive and would in time get another horse.

He rode one day, then a second day, then a third. Suddenly an enormous gray wolf came toward him and said: “Ah, so it’s you, young lad, Prince Ivan! You saw the inscription on the pillar that said that your horse would be killed if you came this way. Why then have you come hither?” When he had said these words, he tore Prince Ivan’s horse in twain and ran off to one side.

Prince Ivan was sorely grieved for his horse; he shed bitter tears and then continued on foot. He walked a whole day and was utterly exhausted. He was about to sit down and rest for a while when all at once the gray wolf caught up with him and said: “I am sorry for you Prince Ivan, because you are exhausted from walking. I am also sorry that I ate your good horse. Tell me why you have travelled so far, and where you are going?”

“My father has sent me to ride through the world until I find the Firebird.”
“Why, you could have ridden even on your good horse for three years and never found the Firebird for only I know where it lives. I ate your horse, so now I will serve you faithfully and well. Get on my back and hold on tight.”

Prince Ivan seated himself astride the grey wolf, and it loped away, past the green forests, and the azure lakes. At last they came to a very high fortress. There the grey wolf told Ivan:
“Listen to me, and remember what I say. Climb over the wall and do not be afraid. All the guards are asleep. In the attic you will see a small window. In the window hangs a golden cage. In that cage is the Firebird. Take the bird and hide it under your coat, but be sure not to touch the cage.”

Prince Ivan climbed over the wall and saw the attic. And, just as the wolf had said, in the attic window a golden cage was hanging, and the Firebird was in the cage. He took out the bird and put it under his coat. But as he looked at the golden cage he could not help coveting it. It was made of precious gold. How could he leave it behind? He completely forgot what the wolf had told him. But as soon as he touched the cage the alarm was sounded all through the fortress where drums rolled and trumpets blared. The guards woke up, captured Prince Ivan and took him to Tsar Afron. The tsar was furious at this attempt to steal the Firebird and the cage, and asked the prince:

“Who are you, and where are you from?”

“I am Prince Ivan, the son of Tsar Berendey,” Ivan replied.

“How shameful! The son of a tsar coming here to steal!” the tsar exclaimed.

“That is as may be,” the prince retorted. “But your bird flew to our orchard and stole the golden apples.”

In that case you should have come to me and asked me for the Firebird and I would have given it to you out of respect for your father. Now I shall see to it that all the world knows of your behavior! And with the tsar’s words a trumpet sounded with mighty force. The guards took young Prince Ivan up to a high tower chamber where he was forcefully secured to a wall with incredibly thick and heavy chains. The prince soon fell asleep hanging, fatigued from his unsuccessful travels.

Coming out of a dream like state the prince’s teary eyes saw what appeared to be a hooded figure at his cell door. Due to his exhausted state the prince did not know if he was dreaming or if his circumstances were all too real. He lifted his head and said “who are you, am I dead?” With a slight chuckle the dark silhouette blurred and suddenly appeared inside the cell only a few feet from the imprisoned royal youth.

With a twist of shape the figure shifted into the grey wolf. To the surprise and joy of the prince the wolf said “I shall once again be of service to you.” The prince held his head steady and began to rejoice. The wolf halted his celebration and said “I can help you once again young prince, however there is a price that comes with freedom.” The prince replied, “I am but to be shameful to my kingdom and country if I’m found to be guilty of such a petty crime. I will endure what fate may have me if only to be free from this wicked cell!”

A snide grin appeared on the face of the wolf and in an instant he bit Prince Ivan on his hand and said, “You are now under a spell which will free you from this chamber. Once you are free you are cursed to live your days as a stranger to all you know. However, you will be a most powerful being capable of living your days among solitary creatures like myself and will be unstoppable under the full moon light!”

Prince Ivan shook his wounded hand and shouted at the wolf, “Is this some kind of joke? Break my bonds and get me down from this infernal tower!” The prince then began to curse and flail his harnessed limbs at the wolf who sat calmly observing the window and setting sun. With the light fading to night outside the tower the wolf replied, “Tonight is a night of nocturnal unrest. Tonight is the phase of a full moon. You will find your own way to freedom from this cell when the moon rises and shines it’s pale light into your chamber through the barred window!”

With a flash of blinding light the wolf disappeared in his place was left a weapon forged of shiny metal that sat shimmering on the floor just out of reach of the captive prince. Confused the prince set out in his mind determined to flee from his chains. How could the wolf leave me like this? Why leave me a simple hand weapon when I can’t even reach it? I’m doomed to become an embarrassing tale to my brothers and king father! The prince sobbed into exhaustion and fell asleep once more.

A raucous below the tower where a horse drawn cart had collided with livestock awoke the chained prince. Night had fallen and stars twinkled in the void of sky among shifting clouds. A faint glow behind a large span of trees and cloud cover created a hint of reflection on the brass weapon that lay upon the floor before Prince Ivan. He stared quietly at the piece and thought of what the gray wolf had told him after he had bitten his hand. The prince’s focus returned and he gazed through the bars of the tower window.

The clouds began to part and the distant circular glow had ascended to a great height. Suddenly with a gust of wind a hole opened in the wispy nebula above. The full moon in all its glory flooded the cell with light and cast a singular beam upon the young prince. His face began to grow and his arms thickened. His eyes bulged and he buckled in anguish. “That foul beast! What has the wolf done to me!”

The prince looked at his arms and thick fur began to grow all over his body. His vision became clearer and the night was no longer dark. A surge of energy like that of the ocean tide came over his mind and limbs. He reeled back and belted a loud growling snarl. The chains had burst from the wall and he tore the remaining metal from his wrists like rings of parchment. The prince had transformed.

Astonished by the ease of release and enthralled with power the once prince became aware of his new being. With animal instinct he peered to the moon, swooped up the weapon, and tore the bars from the tower window. The menacing height caught him off guard and he began to lose his balance. The large beast-man toppled forward through the portal. Upon falling another instinct of sorts kicked in and massive wings spread from his upper back. The once doomed prince was now a giant bear-beast flying by moonlight free from his captors.

Prince Ivan knew no better than to flee back to his family’s palace. He entered the orchard where the golden apples grew. Before getting to an entrance to the tsar’s common room a guard caught site of him and sounded an alarm. All at once a team of his very own guard were upon him. They began to siege the beast with spears and arrows while branding swords in his very direction. The intuitive senses of his animal being sprang to action and he began slaughtering the small army one by one. Chomping at the heads of his attackers the now full on were-bear threw punch after bloody punch with his metal knuckle weapon.

In a matter of a few minutes the entire brigade was decimated. He looked at the head of the captain of the guard. It was none other than the face of his eldest brother. Embossed in the forehead of what was once his best defender and icon was the gruesome impression of two words “Bear Knucks”. The weapon left to him by the grey wolf was a solid brass knuckle piece. It was the evident reminder of what he now was and forever would be from this day on.

The prince, ashamed and afraid, fled his homeland in hopes his royal reputation and family would not be scarred. His brother now dead because of the beast he became, the prince sought out across the Bering Strait where he made his way down the coast and eventually to the precipitous Cascade Mountain range. He had found a new home. He was now the king of his own land and of the indigenous creatures that resided his territory. The once young prince grew to be the fiercest anomaly in the Cascades…he was now Winged King Were-Bear !

References to this story were derived from the Slavic folklore and Russian fairytale The Firebird.

S-Team ©2011 Nick Beery

As with all my Pop-Fiction works, there is a semblance of not only the relationship regarding the time period, television, and moral stories but also a deep reflection on the actual characters, their personalities, and their roles within each TV series. S-Team is no different and explores the nature of the characters from both The Smurfs and The A-Team to be congruent when depicted as a visual illustration based on the identity and characteristics of each persona. I virtually coalesced the two shows key players with their collateral match from each iconic program. Below is a breakdown of the characters from each show along with why they fit the role of the correlating anima.

PAPA HANNIBAL SMURF “He holds a test tube in one hand with a gun in the other.”

Hannibal : Leader of the A-team Lieutenant-Colonel/Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, whose plans tend to be unorthodox but effective. He is distinguished by his unflappable demeanor, even when in peril. His whit combined with his constant cigar-smoking, his black leather gloves, and his many comic disguises made Hannibal a master tactician. “I love it when a plan comes together!”

Papa Smurf : Papa Smurf is the leader of the Smurfs, and the only Smurf who wears red. Papa Smurf brings the Smurfs to safety in times of danger and crisis. Everyone in Smurf Village turns to Papa Smurf when things go awry. Papa is always busy making magical spells and potions in his laboratory. Papa would be the pimp of Smurfette…or so it is fabled.

FACE SMURF “He is dangerously good looking and prides himself on his good looks.”

Face Man : Lieutenant Templeton “Face” Peck, usually referred to simply as “Face,” is a smooth-talking con-man who serves as the team’s appropriator of vehicles and other useful items. Face is the most gentle member of the A-Team, generally attempting to avoid conflict. His interests tend towards more cultural facets, such as country clubs, art purchasing, wine tasting, and lovely women.

Vanity Smurf  : Vanity Smurf is never without a mirror in sight. Vain to an extreme, Vanity is constantly worried about his appearance. Vanity wears a flower in his cap and is demonstrably effete.

H.M. “Jokey” SMURF “He is the jokester who loves to irritate B.A. and is also insane!”

Murdock : The team’s pilot is Captain H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock, who has been declared insane and resides in a Veterans Administration mental institution for the show’s first four seasons. He is the most childish of the A-Team as shown that he often plays video games in his room and likes watching cartoons. He often “channels” a certain character for the duration of a mission (much to the chagrin of B.A.) or becomes fixated on a particular subject to the point of obsession. He also frequently refers to his invisible dog, “Billy”. B.A., uneasy with Murdock’s unusual behavior, is easily annoyed by Murdock and regularly refers to him as a “crazy fool”.

Jokey Smurf : Jokey is known for his pecurliar laugh and loud, exploding “giftboxes”. Whenever you hear “get ready for a surprise!”, you’d better be ready to duck and cover your ears – BOOM! I picture H.M. Smurf handing over an exploding giftbox to B.A. Smurf and then getting a royal beat down!

B.A. SMURF “He is the bad-ass of the bunch who sports the mohawk, camo, and lots of gold chains.”

B.A. Barracus : Strong man and mechanic, Sergeant First Class Bosco Albert “B.A.,” or “Bad Attitude,” Baracus(Mr. T). B. A.’s distinctive appearance and confrontational attitude usually lead to a direct approach to problems, which often involve either his skills at hand to hand combat, or his mechanical talents. B. A.’s legendary black and metallic grey GMC Vandura van used by the A-Team, with its characteristic red stripe, black and red turbine mag wheels, and rooftop spoiler, has become an enduring pop culture icon. When B. A. lends the van to Captain Murdock, Murdock concludes that B. A. has tuned the van’s suspension to compensate for the added weight of his gold jewelry

Hefty Smurf  : Hefty Smurf is the strongest Smurf in the village. He’s also the only Smurf to sport a tattoo (a red heart)! Hefty is friends with Handy and can often be seen lifting weights or exercising. Hefty Smurf has incredible strength and often is seen doing a lot of the heavy work in the village. He also has a tattoo on his arm of a heart with an arrow through it. His favorite activity is lifting weights, and is often the one to kick Brainy out of the village.

SMURFETTE “All the Smurf’s want her. She is the only female and rightfully belongs to Papa.”

Anne Sanders (season 3 episode 4 “Fire!”) – The A-Team is hired by a female firefighter who is capable of challenging Hannibal. The sexual tension between the two rises throughout the episode, and Hannibal gives in to a short fling with the woman. She is not seen afterward again. I originally thought of using the show’s reoccurring reporter, Tawnia Baker, as she was close with the entire A-Team. However, due to the sexual nature of Hannibal and Anne Sanders in that singular episode it seemed equally proper for character placement.

Smurfette : Smurfette is a female smurf who was created by Gargamel. In the cartoon she originally had black hair, though this turned blonde when she became “good”. Until the creation of Sassette she was the only female Smurf in the village. Smurfette, indebted to Papa Smurf for saving her from Gargamel’s curse, is the ‘mama’ of the Smurfs.

S-Team Gallery: The gallery of photos below are details of the illustration which includes a bit of my process for producing such a work. The creative process involves mixing media which includes graphite (rendered drawing), oils (dropping in texture, tones, and flat color), and color pencils (to define edges, contrast, form, and full color spectrum).

I had the S-Team illustration framed in a classic dark blue frame for Tasty’s The Parody Show. The frame perfectly matches the dark blue hues in the smurfs. The piece is matted and ready for a nostalgia-happy buyer!

S-Team dark blue frame.

LTD ED prints of S-Team are available. For purchase inquiries please contact me. nick@beerymethod.com

Book Club • Good Omens • BHerd Studio

Continuing with my new exploration of media utilizing old photographs from the early 1900′s I’ve delved deep to reveal my very own character interpretations from the Good Omen’s graphic novel. Mixing up the media by layering acrylics on top of the relic photos was a bit of a challenge. Achieving the exact antiqued tones that vary from monochromatic sepia to faded warm grey tones can be a tough balance. Getting the gradations, textures, and form is pertinent to create a seamless blend of paint on print. Below are my character renditions which will be at the show. I’ve chosen to frame each original piece with antique frames to further heighten the vintage aesthetics.

SATAN aka BEELZEBUB:

Beelzebub is introduced as “A Likewise Fallen Angel and Prince of Hell” (13) in the Dramatis Personae. He is briefly mentioned when a worried Crowley, trying to get his mind off misplacing the Antichrist puts on a tape in the Bentley. The first line is from Queen’s Bohemian Rhapsody, “Bee-elzebub has a devil put aside for me” Crowley begins to introduce Beelzebub but is cut off at “he’s the Lord of–” (349). The Hebrew origin of the name, Baʽal zĕbhūbh, literally means lord of flies. In the Old Testament, Baalzebûb was the Philistine god of the city Ekron, also called lord of the flies because he drove flies away from the sacrifice. In the New Testament, an evil spirit named Beelzeboul “destroys by means of tyrants, causes demons to be worshiped, arouses desires in priests, brings about jealousies and murders, and instigates wars”. He is also called the prince of demons. Though it is unclear whether Baalzebûb and Beelzeboul were intended to be the same figure, elements of both are included in this novel’s Beelzebub, as well as generally in popular culture today.  My Satan is rather a mixture of Death and Demon.

Beelzebub • Acrylics on relic photograph • ©2011 Nick Beery

As an investigator of evil and darkness it was my pleasure creating the 4 Horsemen of the Apocalypse characters. I blended Death with Satan as the sinister dark side is prevalent in either mentioning. The following character pieces represent the remaining riders of the apocalypse. I dug deep in my collection of age old photos to get the perfect feel for each.

FAMINE:

The sophisticated Horsemen who goes by the name of Dr. Raven Sable, at least during canon: if he’s had other names, they’re not mentioned — looks like a “pleasant, thrusting, successful businessman” (338). He’s thin, of course. He has black hair, a short black beard, and he dresses all in black. He has “dark grey eyes” (63). The International Express delivery-man finds him from the description of a “tall gent with a beard, nice suit.” Famine comes off as the most human of the four Horsepeople, perhaps because he has the most interaction with humans (War also deals with them, but those meetings tend to be short-lived by nature). When he first appears, he’s doing drinks with his accountant Frannie after having dinner with her. He knows her well enough to have bought her a laptop computer “as a personal present,” (64) which implies a certain amount of familiarity. Famine’s earlier internal meta-commentary suggest that the Horsepeople are aligned to one of the sides — namely Hell — in the coming conflict.) He takes pleasure in his job: “Sable grinned, the honest, open grin that goes with job satisfaction, perfect and pure. He was just killing time until the main event, but he was killing it in such exquisite ways. Time, and sometimes people” (64). Famine is a most deceptive character and fits the suit of an astute pre-depression gentleman quite swimmingly.

Famine • Acrylics on old photograph • ©2011 Nick Beery

WAR:

In the Good Omens universe, War isn’t a man, but a woman, who calls herself Scarlett. She is perhaps the most deceiving of all Horsemen on the surface. She has an air of danger about her: her voice sounds like “something that lurks in the long grass, visible only by the twitching of its ears, until something young and tender wobbles by” (45), her laugh is like “machine-gun stutter” (314), and though she’s described as beautiful, it’s “the way a forest fire was beautiful: something to be admired from a distance, not up close” (104). My depiction of War isn’t literal of the descriptors in the book, but my take on the “two-faced” and disingenuous qualities of the character. A seemingly beautiful flower from the front with a hidden dark demon lurking behind and from within.

There’s no sense that War regards the people around her as anything other than playthings for her amusement. She’s polite enough if she talks to someone, but the closest to prolonged interaction with anyone besides the other Horsepeople is with her (human) fellow war correspondents: “Ms. Zuigiber just smiled and bought another round of drinks for everybody, on the National World Weekly. And watched the fights break out around her. And smiled” (100). Only with the Horsepeople does she act anything like human, comparing Armageddeon to “waiting for Christmas. Or birthdays.” When Famine reminds her that the Horsepeople don’t have birthdays, she retorts, “I didn’t say we do. I just said that was what it was like” (236). War is the car-crash you can’t help but watch.

War • Acrylics on old photograph • ©2011 Nick Beery

POLLUTION:

In the traditional reckoning of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse, this horseman is Pestilence. However, apparently Pestilence retired in 1936, “muttering about penicillin” (263), and Pollution took over. He looked like Victorian Romantic poets looked just before the consumption and drug abuse really started to cut it” (185). “His skin was pale, his hair a faded blond, his eyes light gray. He was somewhere in his twenties at a casual glance, and a casual glance was all anyone ever gave him. He was almost entirely unmemorable” (64). “Farther down the riverbank sat a young man dressed all in white. His hair was white, his skin chalk pale. For the most part, however, nobody notices him. That’s how he works. “He was unobtrusive; his presence was cumulative” (65). He’s responsible for massive oil spills, for nuclear plant meltdowns, for the development of “the petrol engine, and plastics, and the ring-pull can” (65). I decided to further push the sense of Pollution’s essence and motive I would include a smoking cigar jutting from his pale and ugly face. Modeling the tones of paint on the awkward head of a late 1800′s countryman was a great undertaking. The photo was relatively miniature which meant breaking out the one-haired brushes.

Pollution • Acrylics on old photograph • ©2011 Nick Beery

These earlier and kinkier variations of the curious tale set interesting side premises to an otherwise perverse sort of love affair. Eating grandmother and then hitting the sheets sounds like a recipe for a scandalous inheritance murder mystery. Big Bad or BB Wolf eats grammy leaving no trace, gets the young Red Hood, and maybe this is wear the Riding part of the title comes in. Thus the couple inherits the old bags fortune, gets hitched, and here is the fabled photo of the two at their 50th wedding anniversary.

BB Wolf & Lil Red ©2011 Nick Beery

The photo says 1852 50th Wedding Anniversary 1902 and is an odd piece that was excavated from my great aunt’s home which dates back prior to 1900. I’m obsessed with strange old photos and the characters that are lost in time and yet captured to reveal a past glimpse into private space. Properly fitting Mr Wolf and Lil Red in their colonial and classic garb stand proud as one of fairytales greatest evil dou. All this time the sinister story of their love affair was under the nose of the public. I’m digging up the dirt and have found more twisted folk in ancient archives and will be releasing these cases into the Pop Fiction series as classic culture sub stories.

tiny detail work in acrylic

There is a bit of interesting history behind the couple who were in the original photo and it seems to somehow correlate with my present theme of Red and BBW. The Wolf is none other than J E Dazey, the baron scoundrel of the Midwest. Dazey ran the small county of Shelby like a mob boss. He relied on henchmen to perform heinous tasks such as burn crosses to intimidate the irish and protestants, committed fraud and burned estates he sold to collect insurance, and was connected to an early cult similar to the Masonic Order. The actual photo was taken at the turn of the 21st Century in honor of the crooked couples 50th wedding anniversary. The Dazey’s ruled the small towns around the county by striking fear into those they did not see fit as part of the ‘clan’. If you weren’t paying Dazey he would find a way to make you pay. There are a few old tombstones and monuments to this villainous family all around Shelby County though no real heritage exists today. It kinda boils my blood and curdles my brain knowing there is a sick and twisted part of history that was peering out at me as I painted on the old depiction.

Detail of Lil Red

Detail of Wolf

An adorable couple from a classic fairytale

Canopy Club Show Poster ©2010 Nick Beery

After putting together a show poster for a few local acts which included The Sugar Prophets in the line up, frontman Josh Spence hit me up to put together TSP’s image and logos. The group loved the “record head” element from the show poster. We spun some ideas for additions to the logo making it more streamlined and ‘blues’ proper which ultimately ended up utilizing the wavy beard of the logo to divide and create a Fender telecaster silhouette with the negative space and thus produced “the prophet”.

The Sugar Prophets Logos

The Sugar Prophets are due to release their record at the end of January 2011 and continues to garner new fans and a devoted fan base wherever they play. Their raw, intense energy and blue collar lyrics are both danceable and deep. Blending sounds across Blues, Rock, R&B, Funk, Country, Soul, and Gospel; The Sugar Prophets have the sound of a soul-inspiring locomotive heading straight to your door. Listen and become a believer in this heartfelt message of amazing music.

Design/Photo/Composites by Al Brandtner

From The Sugar Prophets Press Release:

The Sugar Prophets: www.thesugarprophets.com

The Sugar Prophets are an interesting amalgam of backgrounds and talent that have seemingly merged together in the right time, place, and groove. Fiery singer and harmonica slinger Josh Spence had been around the Central Illinois Blues scene as a regular guest performer with both local and national touring acts for years before deciding to form the band in March, 2009. The band played several shows and went through a few personnel changes until February 2010, when the present day lineup was set. Since then, The Sugar Prophets’ profile has continued to rise in Central Illinois Blues circles and beyond. After playing just over 100 shows in their first year, The Sugar Prophets were chosen to go to Memphis and represent the Illinois Central Blues Club at the 2011 International Blues Challenge.
Now, don’t get the impression that this band is just a group of young pups trying to run with the big dogs. No, The Sugar Prophets have a lot more experience and savvy than that! In their current form, collectively, they’ve logged over 5,000 shows. In fact, some have recorded and played with some of the finest musicians in the worlds of Blues, Gospel, R&B, and Blues-Rock.
Guitarists Joe Asselin, former member of the Kilborn Alley Blues Band, and A.J. Williams, who has logged miles with Murali Coryell, Shirley King, and legendary blues sax-man A.C. Reed, combine with bassist Al Chapman, best known as the rock-solid groove-man in Billy Galt’s Blues Deacons, drummer extraordinaire, Aaron “A Train” Wilson, who has performed with Nick Moss & the Flip-Tops, the Kilborn Alley Blues Band, and Joe Moss, and front man, Josh Spence to form the The Sugar Prophets.

For more info, show dates, interviews, and audio tracks from The Sugar Prophets:

www.thesugarprophets.com

Contact: Josh Spence

Email: thesugarprophets@live.com