Dear Patron,
Your PDF bonus is this 6 page Elmo
Aardvark story that just had an *extremely* limited debut in a promotional
comic, THE ADVENTURES OF BIFFLE & SHOOSTER! (200 copies, so you're seeing
the rarest this month!)
My Patreon Page
Thursday, January 31, 2019
Wednesday, January 30, 2019
THOUGHT FOR TODAY
The visual of Christ as a white man with brown hair is man creating God in his own image.
Monday, January 28, 2019
SHOW
I've got three paintings in a show opening on Friday! My debut in the Bloomington arts scene...
Night comes on gently
FEBRUARY 1 – 24, 2019
Opening reception February 1, 5–9p
Kaila Austin, Larissa Danielle, Katie Dieter, Milton Knight, Nefertiti Morris
This show features the various works of 5 artist working in the African American Diaspora expression. Together their voices create a new narrative that recites stories as individuals and experiences of the whole.
Dimensions Gallery
222 W 2nd St,
Bloomington IN 47403
Bloomington IN 47403
1-812-370-0278
Sat-Sun: 12pm-6pm
By Appointment
By Appointment
Wednesday, January 23, 2019
ARTIST'S STATEMENT
The gallery I'll be showing at has requested an Artist's Statement and a bio to help promote the show:
I am at heart an American cartoonist and have a difficulty with segregating my art as ‘African American’. I consider my art to be international; Asian brush paintings, Expressionism, Pop Art; it is better to ask what I am not influenced by. My inspirations span time and globe.
Graduated from BOCES Cultural Arts
Center (Syosset,
N.Y.), then took a few college classes in art at
Hofstra University while beginning a freelance
art and writing career.
Left home at seventeen, ekeing out what some would call a semi-living at my crafts while enjoying a lovely semi-homeless existence on Manhattan's waterfront. Finally landed in a Brooklyn brownstone where I spent seven waterbuggy years.
Did everything I could, I wasn't particular. Wrote and drew comic books and comic strips for magazines and small newspapers, illustrated, designed record covers, posters, candy and T-shirts, and exhibited paintings and drawings, the major gallery being Psychedelic Solution in Manhattan. Spent the 1980's on the outskirts of the "radical art scene" of Greenwich Village. A challenging time, if not always a happy one.
Labor on Ninja Turtles comics allowed me to get up a grubstake to move to the West Coast in 1991, lured by prospects of a more healthful existence. There followed a riot and a few earthquakes while working in animation as a designer, animator, and debuting as a director thanks to my good friend Felix the Cat and yes, I did a spot of work for Disney). My work in the print media continued until that market petered out thanks to computers and The New Dark Ages.
To retain my sanity (HA), I work on a stream of independent projects, which have included a first novel, independent animation, and the painting.
Became a Bloomington resident in June of 2018.
ARTIST’S STATEMENT 1-23-19
Ever since I fell in love with drawing in 1963, I felt a
purpose beyond simply creating. In those early, naïve days, I felt I had a
purpose: to help make a better world by providing it with art of a special
sort...a sort with feelings so extreme, it might exorcise the viewer's pain. That
is what made me defy the cruel opposition of my family.
The resultant anger and dissatisfaction with the truths of
life that grew in evidence have always driven my work. We were not wealthy;
though I went to art courses after high school hours and later college classes,
it was my choice not to undergo art school conditioning. A career in art meant
independence.
I forged ahead feverishly. In my work, human emotion, casual
cruelty and their natural byproduct, pain, are ever-present motifs. In a
culture that demands the smothering of truths, I feel I have a mission to
express, to speak to others whose needs and feelings are not being addressed in
life as well as art; to lash open the curtain to expose the underrepresented beauty
of America’s
shabby.
Joy is another extremity. I parody the excesses of popular culture. The
female figures are a culmination of art’s ideals through art history to the
voluptuosity of vintage Hollywood,
commercial art and the burlesque stage. I depict the “common man’s”wish
fulfillments with sensuality swelled to bursting, expressed in rich impasto or
heavy slathers of black. I want color you can eat, like rich, frothy bread. In
a sole work, I try to encourage the viewer to walk into the frame. I want a
roomful of them to swallow the spectator. Inspired by Renaissance drawing, I put
serious thought into keeping my figures and backgrounds full bodied and full of
motion, to never do anything 'easily', to always twist the figures and
perspectives into going that 'extra mile'. I am at heart an American cartoonist and have a difficulty with segregating my art as ‘African American’. I consider my art to be international; Asian brush paintings, Expressionism, Pop Art; it is better to ask what I am not influenced by. My inspirations span time and globe.
My interest is rarely in
recapturing or approximating reality, but in creating new ideas and forms and
in giving them their own unique life.
***
BIO 1-23-19
Left home at seventeen, ekeing out what some would call a semi-living at my crafts while enjoying a lovely semi-homeless existence on Manhattan's waterfront. Finally landed in a Brooklyn brownstone where I spent seven waterbuggy years.
Did everything I could, I wasn't particular. Wrote and drew comic books and comic strips for magazines and small newspapers, illustrated, designed record covers, posters, candy and T-shirts, and exhibited paintings and drawings, the major gallery being Psychedelic Solution in Manhattan. Spent the 1980's on the outskirts of the "radical art scene" of Greenwich Village. A challenging time, if not always a happy one.
Labor on Ninja Turtles comics allowed me to get up a grubstake to move to the West Coast in 1991, lured by prospects of a more healthful existence. There followed a riot and a few earthquakes while working in animation as a designer, animator, and debuting as a director thanks to my good friend Felix the Cat and yes, I did a spot of work for Disney). My work in the print media continued until that market petered out thanks to computers and The New Dark Ages.
To retain my sanity (HA), I work on a stream of independent projects, which have included a first novel, independent animation, and the painting.
Became a Bloomington resident in June of 2018.
Sunday, January 20, 2019
I GOT 'EM!
Received my copies of the ADVENTURES OF SONIC book. A beautiful gallery of splash pages made to assist my GoFundMe campaign, and highly recommended! Available in print or online! https://gumroad.com/l/iYqtU
Wednesday, January 16, 2019
THE LATEST COMMISSION
Still touching it up. On your left is Katella the Huntress, a popular one-shot character on SONIC. On your right is Bionica, a girlfriend I created for "Night Life in Mobius", a failed synopsis of my own.
NIGHT LIFE IN MOBIUS
This is a newly edited version of a story synopsis that dates back to 1/17/93, when the art staff of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was informed that the story directors were looking for ideas and inviting submissions. Most of the staff had suffered enough slings and arrows to not even try, but I was still naïve enough to do so, and…was rejected. But I am still proud enough of this story that I find it entertaining to imagine what might have been. It begins with Robotnik trying…and failing miserably…to slug Sonic as he speeds along the road…
Robotnik’s beeper rings; it’s Bionica, his tempestuous girlfriend. Realizing that he is late for a projected evening of candlelight and wine, he pushes the badniks aside and streaks off.
Robotnik arrives at Bionica’s home ignoring her puckered lips, and is preoccupied with thoughts of his vendetta against Sonic throughout the evening. His clouded mind sees the roast Bionica asks him to carve as an image of the hedgehog, and he hacks insanely at it, then wrestles with it on the floor. While Bionica tries to calm him with talk of love, Robotnik decides he’s hit upon a sure-fire idea, and darts out the door.
Melodramatic soap-opera music plays as Bionica, now alone, contemplates her problem: her romance hasn’t a chance as long as her lover is chasing that hedgehog. The answer: SHE will trap Sonic herself!
The next A.M., Robotnik lies in wait with a new weapon: the Sonic Sniffer-Outer, an attachment to his mace that will scent out and signal the precise moment to leap out and assault.
Elsewhere, Sonic and Tails speed along the road and come upon a distressed lady, wailing over a konked-out car motor. Tails whispers a warning to his friend; it is clearly Robotnik’s girlfriend in disguise. Sonic comforts him; he’s wise to that. Playing the gallant, Sonic peers under the car’s hood, taking the opportunity to whisper his plan to Tails. Bionica prepares to klunk both parties on their domes, but Sonic turns and forcibly escorts her to the seat of the car, tut-tutting her every word. He then climbs in under the hood and powers the car to a garage at supersonic speed. Tails clings to the rear bumper; Bionica tumbles to the back seat, too shocked to do anything. They approach Robotnik, whose Sniffer-Outer sounds the alarm. Leaping out of hiding, he is flattened by the speeding car.
Once at the garage, the mechanic finds that Sonic has so overworked the motor that it’ll need service deluxe. Gushing apologies, Sonic escorts Bionica to a chili dog stand while they wait, pulling out her chair and ordering for her. Bionica excuses herself to make a phone call; Sonic winks at the apprehensive Tails.
Bionica moves around the corner to ring Robotnik’s beeper, but, overwhelmed by the charming hedgehog, she decides she cannot pull this underhanded trick. This is the first time she’s been treated like a lady in a long time, and she winds up asking Sonic to join her that evening at the Café Chat Noir, as a way of expressing her gratitude, of course.
Escorted home (and running over Robotnik in the process), Bionica waltzes around her room, excited about this new, mad whirl. She receives a call from the heavily bandaged Robotnik, moaning about his day and asking her for a date that night…to help him change his dressings. Bionica begs off; she will be much too busy.
Disturbed, Robotnik dispatches the Badniks to keep watch and discover exactly what Bionica is busy with. When they report the facts about her date with Sonic, the villain reacts predictably. He resolves to go to the café to nip this in the bud, but decides that to show up alone would look pathetic. Robotnik searches his closets for an appropriate robot escort; the only one in workable condition is in the image of a decrepit horse. He hauls this robot into his converter machine; the result: a horsey-looking female in a cocktail dress.
Chauffeured to the café by Scratch and Grounder, the zoot-suited Robotnik and his date make a dramatic entrance, but Bionica and Sonic are already the dance floor's center attraction. Not to be outdone, Robotnik forces his date into a valiant jitterbug, but the robot short circuits, sparking, bucking like a wild bronco, and finally exploding in a hail of nuts and bolts.
Singed and humiliated, Robotnik slaps the robot back together in a state more horse than human and saddles it, carrying the bewildered Bionica out of the club, the Badniks trailing him in the limo. Sonic takes off in hot pursuit as the nightclubbers cheer him on.
Sonic follows his quarry into Robotnik’s fortress, and finds himself in total darkness as the iron gates slam behind him. Robotnik jeers at the hedgehog from a balcony high above, clad in a Captain Hook outfit with an absurd plumed hat…while Bionica is helpless nearby, gagged and bound to a post. Robotnik throws Sonic a sword, offering him the opportunity to fight for his lady love. But Robotnik’s sword shoots out fireballs, destroying Sonic’s ordinary weapon and chasing him around the torture chamber. Thanks to Sonic’s speed, even when the Badniks join the fray, the villains get the worst of it.
Locked in a struggle, Robotnik backs Sonic onto a long plank on the floor, and signals Grounder to activate a sawmill, which spins as the plank…and Sonic…move toward it. Bionica works free of her gag, screaming a warning to Sonic just as Robotnik jumps off the plank. It’s almost too late, but Sonic’s legs get moving, and he ends up running at high speed atop the whirring blade. Robotnik pulls another lever; with Sonic still atop it, the saw comes loose, spinning backwards into a pit of fire. Is it all over? No! Sonic runs out of the pit atop the saw, now a spinning cylinder of fire which heads toward Robotnik and his minions. Hooting and hollering, they hastily hide in an ammunition closet, followed by the fiery saw.
As the ka-booms ka-boom, Sonic liberates Bionica, who dashes to the dazed, smoking Robotnik. Now convinced of his love because of his desperate efforts, she showers him with kisses even as Grounder tries to warn the pair of one last fuse that refuses to go out. The lovers are blasted into the sky, convinced they are heading to paradise. Down below, Sonic chuckles.
THE END
NIGHT LIFE IN MOBIUS
This is a newly edited version of a story synopsis that dates back to 1/17/93, when the art staff of Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog was informed that the story directors were looking for ideas and inviting submissions. Most of the staff had suffered enough slings and arrows to not even try, but I was still naïve enough to do so, and…was rejected. But I am still proud enough of this story that I find it entertaining to imagine what might have been. It begins with Robotnik trying…and failing miserably…to slug Sonic as he speeds along the road…
Robotnik’s beeper rings; it’s Bionica, his tempestuous girlfriend. Realizing that he is late for a projected evening of candlelight and wine, he pushes the badniks aside and streaks off.
Robotnik arrives at Bionica’s home ignoring her puckered lips, and is preoccupied with thoughts of his vendetta against Sonic throughout the evening. His clouded mind sees the roast Bionica asks him to carve as an image of the hedgehog, and he hacks insanely at it, then wrestles with it on the floor. While Bionica tries to calm him with talk of love, Robotnik decides he’s hit upon a sure-fire idea, and darts out the door.
Melodramatic soap-opera music plays as Bionica, now alone, contemplates her problem: her romance hasn’t a chance as long as her lover is chasing that hedgehog. The answer: SHE will trap Sonic herself!
The next A.M., Robotnik lies in wait with a new weapon: the Sonic Sniffer-Outer, an attachment to his mace that will scent out and signal the precise moment to leap out and assault.
Elsewhere, Sonic and Tails speed along the road and come upon a distressed lady, wailing over a konked-out car motor. Tails whispers a warning to his friend; it is clearly Robotnik’s girlfriend in disguise. Sonic comforts him; he’s wise to that. Playing the gallant, Sonic peers under the car’s hood, taking the opportunity to whisper his plan to Tails. Bionica prepares to klunk both parties on their domes, but Sonic turns and forcibly escorts her to the seat of the car, tut-tutting her every word. He then climbs in under the hood and powers the car to a garage at supersonic speed. Tails clings to the rear bumper; Bionica tumbles to the back seat, too shocked to do anything. They approach Robotnik, whose Sniffer-Outer sounds the alarm. Leaping out of hiding, he is flattened by the speeding car.
Once at the garage, the mechanic finds that Sonic has so overworked the motor that it’ll need service deluxe. Gushing apologies, Sonic escorts Bionica to a chili dog stand while they wait, pulling out her chair and ordering for her. Bionica excuses herself to make a phone call; Sonic winks at the apprehensive Tails.
Bionica moves around the corner to ring Robotnik’s beeper, but, overwhelmed by the charming hedgehog, she decides she cannot pull this underhanded trick. This is the first time she’s been treated like a lady in a long time, and she winds up asking Sonic to join her that evening at the Café Chat Noir, as a way of expressing her gratitude, of course.
Escorted home (and running over Robotnik in the process), Bionica waltzes around her room, excited about this new, mad whirl. She receives a call from the heavily bandaged Robotnik, moaning about his day and asking her for a date that night…to help him change his dressings. Bionica begs off; she will be much too busy.
Disturbed, Robotnik dispatches the Badniks to keep watch and discover exactly what Bionica is busy with. When they report the facts about her date with Sonic, the villain reacts predictably. He resolves to go to the café to nip this in the bud, but decides that to show up alone would look pathetic. Robotnik searches his closets for an appropriate robot escort; the only one in workable condition is in the image of a decrepit horse. He hauls this robot into his converter machine; the result: a horsey-looking female in a cocktail dress.
Chauffeured to the café by Scratch and Grounder, the zoot-suited Robotnik and his date make a dramatic entrance, but Bionica and Sonic are already the dance floor's center attraction. Not to be outdone, Robotnik forces his date into a valiant jitterbug, but the robot short circuits, sparking, bucking like a wild bronco, and finally exploding in a hail of nuts and bolts.
Singed and humiliated, Robotnik slaps the robot back together in a state more horse than human and saddles it, carrying the bewildered Bionica out of the club, the Badniks trailing him in the limo. Sonic takes off in hot pursuit as the nightclubbers cheer him on.
Sonic follows his quarry into Robotnik’s fortress, and finds himself in total darkness as the iron gates slam behind him. Robotnik jeers at the hedgehog from a balcony high above, clad in a Captain Hook outfit with an absurd plumed hat…while Bionica is helpless nearby, gagged and bound to a post. Robotnik throws Sonic a sword, offering him the opportunity to fight for his lady love. But Robotnik’s sword shoots out fireballs, destroying Sonic’s ordinary weapon and chasing him around the torture chamber. Thanks to Sonic’s speed, even when the Badniks join the fray, the villains get the worst of it.
Locked in a struggle, Robotnik backs Sonic onto a long plank on the floor, and signals Grounder to activate a sawmill, which spins as the plank…and Sonic…move toward it. Bionica works free of her gag, screaming a warning to Sonic just as Robotnik jumps off the plank. It’s almost too late, but Sonic’s legs get moving, and he ends up running at high speed atop the whirring blade. Robotnik pulls another lever; with Sonic still atop it, the saw comes loose, spinning backwards into a pit of fire. Is it all over? No! Sonic runs out of the pit atop the saw, now a spinning cylinder of fire which heads toward Robotnik and his minions. Hooting and hollering, they hastily hide in an ammunition closet, followed by the fiery saw.
As the ka-booms ka-boom, Sonic liberates Bionica, who dashes to the dazed, smoking Robotnik. Now convinced of his love because of his desperate efforts, she showers him with kisses even as Grounder tries to warn the pair of one last fuse that refuses to go out. The lovers are blasted into the sky, convinced they are heading to paradise. Down below, Sonic chuckles.
THE END
Tuesday, January 15, 2019
AS I WORK...
I
love to put my paintings in old thrift store frames, even while
admitting they are sometimes too tacky to expect to sell them this way!
COPYRIGHT 2019 BY MILTON KNIGHT
COPYRIGHT 2019 BY MILTON KNIGHT
Saturday, January 12, 2019
HEAP BIG THANKS!
A Special Delivery Parcel of Thanks to 'Fattoler' for
assembling a power pack of artists to interpret their visions of SONIC THE
HEDGEHOG, AoStH *and* SatAM, in a ‘zine created to help someone in need: yours
truly, for the GoFundMe campaign I did in April ’18 in regards to my
then-housing crisis. It’s a collection of a very high standard, and I thank
everyone for your involvement, investment and creativity!
It’s accessible online here: https://gumroad.com/l/iYqtU
Friday, January 11, 2019
Thursday, January 10, 2019
NICE NEWS
I got a response from a local gallery:
"Thank you so much for your interest in exhibiting in (...) Gallery’s February exhibit. I would love to have 2-4 of your pieces depending on size.
Can you tell me more about the work you make? Specifically the female figure/character that seems to make several appearances in different paintings."
And not a Robotnik in sight.
Now I must concoct a story about this mysterious female figure.
It's not a "now I've got it made" thing, because I don't; it's more of an "a gallery actually gives a s--- again" thing.
Wednesday, January 9, 2019
Saturday, January 5, 2019
THE WORK CONTINUES!
I've revisited one motif thrice over the last thirty years. Each
version was done without referring to the one(s) prior . It all
started with being inspired by this pulp art:
And Wednesday morning I completed a third version, done with acrylic and gouache paints on canvas board:
I notice now that the girl's face has turned from a comic book parody into a true tragedy mask. I wonder what the outcome will be in 2029?
***
Some recent commissions! Keep 'em coming!
Best Wishes,
MK
COPYRIGHT 2019 BY MILTON KNIGHT
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