by Blogbot


["Honey" - Manko]


["Blue So Blue" - Blue]

Artist / SG Member Name: Vivid Vivka a.k.a. Vivid Suicide

Mission Statement: I sling paint, and if someone likes it...that's a bonus.


["Brim"]

Medium: Acrylic, pen, marker, wood, canvas, spray paint, coffee grounds, blood, sweat, spit, tears.

Aesthetic: Naked and distorted. Usually with big hair, empty eyes, a lot of pink.


["Yellow" - Yellow]

Notable Achievements: I believe three people have my work tattooed on their persons. To me, that’s a helluva achievement and intensely flattering. Ink aside, I have a BFA from the College for Creative Studies, in Detroit, MI. I majored in Illustration with a graphic background. I’ve made pieces for childrens’ hospitals in Detroit, had a few gallery shows, and had my work stolen for a ton of shitty band/party flyers. (Stop. Doing. That.)

Why We Should Care: 9 out of 10 viewers agree: it's art.


["The Queen of Crows (and Three Little Insects)"]

I Want Me Some: Much of my past art projects can be found on my DeviantArt (as well as many of my modeling photos). For prints and originals, I sell my work at vivka.etsy.com (more originals up soon...kinda sold out right now). Proper website and webstore to be unveiled with glitter and sparkles around mid 2012.


["This Time..." - Adria]


["Not This Times..." - Rambo]


["Booty" - Pirate]


["Dead Fish // Live Fish"]
***

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by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: JulesDoll or just Jules.

Mission Statement: Art is my religion. Paint is my passion. It's buried deep into my soul, and under my fingernails. You will find me drawing and painting every day, like my life depends on it.



Medium: Oil, acrylic, watercolor, and ink.

Aesthetic: Surreal psychedelic fantasyland. Much of my work is inspired by nature, animals, and an Alice in Wonderland complex.



Notable Achievements: I have painted hundreds of pieces, though right now I'm still trying to break out. I have boxes and stacks full of work.

Why We Should Care: I put real time and blood into my art. Living the poor artist lifestyle is not glamorous, but I wouldn't change a thing. These are not just pretty pictures, they all tell an interwoven story of the Ink Well. I always finish the canvas and paint on the sides, so there is more story to be told that is unseen.
A few of these are in groups or series and make much more sense when placed next to each other – like pages in a book.

I Want Me Some: I have an Etsy store and am open for commission work as well.









***

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by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: Oliver / Ortegart71

Mission Statement: My work is an only-spare-time-thing, I do it to recreate from work, from the noise of this world, to make time stand still for some moments.



Medium: Formerly pastels on paper, digital since the beginning of 2011 using Corel Painter and Wacom Intuos.

Aesthetic: Endzeit-female beauty-darkness-creepiness.



Notable Achievements: To be able to do my own wall decoration.

Why We Should Care: The world may be bad, god may be dead, but there still is hope.

I Want Me Some: Anyone interested in my art/commissions/putting it in galleries etc. can message me via SG.







***

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by Oogie

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Sash Suicide by Cameron Stewart]

This week, Oogie Suicide paints us a picture of what goes down in SG's Fan Art Group.

Members: 2,640 / Comments: 37,886

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: Being an artist, I love to look at what other people can do with their artistic talents. Whether it be with pen, pencil, acrylic, oil, watercolor, spray paint, Photoshop, or whatever else they can think of to use to make something beautiful. I also visit the group for inspiration. I've always wanted to use Photoshop, but have never gotten the chance to, but I was introduced to many other new and different styles by so many different artists that I am just dying to try. I also love this group because it gives me a chance to show the ladies that I draw my fan art of them! I love doing fan art, and I love making people happy.




• DISCUSSION TIP: Open your mind and go to inspire others, go to reinforce others, or just go to look at some amazing art

• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "Holy shit...Is it wrong that I want to grab people nearby in the coffee shop to show these to them?! You've chosen some total babesicles, too!" – Lyxzen Suicide commenting on the above piece of art of by Cameron Stewart.


• MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: I believe the most heated, or in this case the topic with the most positive feedback on their art, is the art by SG’s very own, Cameron Stewart. His artwork can be seen in this group, and also in the SuicideGirls Comics.


• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Anyone with artistic talent, anyone that has appreciation for art, people who want to be drawn, really anyone at all.

[Ackley Suicide by Cameron Stewart]


***
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by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: AnitaKajika

Mission Statement: I’m mostly a fantasy illustrator and a comic artist. I’ve always lived in my own world inside my mind, so when I discovered roleplay games my mind was blown. Now most of my paintings and comics are about it. I want my paintings to be the most believable they can be, thought I don’t want to reach photorealistic results; they’re from imagination and they become alive in a middle way.



Medium: Watercolors, gouache, and digital painting.


Aesthetic: Somewhere between realistic and comic style.



Notable Achievements: I got the third (2007) and first prize (2008) at the Nuvole Bianche comic contest. I’m also truly happy about my collaboration as a cover artist with a self-published magazine, and about having started my own comic. I’m also going to be featured in the ArtEhon “Dear Japan” iPhone app project.


Why We Should Care: Someone who commissioned something from me once said they could share with me exactly what they were thinking, and the result was exactly want they really wanted it to be.

I Want Me Some: I post my works regularly on my DeviantArt page. I also sell prints on ArtFlakes.







***

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by Blogbot



Artist / SG Member Name: James Curtis a.k.a. jimcurt99

Mission Statement: I just want to share. I started drawing as a sort of therapy; I really would go insane without it. After a while I discovered I could make people happy by drawing them, so that's when I started doing strictly fan art. In the last year I've met some of my very best friends here, and I'm gonna keep drawing until I can't draw no more.






Medium: Colored pencils, watercolor pencils, ink and acrylic paint.


Aesthetic: Very precise modern sort of art deco. Alphonse Mucha is my hero.


Notable Achievements: Getting comments like: "I have never felt so special or pretty in my ENTIRE LIFE!!!!!!!!!"

Why We Should Care: You wouldn't be reading this if you didn't already care.


I Want Me Some: More lovin’–– that's all I want.







Thanks to Jules Schreiber a.k.a. SG member JulesDoll for nominating Jim!

***

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by Blogbot


[Above: Anemona]


[Above: Brit]


[Above: Diamond]

Artist / SG Member Name: Jenn Lloyd / Hotcurry

Mission Statement: I seek to celebrate beauty in all its forms with bold design and a touch of whimsy.

Medium: Acrylic on canvas.

Aesthetic: Vector art minus the computer. I work by hand to create lines and shapes that represent images. I lack a basic understanding of most things technical. While amazed at the designs artists were coming up with via Photoshop, I worked the only way I knew how –– old school. Everything I make is done with pencil, pen or paint, and remains untouched by computers.


[Above: Groucho]


[Above: Woody Allen]

Notable Achievements: My work was exhibited in 2009 at Club Vanguard in Hollywood, CA, and is currently showing at Frenchy's Salon in Burbank, CA. I also designed artwork for the Silent Movie Theater in Los Angeles, CA.

Why We Should Care: I've never actually had any artistic training. My life's ambition was to become a television comedy writer (a job I currently enjoy). While briefly unemployed a few years back, I began experiencing massive pains in my back due to rheumatoid arthritis and degenerative disc disease. Doctors suggested I take up a hobby to relax myself and reduce stress. I decided to paint the things that I find beautiful, the things I find interesting, and the things that make me laugh. My only goals were to reduce stress and perhaps decorate my apartment. I never dreamed my art would find such an audience and sell as it has.

I Want Me Some: Visit JennLloydArt.com or email me at: cellulloyd@gmail.com.


[Above: Sugar]


[Above: Neyrissa]


[Above: Heather]

***

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by Blogbot

A column which highlights Suicide Girls and their fave groups.


[Haydin in Dog Days]

This week, Haydin Suicide takes us for a spin around SG's Ballet Group.

Members: 317 / Comments: 776

• WHY DO YOU LOVE IT?: The dance world is small, so having a group of people who are just as passionate about ballet as myself to mingle with is wonderful. I also love the diversity of the group. There are people who simply love to watch ballet as well as new and experienced dancers. This offers a wide range of information for any ballet dancer or ballet fan out there.








• DISCUSSION TIP: Have an interest in Ballet!




• BEST RANDOM QUOTE: "As we jumped into second position the girl in front farted like really loud. I had to go out for a few seconds to compose myself." - Yes I picked a fart joke! It made me laugh because I've seen it happen in class ha ha.
  
  
  MOST HEATED DISCUSSION THREAD: Black Swan. The issue that provided cause for argument was the fact that Natalie Portman did not do all of her dancing in the movie so as a dance movie it seemed slightly over rated to those looking for something strictly ballet based. I can understand why this might upset some, however the fact that she didn't do all her own dancing really didn't bother me. The way I see it is in most movies there are stunt doubles for action shots, so why not dancers for dance scenes that an actress cannot do. Unfortunately Hollywood is about appealing to the general public and the dance world is relatively small. Personally, I thoroughly enjoyed the movie for the dancing as well as the story behind it.







• WHO’S WELCOME TO JOIN?: Anyone and everyone who has had ballet cross their mind at some point in life.

***
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by Blogbot


[Alisa Suicide in The Late Show]

SG / Artist Name: Alisa Suicide / Alisa Courtney Photography

Mission Statement: To make people happy with my photography. For me, the best part of creating my art is the end results. When I post a photo and it captures the viewer's imagination, makes their awful day a little better, or they use one of my portraits as their profile or promotion photo, to me that's greater than any high priced sale or gallery show. Now, don't get me wrong, I would be lying if I said I wouldn't enjoy being recognized or shown in an international show. That would just be silly. I would LOVE it! But it still couldn't replace the sheer joy I get when I connect and get to interact personally with someone through one of my pieces.







Medium: Digital photography.

Aesthetic: Hodge podge.

Notable Achievements: So far a few group gallery shows here in Columbus, Ohio and one in Switzerland and published credits in different magazines.

Why We Should Care: I can't tell you why you should care about my work. You have to experience it for yourself. The one aspect of my work that sets me apart is my Abstract Motion series. It is straight from the camera with absolutely no Photoshop manipulation involved in the creation. It is a natural technique that I came across a few years ago by accident while shooting architectural and landscape photography. I can use any situation, lighting, object, building or person to create them. No darkroom or external lighting source or moving object is necessary to produce the results. I am very proud that it is a natural technique that requires just myself and the camera.







I Want Me Some: Sizing and prices vary on each purchase. If you can't afford very much and you really love one of my pieces, I can work with you on the shipping costs. It's more important that you get enjoyment out of it than I make a profit. You can reach me via the site or email me at: acp_photography@yahoo.com







***

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by Blogbot



SG / Artist Name: Sucette, but I usually use Miss Sucette as my artist name.

Mission Statement: I began to draw when I was a cute lil’ girl. My father is an artist as well. I admired him and I wanted to draw like him. I spent all my childhood drawing, and I never let it go. It's something that has come naturaly to me since I was a child. I just can't live without art.

I grew up surrounded by old horror movies (the kind of movies where the car always broke down in the middle of nowhere...) and old cartoons. As a result, I began to create my own world, my own stories. Painting was just a result for me of an overflowing imagination, a way to exorcize my childhood fears.

With my own universe, I create art to propel you in a fantastic world and to talk about what I like the most. Animals, nature, science, and symbolism are central themes for my work. Through my paintings, I contemplate life, death, evolution, technology, loss of innocence, cruelty, and more. The messages I deliver are often tragic. I don't like to show only what is good in the world. I want you to think about what's wrong with us, what's wrong in our world.





Medium: The majority of my work is oil painting, but I like to use graphite and charcoal as well. My latest drawings are mostly done with those mediums.

Aesthetic: Renaissance, Flemish Art, Art Nouveau.

Notable Achievements: I’ve been fortunate to show my work in many galleries in Europe and lately I’ve been involved in a group show at the Miles Gallery in London. I'm now working on new paintings and thinking about some future shows.

Why We Should Care: Art is essential, no matter whether it brings a positive or a negative message. I want to share my art, but I also want to deliver messages through my work that are dear to me and important. Art is an excellent way to communicate. I express myself through art, it's natural and essential to me.

Technique is really important for me as well. I try to preserve the techniques of the great painters from Renaissance when I paint with oils. I make everything by myself, the medium, the varnish, etc. It takes me more time, but it is important to me, and for the public as well. The technique is essential.

I Want Me Some: Some drawings and paintings are available via my website, or my Facebook page. You can also see my work on my SG blog and message me via the site.







***

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by Aaron Colter

Last week's post about Anonymous and the government's overreaction to their movement was pretty depressing, so this week's post is just a list of some cool things.



1. Natalie Phillips

I first found out about Phillips' art through a free press publication called Eleven PDX. Her work is unique, colorful, and beautiful. I wouldn't at all be surprised if she becomes a very well known artist very soon.



2. Forest Park

Speaking of creators that have an incredible amount of potential, the musicians in Forest Park are young, but talented. Someone is going to sign these kids soon, and then you'll hear about how great they are on Pitchfork or some shit.



3. Une Petite Romance

I've highlighted the art of Jason "JFish" Fischer on here before, but this online story is much different than his other work, more grounded, more accessible. Check it out –– you'll love it.



4. Dirty Hands: The Art and Crimes of David Choe

A surprisingly engaging movie about the graffiti artist, shot over seven years all around the world, about his street art, his penchant for stealing, and the trouble both of these things have gotten him into since he was teenager. The entire movie is available to stream on the Upper Playground website. Well worth your time, and probably your money too.



5. Tor

Tor is an open-source tool to hide your actions online from data mining. Look into it, see if it's for you.

***
Hope you dig this stuff. If there's something you think I would like that others would like too, please email youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com.

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by Blogbot


[Above: Hezza Suicide in Melancolia]

SG / Artist Name: Hezza Suicide a.k.a. Majo Rey

Mission Statement: Having experimented with other kinds of clothes I began my lingerie line in 2004. I was always a lingerie consumer, but couldn’t find nice things over here (I live in South América). After working in a big factorywhich made swimwear, I decide to start with my personal own line, and launched my brand Majo Rey. What I do, or want to transmit to the people who consume the brand, is the spirit of being young and sexy. It’s important to feel comfortable and sexy at the same time. The brand has a lot of myself in it; It’s for powerful, independent women with a rock & roll spirit.


[Above: Gold Label Collection 2011]



[Above: Gold Label Collection 2011]


[Above: Gold Label Collection 2011]

Medium: Laces and silk, with colorful and playful elastics and hooks.

Aesthetic: Sexy.

Notable Achievements: Being part of several catwalk fashion shows of designers in Uruguay and Belgium. Next October I’m going be participate in the fashion show at the International Brussels Tattoo Convention. My work has also been featured in several newspapers and blogs (see Blogcouture 2011, Blogcouture 2009, and Pimba).

Why We Should Care: I’ve created a designer luxury lingerie brand, made by hand, with a big team working everyday on special things - just for you. I’m dedicated to my work and care for every single detail, from the raw materials through to the finished product and packaging.

I Want Me Some: Visit MajoRey.com and/or MajoReyStore.Etsy.com/. You can also find me on Facebook and Twitter.


[Above: Melancholy Collection 2011]


[Above: Melancholy Collection 2011]


[Above: Melancholy Collection 2011]

***

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The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Kate Suicide
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Kaylie McDougal a.k.a. Tigermassacre
The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Monroe

by Blogbot


[Above: Pemphredo by Bob Suicide]
"I named her Pemphredo after the protectors of the Gorgons who all shared an eye. Her name can translate to "she who shows the way" based on her role in Perseus' story or more commonly - and literally - "alarm." Although, they're generally depicted as being old, Hesiod said that Pemphredo in particular was beautiful. And, they're known for being grey in color. So, I think it's a pretty good fit."




[Above: Pemphredo in Progress: Stage 1]
"I like to start by doing the facial features. Mostly eyes 'cause they're my favorite."


[Above: Pemphredo in Progress: Stage 2]
"I use my pinky and pointer finger for shading...and sometimes a bit of rolled up toilet paper wrapped around a pencil for the little stuff."


[Above: Pemphredo in Progress: Stage 1]
"I've learned from Cherry Rae that my eraser is my best friend. I lightly sketch out an idea so that it doesn't indent the paper when I change my mind...I always change my mind. And I like small, intricate details, like the tiny "engravings" on the diadem."


Artist/SG Name: Bob Suicide...but I've always signed my art Willow Redfern (it's from an old book series I read as a kid).

Mission Statement: I started out copying things I saw in video game magazines - art that I wanted to be able to draw. It was mostly heroines and scantily clad princess. I've always been attracted to the aesthetic of the female form. And, over time, there came a point where I could replicate what I was looking at with relative accuracy. But it was all on wrinkled, warped binder paper with generic #2 pencils. 



Then in high school, I was surprised by a friend's mother who bought out the entire art store (no hyperbole here - it was a small town), gift wrapped it, and left it in the school's girls restroom for me to find. 



After that, I started pulling headshots from girly magazines and drawing as many faces as I could. (It's still my go-to doodle when I'm just pushing a random pen on random paper.) 



I'm still using everything she got me. Now the new frontier is learning to draw something that I can't see - making up more than what's in front of me. I'm using a lot of Greek/Roman mythology for inspiration.



Medium: A blank piece of paper and a pencil.



Aesthetic: Beauty...with a little bit of beast.



Notable Achievements: My mom says I'm cool.



Why We Should Care: It's important to encourage the artist in everyone. I just picked up a pencil one day and had people who supported my habit. So if you love art and want to make your own, there's no reason why you can't pick up a pencil and draw on any flat surface you can find. I support you! If I can do it, anyone can.



I Want Me Some: I don't have a set place where I'm selling my doodles. But, I'd be happy to take an offer on a piece or a commission when I can if you're interested. Feel free to message me and let me know what you're in the market for.

***

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The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Mrs Misha
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The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Monroe

by Mur Lafferty

SuicdeGirls presents the tenth installment of our Fiction Friday sci-fi series, Marco and the Red Granny, which is brought to you by SG columnist Mighty Mur a.k.a. cyber commentator Mur Lafferty.

Marco and the Red Granny is set in a not-so-distant future where an alien species, the Li-Jun, has transformed the moon into the new artistic center of the universe, where the Sally Ride Lunar Base soon gains the nickname "Mollywood." These aliens can do amazing things with art and the senses, allowing a painting, for example, to stimulate senses other than sight. However, humans remain suspicious of the Li-Jun’s emotion-imbued goods, so while their entertainment can be beamed back to earth, a trade embargo prevents anything from being physically imported to the planet.

In the previous installments, Marco, a writer whose career has long been in the doldrums, gets a surprise call from an agent he thought he no longer had informing him that he has received an offer from Mollywood for a much coveted Li-Jun patronage. Keen to catch up career-wise with his ex-GF Penelope, who'd unceremoniously dumped him after being recruited by the Li-Jun two years earlier, Marco hastily jumps on the next shuttle to the moon. Once aboard, he finds himself sitting next to a seemingly unassuming old lady called Heather, who turns out to be The Red Granny, a legend in Li-Jun's reality show world for being a three-time champion of The Most Dangerous Game (which requires contestants to sign away the rights to their life).

After settling into his new accommodations at House Blue, Marco has a brief meeting with his new patron, a Li-Jun called Thirteen. It’s only then that Marco realizes he's never been shown the terms of his employment, and a sense of unease sets in. That evening, Marco is taken on a trip to see The Red Granny in action in The Most Dangerous Game. After a bloody battle, the senior reality TV star is again victorious. The viciousness of the game leaves The Red Granny unconscious, and Marco shocked, disturbed, and in need of a stiff drink. Unfortunately stiff drinks are frowned upon by the Li-Jun, so Marco settles for an early night

The next day, Marco learns first hand about the process that enables the Li-Jun to put taste into paintings, music into pie, and stories into (nonalcoholic) beverages. Having had his deepest and most depraved memories dredged and thoroughly probed by the aliens so they can be monitored and recorded, Marco finally sees the terms of his contract. He ultimately accepts the Li-Jun’s too-good-to-refuse offer, and embarks on his new life at House Blue. However, though he’s been handed everything he ever wanted, somehow the reality of it is hollow.

Twenty thousand words into his new graphic novel, with his first deadline looming, Marco suffers from a severe case of writers block, and searches for inspiration in the bottom of a glass that’s actually had something worth drinking in it. To this end, he stumbles across an illicit drinking establishment on the seedier side of the moon which turns out to be run by a collective of folks who are strictly persona non grata as far as the Li-Jun are concerned – The Alcoholic's Guild. There Marco has an uneasy encounter with a glass or three of gin, his ex-GF Penelope, who is now going by the name Knowledge, and her AG sponsor, Defect. After downing one too many drinks, Marco begins to get a sense of exactly how severe of an infraction the Li-Jun consider the consumption of alcohol to be.

While attempting to conceal his inebriation as he sneaks back into House Blue, Marco is caught red handed by his Li-Jun keeper Seven (it was probably his spontaneous vomiting that gave him away). The punishment is a second bout of mind raping/mapping. Afterwards, with his patronage in jeopardy, Heather gives him a special necklace to calm his nerves and promises to plead his case with Thirteen.

The following morning, Heather takes Marco on a behind-the-scenes tour of the secret areas of House Blue where the Li-Jun infuse emotion into art. The Red Granny also reveals that everything created in Mollywood will soon be permitted to be legally imported back to earth. Duly inspired and placated, Marco is allowed to resume his patronage.



Marco and the Red Granny - Part 13

The next week, Marco was kidnapped twice, both in the same day.

He'd spent the time writing and illustrating, mostly in his room, but he remembered he liked his office, too. Heather had shown him more of the Li-Jun imbuing process, fascinating stuff. What had really interested him was when the Li-Jun would imbue emotions within weaponry.

"Once we realized we could imbue emotions into sculpture, we wondered what happened if we put despair into a knife blade," Thirteen had said.

Something had clicked within Marco's head. "The Most Dangerous Game. That's how Heather got that last guy! She didn't kill him, she just made him not want to live, and so he was easy to finish off!"

"Exactly. This can make wars a thing of the past, the ultimate disarm."

Again Marco felt that niggling feeling that something was wrong about this, but he couldn't place it.

The next day went to his office, where Knowledge was waiting for him.

He'd nearly forgotten about her. No, he had forgotten about her. How was that possible? He opened his mouth to greet her, but a bag was thrown over his head and he felt himself lifted. He struggled and flailed, but strong arms threw him into a chair and bound him with rope.

"So it's true then," Knowledge’s voice said. "We suspected but we weren't sure."

"What the fuck are you talking about? Let me go, Penelope."

"It’s Knowledge now, Marco. And we've suspected for months that they were developing mind control. You proved it."

"What? Mind control? Are you insane?" He struggled in his chair again, and then went limp. "What do you want from me?"

The bag was lifted and he recognized the bartender, Defects, from the other evening. The other man was the one with the 12 on his neck; Spiritual Awakenings, the Guild leader.

Marco took a deep breath, letting the calm take over. "Listen, I don’t know what you're talking about. They're not controlling my mind, I'm in full control."

Knowledge crossed her arms. "Oh yeah? Why did you never come back to the bar?"

"I- " Marco stopped. He had promised to return, why hadn't he? He just hadn't thought about it. There'd been no urgency to do so.

He felt fingers at his neck, and he looked up at Spiritual Awakenings, who traced the leather ties of his necklace. "Ah, the necklace. Deceptive; it's not as fancy as their usual stuff."

"Hey, Heather gave that to me," he protested as Spiritual Awakenings took out a knife. Marco winced as the cold knife slid down his neck, but the man sliced through his necklace and removed it, dropping it to the floor as if it were a tapeworm.

Adrenaline flooded Marco and he reeled from the shock of it. "Holy shit, what's going on?"

"Check him for other things," Spiritual Awakening said, handing the knife to Defects. Spiritual Awakenings stepped around to where he faced Marco.

"The Li-Jun started mixing the arts when they encountered humans, and it was amazing,” the small man said. “But at some point they discovered we had nostalgia attached to these senses, and more importantly, they could tap into them as easily as they manipulate our senses. Whereas before they could weave a story into a dress or a song into a cake, now they can put the emotions and memories tied to those senses into things. They can make a song that gives you murderous rage, or a bottle of wine that makes you fall in love. For their own pet humans, they can create a necklace to make you calm and docile like a sheep, never thinking to turn against them."

"But why are they doing this? It's everyone’s dream to get a patronage, why would they need us docile?"

Knowledge grinned without humor. "Marco, honey, you know that the patronage isn't what you hoped it would be. It starts with the artist mapping, and continues with them marking your every movement, denying you alcohol, and other controlling things. You're making a ton of money, but are you doing anything with it?"

Marco frowned. "You didn't answer my question."

"This is why we are worried about the mind control," Spiritual Awakenings said. "They have some plan for the Earth, as the embargo against imported Li-Jun clothing and food was just lifted. Who knows what they're shipping home?"

Marco stared at him. He felt an almost audible click. "They're a peaceful race with no army. This is how they take over."

Spiritual Awakenings nodded. "It's how they enslave."

"So what do we do about it?" Marco asked.

"That's what the Guild is for," Spiritual Awakenings said. "The Li-Jun hate alcohol because it dampens the effects of their influence. If you had a couple of shots, and then put that collar back on, you wouldn't feel its effects."

Marco looked down at the necklace with distaste. Then he looked at Knowledge in a panic. "What do I do now? I won't put it back on, but I can't go back without it."

"We'll make one for you. They may not be able to tell the difference, since they can't feel our nostalgia the same way we do," Spiritual Awakening answered. "Just stay here and work, we'll be back in an hour or so."

"Yeah? And then what?" Marco said, panic flooding him again. He couldn't go back, not now. Did Heather know? Was she in compliance with all this?

"We'll come back with a plan to help you keep your cover. We need you on the inside. Will you work with the Guild?"

Marco nodded. "Looks like I don't have a choice. Although I would likely trust you more if you untied me."
***

The second kidnapping came soon after the Guild had left, with Marco still ruminating on what he had learned, and the kiss on the cheek Knowledge had left him. Marco sat at his desk, peering out over the bright city and didn't hear his office door open. He did feel the strong tentacles planted over his face, holding a rag to his mouth. He struggled, but he knew immediately he'd be no match for Seven of House Blue.

***

Excerpt from the Marco and the Red Granny, published by Restless Brain Media at Smashwords. Copyright 2010 Mur Lafferty.

Mur Lafferty is an author and podcast producer. She has released several works via audio podcast, including her novel Playing For Keeps, the novellas in the Heaven series, the audio drama The Takeover, and many others. She's won the Parsec Award and the Podcast Peer award. Her published works include Playing For Keeps (Swarm), Nanovor: Hacked (Running Press Kids), and Tricks of the Podcasting Masters (Que), not to mention several short stories. She is the host of I Should Be Writing and the Angry Robot podcasts, as well as the editor of Escape Pod, the sci-fi audio magazine. Marco and the Red Granny was originally published as the premier podcast serial at Hub Magazine, and is available for Kindle via Amazon.

Mur lives in Durham, NC with her husband, Jim Van Verth, their daughter, and two dogs. You can find her in the Murverse, at Smashwords and on Twitter.

Catch Up With Marco and the Red Granny:
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 1
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 2
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 3
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 4
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 5
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 6
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 7
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 8
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 9
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 10
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 11
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny – Part 12

by Mur Lafferty

SuicdeGirls presents the tenth installment of our Fiction Friday sci-fi series, Marco and the Red Granny, which is brought to you by SG columnist Mighty Mur a.k.a. cyber commentator Mur Lafferty.

Marco and the Red Granny is set in a not-so-distant future where an alien species, the Li-Jun, has transformed the moon into the new artistic center of the universe, where the Sally Ride Lunar Base soon gains the nickname "Mollywood." These aliens can do amazing things with art and the senses, allowing a painting, for example, to stimulate senses other than sight.

In the previous installments, Marco, a writer whose career has long been in the doldrums, gets a surprise call from an agent he thought he no longer had, informing him that he has received an offer from Mollywood for a much coveted Li-Jun patronage. Keen to catch up career-wise with his ex-GF Penelope, who'd unceremoniously dumped him after being recruited by the Li-Jun two years earlier, Marco jumps on the next shuttle to the moon. Once aboard, he finds himself sitting next to a seemingly unassuming old lady called Heather, who turns out to be The Red Granny, a legend in Li-Jun's reality show world for being a three-time champion of The Most Dangerous Game (which requires contestants to sign away the rights to their life).

After settling into his new accommodations at House Blue, Marco has a brief meeting with his new patron, a Li-Jun called Thirteen. It’s only then that Marco realizes he's never been shown the terms of his employment, and a sense of unease sets in. That evening, Marco is taken on a trip to see The Red Granny in action in The Most Dangerous Game. After a bloody battle, the senior reality TV star is again victorious. The viciousness of the game however, leaves The Red Granny unconscious, and Marco shocked, disturbed, and in need of a stiff drink. Unfortunately stiff drinks are frowned upon by the Li-Jun, so Marco settles for an early night

The next day, Marco learns first hand about the process that enables the Li-Jun to put taste into paintings, music into pie, and stories into (nonalcoholic) beverages. Having had his deepest and most depraved memories dredged and thoroughly probed by the aliens so they can be monitored and recorded, Marco finally sees the terms of his contract.

Having accepted the Li-Jun’s too-good-to-refuse offer, Marco settles into his new life at House Blue. However, though he’s been handed everything he ever wanted, somehow the reality of it is hollow. Twenty thousand words into his new graphic novel, with his first deadline looming, Marco suffers from a severe case of writers block, and searches for inspiration in the bottom of a glass that’s actually had something worth drinking in it.

Marco stumbles across an illicit drinking establishment on the seedier side of the moon which turns out to be run by a collective of folks who are strictly persona non grata as far as the Li-Jun are concerned – The Alcoholic's Guild. There Marco has an uneasy encounter with a glass or three of gin, his ex-GF Penelope, who is now going by the name Knowledge, and her AG sponsor, Defect. However it’s only after downing one too many drinks that Marco begins to get a sense of exactly how severe of an infraction the Li-Jun consider the consumption of alcohol to be.



Marco and the Red Granny - Part 12

Marco stood outside of House Blue, swaying slightly, realizing he faced a problem he hadn't encountered in fifteen years: how to sneak in while hiding the fact that he'd been out drinking. The gum Defects had given him was in his mouth, but he doubted he could hide the fact that he could barely focus, spoke with a slur, and would likely punch that cocky Seven if he came across him.

He was a man now, not a scared fifteen-year old, and he should be allowed to go where he pleased. He took a deep breath and put his hand on the door handle.

It swung inward as he touched it. Seven was there, his eyestalks dipping to look at him. "Marco, so good to see you. Been sampling the human half of Ride Base?" If he’d been human, he would have sounded sarcastic. Marco giggled.

Marco opened his mouth to compliment Seven’s usage of human sarcasm, but instead he bent over and vomited on his own shoes.

Seven had him by the arms and carried him down the hall. "I c'n walk," he said, but his feet wouldn't obey him.

"I'm sure you can, Marco," Thirteen said from behind him, "But this is more efficient. We must do another artist mapping."

Realization trickled down his spine like iced molasses. "What? No, my agent said I wouldn’t have to-"

"A sub-clause in your contract says you will submit to another mapping if you exhibited behavior unlike yourself. Something we perhaps missed in the mapping."

That didn’t make sense, but Marco couldn't remember all the details, and he seemed to be without his phone. And then without his clothes. Seven put him into the coffin-like pod with efficiency, electrodes slapped only to his head this time. Still, he struggled when the fluid filled the pod, banging his fists against the door and yelling. He tried to rip the electrodes off, but the glue was too strong.

The taste of gin filled his mouth again, this time not from vomit but from the memories, now pairing the taste with shame, disorientation, and sick, desperate longing. He'd been lying, of course, to Knowledge, and although he thought he hid it from her well enough, he wasn't able to hide that emotion in a box away from whatever the aliens did to him, and he wailed into the breathing tube.

It didn't take as long as before. When the feelings attached to his current state were depleted, the fluid drained, and the Li-Jun had left the room. Marco was alone, kneeling inside the pod. The doors slowly swung open and the electrodes fell off his head.

The Alcoholics Guild said Li-Jun didn't like humans drinking. "Understatement of the year," he muttered, wiping the goo out of his eyes.

The hot water in the shower lasted five minutes this time. Swearing, Marco left the shower, feeling more sober now, and wrapped the robe around him. He felt immediately calmer, but still confused about the evening. He checked his watch: midnight, GMT. Heather might be asleep, but considering how often she showed up in his room, he didn't feel terribly bad about disturbing her.

She was in her own robe, brewing tea, when she called for him to come in. "Marco, what can I do for you?"

"What's up with the Li-Jun and drinking?"

"They don't do it, if that's what you mean," she said, stirring honey into her tea. "Darjeeling?"

He shook his head, refusing to be distracted. "I know that, but are we completely forbidden to drink? Are they that much against it?"

"Of course they are. You mean no one told you?" she asked.

"No! I never heard this. When I met you, I had a hangover, and you didn't say anything about it!"

"Why? You didn't go out drinking, did you?" Her eyes were wide.

"Well, yeah, I had a hard day of writing and I needed a drink."

She rubbed her forehead. "This is very bad, Marco. Did they catch you?"

Marco indicated his wet hair. "Yeah. I just got out of the hell pod thing. Again. It was unpleasant. Again."

She tapped her fingertip against her mug. "They're not going to be happy with you for a while. If you don't want to lose your patronage, you're going to have to listen to me."

Marco frowned. "Okay..."

She looked him up and down; looking suddenly like a department store shop woman trying to decide what he'd look best in. Then she went to a dresser and pulled out a drawer. "How are you feeling now?" she asked, not turning around as she rummaged.

Marco shrugged. "I don't know. Tired. Annoyed."

"Angry? Irritated? Feel like you might run through a wall and strangle someone?"

"No, none of those, I don't think. I'm pretty calm, I guess."

"Good." She came back with a leather cord in her hand. It was three cords braided together, a white cord, a blue one, and an indigo. "Wear this, at all times, even in the shower," she instructed. "It's a symbol that will show your dedication to House Blue, to everyone."

Marco eyed it. "Are you sure-"

Heather held up her hand. "If you don't want to lose your patronage, do what I say. Take this back to your room, put it on, and go to bed. Tomorrow I'll talk to Thirteen for you. Maybe I’ll get a chance to take you around to the labs."

Marco took the rope from her and felt calm and gratitude relax him. He yawned. "Thanks a lot, Heather. I don't know what I'd do if you weren't here to help me find my way."

She smiled, her eyes a little sad. "You'll be fine. Just keep that on. Tomorrow morning I’ll meet you for breakfast."

***

Marco slept deeper and more peacefully than he had in weeks. The necklace bothered him at first-he'd never been much for jewelry-but he quickly got used to it. He woke early, dressed, and walked to the kitchen where one of the Li-Jun was cooking breakfast. He got a plate of pancakes and sat down.

Heather came to join him. "Good morning, I am surprised you're up."

He blinked and yawned. "I just felt like getting up."

She nodded. "I spoke to Thirteen and assured her that no more binges are in your future. Was I right in telling her that?"

Marco swallowed his pancakes. "Oh definitely. I won't be going there anymore. I'm feeling better about my patronage now than ever."

She beamed at him. "That's wonderful. Now finish your breakfast and I'll take you to the artist labs."

He nodded and drank his coffee. When he was done, he followed Heather to an area of the house he'd not seen before, behind a door marked with the Li-Jun's language that consisted mainly of concentric circles.

"Here is where they take what you write and infuse it with other pieces of art," She said. They walked down a hall that opened to a huge room with one wall nothing but windows out to the Lunar landscape. She smiled at him. "They like the inspiration, they say. Now come over here and meet Fifteen and Sixteen."

Two Li-Jun worked at one of several tables. Tendrils of wires snaked out of a red computer case, and they had connected these wires to the seams of a pinstripe suit. Marco and Heather watched as one alien held the garment while the other peered into the computer monitor on the table and typed some adjustments in their keyboard, which had only five circles on it.

"So what are they doing?" he whispered to Heather.

"That short story you wrote, the one about the man who made mechanical plants to occupy his time in prison? Anyone who wears this suit will hear that story," she told him.

He frowned. "How did you know about that?"

"Oh Marco. Your computer is on the network. When you're done with a story or poem or comic, they take it and make something out of it. The cake entitled Penelope was particularly bittersweet; they had done an amazing job matching the love and regret with the sweetness of strawberries and the sour of rhubarb. I wished you could have joined us, but you weren't ready, they said."

Marco normally would have felt embarrassed and violated. No one had ever read that poem about Penelope. Not even Penelope. But now he felt only annoyed. He took Heather's arm and dragged her away from the Li-Jun, who still hadn't acknowledged their presence. "I wrote that two years ago, not while here on the moon. How did they get that?"

Heather leaned in to him; he could smell the Juicy Froot Loops gum on her breath. "They have the rights to all your work, Marco. Didn't you know that?"

He didn't. "But how did they get it?"

"They have an eye on all media. That's how they choose whom to give patronage to. The applications are worthless, Marco, they want to know what a person can really create."

"So they're spying on humans?" Marco said, surprised, but finding that he didn't really care, now that he thought about it. He got his patronage, what did he care how he got it?

“'Spying' is such an ugly word, Marco. That implies it doesn't do us any good. And it's quite beneficial to us, don't you think? Rumor is that you got one of the best patronage deals ever. Even better than mine."

He smiled, irritation evaporating. "So how do they do all this?"

They walked back over to the aliens, who were hanging the suit on a hanger and bringing out a gold necklace with a pendant of a little clockwork bird.

"No one knows, and they either can't, or won't, teach us," she said. She squinted her eyes and said, "Oh, this should be interesting."

Marco looked to where she was focused and saw only concentric circles on the monitor screen. "Can you read their writing?"

"A little," she said. "You get used to it. All I can tell you is instead of a piece of art, they're going to be putting an emotion into this necklace. They are just now experimenting with the stronger senses of nostalgia and emotional memory connected with it. As I said, they have nothing similar to that, so this is experimental."

"What emotion?" he asked?

"I'm not sure," she said.

“Why are they going ahead with research, if they can’t export what they have now on Earth, why make more?”

Heather leaned in again, “You didn’t hear this from me, but the embargo lifts next month. We’re going to be shipping clothing, jewelry, art, even food down the home planet. It finally got enough votes in England, China, the US, and Texlaska. After those biggies, the rest of the world will follow.”

"But doesn't that mean you can do, I don't know, love potions or something? I mean, this is like real beer goggles. Almost like mind-"

Heather slapped a hand over his mouth. “Shh, we’ll disturb them. We need to be quiet.”

Marco stared at her and rubbed his lip, which was swelling slightly from the force of her blow.

"Why are you showing me this?" Marco whispered.

"Because you are part of House Blue," Heather replied. "And House Blue is at the forefront of exporting goods to Earth. They need us for art creation, and for modeling, and for reassuring the people back home that this stuff is perfectly safe."

"Perfectly safe," echoed Marco softly as they watched the aliens work. He rubbed the necklace Heather had given him. It calmed him.

"The goal is to get everyone on Earth accepting Li-Jun art," Heather said.

"Wearing, eating, everything. And when that happens, they can experience the peace we know here on Ride Base."

Marco nodded as the aliens brought a fancy cake to the table and one of them spoke into a microphone, reading from the computer screen. The other end of the microphone wire wasn't plugged into anything, but looked like a small hose that exuded golden light. As the alien whispered, Marco could hear the words come out of the other end and alight on the cake, as delicate as a meringue.

The words sounded familiar to Marco, and pulled up a small ache in his chest, although he didn't know why. Heather watched him carefully, and he smiled slightly at her.

"What's up?" he asked.

She smiled back. "Nothing."

***

Excerpt from the Marco and the Red Granny, published by Restless Brain Media at Smashwords. Copyright 2010 Mur Lafferty.

Mur Lafferty is an author and podcast producer. She has released several works via audio podcast, including her novel Playing For Keeps, the novellas in the Heaven series, the audio drama The Takeover, and many others. She's won the Parsec Award and the Podcast Peer award. Her published works include Playing For Keeps (Swarm), Nanovor: Hacked (Running Press Kids), and Tricks of the Podcasting Masters (Que), not to mention several short stories. She is the host of I Should Be Writing and the Angry Robot podcasts, as well as the editor of Escape Pod, the sci-fi audio magazine. Marco and the Red Granny was originally published as the premier podcast serial at Hub Magazine, and is available for Kindle via Amazon.

Mur lives in Durham, NC with her husband, Jim Van Verth, their daughter, and two dogs. You can find her in the Murverse, at Smashwords and on Twitter.

Catch Up With Marco and the Red Granny:
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 1
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 2
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 3
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 4
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 5
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 6
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 7
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 8
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 9
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 10
Fiction Friday: Marco and the Red Granny - Part 11

by Blogbot



Artist/SG Member Name: Grompf

Mission Statement: I’m a comic artist, but feel more comfortable by making illustrations as opposed to comic books. One drawing tells more of the story than countless pages of comic strips. I hope my art inspires people to create their own stories…

Most of my work is dedicated to Miss Satan, a character I created few years ago. She's circus and burlesque artist and she produces her show anywhere she can. I'm really influenced by folk tales and nonsense, which is why Miss Satan is surrounded by animals and characters from folk tales, and few human beings.

I love drawing freaks. Most of the time they look ugly, sad and defenseless, they some kind of Pokémon to me (one day I will create a collectible cards game with all of them).

I'm really influenced by my environment. I was born and raised in a little city in the countryside of France (far from big cities), the type of place where marriages are celebrated between cousins. I know that I have consanguinity in my genes - that's certainly why I draw freaks -- but I’m still very attached to this place.





Medium: Pencil and Photosphop / Linocuts.

Aesthetic: Comic style and German expressionism.

Notable Achievements: I published my first comics in 2010 (Babydoll Diaries, Vol. 1 & 2 published by KSTR). They’re kind of modern porno comics.

Why We Should Care: Because if you don’t, I will turn to a sociopath…

I Want Me Some: My comics are available in fine French bookshops or you can contact me via my blog or message me on SuicideGirls.







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by Blogbot



Artist/SG Name: Oro Mali / Oro Suicide

Mission Statement: "I want to top expectations. I want to blow you away." - Quentin Tarantino







Medium: Acrylic, sharpie, recycled materials, varnish, conte black stone pencil, and more.

Aesthetic: I create for the love of it... simply because it allows me to spontaneously express different emotions, opinions and sensations through colors, shapes, and textures. I'm not necessarily aiming at absolute beauty when I paint. In fact, I prefer exploring the fascinating aspects of ugliness and imperfection...because beauty naturally becomes dull without its flaws. I want to provoke people with my art, and bring them to think differently.

Notable Achievements: Living off my biggest passion.

Why We Should Care: Why should you not?

I Want Me Some: Paintings available to purchase on my official Facebook page.

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The Art of SuicideGirls feat. Monroe

by Secretary



Alexander McQueen, 'l'enfant terrible' of British fashion, is having a truly global moment.

As some of the most famous people in the world gathered in outlandish creations for the Met Gala, which this year celebrated the opening of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's McQueen retrospective (Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty, which has attracted 46,000 visitors in its opening week - a Met record), it was hard for a dedicated follower of fashion not to wonder what its namesake would have felt about all this attention.

A few days prior to the Met event, an estimated two billion people watched worldwide as plain old Kate Middleton walked down the aisle of Westminster Abbey, and walked back up it again as Princess Catherine. The million-dollar question: who designed the dress? The answer? A private woman that very little is known about: Sarah Burton, who's served as the creative director at Alexander McQueen ever since the tragic suicide of her boss over a year ago.

Burton has worked for the house of McQueen for sixteen years now, starting in 1996 when the eponymous designer was outraging Britain's Daily Mail readers the land over with his Spring/Summer '95 "Bumster" jeans (they didn't leave much to the imagination) and his Autumn/Winter '95 "Highland Rape" collection. Fondly remembered for having all the contextual subtly of Tracey Emin's high school art projects, the dresses looked like they'd been clawed from the bodies of the models - and tampons did make an appearance. The publicity was immediate and it was insatiable.

Burton was known in fashion circles as being a consistent and calmer counterbalance to McQueen's intense, somewhat maniacal genius. The brand became synonymous with theatricality. The fashion shows became one of the hottest tickets during Paris fashion week, turning into the kind of events that people who had little interest in fashion would have loved to have been at, just to say they'd seen for themselves. It really kicked off in 1999, when prominent model Shalom Harlow, wearing a billowing, knee-length white dress secured at the bust with a belt, was spray-painted before the audience by two mechanical arms as she rotated on a specially-built platform.

There was also the "Asylum" collection, during the show for which the models prowled around the inside of a box, constructed of two-way mirrors so that the audience could see in, but the models couldn't see out. For the finale, a box within the box opened up which contained a naked, plus-size women reclining on a chaise langue, covered in moths, her face obscured by sinister gas-mask-like breathing apparatus. The show for Spring/Summer '05 had the models facing off across a giant chessboard, each dressed in some way to emulate a piece of the game but somehow each feeling like a pawn.

As the years went on, the spectacle grew. Soon after Kate Moss's cocaine scandal, McQueen finished his show by projecting a hologram of her, floating above the runway in an ethereal dress. His Autumn/Winter '09 show, entitled "Horn of Plenty" featured models with their mouths garishly painted to the point that they became grotesque. They wore discarded trash on their heads, thanks to legendary hat maker Philip Tracey, and the message was ominous, pandering to a futuristic dystopia that lurks somewhere beyond what you hope is possible.

Then there was the leather, the bondage, the S&M influences, the Armadillo shoes that the models refused to walk in for fear that they'd break their necks (you know, the shoes that Lady Gaga wears in her "Bad Romance" video? Yes, those). Somewhere it was evident that McQueen was a fully paid up member of the "pain is beauty" school of thought. But what beauty he created. For every dark moment, he gave us a place to escape to; Russian-inspired dresses as beautiful and delicate as a Faberge egg, a dress that could well have been a sculpture. Inspired by the artist Sam Taylor-Wood, the elaborate creation had living blooms stitched into it, which then shed as the model walked down the runway.

Perhaps it was unsurprising then that McQueen, whose mind dwelt in such dark places and yearned for such beautiful ones, would eventually stop finding catharsis in putting the twisted results of his rabid imaginings onto the catwalk for us to delight in. It was front-page news when, on the 11th February 2010, he was found hanged in his wardrobe. His suicide note simply said he was sorry, and asked that his dogs would be looked after. The Autumn/Winter 2010 collection he left behind, extremely unfinished, spoke much more eloquently for him; it featured religious imagery and one particular coat, made from golden feathers, looked as though he had some sort of angelic being in mind whilst he was designing it. It seemed that McQueen had been intent on conceptualizing the afterlife, with all its romanticism, wanting to bring a bit of heaven down to earth via his clothing.

Alexander McQueen: Savage Beauty can be seen at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York until July 31.

by Aaron Colter

Growing up outside east Denver, I remember helping clean graffiti off the side of the church my family attended. It was back soon after we tried to wash it off the first time, and the second. After a while, we stopped doing anything about it.

I didn't always like graffiti, but it always interested me. The act of carving one's name on the surface of something physical, in secret, somewhere someone would see it someday - it's primal, but a sign of self-reflection, intelligence even.



Modern graffiti started to take-off in the late 1970s, around the same time hip-hop was gaining momentum. Like the music, the art was born out of frustration, necessity, and the part of the human spirit that urges us to create. Although New York is still the Mecca of illegal art, each city has its own code. The work seen on the streets of Los Angeles is as recognizable in its form and influence, as are tags in Detroit.



If you're at all interested in the culture and history of graffiti, Netflix has a dozen or so films you can watch on instant-stream, including the popular Exit Through the Gift Shop from the elusive Banksy, and several others from the early 1990s that are less theatrical.



Perhaps, like I used believe, you draw a distinction between "good" graffiti and "bad" graffiti. If a piece is artistically beautiful in an objective way, you're less likely to be offended by spray-paint in your neighborhood than if you perceive something to be nothing more than a poorly scrawled name. I get it. But, you're wrong.



Every artist has to practice. There's a good chance if you see a shitty tag, it's from some kid who finally managed to muster the courage, or rather, overcome teen angst to obtain a can of paint and do something that could very well end with their ass in the back of a squad car.



It's easy to brush off such acts as nothing more than the mistakes of misguided youth, however, that's taking the easy way out. Yes, a lot of it graffiti is done by angry kids looking to fuck-up public places at night. I would argue there's inherent beauty in that alone. But, if you dig a little more academia and a little less anarchy in your debate, consider the society in which we live that is so dysfunctional that human beings in their most confusing time of development have so few outlets to express the flaws they see and feel in our broken system that they're spurred to attack the symbols of that society even in the face of arrest.



I'm pissed when I see kids try to overtake a spot they're too novice to properly utilize, but not the act itself. Hate the sin, love the sinner, right?



Despite being a pretty clever side-show in the vein of I'm Not Here, something Banksy said in his film Exit Through the Gift Shop struck me; something to the affect that everyday we're bombard by advertisements in public places that we have no say in seeing or influencing. Sure, we could buy a billboard if we had the money, or maybe rework city laws to remove unwanted displays, but let's face it - none of those things are happening. In fact, there's even a constitutional debate in the state of Washington to decide what is and isn't public art.



Ron English said something similar in Supersize Me, that the famous Renaissance masters painting cityscapes and sunsets that went on to be hung in museums all over the world. But in America, all he sees are McDonald's logos, car dealerships, strip-malls, and advertisements for light beer. Thus, because corporations have the money and political influence, and our society is spurred on by a weird form of capitalism, each and every one of us has to see the most pandering bullshit imaginable on our way to work at what is probably a shitty job.

Unacceptable.





Graffiti is also rooted in politics and rebellion, even more so today due to the evolving styles, and breadth and depth of the artists involved in the medium. We do not have to be ruled by commercials in our everyday life. We do not have to complacently watch our streets turn into bland, unidentifiable blocks of consumerism. We can take up a pen, a can of paint, a thing of glue, and we can make our world into what we want to see.

Your idea of a beautiful reality may not be mine - in fact it almost assuredly isn't - so we'll battle with ideas and brushes. Art will beget art until layers of wood and ink start to amass a complex history of the time and the feelings of a community.



Graffiti is an act, it doesn't have to be tied to gang-association or poverty. It can be whatever we want it to be. Graffiti is a wonderful language anyone can use to communicate emotions too grand to be said in words, too abstract to be discussed, too powerful for anything other than what it is.

I'm not suggesting graffiti should be legalized. The property entanglements and decisions of judges, officials, cops, landlords, construction firms, and concerned parents are far too stacked and uncertain for that to ever come to pass. Besides, there are more important things to worry about, like how our country is spending its way to destruction by bombing the fuck out of the Middle East, or the fact that public schools are getting worse every year.

I am suggesting you, yes, you - you reading this right now - you should graffiti something.



Once you start to learn graffiti, trust me, it will change your reality. You'll notice the nooks and crannies of everyday life where someone has tried to reach out to another conscious mind.

"I'm here."



You'll start to recognize patterns, see improvements in those whose names you may never know, whose faces you may never see, but whose soul you will connect with, even if for only a brief moment.



Walk around your neighborhood, get to know what's being said, where, and by whom. Then, add to the conversation.





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If you have something that you think I might like that others might like too, please email youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com.

What I'm reading: Subway Art, Wall and Piece, Wonton Soup

What I'm listening to: Sub Pop - Terminal Sales Vol. 4, Bob Marley - Gold Collection 1970-1971, Jon Timm - C1 B1

What I'm drinking: Goose Island's Sofie, Samuel Smith's Organically Produced Lager Beer, Highway 78 Scotch Ale

by Aaron Colter

Back in my post about Emerald City Comic Con, I highlighted Rexa a monster pornography art book by Jason "JFish" Fischer, and hoped I'd be able to preview some pages from his upcoming work. Well, Fischer was kind enough to send me a couple pages from a book he's debuting at the Stumptown Comics Festival in Portland this weekend called Junqueland written by Robin Bogert. He says the story is about "a couple of monsters having tasty fun in a bakery."

So . . . yeah. Check it out. Shit's crazy, and as far as I can tell, about some dinosaurs fucking, but it's probably much deeper than that. Or not. Whatever. Who cares, it's rad.





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Eric Bailey



I came across Bailey's work while on the Hi-Fructose site looking up their coverage of Tara McPherson's new store in Williamsburg, and I instantly fell in love with his art. Bailey's style isn't anything revolutionary, and in fact the brushwork looks like that of many other modern painters who use oil. It's not a bad thing, and there are probably a good many people who are basing their technique on Bailey.

His dynamic use of animals, beautiful women, and candy in the imagery could be considered overly simplistic, or perhaps too forceful, but there's this enormous sadness in much of his work that makes the pieces feel incredibly deep. Also, his ability to create layers of intricacy has improved over time, making the paintings all the more impressive.

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Kris Kuksi

Kuksi is best known for his sculptures, which use existing figures that are modified to create epic, ancient war-like pieces. His sculptures are fine, and though I do agree with some critics who say that the ideas expressed aren't exactly new, and can understand the basis of rejection some feel about previous-material art, I would point out that the enormity and complexity of the sculptures is so time exhaustive, they in-and-of-themselves are worthy of praise, and that the point of the pieces is to harken back to the more archaic times of humanity.

None of this matters though, because Kuksi's oil paintings are masterpieces. Just click on the link above to see them. The man is a genius painter who is evoking an old world school of art, and in today's society, awash in post-modern circle-jerks, the foundation of capturing reality on canvas is refreshing, and, combined with Kuksi's talent, is awe-striking.

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Tom Neely

Neely's work is cartoonish, but raw, stylized but not forced, modern but not unoriginal. It's perfect.

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Brandon Graham's Art for Portland's Stumptown Comics Fest

The badges for Portland's comic book convention this year are awesome. If you're in the area, you should attend.

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9 Things The Rich Don't Want You To Know About Taxes

We're all getting fucked by the government and rich. This article explains how. And here's one from AlterNet that proses a nominal tax on stock trading that Britain has adopted that could close the gap in social services deficits that the GOP is trying to gut. Meanwhile, the war machine keeps turning.

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Nine Types of Light

TV On the Radio proves, once again, that they are one of the best bands in existence with their latest album Nine Types of Light, which was released as a full-length music video directed by singer Tunde Adebimpe.

The video starts out with obscure references to the collective unconscious, which could be explained biologically, like in the TED Talk video Big History. But maybe it's something more. The album continues with genius tracks like "Repetition" and the video slides into trippy collages based on fractal patterns.

TV On the Radio plays with the idea of 2012, the Mayan calendar switching, the alignment of the planets, and all of these culture ideas that seem to come from an underlying feeling among many of us that we are on the brink of a change in consciousness that we do not fully understand.

It's interesting to think whether these ideas are something inherent in our structure, or created by an interconnected entertainment system that we've built, which has perpetuated a very real example of life imitating art. One of the first bands I ever help record, Lonesome Radio Heart, built an entire album around the concept that whether or not the End of Times was coming, if the world is acting like it is, that changes the tides of history.

Could we be cosmic antennas, building towards a great and extraordinary leap outside the confines of what we know of modern physics? Are we connected to a greater force outside this reality and about to crossover into a plane more complex and expansive than the universe in which we exist? And what of the Singularity - the tipping-point where humanity and technology start to combine? A physical melding of man and machine, a new form of life that converges into a unit that is the culmination of all information, where there is only the collective, working in harmony with the planet, the solar system, the galaxy, and on and on until becoming a pure form of conscious energy and then . . .

*POP*

Do we start over again? Maybe there is no end. I guess we'll see.

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If you have something that you think I might like that others might like too, please email youmightlike [at] gmail [dot] com.

What I'm listening to: A New Kind of House by Typhoon, Strange Weather We're Having Isn't It by !!!, whokill by tUnE-yArDs

What I'm reading: Clumsy, AEIOU or Any Easy Intimacy, The Goon: Chinatown

What I'm drinking: Captured by Porches Friday Rye, Total Domination IPA, Hazed & Infused