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!

Check out my works at Tasty.

Artists include:

Bradley Kataoka, Sean Wilkinson, David Vonderlinn, Kurtis Rykovich, Michael DiPetrillo, Nick Beery, Pam Man, Tim Manthey and Travis Stanley.

To RSVP on facebook, visit https://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=244987035518456

Since March 2010, Tasty has been open 6 days a week to showcase fun & funky local urban art. Every month they curate a group exhibit, themed in sync with the selected featured artist(s). To see their entire 2011 calendar, please contact Sheri. To view art from past shows, visit their website www.ShopTastyArt.com

Tasty’s hours are 11-7 Tuesday thru Saturday plus 12-5 Sunday.

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!

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

Supercommuter | Obey The Moderator | Bots vs Beasts

Supercommuter | Supercommuter | Bots vs Beasts

Supercommuter | Unusual Habits | Bots vs Beasts

Supercommuter | New Song | Bots vs Beasts

See all live video tracks from Bots vs Beasts!

The artists and their works for Bots vs Beasts 3/11/11:

More photos of the crowd and entertainment at Bots vs Beasts to come!

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