Ka-Blam
Before I begin this post, I would like to thank blogger and all-around renaissance woman, Trish Lewis, for being the new caretaker of the original Upir’s Mark G2 puppets created by Caylie Dean and myself. It is an amazing honor for my brain children to enjoy a residence in this woman’s impressive private art and curiosity collection. I also would like to thank goth fetish model Miss Chette for the rare opportunity to burn all of my rough manuscripts for Bahktale Vasquez Hates Camello 1-3 in an unique and extremely touching funerary ceremony that I had the opportunity to witness. It means a lot to me when my art touches people on such a personal level.
Now, for the big announcement: The third generation Dmitri puppet was accepted into the Resident Artists 4: Creative Collaborations exhibit at the Altered Esthetics gallery.
Artist’s Statement:
Most people will their so-called imaginary friends out of existence as they grow up. I have never felt the need to kick the invisible people who live inside my mind, out of my life; even when I wouldn’t go as far to call these figments, “friends”.
Dmitri is one of those invisible people in my brain, that hasn’t been much of a friend for most of my life. “Inner demon” would be a more accurate descriptor. Art is my way of dealing with him and my other delusions.
This piece is the third and most complex puppet incarnation of Dmitri that I’ve worked on, in my unending quest to conquer the chaos and fear that he often has brought into my consciousness.
When fellow artist and friend Gypsy-Maria Lorimer was helping me with my “Velvet Rasputin” comics, she drew Dmitri and his sidekick Sasha as if they were big-mouth (Muppet-style) puppets. Her interpretation of my invisible brain people intrigued me. At that moment, I knew that I had to make a new cloth version of him and his sidekicks, Zoya and Sasha.
As I designed Dmitri and determined his technical specs, it quickly became obvious to me that his construction would be far too difficult for me to accomplish on my own. His previous cloth incarnations had been hand-sewn and (purposely) shoddily constructed. This incarnation required me to know how to use a sewing machine, as well as having foam sculpting skills. I didn’t.
I looked far and wide for a puppet maker who had the skill set I needed. Alas, most of them were very religious or family-oriented. Asking a wholesome Christian to create a psychopathic vampire puppet with satanic tattoos and pierced naughty bits, is not my idea of fun.
After months of frustration, I vented my discouragement in the general direction of my friend, Brian Flavin. To my shocked delight, Flavin revealed himself to me as a puppet maker. He loved getting opportunities to work on insane creations like fangy werewolves and cantankerous old Scotsmen with enormous endowments. Unfortunately for him, most people in the puppet market just wanted insipid, sexless, friendly creatures that couldn’t hurt a fly. Our wicked ideas about puppets were a match made in heaven.
Flavin read every single issue of “Velvet Rasputin” to get inside Dmitri’s head. For several months, Flavin immersed himself in his puppet craft. He consulted with me on every single cut, stitch and application of paint that he performed. I can’t imagine that a lot of people want to get inside my head. Yet, that was exactly what Flavin did. It was almost as if he had willingly become my personal tool of creation. I could not have asked for a better puppet maker.
The final result was nothing short than stunning to me. Four feet of fang-toothed imagination was staring back at me with ping pong ball eyes, all because a fellow cartoonist decided to make my comic characters cuter.
Collaboration is a truly powerful thing.
To see the progress of the Upir’s Mark puppet project, check out my blog.
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