This Saturday – Welcome To My Nightmare VIII

This Saturday, June 8th. I’ll be showing my art and have my work for sale at the Welcome To My Nightmare VIII show. Lots of artists and bands. Be there, or be whatever.

Welcome To My Nghtmare Flyer. Spring 2013.

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Scenes From Punk Island Art Auction Benefit May 2013

This past Friday was the benefit for Punk Island, taking place in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. There were bands which afterwards was an art auction. Local artists donated artwork to raise money for Punk Island 2013.

So not only have I not managed to make it to any of the Punk Island shows, I almost didn’t make it to this event. You see, I was exhausted and ready to call it a night. Yet my friend convinced me to go. Plus I had flyers to pick up and promote for the Welcome To My Nightmare show next month. Missed the bands but arrived just in time for the auction.

Rev. Wodka glitter painting. Created Fall 2012 by Michele Witchipoo. Mixed medium, acrylic and glitter. Sold May 2013 at the Punk Island art auction benefit.

I had donated a mixed medium painting created seven months ago titled Rev. Wodka. The acrylic and glitter painting was originally on sale at my Esty site, but I figured it would would be better off at the auction. In theme with all things Punk. So off went Rev. Wodka, who found a new home that night. I also included an old mini issue of my comic Psycho Bunny.

Phil Lentz starting the action at the art auction to benefit Punk Island 2013. Williamsburg, Brooklyn. NYC. May 2013.

There were lots of awesome artists who donated their time and talent to this benefit. There were original signed and numbered concert poster prints by Joe Simko, who did  illustrations for bands like The Misfits and GWAR. Original concert photography was also donated to the cause. The best was saved for last, when Justin Melkmann, comic book artist and member of the band WW9 donated a personal letter from G.G. Allen to the auction.

Here’s a few other photos from that night. Can’t say I know of the exact date of Punk Island itself, but it’s usually free and takes place during the summer on Governor’s Island. Best bet is to do a search for info regarding the exact time date and location for the event.

Art auction/benefit for Punk Island 2013. May 2013 Williamsburg, Brooklyn. NYC.

Actual flyer and letter sent to Justin Melkmann from G.G. Allen, when G.G. was in prison. Donated to the art auction to benefit Punk Island 2013.

Actual letter from G.G. Allen. Donated to the art auction benefit for Punk Island 2013. Photo taken May 2013 in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, NYC.

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Welcome To My Nightmare June 2013

Welcome To My Nighmare VIII. I’ll be here showing my work and selling my comics. Don’t miss it.

Welcome To My Nghtmare Flyer. Spring 2013.

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Weekend of April 6-7 2013

Looks like the weekend of April 6 and 7 2013 will be a busy one. Already posted about one of these events I’m about to mention, but it bears mentioning again. There’s also another wonderful event put on by two long time promoters in the NYC Goth scene.

On both April 6th and 7th during the day, I will be at the MoCCA Art Fest 2013 sharing a table with two other talented cartoonists, E.J. Barnes and Paul Curtis.

April 6th, Saturday night I’ll be at Cleopatra’s Ball at Through The Mirror. Through The Mirror is a bi-monthly event put on by Absolution NYC. It’s run by two long time promoters in the NYC Goth scene, Xtene and Jason. Both are established DJs spinning the best in classic and current Goth along with its various sub-genres.

Cleopatra’s Ball Flyer by Absolution NYC.

For more information about either MoCCA or Absolution, be sure to click on these links:

http://www.moccafest.org/

http://absolutionnyc.com/

*Gratitude goes out to E.J. Barnes, Paul Curtis, Xtene Johnes and Jason Ledyard .

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David Bowie Watercolor March 2013

Two weeks ago I had plans to do this Bowie sketch. Then came news of his new album going to number one in the UK. (http://www.nme.com/news/david-bowie/69250) So perhaps after being subjected to auto tune pop music crap, there might be hope for the human race. Perhaps not. We’ll see.

I really haven’t sat down and listened to the new Bowie release. Don’t matter. I will always be a fan of his seminar work such as Ziggy Stardust, his Heroes era, and right up to Scary Monsters. While I’m not that much of a Bowie fanatic, no one can deny his influence.

Here’s a quick watercolor piece done this morning. Basic glitter watercolor. It’s not my best, but it’s not my worse either. This painting looks a lot better in person. The scan didn’t do it justice. Now I’ll quietly curse myself for not being a teen or a young adult during the Glam Rock era. Meanwhile the song “Panic In Detroit” runs through my head.

David Bowie from his Aladdin Sane era. Glitter watercolor. Painting done by Michele Witchipoo March 2013.

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Electric Eye

Since early this year, I’ve been working on my photography. Taking one step beyond the beloved Instagram, I like to take the photo imperfections, and blend them into the process.

It all started when my good friend found a working manual film camera for under twenty bucks. He passed the goods onto me. Six months later as a belated birthday present, he also found an old digital camera. Added a bit of Photoshop skills to the mix for that unique look.

Here’s a brief collection of what I’ve taken so far:

Solo drum set from Evangelical Holy Drums, performing at the Space Porn Art Show. Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Local NYC punk/post-punk band Dust Angel. Performing at the Hi-5 Bar & Gallery, located in Ridgewood, Queens NY. August 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Recent photo, taken this past weekend. Local band SuperFunFacePunch performing at Trash Bar, located in Williamsburg, Brooklyn. September 28th, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Also taken the same weekend. Gottscheer Hall, located in Ridgewood Queens NY.
Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Necklaces for sale inside the magickal suppy store Enchantments.
September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

One of the resident cats inside Enchantments, East Village NYC. September 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

More photos to be posted soon.

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Review of Space Porn Art Show At The Hi-5

Everything’s been going full steam ahead. Much so that I forgot to review the art event I took part of last month.

I had two painting exhibited at this show. The theme was anything to do with space, porn, or hey, why not both? Which is exactly what happened. Combining space, porn, bands and good times. Here’s a few photos I took from the night of Friday August 3rd, 2012.

Evangelical Holy Drums playing his set at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Evangelical Holy Drums playing his set at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Bobo Fett dancer from the Space Porn Art Show, taken at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, August 3rd, 2012. Photo taken by Michele Witchipoo.

Vagina sculpture you could climb into. Artist: Rael Lief. Exhibited at the Space Porn show at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo

Mixed medium paintings by Michele Witchipoo. Mostly acrylic and glitter. As of September 2012, the android/robot stripper painting was sold and shipped. The erotic rocket ship painting on the right is still available. Exhibited at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

There were great paintings by a variety of other artists. Most of the work was listed as ‘not safe for work.’ Well, the theme was space porn.

Above is a photograph of the two paintings I had exhibited at the Space Porn show. Both were mixed mediums, using mostly acrylic and glitter. After the show, the stripper painting on the left was sold. The other painting on the right is still available.

Not sure what the name of this band was. Performance at the Space Porn art show at the Hi-5 Bar and Gallery, Friday August 3rd, 2012. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Local bands on the bill were: Spewing Cum, a  solo drum set by RYO of Gagakirise (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AyNt1L13S_c&feature=youtu.be), Kool Skull w/ Ryo (special collaborative piece), Cum Blood, and a special burlesque performance by Miss Cherry Delight.

The show was covered by the press, featuring another artist: http://heyheychante.blogspot.com/2012/08/art-feature-space-porn.html

So now you have a bit of an idea what I did this past summer.

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Pin It On – 1980s Music Buttons

Continuing where I left off yesterday, (Yesterday’s blog post) now I’m going into music pins, buttons and badges of the 1980s.

My button collection started during my preteen years. It was around sometime during the early ’80′s, and I had just discovered rock music. The closest supplier of these badges was a local head shop called Yogi Lala, located in Astoria, Queens. For a small shop it was jammed packed full of juvenile delinquent merchandise. All sorts of hippie accouterments, silver biker jewelry, patches, drug paraphernalia, and hard rock band tee shirts. If you wanted the back of your jean jacket painted with a rendition of a particular Black Sabbath album cover, this was the place. For good measure, Yogi Lala mixed the sex, drugs and rock n roll wares with some 14k gold trinkets.

There was certainly a variety of genres covered within the rock music merch this place sold. Not only did they have your average classic rock groups like The Who, Led Zepplin, Pink Floyd, etc., but they also had the burn out Hard Rock stuff, Heavy Metal, and the newer New Wave and some Punk rock stuff. Mostly the more famous, or should I stay infamous bands like The Sex Pistols.

If you couldn’t find what you were looking for in Yogi’s, you could always walk further down Steinway Street, which to this day is one of Astoria’s main shopping areas, and check out Jolly Joint. The Jolly Joint’s store was a bit more spread out. It was a head shop as well, with a tiny more emphasis on the music. Jolly Joint was pretty successful in its day, with a second shop on Main Street, located in Flushing, Queens.

Jolly Joint is no more. Yogi Lala is still around, but they mostly sell gold jewelry now.

Anyway, I would start to buy these small music pins from these kind of stores. The pins would be proudly arranged with style and care on my jacket before heading off to my crappy junior high. The other kids would make fun of me listening to rock music, but I paid them no mind. I loved The Go-Go’s, Joan Jett, Soft Cell, Human League and David Bowie.

Metal David Bowie pin from the 1980s. Let’s Dance era. Most likely brought at Yogi Lala during 1983. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

I was very fascinated with the whole New Wave and Punk subculture, even back in junior high, although my tastes at the time were more mainstream. Guess this is when I started observing different types of counter cultures.

Assortment of Culture Club pins from the 1980s. Check out the “Boy George for President” button. Maybe since it’s election year in 2012, should I start wearing this again? Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Then came Culture Club. I loved Boy George so much, I even tried to dress like him. If you look in the photo, you can see a button that says “Boy George For President.” As I type this, it’s election year of 2012. Perhaps I should start wearing this one again?

Anyway, my attempts of emulating the Boy just resulted in more verbal abuse from my classmates. The comments got more ignorant too. My favorite one? “Are you a fag lover?”

Since I hated my junior high so much, I swore I would never continue getting my education alongside these ignorant f-heads. So I applied for a whole bunch of the NYC ‘magnet’ schools. To both my surprise and relief, I got immediately accepted into the High School of Art and Design. From there I met more like-minded peers. One of these kids would take me to my first ‘underground’ club, despite the underage factor. It was the original Danceteria, and I loved every second of it. Another girl took me to my first excursion into Greenwich Village. It was up and down 8th street to be exact. Eighth street at the time was the main shopping strip of the village area, full of record stores, imported shoe shops, clothing stores, etc. Located towards more going 6th avenue was The Postermat. That was my new found base for my button fix.

During my freshman year, my tastes in music was leaning towards mainstream rock, top-40, new wave and imported UK pop bands. I was still big into Culture Club then. For a brief time though, I was listening to the newer metal bands like Motley Crue and Twisted Sister.

Dee Snider, lead singer of Twisted Sister. 1980s pin. Possibly gotten from a button trade. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Sometimes us A&D students would trade with one another. I traded something for the U2 band shot, as seen in the middle of the pic below. I think a friend gave me the Cyndi Lauper and Prince pins. A loner guy mysteriously gave me the Billy Idol one. I forgot where the Frankie Goes To Hollywood button came from. Check out the photo below. I’m surprised I still even have these.

Various 1980s music buttons. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Needless to say this phase didn’t last long. I discovered Siouxsie and The Banshees. Right there everything changed. Went to Astor Place for a major haircut, dying my hair much to my father’s chagrin. My wardrobe completely changed. I discovered Bleecker Bob’s, purchasing a second hand pair of combat boots. Boy, did those boots piss my mom off.

Most importantly, my music tastes had changed. I embraced the classic 80s Goth and Post-Punk bands. I liked much of the seminal ’77 Punk stuff, like The Ramones, for example. Although I never got into the Hardcore or crossover genres that much. As you can guess, my button collection reflected this. Instead of Culture Club and U2, I had bands such as The Damned, Bauhaus, and Sisters of Mercy. Most of the classic 80s Goth bands found a spot on my schoolbag. Only I wasn’t going to school as much. I had also discovered playing hooky. That particular discovery is something I still regret to this very day. I’m making up for lost time now, but there’s still a ping of regret somewhere.

Unfortunately, most of my button collection from that particular time is gone. Don’t know where they went. Perhaps they’re in a draw somewhere at my parents’ house, but at this point I’m not going to bother looking. It’s the past after all.

I did find this, however. An X-Ray Specs pin, which I think I might’ve gotten from the original Manic Panic shop in St. Mark’s Place. Was it that, or was it the pin that said “Oh bondage up yours!” I think it was the latter. That particular pin was stolen by none other than this kid Mike Waste. He stole from almost everyone. Not only did he steal that pin, he also stole my Cure shirt and something else. A total creep who told tall tales. He had ratty hair extensions that clung for dear life from the brim of his cap. Yet I heard about the early Industrial bands through him. I always knew he lifted from me. I suppose twenty years later I’m kinda sorta getting my revenge by calling him out on a public blog.

Here’s the X-Ray Specs pin that escaped Mike Waste’s grimey paws:

X-Ray Specs badge. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

Now that I’ve blogged about these pins, perhaps its time to finally get rid of them. After all, they served their purpose. Maybe sell them on eBay or something. Besides, I’ve got my memories. You can never take that away.

However, if all else fails, you can tell people this:

Where’s the beef? Button from mid-1980s television commercial ad. The slogan was part of the Wendy’s burger campaign during 1983-84. Photo by Michele Witchipoo.

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Urban Groove

So I’m finally trying to get my website together. Here I was, typing my bio to post on my future website. As I was listing stuff I’ve done, I remembered contributing artwork for a UK club fanzine. My long time friend Jason used to publish a little ditty titled ‘Urban Groove.’ After his last trip to the US, Jason decided to put together his own ‘zine. The zine’s content focused on what he loved the most, which at the time was raves, music and clubbing. Jason asked me for some artwork, and at the time I thought nothing of it. This was way before I had decided to use a ‘pen name.’ Ironically, it was my friends Jason and Bejay who had always encouraged me to do something with my cartooning, artwork, and whatnot. I still consider those two, along with a few others to still count as my friends. Everyone else I knew back then…they’re long, long gone.

Jason’s skills as a professional printer back in Newport, Wales, proved to be in his favor as he was putting together issues of Urban Groove. Here’s the cover of one of his Urban Groove issues, dating to Winter 1998-1999:

UK based “Urban Groove” fanzine, winter 1998 – 1999. Published by Jason Mee. Some of my early artwork was used for this issue.

The photo of the skyline you see on the cover is when me and Jason went to visit the U.N. He used the NYC background as part of the fanzine cover design.

Another page from this issue. My artwork hadn’t fully developed yet, but the core was there.

Page from the UK fanzine “Urban Groove” dated winter 1998 – 1999. Published by Jason Mee. Angel cartoon drawn by Michele Witchipoo, dated 1997. That drawing was later used for some handmade Christmas/holiday cards, given to my friends around that time.

Here’s the centerfold of the ‘zine, with my drawing placed in the middle of the layout:

Centerfold layout from the UK fanzine “Urban Groove.” Published by Jason Mee during the late 1990s. Drawing by Michele Witchipoo, dated either 1997 or 1998.

I hadn’t looked through issues of “Urban Groove” in years. To my dismay, I had totally forgotten a photo Jason had published of me. This was back when I was thinner, and much cuter. Still surprised that this snapshot was used. This was back when I was a redhead. I’m the shorter one, on the left.

Advertisement in the back of the UK fanzine, “Urban Groove” for subscriptions. Photo taken in 1996 or 1997. Urban Groove was published by Jason Mee during the late 1990s.

I don’t think I would ever pose for a photo such as this today. Maybe as a joke. Similar to when I took part in a zombie beauty pageant back in December 2011. I knew I had no chance in winning, but did it more for the laughs. Being obnoxious, I suppose. But to pose for something like this? Not likely.Then again, the person in the photograph is nothing like the person I’ve become nowadays. After all, people do change.

Urban Groove stopped publication a long time ago. Jason moved on, and now finds work as a photographer. He mostly photographs sexy pin-ups.

Thus so ends another short trip down memory lane.

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Wham Glam Thank You Ma’am

To be Glam. Last night I came across some photos on the internet. Soon afterwards I did this pencil sketch.

Back in the mid to late ’80s, the whole ’80′s ‘Hair Metal’ scene was huge. Bands like Poison, Motley Crue and such ruled. They were the fantasies of American teenage rebellion. Although I was never into the whole ’80s hair metal thing. In fact, I hated it. I preferred the ’80s Goth subculture, which I suppose would be considered ‘old school’ among today’s gloomy youngsters.

In the 1980′s, Goth subculture wasn’t as mainstream as it is today. To get a better idea of that era, nothing captures the underground Goth following like the NYC magazine Propaganda. I remember Propaganda not so much for the reviews, but for the conceptualized photography.

Now what ’80s Goth and Glam did have in common was androgyny. Personally to me, the classic Glam Rock wasn’t really the ’80s L.A. glam rock era, but more like from the 1970′s. Early Bowie when he was Ziggy Stardust, T-Rex, The Sweet, etc. I still love Sweet. In fact, their album ‘Desolation Boulevard’ is still one of my all time favorites.

Although hair glam metal was never my thing, there were a few exceptions. Take Hanoi Rocks for instance. I remember meeting Hanoi member Mike Monroe in NYC back when I was a teenager. He was a pure rock star through and through. Even in broad daylight, he would walk down St. Mark’s street in full glam gear. It wasn’t uncommon to see him somewhere in the Greenwich Village area. Last time I saw him, it might’ve been during 1986 or ’87. He was in some deli on Broadway, near NYU. (FYI, when I met Mike Monroe, he was a nice guy.)

Today I’m not so hateful towards hair metal. Now bands like Motley Crue is sort of like nostalgia to me. Although I still much prefer the ’70′s glam stuff. Does it really matter anyway? ‘Cause you realize that everything intertwines and connects anyway. It’s just depends on personal opinions and tastes.

Having said all of that, I still prefer Sweet over Cinderella.

Glam guitarist, pencil sketch by Michele Witchipoo. Created June 2012.

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