Stab me with money
In the age of social media, we have come to a place where memes are shared like passing thoughts. In many ways, the temporary nature of our communication has deprived us seeing the art that passes before our eyes for what it really is. I’m not talking about the patchwork of recognizable movie stills partnered with quotes or phrases meant to arouse a specific emotion. I also don’t refer to kittens and sunsets paired with inspirational phrases we’re supposed to share to x people or face eternal damnation. Very often, we scroll past appropriations of art we enjoy, and we never think of the artist behind it. We like each others’ posts and we flag down strangers to ask them, “Where did you get that t-shirt?” Before you think I’m beginning a diatribe about how art is celebrated more than the artist, I’ll confess. I’m just as guilty, and perhaps more so.
I scroll through my feeds on Instagram and Facebook, tapping hearts so the algorithms feed me what I like, but I often forget to note the artist. Then again, if the artist stands out consistently, I tend to allow the data to store itself peripherally. Sometimes the user name isn’t the artist’s name, but a handle for their brand or series. When an artist becomes recognizable, you learn that you’re enjoying the artwork from one artist in several places. I’m going to aggregate three unlikely sources into one “Drawn to be Wild” artist for you. I’m a big fan of cartoony “gross” art. I also have an appreciation for skulls and the myriad ways they can be incorporated into graphics. Third, I love irony and mash-ups, especially when it’s a pop culture product with an unexpected monster as its mascot. When you see the prolific talent that Joe Peragino displays in his work, you’ll understand how these three distinct art forms come together.
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The Zombz is a series of cartoonish zombie characters that harken to trading cards like Wacky Packages, only these are rotten corpses designed to poke fun at who the people were before they were infected. As we see often in our chosen zombie shows and zombie books, people’s lives are so ingrained that even in undeath we are compelled to go through the motions that kept us bound in life. Occupations like clowns and nuclear waste managers are easily lampooned, but the results are hilarious. He’s only scratched the surface, but the infection is spreading. I suspect a real estate agent who can’t make a sale because he eats his clients is on the way. Who wouldn’t start a collection when their own profession shows up in a pack? It’s no longer mundane to be a checkout clerk. Joe will probably illustrate “checked-out clerk” in a way that will have you reminiscing about collecting Garbage Pail Kids. As the result of a contest Joe Peragino even graciously rendered a version of me, in Zombz form, called Durt. It’s a treasure to me, but it’s easy to apply personalization to the rest of the Zombz work. I hope the series continues to grow.
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Joe Peragino has an art brand called Cheat Death. You may draw a parallel to the Zombz in that you’ll find hobbies and professions represented, but I think that coincidence only comes from Joe’s ability to reach a broad audience. His art isn’t necessarily “safe” by conservative standards, but it passes the public acceptance test. As tattoos have become ubiquitous in pop culture, commercial art has reflected this. Cheat Death is easily identifiable, and appeals to a variety of tastes; all while being centered around skulls and death. You can be a bad-ass fisherman. You don’t have to tell fish tales anymore. You can wear the shirt. We all know firefighters are already bad-ass. Joe Peragino’s art turns it into a badge a firefighter can proudly wear. There’s an appreciation for being appreciated or recognized, and Joe’s work in Cheat Death makes that concept into a picture. The brand is also about living life to its fullest, but my take-away is the universal appeal and the acknowledgement of various lifestyles.
I saved the best for last, because this is where Joe Peragino shines, if his work hasn’t already blinded you. Imagine, if you will; a social media addict who is also a t-shirt-holic. He stops scrolling when he sees his absolute favorite hot sauce with a label that’s…changed. We can all see the similarity between Cholula and Cthulhu once it’s staring at us, but how many make the connection and illustrate it? What seems obvious when it’s been drawn out for us is actually an expression of societal icons that could never meet outside the twisted mind of an artist. Those “Why didn’t I think of that?” moments are powerful indicators you’ve seen something genius. And seeing as we’re all friends of Cthulhu here, how can you not squeal in delight at the sight of Cap’n Crunch looking like the ghost of Davy Jones from the Pirates of the Caribbean series? Remember the days you ate your breakfast in front of the cereal box while digging through the kernels and flakes to find one of the Great Old Ones? Collect them all before you cross the mountains of madness into oblivion.
Cult horror fans will appreciate Joe’s sense of humor, because there is so much irony and there are so many levels of statements in his They Live/Mickey Mouse mashup. They Live plays with revolution against media and capitalist culture, two things Disney ultimately celebrates. To see Mickey Mouse with the face of one of the secret invaders is only confirmation of what we already know. The uber-spokes-character is the king of the alien league, and he means to compel us to consume and obey while he depletes us of our resources. The classic favorite is known for one of the longest fist fight scenes in cinematic history and Roddy Piper picking off skull faced aliens when he’s wearing his special shades. The most memorable line repeated even by people who’ve never seen it: “I came here to chew bubblegum and kick ass; and I’m all out of bubblegum.” Roddy wore the glasses with pride at that point. He knew he was rebelling outright. They recognized him because he knew what they were. If you wear Mickey Mouse as a They Live alien on a T-shirt, I must stress you should do it with caution. Unless you have a source for the proper sunglasses, you might be recognized before you see the danger around you. Don’t be caught chewing bubblegum when you should be kicking ass like Roddy Piper and Joe Peragino.
You can find some of Joe’s work at these links:
https://drawntobewild.com
https://www.instagram.com/drawntobewild
https://www.facebook.com/drawntobewild
https://www.etsy.com/shop/DrawnToBeWild
https://drawntobewild.threadless.com
https://www.redbubble.com/people/drawntobewild/shop
http://www.thezombz.com
https://www.facebook.com/thezombz
https://www.instagram.com/thezombz/
https://www.facebook.com/jollyrottenart
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Stab me with money
