Aaron Lewin aka Berzerkaroth is an Australian artist who first caught our attention thanks to the beautifully gross art he provided for the ‘Goredon’ soft-vinyl designer toy from American artist ‘Nate The Milkman’. After seeing that image as part of our daily social media toy-explore, we immediately jumped onto Aaron’s Instagram and had our eyes and brain melted. Here was art that mixed the 1990’s ‘gross’ aesthetic, with the vibe of the 1960’s underground comics scene, and body horror – we have never seen anything quite like it!

Interestingly, and with a touch of sadness, Aaron posits the tragic deaths of his mother and grandfather, and an associated mental breakdown as the catalysts that led to him deciding to go hard in the art game a few years ago. With Aaron elaborating,

“My Mum had died at the age of 49 when I was 33. My Grandad died a couple of months later.

That was the Catalyst for my whole Artistic Development. I quit my Job. Had a complete mental breakdown and my only escape was drawing. I had an Instagram account with some random shit on it and started putting my art up…

I slowly gained confidence and posted more and more art. Cultivating some great friendships, amazing opportunities and great followers along the way.“

(Some art by Aaron below)

With Aaron constantly pushing hard in the art game, having recently finished his tattoo apprenticeship, and with more collaborations with Nate the Milkman in the works – now is the perfect time to get to know the man and his art, by reading the Art Talk interview below…

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Ben Adams is an Australian artist, designer, screen printer and sculptor going by the name ‘Freak Street’. Ben creates unique work that  is imbued with a vibrant, frenetic DIY-punk-fury. It’s a style reminiscent of the 1960’s outre-comic scene, combined with the results of growing up in the 1990s – weird lines, hypercolour, drugged out dudes, surfing, monsters, pop culture references and lots of weirdos.

Ben freely admits that his style comes from a youth spent skateboarding, that one time he did hallucinogenic drugs, toys and the underground comics scene, stating:

“As a youngster, all of the World Industries and Blind skateboard graphics were hugely influential, I used to draw them all day in my books at school.

In later years, discovering counter-culture artists like Robert Crumb and Gilbert Shelton was very eye opening, they set my drawings on a forward trajectory.“

(Some art by Freak Street below)

Recently, Ben has been firing on all cylinders art wise: he set up his own screen printing studio and is taking orders; has been working on his masks and sculpts; and in epic news – has did the art for the new ‘Regurgitator‘ LP Head Roxx, and also provided the band some masks to wear onstage!

So get to know Ben and his art, by reading the Art Talk Interview, below…

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David Laverty is a 27 year old Australian musician and the big cheese behind multi-media music project ‘Snake in the Jar’, who have just released their debut LP Saddle Backs from Beyond the Stars.

Growing up in the Blue Mountain region of NSW, Australia in the 1990s, David got introduced to the guitar at the age of 15 and discovered his life purpose.  Soon after David began forming, and playing with a slew of heavy metal bands in the region – groups such as ‘Machine Spirit’, ‘Resonator’, ‘The Aussie Metal Knights’, ‘Sodomize’ and ‘The Moist Ones’ – gaining experience, fans and local recognition.

However, during these years David’s psyche kept returning to the idea of an epic-sci-fi-metal-multimedia project… So he worked and slaved on it for over 9 years in his spare time. Developing the universe, characters, narrative and very importantly, the music.

To bring his project to life, David recently assembled a group of musical and artistic collaborators. This motley crew has recently released their aforementioned debut album, with plans afoot to eventually release other media such as comics, books, games, cartoons and more!

Saddle Backs from Beyond the Stars, the debut LP from ‘SITJ’ is a 19 track musical concept album exploring the (mis)adventures of a bunch of space bounty hunters. It’s equal parts power metal, comedy LP and intergalactic space opera. It is made up of skits, narrative pieces and more standard form rock songs. Think ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’ interpreted by a bunch of Frank Zappa loving, power-metal playing musicians… and you’re maybe half way there.

Discussing the ‘SITJ’ project himself, David states,

“If Gwar, revived and kidnapped Prince, Lemmy, and David Bowie, drove back to the 80’s to steal the costumes of earth wind and fire, whilst making a pitstop for a bunch of Ren and Stimpy/Teenage mutant ninja turtles/Flash Gordon VHS tapes, plus 3 season of Rick and Morty, and went on a joy ride to the star wars universe. That would be a fairly accurate picture that defines Snake In the Jar.

Snake In The Jar is a Sci-Fi comedy about a group of alien bounty hunters (Saddlebacks) whom have this vast story packed with adventures, they main bulk of it revolves around them trying to save their universe called Aityees, from the dreaded Canaliens, who are trying to take over the universe senate, and lead to mass genocide of many races/species.

The main story begins at the birth of Snake in The Jar and ends when they ended up here on earth, of course, they have been here for a long time, however, and have influenced mankind’s history. Such as wiping out the dinosaurs, accidentally founding earth religion, inspiring many technologies of mankind. Loads of stuff…

It’s a crazy story involving many organizations and characters, there are about 50 or so main characters including the 8 illustrated in the first album: Commander Shaddrach, Headditch, Shredasaurus, Techno Shred, Agatha Fauxx, Dic, Rahh, and Dave.“

With the Kickstarter successfully funded, and debut record released – now is the perfect time to get to know all about ‘Snake in the Jar’ via our interview with the creative mastermind behind it all, Mr. David Laverty, below…

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Edwin aka Redwine is an Australian artist, vandal and all round mensch currently living in Britain. Edwin creates beautiful and thought provoking art in all mediums – graffiti, painting, sculpture, video, mixed media, collage and illustration.

We got hipped to Edwin’s work thanks to fellow Australian artist Elliot of ‘Loser Unit‘ – and boy are we thankful. As Edwin is a damn talented lad. He has the ability to paint like a Renaissance master, draw like a Cubist, sculpt like a toy-maker and vandal like a doped up 16 year old child prodigy.

(Graff by Edwin below)

With his graffiti Edwin is fighting back against the current intricate and beautiful mural trend – stating:

“The new wave of commercially successful painters that, without knowing, are playing a willing (or naively innocent) role in the devastation of the impact of public art.

Commercial muralism is so easily confused with corporate advertising and to have people complicit in the latter does not help.“

To this end Edwin refuses to make his public works beautiful – leaving this instead to his private works. Instead his graffiti is bold, simple, in your face, huge and impactful: letters and graphics placed eloquently in their urban surroundings. Commenting on gentrification, class and the street art scene with a wit that references the acidic humour of Quentin Crisp and a style that harks back to the French Situationists. It is amazing and wholly unique.

Get to know all about Edwin and his art by reading his Art Talk Interview below, you will be glad you did…

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RJ Williams aka ‘A Nameless Force’ (previously ‘The Massive’) is an Australian artist, designer and vandal well known in the Australian scene thanks to his eye catching graphics and ability to get his art up all over Sydney, Australia and even the Globe. Indeed, there is something magical about RJ’s work – all symbols and bright colours. As if all his art is just part of a never ending spell or sigil. To what end – only RJ knows.

(Photo below of RJ’s huge tag done by the famous Hollywood sign – check top left of photo)

Born in 1980 RJ grew up on hip hop, toys, body-boarding and surfing – activities that continue to influence his art today.

And currently? With RJ having recently re-branded to ‘A Nameless Force’ and pushing his art hard all round the globe – now is the perfect time to get to know the man and his art by reading the Art Talk Interview, below…

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Lewis Morley Jnr aka Lewis P Morley is an Australian artist, sculptor, toy maker, special effects craftsman, prop maker and all round creative wizard. We were introduced to Lewis thanks to our mutual acquaintance Mike McGann – as Mike, Lewis and fellow artist Marilyn Pride all lived together during the 1970’s in a self described sci-fi fan commune in Sydney, Australia.

Lewis was born in 1957 and is part of the first generation of children to grow up with television. He importantly also came of age in the 1960s, a time of sci fi, space exploration, pioneering work in stop motion / visual effects, comic books and toys – all inspirations that guide Lewis’ creative work to this very day. With Lewis himself stating:

“The wonder of childhood is still an important motivator for my work, on some level almost all the stuff I do is satisfying my inner child!“

Importantly, both of Lewis’ parents were also artists. His father being celebrated photographer Lewis Morley Snr, and his mother Patricia an accomplished illustrator. So it is safe to say that Lewis was destined by the gods themselves to lead a creative life! And indeed he has done just that.

(A photo of some of Lewis’ recent miniature art below)

Lewis has only just retired from his professional work, and is still making art of all types at a furious pace. So we decided to ask Lewis some questions about his many years in the Australian film industry, his father, Mike McGann, toys, comics, fandom, giant robots, and much much more.

Read it all, in the Art Talk Interview, below…

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Richard Wolstencroft aka Richard Masters is an Australian director, nightclub owner, writer and general provocateur. In his mid twenties during the 1990’s Richard gained Nationwide fame as a result of establishing the ‘Hellfire Club’ – The first S+M / kink based club in Australia, which Richard ran from 1993 to 2003. Originally beginning in Melbourne, and later expanding into other territories such as Sydney.

Importantly, with ‘Hellfire’ Richard not only championed outsider sexuality and fashion, but also music – with musicians as diverse as Ollie Olsen, Andrew Till and David Thrussell regularly DJing their experimental electronica at the night.

(Richard and friend photographed back in the ‘Hellfire Club’ days)

Whilst gaining fame, fortune and infamy with the ‘Hellfire Club’, Richard also found himself establishing the ‘Melbourne Underground Film Festival’ aka ‘MUFF’ in the year 2000. This was established – like ‘Hellfire’ – out of Richard’s sheer will, desire and need.

In this instance as a result of one of Richard’s own films not being selected for the more mainstream ‘Melbourne International Film Festival’. Instead of complaining and wallowing, he started his own competing festival to champion underground and emerging film of all type – gaining international recognition for himself and many of the directors and creatives involved in the festival over the years since.

Indeed, Richard is so committed to artistic freedom that he is willing to put his own safety and freedom on the line – which he did in 2010 by screening the banned in Australia film ‘LA Zombie’ from infamous American director Bruce La Bruce. An act which resulted in his very home being raided by police.

And as Richard has been at the forefront of Culture creation, he has also been making movies himself since his teen-age years. Most notably ‘Pearls Before Swine’ (1999), ‘The Beautiful and Damned’ (2008) and the documentary ‘The Last Days of of Joe Blow’ (2012).

However, Richard’s lifetime of personal creation and support for the arts was recently challenged when he made an objectively shocking, scientifically wrong and simply hurtful Facebook comment on the eve of the successful Gay Marriage campaign in Australia late last year. As a result of his comments, Richard became a pariah – seized upon by the social-media-outrage-mob-mentality. He was attacked – both verbally and psychically. A series of events which culminated with Richard publicly resigning from his role at ‘MUFF’ and making a very sincere and open apology.

Richard was seemingly another tragic case of a man’s worth being judged on a single instance of public discourse, as opposed to a lifetime of action.

BUT Richard, like the zombies in the aforementioned Bruce La Bruce film, just can’t be stopped – as he admits in his Culture Talk below, he has re-taken the reigns of ‘MUFF’ and has many other projects on the boil.

Read all about them and much more, below…

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Steve Carter and Antoinette Rydyr are the immensely talented duo behind ‘S.C.A.R’. As individuals, and collaborators Steve and Antoinette are Gods in the Australian underground art scene. Working as artists, publishers, musicians, script writers and editors for over 30 years now!

Their art is full of the vibes of greats such as Basil Wolverton, Ray Harryhausen and George A. Romero to name a few. Look wise it’s beautifully detailed, unique, surreal often tongue in cheek, occasionally soft, but often brutal. Very very brutal.

We love it and so does the international comic community!

… sadly, however, many of the Australian populace and the very Government itself have had, and continue to have, knee jerk reactions to the art of S.C.A.R; resulting in their work being banned, ostracized and also vilified by the press, members of the moral outrage brigade and general wowsers. Also for over 30 years now!

Indeed, S.C.A.R are makers of creations that can objectively be called polarizing – an attribute attributable to the most important artists since time immemorial.

(Some art by S.C.A.R below)

So get to know all about both the origins of the Australian outsider comics scene, and the works of S.C.A.R by reading their eye opening interview, below…

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Matthew Bourne is an Australian artist making major waves in the local scene with beautiful works that combine surf culture, graffiti, hot rod art and comic style graphics; into a wholly unique and eye catching style.

Works that are full of intricate detail, imbued with a sense of movement and usually topped off with vibrant colour. Oh so much colour!

Whilst a lifelong creative, it was only recently, in his late 30’s and 40’s that Matt decided to venture hard into the art game, with the man himself stating

“As I headed into my late 30’s I was missing my creativity a lot. I had a stable job, so for me to kick start my art felt right..but it would have to be after hours, late night hustle….fuck it, don’t care, I need to do this, now.“

(Art below by Matthew)

With ole Matt quickly on his way to becoming a major presence in the global scene, and currently a featured artist in the 2018 ‘Bein Narly‘ festival here in Australia – now is the perfect time to get to know the man and his art by reading the Art Talk Interview below…

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Ben Mitchell is an Australian artist, designer, writer and comic book slinger from the Australian coastal town of Newcastle.

Recently Ben published his 3rd self released comic – ‘Ghost Beach’. A beautiful object in every regard: it’s murder-mystery-meets-punk-scene narrative, unique and bold art style and art-like production quality.

Indeed, aside from all his work in the art world, Ben sees himself as an ambassador and guide to the indie comic world, for those who haven’t yet given ole funny-books a try. Something that we greatly admire.

With Ben stating,

“I like being an introduction to comics for normal people. I do live readings of my comics all the time, and I’ll usually have the panels projected onto a wall as slides while I do the dialogue and narration, and usually commentary regarding the dumb stuff I hide in the backgrounds, and people will come up to me afterwards like “Oh, I get it now!” Sometimes when people aren’t reading your comics you have to do the reading for them.“

(A photo of Ben’s most recent comic, Ghost Beach, below)

With ‘Ghost Beach’ freshly off the press and available for all of you out there to buy – which you should do, right now people! – now is the perfect time to get to know the man himself, by reading the Art Talk Interview below…

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