Scottish artist Jack Vettriano died in March at age 73. Vettriano, whose paintings have been described as being “like a double cheeseburger in a greasy wrapper,” was insanely popular with the masses but thoroughly despised by the art world. Considered a terrible draftsman whose work lacked anything of substance to say about the world, he … Continue reading The Greasy Double Cheeseburger of the Art World
Category: Art
Hot Shots of the Week: Hi, Felicia
One of my favorite artists, Bill Sienkiewicz, doing one of my favorite Marvel characters, Felicia Hardy, aka Black Cat. Sienkiewicz has been an artistic hero since he first blew my mind on Moon Knight, New Mutants, and on Batman #400 back in the eighties. Felicia has been a beloved character since she caught my eye … Continue reading Hot Shots of the Week: Hi, Felicia
The Gothic Horror Art of Bruce Timm
Artist, animator, writer, producer, and director: Bruce Timm has been an integral creative force across popular culture for decades now. He’s worked in comic books and television, primarily, and is probably best known for co-creating the landmark program Batman: The Animated Series, and his art style has been integral to DC Comics’ animated branding for … Continue reading The Gothic Horror Art of Bruce Timm
Michelle Monday: Artificial Edition
As a lifelong artist myself, I’ve been struggling to accept art generated from artificial intelligence (AI). It’s seemingly everywhere now, so whatever ethical qualms I might have about disrespecting artistic integrity or taking work away from real artists seem fairly moot at this point. I’m still holding onto those reservations, mind you, but I’m also … Continue reading Michelle Monday: Artificial Edition
The Horror Movie Poster Art of Enzo Sciotti
Italian artist Enzo Sciotti, who passed away in April 2021, always comes to mind during the scary season for me. His horror movie poster artwork, so lurid and lush, was filled with women in peril, knife-wielding maniacs, and grotesque creatures of the night. During his peak period in the 1970s through the 1980s, Sciotti illustrated … Continue reading The Horror Movie Poster Art of Enzo Sciotti
Possession
The legend of Lou Reed's Berlin (1973), the brutal concept album about the disintegration of a marriage, goes something like this: coming off his first big solo success with Transformer (1972), Reed and producer Bob Ezrin inexplicably set out to make "the most depressing album of all time." And if you know (and love) Berlin … Continue reading Possession
From the Vault: Eyes of Laura Mars
This essay first appeared, in slightly different form, at my old site, four years ago. Eyes of Laura Mars is a favorite slasher/American giallo-style horror film of mine, so Halloween season feels like the perfect time to revisit it. As its title indicates, Eyes of Laura Mars (1978) is especially concerned with eyes, and specifically … Continue reading From the Vault: Eyes of Laura Mars






