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Diary of Inhuman Species: A Conversation with Stan Manoukian

Manoukian logging his latest discovery

Stan Manoukian saw his first monster at age thirteen. Out for an early morning fishing trip with his father, the fog loomed heavily above the water at the edge of the lake. With his rod in the water, the young Manoukian waited patiently for a tug on his line. But nothing came. And soon, he noticed everything around him had stopped. The sing-song of nearby birds, the rustling of leaves on the breeze; time, he said, seemed suspended.

The boy looked back in search of his father, who was still fussing with his fishing gear at the car. Stan turned his attention back to the dead calm of the water in front of him, and that’s when he saw it. A ripple, a big one, disturbing the glassiness of the water about 10 meters away, where the fog was heaviest. His eyes grew wide. He inched his toes closer to the water, but found he was already at the edge. The ripples approached. Stan could only watch. As they grew closer, the giant head of an unknown aquatic creature broke the surface of the water. Its skin was smooth, the gaze of its one eye arresting.

"Hughmee"

“Hughmee” 9.6″ x 7.6″ mixed media on lithograph paper

“It wasn’t dangerous looking at all,” Manoukian, now 43, recalls. “It was a mix between a fish and a human, with two big arms and tentacle fingers. We watched each other for probably only a few seconds, but the exchange felt interminable. My father came back from his car and nature returned to life; the creature disappeared in the blink of an eye and suddenly I had a big fish on my fishing rod! I guess it was a present from this creature as proof of our meeting.”

Since then, the Parisian artist sees monsters all the time, and everywhere. Even in the shower. “But you know, they don’t care about nudity,” he laughs, “nudity is liberty!”

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The Creepers Come Out to Play: Sketchbook Teasers from Brandt Peters for Posthumous Menagerie, 1.4

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With Posthumous Menagerie a mere month away, we’re starting to see the delightfully creepy crawlers emerge from the Brandt Peters imaginarium. Curvy kitty ladies, cactus bone daddies … it’s all here, folks, and this is just the beginning! I’m curious to see these characters’s final forms: will they remain skulking about  BP’s sketchbook, or evolve into something more? A painting, a sculpt? Only time will tell!

Posthumous Menagerie opens Jan. 4th at Stranger Factory with a reception from 6pm to 9pm. For up-to-the-minute coverage, be sure to follow Brandt on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Tumblr … he’s seemingly omnipresent these days. The more the better, I say!

Stranger Factory Presents: “Posthumous Menagerie” A Brandt Peters Solo Exhibition, 1.4

Following the internet-crippling success of his TRIGGER exhibition with FERG last January, Brandt Peters returns with Posthumous Menagerie, a mini solo exhibition taking place in Stranger Factory’s Small Projects Room. In addition to a whole whack of new paintings, drawings and sculptures, the event will also mark the release of the third production colorway of Brandt’s Stingy Jack sofubi. A tribute to classic cartoons of the silver screen era, the monochrome, Old Timey  edition is limited to only 120 pieces. More details on that to come as we inch closer to the date!

Posthumous Menagerie opens Jan. 4th with a reception from 6pm to 9pm. Brandt will be floating about the gallery, so be sure to say hello! 

Stranger Factory Presents: Jimmy Palmiotti’s “The Art of Narrative” Comic Arts Exhibition + Workshop, 1.4

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WITH STEVE BROWN

Calling all comic book nerds, Stranger Factory is kicking off 2013 with a bif! whap! pow! and BANG with The Art of Narrative, a comic arts exhibition curated by industry giant Jimmy Palmiotti (Deadpool, Ghost Rider, Jonah Hex, Punisher, Painkiller Jane). Showcasing narrative-based art and illustration from an amazing group of critically-acclaimed comic book and fine artists, The Art of Narrative celebrates a cross-section of artists and illustrators in the industry who are not only masters of storytelling, but elevate comic art beyond its commercial graphics roots and into a higher form of artistry.

The exhibition will present original works by Gilbert Hernandez (Love and Rockets), Amanda Conner (Power Girl), Geoff Darrow (Shaolin Cowboy), Dave Taylor (Judge Dredd), Bill Ward (Torchy), Mike Mignola (Hellboy), Cliff Chiang (Wonder Woman), Brad Walker (Guardians of the Galaxy), John Buscema (Conan The Barbarian), Klaus Janson (Batman), Sanjulian (Devlin’s Luck), Raffa Garres (Wolverine), J.G. Jones (Wanted), Chris Sprouse (Tom Strong) and Eduardo Risso (100 Bullets), among others.
The Art of Narrative opens Friday, Jan. 4th with a reception from 6pm to 9pm.  Jimmy Palmiotti and his partner in crime, Amanda Conner, will be in attendance.And it doesn’t stop there: in conjunction with this exhibit, Stranger Factory will host a special 2-hour writing workshop with Jimmy Palmiotti on Sunday, Jan. 6th. The workshop will discuss creating your own characters and intellectual property and how to sell it beyond the printed page. With Palmiotti’s wide range of experience in writing and creating for comics, video games, television and films, attendees will have a chance to gain first-hand industry knowledge to help with their own careers. Palmiotti has worked with a number of the top publishers and intellectual property holders in the world, and during this workshop will offer artists valuable information and coaching on creating, protecting, and monetizing their work.

Tickets are $50 per person, and space is very limited. To reserve your tickets, please contact the gallery at strangerfactorysales@gmail.com  or (505) 508-3049 as soon as possible! 

Owls, Dogs & Elephants, Oh My: Stunning New Commissions from Scott Radke

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If you’re like me and have been waiting forever for your own Scott Radke commission, my friends, our time has come! For the last month or so, Scott has been on a tear, striking off many a collector’s bucket lists with owls, dogs and — get this — an ELEPHANT. I figured Scott had done it all, but that … that’s a first.

Fashioned from clay and burlap, the sculptures all stand around the 20-inch mark. If you’re looking to get something done by Scott, email him at scott@scottradke.com. Scott will also be exhibiting with Kathie Olivas and Stephen Webb at Stranger Factory in April 2013, so be sure to mark your calendars for that, as well!

AFA Hosts Annual Collector’s Event, 12.1

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On Dec. 1, NYC’s AFA Gallery is hosting its annual Collector’s Event, a one-evening affair where art lovers come together, share a cocktail and admire the gallery’s breathtaking collection of fine art and illustration. Rare PEANUTS comics strips and illustrations are pulled from the vault for the event, along with original Beatles Yellow Submarine animation cels and illustrations from Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein, and Bill Watterson.

Also joining these art greats on the walls are some of today’s leading contemporary artists, including Kathie Olivas, Nicoletta Ceccoli, Kinuko Craft, Lin Esser, Tom Everhart, Brian Froud, Travis Louie, Kristen Margiotta and Abby Modell, some of whom will be in attendance. For those who missed the opening of Kathie’s Haunted exhibition, this is a wonderful opportunity to stop in. And be in the company of some of the industry’s greatest creatives, to boot!

To RSVP for the event, email AFA at rsvp@afanyc.com. The Collector’s Event will take place on Sat., Dec. 1, from 6-9pm.

A Critter Invasion in the Monster Dungeon!

Production in Chris Ryniak’s studio is in full swing once again, filling up with piles of bulb-eyed pals for us all to squeal over. Watercolour monsters, gouache critters on cardboard, along with a small congregation of little resin critters are all in the works, and the latter has me particularly curious, indeed. Just look at those little bums!

Question is, what ever is all this for? Well, there are a couple notable events CMR is involved in, namely Circus Annual in December and Migration with Amanda Louise Spayd in March (*wink*), but only time will tell when these guys come out to play. So stick around, for plenty more is sure to emerge from the Monster Dungeon!

Derek Yaniger’s ‘Hepcat Heathens’ & ‘March of the Tiki Freaks’ for Flipsville,12.7

The tiki dance and jam band slam continues as Derek Yaniger’s One-Way Ticket to Flipsville jives and wails its way to Albuquerque! This week brings us the Hepcat Heathens (20″ x 16″) and March of the Tiki Freaks (18″ x 18″, below), two sizzlin’ acrylic on wood paintings that are sure to set the mood for any soiree!

A One Way Ticket To Flipsville opens Dec. 7th with a reception from 6-9pm. So bring your fancy dance shoes, bone headdresses and bongo drums — we’re heating things up at Stranger Factory this holiday season!

 

Colin Christian’s Mesmerizing ‘Glowing Pussy’ Sculpture

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Colin Christian seems to be on a bit of a tear: earlier this week we had a look at his incredible Cosmic Godhead Cthulhu sculpture, and hot off its tentacles is his Glowing Pussy, a wall-mount sculpture of a bodacious babe who changes colour with a click of a button. You can also have it stay on one particular colour, or change the pattern. This little minx is packing all sorts of tricks!

Similar to Cosmic Godhead, Glowing Pussy is an edition of 50 hand-cast heads at $200 per. Each comes signed by the artist. Contact Colin via email at colin@hotboxdesigns.com, on Twitter or via Facebook to secure yours. I wouldn’t wait on this one; his Snack Cakes always sold out in a blink and these are ridiculously affordable with LED lighting to boot.

Check out the video below to be dazzled by all the radiant hues of Colin’s Glowing Pussy!

Recap: SUBTERRANE @ Stranger Factory, 11.9

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Hot on the heels of the DesignerCon hustle, the CP crew packed up and hightailed it back to Albuquerque to prepare for SUBTERRANE at Stranger Factory — a group sculpture show featuring new works from emerging 3D artists Carisa Swenson, Yosiell Lorenzo, Shing Yin Khor, Valency Genis, Shea Brittain and Melita Curphy … the majority of whom also attended DCon! With almost all of the artists in attendance (we missed you, Melita!), the reception was a riot and a sugar-laden one at that, thanks to our friends at Rebel Donut.

SUBTERRANE is on display through Dec. 3rd and works can be viewed here. A full gallery of the evening’s tomfoolery awaits you after the break.

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