I was not really planning on doing an entire series of villains, but I was so inspired by the results of the Tony Montana and Jack Torrance pieces that I felt a need to address other bad motherfuckers.
We all love villains, don't we? These are folks that not only think about evil things, but act them out in a choreographed and methodical sociopathy. On film, that's a beautiful thing. I am not much of a movie person these days, but I do love some movies. The pieces in this series depict the heaviest, most fucked up villains I am aware of.
Pacino as the King of Miami was done on commission for a friend as a gift for her Cuban husband. One of the most iconic movie posters of all time, due to heavy airtime on MTV's Cribs and constant shout-outs in hip-hop over the last 20 years, this piece presented an interesting challenge. I re-drew this piece 3 times before I was happy with it, but the final piece is real hot. This piece turns out to be an unwitting precursor to a series that would not get underway for a few months.
Nicholson's portrayal of Jack Torrance, the teacher / writer turned caretaker of the Overlook Hotel who succombs to cabin fever in Stanley Kubrick's The Shining, is just plain crazy. Watching the character mentally deteriorate over the course of the film is about as creepy as anything else I have seen in a movie. When Jack has his wife cornered in a bathroom and he chops through the door with a fire axe, we get the essence of crazy. I envisioned this piece in my office, but have to keep it in my residence because it's so sick. In red and black, a natural choice if you have seen the film.
While I was in the middle of moving, I had an Ice Cube renaissance. Of course, repping the 213 was key during the process of packing and moving from one 213 domicile to another, a near impossibility given that I moved more than 4 miles away. One lyric always stands out. "He's about as hard as Darth Vader - in his sweatshirt, khakis and Chuck Taylors." If you caught the late seventies and early eighties, you were feeling Star Wars, and Darth Vader was the illest villain. I found this pic that was perfect, with all these lights blinging off the helmet. It was a must.
I am going through some new ideas for the next piece. Stay tuned. ©
