Three local artists have joined forces with Long Beach Cinematheque and Red Eye Media to create original t-shirt graphics for this year’s Zombie Walk Music & Arts Festival, which is taking place this Saturday, October 27th, at Marina Green Park on Shoreline Drive.
Jeff McMillan is a highly collected fine artist, and his corporate client list is impressive. He was the first to step up and offer his talents to the cause. He embraced the challenge of creating a one-color image that captures the spirit of the event, and came up with “Bert Jerpener.”
“The design’s development was inspired by post season baseball,” McMillan said. “Halloween and the playoffs are my favorite time of the year.”
Gary Musgrave, whose work may be best known for gracing the covers of many a Write Bloody Publishing book, created a two color image titled “Double Dutch.” Dutch, he explained, is the name of the zombie that’s torn in half.
“I wanted to make an image that was grotesque, and still reflected my sense of humor,” Musgrave said.
Last up was the popular local painter, Rhett Johnson, whose bold, bright canvasses have been gracing the walls of many a Vayden Roi gallery for the last year. The work he submitted, titled “Smile,” wasn’t created specifically for the zombie walk, but he added hand drawn lettering for the t-shirt.
“I‘ve been painting monsters, murderers and madmen since I was a child,” Johnson said. “I was told of the Long Beach Zombie Walk and immediately thought to create a design based around a large painting titled ‘Smile,’ which features an enormous blood soaked zombie head smiling at the viewer.
“I have had an interest in zombies, and horror movies in general, all my life,” Johnson confessed, “and consider myself an expert when it comes to the occult. I can’t wait to be part of this year’s Zombie Walk. Good times, happy people, blood and guts—it doesn’t get any better than this!”
“I was super stoked that they asked me to participate,” McMillan agreed. “I live here in Long Beach, so it’s a quick commute but, more importantly, I like being involved in the city where I live.”
Musgrave, too, was stoked to be a part of the event.
“Zombies have always scared me more than anything,” he said. “Coming up with a rad design to contribute definitely feels good.”
All three artists will share a booth at the Long Beach Zombie Walk Music & Arts Festival.
“I’ll have silk screen posters of my work that I’ve made, as well as stickers, possibly a ‘zine or two, and possibly some freebie stuff,” Musgrave said.
McMillan isn’t showing up empty handed, either.
“I’ll have shirts, prints, original drawings done there on site, postcards, and stickers,” he said.
“I will have a range of work on canvas,” said Johnson, “everything from zombies to monsters and all that’s in between. I promise quite the show! Expect a live painting demonstration as well. I will create a large original piece for the amusement of living and the undead.”
Logan Crow, founder and Executive Director of Long Beach Cinematheque, and producer of the Zombie Walk, was knocked out by the designs.
“I’m absolutely blown away by the talent and artistry these designs exhibit,” Crow said, “and I’m really glad the artists will be on hand to showcase their other work and get some love from the zombie hoard. I’m definitely looking forward to adding these designs to my own t-shirt collection—assuming I get a chance to pick them up before they sell out!”
Red Eye Media is the brain child of Jahaziel Romero. The company has demonstrated a strong commitment to community, and to sharing the art of screen printing, by showing up at all kinds of local events, printing custom designed shirts and selling them at cost.
“We are excited to join the Zombie Walk team this year,” Romero said. “The artists have outdone themselves this year. We are always excited about being able to duplicate a piece of art the way the designer intended the piece to work. The exciting part is that you don’t have to hang the artwork on a wall. You can wear it for years to come.”
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These shirts will be available inside the ticketed area on the day of the event, for $15 from the Red Eye Media Booth, where they’ll be making the shirts until they run out. Part of the price will go to support the ongoing programming of Long Beach Cinematheque, and a dollar from each shirt will go to the artists.
For more information about the Zombie Walk, visit ZombieWalkLB.com.
Check out Jeff’s beautiful paintings and design work at JeffMcMillan.com, and read a recent interview.
View Gary’s drawings and illustration work at GaryMusgrave.com
To learn more about embroidery and screen printing services, visit RedEyeMediaInc.com.
Except for spray cans and markers, Rhett is living in the Dark Ages. (He doesn’t even have a facebook page!) Rumor has it that, soon, he’ll have an on-line presence. His original painting, ‘Smile,’ and many others by him will be on exhibition (and for sale) at WE Labs, which is located at 105 W. Broadway, which is upstairs on the north west corner of Pine and Broadway.
UPDATE: Rhett Johnson now has a facebook page: Facebook.com/RhettJohnsonArtist
UPDATE: All three designs are now available, for a limited time, on-line at LongBeachShirts.com