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JAPAN Photography by John Yamashita
Chew On This Magazine
Issue 15 Featuring
Tomer Hanuka Esao Andrews James Jean Sam Flores Christopher Walken Every Time I Die Nicholas Routzen Evgeny Kiselev John Gill Feric Borkur Sigthorsson Teen Kelly Piotr Zastrozny Beautiful Agony
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LEGAL The advertising and articles appearing within this publication reflect the opinions and attitudes of their respective authors and not necessarily those of the publisher or editors.
PUBLISHER Local Market, LLC 2130 West Main Street Richmond, VA 23220 (804) 467-6661 [info@alocalmarket.com - www.chewonthismag.com]
John Gill [www.johngillart.com], Tomer Hanuka [www.thanuka.com], James Jean [www.jamesjean.com], Evgeny Kiselev [ekiselev.spb.ru], Nicholas Routzen [www.njrphotography.com], Borkur Sigthorsson [borkur.deluxe.is], Teen Kelly [www.teenkelly.com], Piotr Zastrozny [www.piotrzastrozny.com]
FEATURING Beautiful Agony [www.beautifulagony.com], Esao Andrews [www.esao.net], Every Time I Die [www.everytimeidie.com], Feric [www.feric.com], Sam Flores [www.samflores.com],
CONTRIBUTORS Adrenaline PR, Jim Callahan, Daniel Robert Epstein, Kevin Kisska, Kirsten Lewis, Scott Mayo, Karen Mullins, Aron Simpson COVER Esao Andrews SPECIAL THANKS Christian Detres
LANDER SALZBERG Creative Director/Managing Editor JONATHAN MARTIN Advertising Director/Associate Editor JUSTIN VAUGHAN Art Director/Associate Editor JOHN YAMASHITA Associate Editor COPY EDITORS Shaina Farrow, Lori Wilkins
We voted for John Kerry.
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Tomer Hanuka Tomer Hanuka brings a fresh vibrancy while maintaining a sort of calm, subdued feeling. His characters have a kind of fluid smoothness that melts around the composition. It’s often dark, but not force fed, leaving you with the feeling that there is something slightly off. Hanuka has done work for Time Magazine, New York Magazine, The New Yorker, Aesop Rock, DC Comics, and Popular Science, among others. He has won awards for much of his work, including Bipolar Comics, a series he does with his twin brother Assaf. How’s life? Pretty good. I can’t complain. I apologize for the ridiculous amount of information I’m asking you to sum up in a few words, but: What inspired you to begin your work, and what motivates you today when creating it? I always liked comics, and grew up reading the trashy-main-stream-70s-superhero stuff. Then I grew up and started looking at more “artistic” work, and then grew up more and figured I am still most inspired by the old stuff. Something about the lack of self-awareness, and the low production values makes it, in my eyes, that much more honest. Not to say it’s better, just more visually stimulating in a sense. What other mediums and hobbies influence and work along side your attitude towards art? Movies are hard to ignore, and I enjoy looking at old Japanese prints. I find that I am mostly attracted to objects with narrative value. What’s the story here? The esthetic part would be the main seduction, but there needs to be some sort of plot behind it. How do you keep your work and process fresh under heavy deadlines and compromises? I try to take risks. Sometimes I would take on a job that offers me freedom, even if the pay is not amazing. And I keep trying new stuff in regard to the process. The way I go about the execution of a certain assignment is pretty much set, but there are many variables that you can play around with. I find that color, specifically, can be very problematic and therefore offers solutions I wouldn’t have come up with unless I was totally frustrated and had a lucky “accident.” So usually I’ll do my thing on autopilot and then try to destroy it, bend it or change it so I am surprised with the result. Sometimes there is a small discovery and this excitement translates
to the final image. Sometimes you just go to bed depressed. Also, I am lucky to be surrounded by very talented people who keep me on my toes. What do you imagine is the role of your work in the lives of those who see it? What evidence do you see of your work achieving the goals you have for it? I hope it makes life more interesting. In a small way obviously, but you can see an image in a magazine and have a three second rush of visual pleasure. If I achieve this, I am content. I don’t have any evidence of this actually taking place. When a client comes back with a new job, that sort of gives you a clue that the last job you turned in was well received. When you were breaking in, early in your career, what legitimized you in the eyes of art directors and other clientele? Shortly after I graduated, I received a gold and silver medal from the Society of Illustrators. That opened a lot of doors. If there were no financial limits whatsoever for you, what constraints would you most like to overstep? Are there other mediums you would explore? I would like to work on a long, full-color, fiction book. But it would still be comics. If you weren’t doing art, where do you think you would be and what would you be doing? Most likely something to do with economics, investment banking or psychology. What should we be looking for from you in the near future? Getting “Bipolar 5” back from the printer and finishing a book that collects all my comic works from the last five years. Jim Callahan
Esao Andrews
Esao Andrews is an illustrator transplanted from Mesa, Arizona. His style ranges from pen and ink mafia scenes to oil paint “neverscapes.” His work has been seen everywhere from high art magazines and websites, to the bottom of the deck you’re ridin’. We checked in with him at home in the NYC and here’s what’s what. When did you move to NYC? I moved to New York in 1996 for college, straight out of high school. I’d never been on the East Coast before and didn’t know anybody, but hardly anybody in the 18-25 age bracket is from NYC. They’re mostly college students. So it seemed that it was a group effort for a fresh start. The School of Visual Arts has a great reputation. Do you feel you learned more from the curriculum, or the people you met there or both? I was definitely a workaholic and learned so much from my teachers. The cool thing about SVA was that you could take classes in other majors. I took courses in sculpture, printmaking, and such to be more well-rounded (even though I was studying for a BA in Illustration). The kids that I became friends with were and still are major influences on my work. We all have different styles and mediums so it’s not about emulating each other, but more like trying to out do our prior selves. Do you ever get to collaborate on projects with any of your friends? Well, there is a comic anthology that’s been around called Meathaus. It’s basically all my friends from SVA. I think it would be great to collaborate with some of them, but personal schedules and displacement from the NYC area make it tough.
How did the job with Baker Skateboards come about? I got the job by being unemployed at the right time. Erik Ellington asked if I could help out since a fallout in management happened and they didn’t have an artist anymore. I’m still learning the whole process to efficiently do silk-screening so it’s been a drawn out experiment. The riders themselves give me an idea of what they want for the most part. So, depending on how much they care, or if it’s a spoof of an existing idea, dictates how much creative freedom I have. Your paintings have been described as a “ bizarre mix of nightmarish surrealism teetering in balance with humour.” Are you interested in trying to get any socio-economic or political themes across, or are you working with more universal subject matter? I make an effort to stay away from any sort of social-political issues. I was asked recently to do a painting for a show about war. So I drew a Native American boy hiding behind a horse in a field in sort of a stealthy hunting scene. I like to keep the subject matter contained in the piece itself without all the garbage that’s in the real world. My paintings aren’t to be taken seriously. It’s just entertainment, nothing more than visual amusement. Are there any messages you would like to send out to the kids? Eating breakfast makes all the difference. Scott Mayo
Ten Questions with
JAMES JEAN
Did you grow up in New York? I grew up next door in Jersey, but I was born in Taiwan. After school, what was it like to hit the job market? I’ve been supporting myself with my art since my third year of school, so it was a soft landing. At the time my portfolio was a little too outrageous for editorial work, but after seeing my website Vertigo comics gave me a call and I started freelancing for them. Happily, they pay very competitive rates, so I was able to have my work seen regularly. I developed a sizable client base while only doing a couple of covers each month. How’s the illustration business? Busy! The diversity of illustration work that I get is always exciting. After living in LA for a bit, I’ve met some people in the movie business. That might lead to some interesting work down the line. Has your style changed a lot from your days in New York? I’m not sure if it’s changed much, but I’ve certainly streamlined my process. I also painted much more in New York, and my days in LA are spent basking in the glow of my monitor. Are you considering a book? A 200+ page hardcover collection of my work will be published in April by Adhouse books. www.adhousebooks.com/adhousebooks/books.html Do you do gallery shows? Yes, although originals are scarce these days. Hopefully, in the near future, I’ll be able to paint more and create objects in the real world rather than the virtual world. What kind of music do you listen to? Mostly jazz: Charles Mingus, Miles, Ornette Coleman. I also play the trumpet, so guys like Clark Terry and Clifford Brown are particularly inspiring. Who are some of your heroes? Which artists were you influenced by? Some things/artists that I look at for inspiration: Shanghai advertising posters, French anatomical prints, Hokusai, Yoshitoshi, Inka Essenhigh, Neo Rauch, Jim McMullan, Vilhelm Hammershoi, Brian Cronin, Henry Darger, my wife. After the election, what were your thoughts? I’m amazed at the blind faith so many people invest in Bush. History shall divulge its villains and deny him his legacy. Shout-outs. What other artists are you digging now? Friends and compatriots: Tom Herpich, Tomer Hanuka, Esao Andrews, Autumn Whitehurst, Fernanda Cohen, and Kenichi Hoshine. Also, check out www.politewinter.com. John Yamashita
Sam Flores
Sam Flores was born 29 years ago in Long Beach, CA. His pediatrician happened to be wearing a blue shirt that day and decided to send him to Albuquerque, NM. Up through high school he lived a real life version of “The Outsiders,” painting, skating and battling jocks alongside Sodapop and Ponyboy. For the past ten years he’s been living it up in SF.
How did you get your start in the art business? When I was young my moms would give me paper and pencil when I was bored (we couldn’t afford G.I. Joes and Transformers). I never got toys. I think growing up poor taught me to use my imagination. I never went to art school, I just taught myself. I started doing graff around ‘91. In ‘92 I did some commission jobs for different shops and restaurants. When I moved to SF I started working for Adrenalin Skateboards doing graphics. Then I hooked up with 5024 Gallery and Upper Playground to do a show at Virgin69. Matt and I got a good collection of artists together for a signed series. After that, everything just started to take off. I’ve been living off of it full-time for about five years now. I’ve had a lot of fun, and have been able to travel a lot. The last couple of years have been very exciting. Growing up, what was the graff scene like in Albuquerque? I got influenced and started doing shit with MikeGiantone, Grey, and Agree/rip. Some of the early crews were AOT, 2Z, and anyCrew. We mostly painted walls and rooftops...and sometimes freights. However, Albuquerque was very violent when I was growing up. I got shot at a lot and used to steal cars. For fun we would make Molotov cocktails and blow shit up. After 11th grade I moved back to Long Beach to stay with my pops. You’ve done a few shirt designs. Are you doing anything with clothes right now? When I was younger I used to wear certain designs or logos that I liked, to represent what I was into. These days it’s cool to see kids doing that with my designs. I just launched a new clothing line called 12grain. It’s available at Samflores.com and Upperplayground.com. There’s hats, bags, sweaters…some dope shit. Next year I’m starting a women’s line. Being self-taught, how would you describe your style? And what have you been working on recently? It’s a huge mix of my growing up with comics, Japanimation, and graffiti. And dropping a little acid didn’t hurt either. Lately I’ve been focusing on acrylic and aerosol work. I like doing shows to get more people to see my work. However, I took a break from doing shows in SF. I didn’t want people to get too sick of me. I just finished a show in LA at the Lab 101 Gallery that went really well. Up next, I’m working on a new book and a line of vinyl toys. And I recently finished a room at the Hotel Des Arts - www.sfhoteldesarts.com. Lander Salzberg
Lost In Japan by J. Yamashita
Photography by Piotr Zastrozny
Which direction will you choose?
Illustration by Sam Flores
I got to interview Christopher Walken in person and of course, the most important thing about the man is that he starred in the David Cronenberg film, The Dead Zone. We got a chance to talk a little bit about that. Walken walked into the room and seemed like he was almost surprised to be there. He was dressed in like a sweat suit and he smelled a bit musty. But I can’t complain about that because he’s 61 years old, and when you get that age things happen to your body that you can’t control. One thing that Walken can control though is the way his career is going. From big budget Hollywood films like The Rundown to his latest little independent film, Around the Bend, Walken always delivers the goods. Around the Bend stars Walken of course, Josh Lucas and Michael Caine. It’s about four generations of men who are suddenly brought together by the chance to uncover the truth about their family’s past. After the great-grandfather passes away, the son shows up out of the blue to take them all on a road trip across America to fulfill his father’s wishes. It’s a journey that takes them to a world full of surprises; some comic, some dramatic, but all of them personal.
What made you want to sign on for Around the Bend? It was a good job for a lot of reasons. It was a different kind of part. He was a father and a grandfather and of course, it had Mike Caine. It just was a good job. A big, juicy part. Isn’t that what they say? Not only that, but I do a lot of these parts where I’m in the movie a little bit and here’s a role where I’m in most of it. Did you know Michael Caine before this? I did know him a little bit, but just socially. I’d met him a couple of times at people’s houses, for dinner and stuff.
The film’s story is very cathartic for your character. He’s the one with the most skeletons in his closet. What do you draw on to bring it out? Well, acting is pretending. I don’t know how these things work. I study the script and I try to make it sound like I mean it. He says that he’d been a musician. Well, there are certain parallels in my life. I was in musical comedy when I was a kid. I used to go to rock concerts and I went to Studio 54. I was very much a part of that. I saw Woodstock when it came out. As a matter of fact, I used to go to Woodstock before it was famous. So all of that was quite familiar to me but like you say, for him things didn’t work out. In fact, he escapes from a jail hospital, so he’s had some bumpy times.
Actually, my best friend had a VW van. A lot of people had that van, and what a great car it was. I remember, we used to put six people in the thing and go up to the mountains. It got 400 miles on a gallon of gas. That was a great little car. The thing about that Did you talk about other actors or directors you’ve though was if you were alone in it and you were going had in common? over the George Washington Bridge it was always like No, actors never talk about that stuff. ‘Whooom’ [he makes a swaying gesture]. It was not good in the wind. Do you think your image is softening? This is your second dad, following Catch Me If You Can. Denzel Washington said that during one take while Oh, that’s true. For a long time I’d never played filming Man of Fire you grabbed him by the head fathers and uncles. I guess I’m getting old enough and gave him a big kiss. Is that the kind of thing you now. do to keep things loose and to surprise people? Yeah, sure, sure. That wasn’t in the movie. You do Were there things you drew on from your own takes, and you do lots of different things. Denzel is experiences, from your own relatives, that you saw a lot of fun. yourself using in portraying this character? Not really. His day really was sort of like mine. He’s of But is it also to keep everyone a little off balance? the 70’s, rock and roll. I lived through all that. I had I have the feeling about movie acting that one of the the bellbottom pants. tricks is to offer the editor as much stuff as you can. You’ll do a take and there’s a lot in it that doesn’t How about the paisley shirt? work, but maybe there’s something that does. That’s Sure. There was a scene in the movie that was cut. the great thing about movies. If it’s really lousy, That van is established in another version as mine. probably they’ll cut it out. So it’s important to take That was my car. I showed up and I went into the van, those chances, and do things like the thing I did with and it was full of all these old clothes, including my Denzel. There’s lots of stuff I did with Denzel that isn’t wife’s. There was a lot of going through stuff and in the movie. You make a movie and then six months remembering. That didn’t end up in the movie, but later they’re sitting in a dark room and looking at all the clothing I wear… when I show up I’m in this drab this film and they’ll think, “We’ll use that.” Offering stuff, and then I get back into my old 70’s stuff, which an editor that variety is much better than doing take still sort of fits. It’s a little tight. after take that’s more or less the same.
Illustration by Karen Mullins
Were there more scenes in Around the Bend that got cut out, that we might see on the DVD? Oh, sure lots of stuff. There’s a big scene actually, and I miss it between me and Josh, where I explain to him what my life was like with his mother. It’s a very interesting scene. It was good, but sometimes in movies it’s good, but they can’t use it. It makes the movie too long or it doesn’t really matter. When you make movies there are all sorts of stuff that you wish they had kept in. Do you take a serious critical approach to movies when you look at them later on? Usually it’s OK. I’m very lucky in that when I do, if I think, “Well, that was false,” and I think, “Well, you sort of nailed it.” Then if I see that the next day in dailies it’s almost invariably what I thought. If I thought it was fake, it is. If I think it worked, it does. So I think I have a good sense of that. How did you come together with [Around the Bend director] Jordan [Roberts]? This is his first movie. My agent sent me the script. A lot of people from this movie are from the same agency. Then Jordan came to my house, actually. That’s pretty unusual. Sometimes I make movies, and I’ve never met the director before shooting. The relationship between your character and the one of your grandson was very interesting because it seemed like he was trying to make up for the time he’d lost with Jason. Well, I noticed that it was interesting with my own father and his grandkids. They say when you get older you get back into your childhood a little. I must say, I’ve never had kids, but that little boy thought I was hilarious. It was very, very funny being around him. He was so spontaneous. He’d get absolutely wild sometimes. They’d have to take him and calm him down. His mother was there. He’d sometimes get laughing hysterically. He’s a very funny kid. He’s not in the movie as much as he might be; it’s a good thing maybe.
Was it in the original script that Michael Caine’s character knew you were dying? Sure. There is a kind of mystical aspect to all of this, in that he gets done with what he’s going to do and he just dies. So there is a big Grim Reaper aspect to that. [Caine’s character] says, “OK, I’m done. My dog is going to die,” and the dog dies. He says to me, “you’re going to die, but you’re not ready. You’ve got to do this thing first.” Interesting that when you get to the big revelations, Turner and Josh’s characters don’t sit and hash it over endlessly, like in so many Hollywood movies. It was a big issue. We talked about it for a long time. We had meetings and rehearsals. That was a big problem. How do we explain what I did to him? We finally decided that there was no explanation. He was having a bad time and he did something terrible. That happens to people. You’re apparently a sex symbol to a lot of women in their 20’s… Oh, yeah? Is this the first you’ve heard of it? I’d heard about the older ladies, but that’s OK. The word is you’ve gotten sexier as you’ve gotten older. So what kind of people approach you? I’ve been married for 35 years, so I have to be careful. Not only that, but I live in the country, and to tell you the truth, I don’t see people much. When you make a movie the days are really long. When I get up it’s dark. The days I was talking about, rock and roll and Studio 54, I was very social. I think I almost maybe exhausted myself. Will Ferrell is turning into a huge star and he wrote the Cowbell sketch. What was that like on the page? You never know when you do things whether they’re going to catch on. I did that sketch like I did lots of sketches because I’ve been on Saturday Night Live five or six times. I knew it was funny, but I’ve traveled all over the world and people in Australia will say to me, “You know what this salad needs? It needs a little more cowbell.”
You mentioned knowing when you’ve nailed it or missed. What happens when you nail it and some other element ruins the take? It happens all the time. You do a terrific take and a plane goes over. Or you do a terrific take and the sound guy comes up and says, ‘Your microphone was showing, so we can’t use that.” That’s very frustrating. But that’s show business. So how do you nail it again and again? You don’t. Usually, if I think, “Boy that was it” and the guy says, “I’m sorry, we can’t use that,” I’ll never get it that way again. That’s just part of making movies. Making movies is sort of like a miracle. I don’t know how it gets done. Everybody does all these things and it’s so difficult to put everything together, and then it starts to rain. Do you think you’re underappreciated as a comedic actor? Nah, I’ve done a lot of comedy. As a matter of fact, before I got into movies, that’s all I did. I was a musical-comedy actor. But you had a live audience there. Is it easier to do a performance for two-hours straight through, maintaining the continuity? In a way it is, that’s true. I’ve always said the audience is the unmentioned character. Anytime you do a play there’s another character in it, and that’s the audience. The audience tells you a lot. I did some interviews this morning and people were saying this movie has a lot of humor. When I saw the movie I was sitting all alone in a theater and I couldn’t tell that because I was sitting by myself. You really need an audience to tell you that. This year happens to be the 20th anniversary of The Dead Zone. Did they actually shoot a gun to make you tense up during the psychic scenes? That’s right; we did that to make my reactions more convincing. They turned the sound off and they fired a gun. You can’t fake that kind of instinctive reaction to a loud noise. David was wonderful. He’s a wonderful director. I see him occasionally. He never ages.
He’s got a painting in his attic! Will you ever direct? I’ve never done it. I don’t think I’d be good at it. I can’t articulate anything. I could say, “Yeah, good” or “Do it again.” How about writing? Of course. All actors write. I’ve never met an actor who didn’t have a play or two tucked in his pocket. How about writing an autobiography? I would do that, but I don’t think yet. In a way, when you write the memoirs, unless you intend to write a series of them it’s like signing your own death certificate. Somebody said, “I’d write my memoirs, except I can’t remember anything.” Do you feel like you have a lot to settle before your time is up? No, I’ve never done anything terrible to anybody. But I would think that what Turner did would be a terrible thing to live with. What would you say about your career? I was in show business as a kid. I wasn’t an actor, but I was in show business. I’ve done a lot of things. Musicals occupied me for a long time. I became an actor. Then I was a stage actor. Then I started making movies. I still do a play once in a while. One of the hardest things about being an actor is to stick around, to stay viable. It is. You can easily get lost. And probably doing SNL didn’t hurt? That, and doing MTV, the Fatboy Slim thing. It’s just to do something different every once in a while. You’ve got the reputation for playing quirky guys. Ever just want to do a Ward Cleaver kind of character? Oh, absolutely, I would love to do that. You mean like be a dad and have a dog? I’d love to do that. Have a house, kids and have the kids say, “You know, Dad, what should I do?” I’d say, “You know, son, just do the right thing.” Daniel Robert Epstein
One day after the polls close in the capital of the free world, the notorious Black Cat opens its doors to showcase Dillinger Escape Plan, Every Time I Die, Zao and Misery Signals. Dirty, dirty 14th Street is swarming with kids glittered in black hoodies and one douche in a Donald Duck costume. Fuck it, it was just Halloween. So we ran into Keith Buckley, singer of Every Time I Die. Here’s what’s up… The “Miss Machine Gets Pregnant” Tour is winding to a close, how do you think it went? It’s definitely been really successful. I think it was very beneficial for us to do this tour. It’s hard being somewhat of the same kind of sound as Dillinger (Escape Plan) because you know that they are obviously the forefathers of it, but I think that it was a very good thing for us to do and the guys in the band are great. It’s just been so much fun. What do you guys plan to do now that you have some off time? We have to write and record for the next album, so it’s gonna take a while. We will probably be in pre-production by December and then do one or two songs. Hopefully, we’ll be in the studio by February or March, so it will be all writing and recording from now on. Are you testing out any new material on this tour that you will put on the next album? Yeah, we have a new song that we’ve been jamming. We’ve been doing it for a while. We kinda wrote it right before the Ozzfest Tour so we’ve been playing it on the off dates of that tour and it’s been going pretty well. It’s cool because we play it and it gets stuck in the kids heads and then they are familiar with it. It’s a good test run. How was your experience on the Ozzfest tour this summer? Good! It was very taxing on our health and mental stability just because it was so overwhelming all the time, but it was definitely an amazing opportunity.
Photography by Adrenaline PR
You were recently asked to write an essay about your experiences while on the Ozzfest Tour this past summer, which ended up being banned from Revolver Magazine. What’s the story behind this? Yeah, they thought it was a little too edgy, I guess. Vulgar, I would say. But Revolver’s a magazine for metal kids and rock kids, why would they censor something like that? You can read it on our website, in its entirety. Judge for yourself whether it deserved to be cut. Every Time I Die’s video for “Ebolarama” has been highly ranked on MTV, you’ve recently been on compilations ranging from a Guns & Roses tribute album to a video game sound track, as well as being on a multitude of tours playing with a barrage of well known bands. Have you seen a more diverse crowd at your shows now that you’ve reached such a high level of exposure? Definitely. It’s an odd paradox...you realize that you’ve become somewhat successful when the kids that come into your shows are getting younger. Because we started in Buffalo and we had our friends up there to support us in the beginning, we just appealed to the older hardcore kids. But now that we’ve had accessibility through TV and stuff like that, the younger kids have been showing up, which is cool. I wish that the bands we’ve been touring with were around when we were young. To think that bands in this genre and this generation can have a sway in radio play is a huge change. Maybe one day the kids won’t have to listen to the fucking garbage that is played all the time. I wish that was there when I was young and impressionable. With all the resources kids in the scene have today, (i.e. MTV2, Internet, Satellite), do you think the current metal scene will continue to grow into the main stream? Well, I think that the mainstream will shrink down into the underground. I think that it’s beginning to surrender because it realizes that it’s putting out shit and people aren’t eating it anymore. Bands are now becoming successful by touring and supporting themselves by setting up their own tours. They don’t have hit singles, they aren’t on the cover of magazines, but they have kids showing up to their shows. I think that the mainstream is starting to see that and will realize that they are becoming outsourced.
Tell me the situation surrounding your manager/ best friend, Jeff “Durst” Stranahan. He just got really sick one day and we thought that he was just hung over. The next day he had a fever and started exhibiting flu-like symptoms, so we let him rest as much as he needed to, to get better. He was sleeping all day and was just getting worse and worse, so by the fourth day we decided that we had to get him to a hospital, which he refused because he didn’t have any health insurance. Then he started going into hives and getting a shortness of breath, so by day six we had to ambushed him and take him to a hospital. When we finally got him there, the doctor told us that if we had brought him in an hour later, it would have been too late. It’s a scary thought, but they were able to bring him back to almost perfect health. He’s holding out (with an exuberant medical bill!), and feeling better...that’s what’s important. What can friends and fans do to help out? Go to our website, there is a link there for a Paypal account. If you see us, we always have a donation fund set up for him at our table. A dime, a dollar, anything will help. And if you know him, call him or write him a letter...send him a card, he needs it. Kevin Kisska
www.chulopony.com
Lost In Japan by J. Yamashita
I Walk The Line. Photography by Justin Vaughan Production Assistant: Billy Model: Twiggy
Dress by Army Pink, Purse by Kiki Stash
Top and Skirt by Kinky Chinky
Jacket by Hyphen, Dress by Szulika, Purse by Belle Gunness
Lost In Japan by J. Yamashita
Blue velvet Photography by NICHOLAS ROUTZEN
Model: Michael Hensley Makeup: Soozy Styling: Jaime Kay Clothing: Brian-Lee
Model: Alysia Williams Styling: Jaime Kay Clothing: True Grit Assistant: Michelle King
Model: Michael Hensley Makeup: Soozy Styling: Jaime Kay Clothing: Brian-Lee
Model: Kristen Cole Makeup/Hair: Jennifer Kritzer Assistant: Ryan Flitt
Model: Ryan Stickly from OTTO Models Makeup: Jennifer Kritzer Clothing: True Grit Assistant: Brion Topolski & Ryan Flitt
HOUSE PARTY Photography by Jonathan Martin Styling by Christian Detres
On KC: Shirt by Belle Gunness, Pants by Hyphen On Emily: Dress by Hyphen
On KC: Jacket by Belle Gunness, Jeans by Silver Jeans
On Brenda: Jacket by Lady Sir & Her On Him: Shirt by Yo! Japan, Jeans by 1921 Jeans On Amanda: Jacket by Yo! Japan, Shirt by Belle Gunness
On Emily: Shirt by Urban Posh On Nicole: Shirt and Skirt by Hyphen On KC: Shirt by Bench
On Emily: Jacket and Skirt by Hyphen On Nicole: Shirt by Lady Sir & Her
Evgeny Kiselev Skazka-it’s an old Russian word meaning “magic fable.” This set was born after my magic mushroom trip on Ivan Kupala night, 22 June. Ivan is a Heathendom hero, but I don’t remember what he is doing with it. We’ve got some kind of a legend here...you go to the wood, pick up fern flowers, make a wish and you fall in love! That night I picked nothing, but I was inspired for my Skazka (for my own fable)!
John Gill I started doing art at an early age. It’s a beautiful form of expression, one that I believe chooses you, not the other way around. Growing up I was inspired by cartoons, movies and music. I hung around and skated with a lot of very talented people, mostly older kids, that for some reason let me hang out. These cats were into all kinds of new things, which really influenced me to express myself. We all possessed a do-it-yourself type of philosophy. Instead of watching skate videos, we made them, instead of listening to music, we created it. The skate culture is an open-minded group...no prejudice, no rules. I started to learn of artists in the real world who were doing similar things to what I was doing. I saw that these artists came from similar backgrounds of thought. I saw that these cats were in galleries and the world was embracing this culture.
Feric The Fevolution series was created the same way it was meant to be experienced, without prejudice. Viewers should bring their own perspectives in interpreting the series. I do not believe in rhetoric that glorifies my idiosyncrasies and misleads my audience. The truth is, when I started this project I did not want a premeditated storyline to restrain my thoughts. Most of the time I drew with a free mind, following my heart to wherever it took me. The ideals, concepts and significances in Fevolution are built like Lego bricks; assembled to construct a bigger picture. Stimulated by my religious beliefs, I play with codes and icons to compose my images. Four fundamental elementsthe metal screw, the atom, the vertebra and the lotus finger, are the visual vocabulary in the Fevolution series. The screw represents machinery, the atom signifies a source of energy, the vertebra stands for nature, and lastly, the lotus finger holds the beliefs of evolution.
Borkur Sigthorsson One might think that overseas there is a bit more personal freedom when it comes to “questionable imagery” in the world of commercialism, unfortunately, this is just a myth. According to Borkur, “The global effect of the way the states are governed and its foreign policy is run, is evident on both sides of the Atlantic. People are afraid of controversy in commercial work. Everything seems to be in the middle of the road. With very few exceptions, people don’t dare to take a stand.” Borkur goes on to explain that the fear to offend someone is even more evident when it comes to music videos. “There we have the perfect medium to air opinions and new ideas and criticize the society we inhabit, but directors are gagged and often forced to dull the edges of their work to the point of destroying the original concept. The only venues left to air ones opinions and frustrations seem to be the ones that have no commercial interests at stake.” Kirsten Lewis
Photography by Piotr Zastrozny
Photography by Aron Simpson
TEEN KELLY How did you get started with nude modeling? I was in school, 2003, in my anatomy class and someone gave me a newspaper ad saying, “Model wanted.” I called, talked to Aron and set up a photo shoot. At first it was just bikini and lingerie. I never thought I would do nude. Then Aron showed me a couple of websites and I wanted one. What part of your personality is responsible for this? Well, you don’t see a lot of personality through the pictures. Meeting me would be a completely different experience. I have always loved being naked. And I love masturbating. It all falls into place, and it helps that I’m a very sexual person. You know you could make an ass-load more money if you go hardcore, right? I make quite a lot of money now. Though I would be amazing at hardcore, I’m going to stick with this for now. So, this lucky bastard who takes all your pictures, how does he possibly restrain himself? Well, for one, he’s married. Plus, he’s very professional and one of my best friends. I get asked that a lot. What exactly would it take to sleep with you? I’ve only had one boyfriend and that started when I was 15. We just split up four or five months ago. I’ve grown a lot since then. And my attitude has changed a lot. I don’t know, you’d have to be funny. If you can make me laugh, it’s a done deal. But I love girls too. Even if I didn’t have the website, I would probably still do girls. Are the braces off yet? They came off about two or three months after we started shooting. Yeah, we started shooting a little bit after I finished high school. What do you think about when you are by yourself masturbating? You know, I’ve only been with my ex-boyfriend. So I love toys. I really, really love toys. I’ve loved toys since I was 15 or 16. Anytime I get new toys I immediately try them out. I also love porn. How do you feel knowing people are masturbating to pictures of you? I like that. I never have to see them or meet them. TeenKelly.com
Bez Tytulu Photography by Pitor Zastrozny Model: Natalia
Facettes De La Petite Mort
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Photography by Piotr Zastrozny
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