*******parental advisory, graphic artistic nude images forthcoming*******

 

It seems as if most of my time in these past few years has been spent creating and publishing books, instead of creating art for exhibitions and gallery shows. But I've come to discover that having a book that I've created enter a library is just as rewarding as creating a piece of art enter a juried exhibit. My last and biggest project of my life was creating "the heART of Cleveland", which is an homage to my beloved hometown and the art and artists born and inspired by Cleveland. The Plain Dealer calls it "the coolest book they have ever read." https://www.cleveland.com/ministerofculture/index.ssf/2018/08/new_book_captures_the_heart_of.html    

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A second, and possibly even better, Cleveland book is currently in the works.

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My brother and I created the critically acclaimed graphic novel, Animal Crackers. A children's book for adults showing what it would look like if wildlife committed the same atrocious acts on humans as we are doing to them on a daily basis. I illustrated the book Truck Farm (https://www.truckfarm.org/buy-the-book/) which is based on one of Ian Cheney's short films of the same name. Ian is the writer and director of the reknowned documentary King Corn. I was one of the contributing artists in the Harvey Award nominated graphic novel, 27 Club (https://redstylo.com/project/27-a-comic-anthology/). I have created two photography books as well.

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Through my interest in photography, horror movies, and "causing a stir" I've created a couple photography books. The first, Unconquerable Desires, is my attempt to combine art, the female form and war into a statement against the needless wars we fight and how they affect women. In this book, the female form and images of war are inter-twined. Beauty and horror, life and death, pain and agony coupled with joy and pleasure are all on the same page. There is no one correct way to interpret these images, there is no one emotional response or similar conclusion everyone should have. We all come from the same place, a woman. Dead bodies on a living body, flesh upon flesh, nutrients going back into the Earth/body, the circle of life. Horrors of war vs. the pleasures of flesh. Abstract or linear. There can be endless meanings and theories devised from what you see. Here the landscape of our battle is gorgeous, pleasing, evocative, distinctly human; we have all come from a woman. Without the female form there would be no "world". But the war being fought on this precious ground is horrific and ghastly, violent and oppressive. But alas, also very human.

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My latest photography book is hard describe to say the least. The official statement reads: Join the Deadly Darlings, a horror modeling group from the Pacific Northwest, on their erotic and dark journey through the teachings of the Bible. Experience torture, sex, bondage and murder during their voyage with God, Jesus, Elvis, dolls and, with all of their naked splendor, each other!! From an artistic standpoint, blending erotic photography, the occult, the ridiculous idea of organized religion, and of course Elvis, led me to create a book that is a combination of the all the above and meant to take the reader into a realm never seen before. 

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Currently, I'm working with the great Gary Dumm on another graphic novel project that will feature some of the best comic artists working today telling the story of a new super villain group that sadly mirrors what is happening right now in this country and all over the world. This promises to be controversial, poignant and funny all at once. Stay tuned.... Cover is below!!

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