Beyond Geek Spotlight: Skinner

Name
Skinner

Tell us a little about yourself
I’m a self taught artist that has kinda integrated my love for psychedelic art, horror, and comics into toys, murals, music videos, short films and has luckily been able to travel the world with it!

Origin story
I started out as a kid, completely absorbed into fantasy to escape the mundane elements of life. And the unpredictability of it all. Comics and dungeons and dragons. Weird horror, and stuff like that. I’ve been drawing my whole life, and at about 24 years old I realized it might be the only way for me to live a life that I enjoy. If I pursued art!

How would you define your art style?
Psychedelic nightmare fantasy art. Hahaha!

Is your artistic style influenced by anyone?
Oh sure! Frazetta, Wrightson, Jack Kirby, old black lite posters, stuff like that.

What inspires you?
Music, looking at people’s art, nature, comics, cosmic horror, good films. Usually just anything if it feels like someone with intention did it.

What’s your favorite thing about being an artist?
I get to call my own shots in life mostly. Wake up when I want. Work as late as I want, travel, connect with people. See what I do impacting people positively. That is my favorite thing really, being a positive impact on people.

What piece are you most proud of and why?
I’m very proud of the Mastodon album cover because it was a moment where I really pushed myself to do a lot of uncomfortable risk taking and just diving in when I was afraid to fail.

How could someone else start doing this?
Oh geez, now? I’d say just be really good at what you do, with intention and put it online and make friends. So much has changed since I started.

What’s the best advice you can give someone wanting to get into this?
Get super super good at your art. Make a ton of friends, do your best, support others, show up with intention in the world. If you get really good, people will notice. That means discipline! No messin’ around!

What else do you geek out about?
Movies, other people’s art. I dig through old books for earnest illustrations of early D&D stuff. I geek about animation and stop motion. I geek about Ray Harryhausen. Usually just other people’s art. I like to find out about artists who laid the groundwork for what I do now.

What was your first geek experience?
Discovering a stack of dog-eared comics in an antique shop in old town auburn when I was 10. Twenty-five cents! I had to have them!

What was your craziest geek experience?
Well, they keep kinda happening! When I meet my heroes or people in bands I love or work with them. I get to meet so many people at comic con. The Beastmaster, Lou Ferrigno, stuff like that. The Honky Tonk man! Ha!

What’s your favorite comic book and/or geek centric book?
Well, I love like weird underground comics. Last gasp stuff. Richard Corben stuff, old weird comics, or like Charles Burns! Lately I’m absolutely loving the Immortal Hulk. It’s very bizarre and cool in a way The Hulk should be. Besides that, I love all of Mike Mignola comics.

If you could meet a fictional character, who would it be, and why?
Oh geez. Maybe the Watcher. Just to ask a bunch of annoying questions about the universe.

If you could have one superpower, what would it be?
Any super power which would be scary enough to all imperialist or violent countries to do right by people and end all wars. Holding everyone accountable for the greed, destruction, and violence that they initiate. What would that be? Nuclear Lightning Generator Man of Justice!

What is your favorite app or video game?
I really loved Golden Axe. Or Streets of Rage. I’m old. Honestly all I do is draw monsters. I’m not cool.