And...I'm back with another exciting (ho-hum...) collection of spooky mail art envelopes! EEEK! This time, as you wind your way down through them, there is an extra bonus surprise. My video interview with Ray Wyland about my mail art is included. Oh the absolute HORROR of that! Can your heart STAND it!?!
While your thumper is still ticking, let's get on it and take a look at this latest batch o' mail....
THEY'RE COMING: This first envelope is for a member of IUOMA (International Union of Mail Artists). Or, I should say, he was. Mark was all over the place--a real spirited cheerleader of mail art. He'd create a lot of great stuff and was sending it out all over the world. He was a vital part of the website, well liked and very helpful. And then he just closed out his account and was gone--without a word to anyone. I had literally just sent him something when I noticed his absence. Concerned about him and wondering where he went, I sent this quickly slapped together envelope and letter. I like the concept of the envelope ("They're Coming"?--What is? You don't know, but you understand it's terrifying!), but the final result is not so hot. The pieces I made are all too light. They disappear into the background. Oh well... I tried. My main concern was checking on Mark and making sure he is okay.
THE APPARITION: My friend on IUOMA, Coco Muchmore, was a guest lecturer in a high school art class in April. I sent her several of my envelopes to hand out to her students. She's doing another class in just a few weeks. I can't send her nearly as many as before as I am already backlogged and I'll be visiting California for two weeks--where I will NOT be doing any mail art. This is one I churned out for her students. It's just a quickie, but...
Katerina Nikoltsou (also known as "MomKat") is an IUOMA member from Greece. She sent me some mail!
It included some stamp art and an altered Greek postcard (with hidden monsters) and a nice note on the reverse. Thank you.
THE DEATH PEDDLER: This is what I came up with for her in response. Eh, it's not great. But what were you expecting? Unicorns and rainbows? After mailing this, I found out she MOVED. I hope she gets it...
TERROR IN THE TOWER: This is what I sent him back.
WILD WOMAN WITH A WEED WHACKER: While the title is fun, the execution is poor. I can't win them all... I don't know who the angry lady face is, but it is sitting on my mom's body. (I couldn't find pictures of anyone holding a weed whacker, so... Mom got drafted.)
THE DRYER: The idea behind this and the tag lines are amusing to me...but the execution was a bit meh... It was a rushed, last-minute one before a trip to California. (I mailed it from there, actually.) I am so behind with my mail art chores, I hoped to get one more done before I am gone for 2 weeks...and the amount of mail art I'll "owe" will increase (as new mail comes in). Adam Roussopoulos didn't send me anything--yet. But he is going to. Adam has started a project making rubber stamp likenesses of today's crop of mail artists. He is even going to make one of "me," Monster-A-GoGo. While most people are sending in their actual photographs, I am using my skeleton holding a martini glass avatar. There is something historical about his project. I am glad to be included. Instead of just taking the stamp once it comes and moving on, I wanted to thank him with a piece of my mail art in return.
In my previous post, I mentioned that Tiki With Ray's Ray Wyland wanted to include me in another of his Tiki With Ray videos (although, again under his Tiki Goth Club banner). Ray had originally found me and tracked me down because of my tiki blog (Monster-A-GoGo: The Tiki Tourist) and I had done his show in late October. This time he wanted to do an episode about my mail art. While I have done some tiki mail art (mostly for Ray) in the past, the horror aspect of (most of) my mail art appealed to the "Goth Club" side of things for him. He came to the island, we did the shoot (which he mercifully edited down. Really--I have the personality of a tree stump. I'm so camera shy! And jeepers...I have gotten so dang heavy!) The video is below. Take a look or don't!
I was not thrilled about opening things up to make anyone who wanted one an envelope--as they do take some time to do. But, as I write this, I've only had requests for about 6. I think I can handle that....eventually. It won't be right away.
Ray also posted a photo of himself once he got the envelope I sent him after we did the show.
Following my trip to California, I had my mail art work cut out for me. Oh golly! The list is never ending.... I did quietly pull a "Mark Johnson" (See the story about the top envelope.) and removed myself entirely from IUOMA, closing out my account. (However, unlike Mark, I sent notes to a few people there first, late at night, and let them know I was leaving--with promises to keep in touch --moments before I pulled the plug. For the others, I am hoping the old adage, "Out of Site--Out of Mind" will apply to those who somehow keep finding me there (or end up in my mailbox) when I had already removed my address and listed that my mailbox was closed and I didn't want any more mail.(Is someone there deliberately SHARING my address? Geez!) (Thank you, Pam Chatfield, for sending the screenshot below. How weird that my page is still "there"--when it isn't really.)
My wonderful mail art friend Tara Odorizzi sent me a delightful mail art surprise. The outside was interesting.
I opened up one side to be careful with it. When I peeked inside, I saw there was something hiding within. WOW-zer! When I opened it up fully there was this nifty surprise mail art grooviness awaiting me!
There was also an awesome drawing of a skull on a nifty watercolored background and a small letter folded up inside!
THERE'S A MONSTER IN MY POPO!: This is what I sent her back...and it is rather silly. Potty humor--ugh. But I made myself laugh putting it together. I hope it's not too juvenile for Tara. "Can your heart stand the SHARTLING CLIMAX!" Never mind...
DON'T LOOK BEHIND YOU!: This one is for my friend Michael Ostrowski. I've actually never met Michael in real life, but we have "met" visiting each other's blogs. Michael is a super guy and an author. I may have sent Michael and his wife J'nell a piece o' mail art before. I don't recall. Michael made his way onto my overcrowded and backed-up mail art list this time because he is so dang nice. Like a couple of others before him, he kindly donated to my blog fund to keep my tiki blog (Monster-A-GoGo: The Tiki Tourist) online. Oh my stars! I am so humbled and humiliated and thankful all at once. I really hoped that STRANGERS would fund the blog--not people I know. But, as my humble thank you, he gets an envelope. THANK YOU, Michael.
86-2023: This is a super quicky using stuff I had laying around---it's not even faux movie themed. It has no name---so I am just calling it the number I've written on the back. Although you can't tell, this envelope is very small, too. I had a bizarre mail art "break-up", for lack of a better term. Marina was someone who approached me on IUOMA after I had removed my address and said my mailbox was closed. Fine. I was still pleasant and sent her some mail anyway (including one of my favorite pieces, "A VERY CTHULU CHRISTMAS"). But I told her then that I wasn't giving out my address and didn't want any mail. She seemed fine with that and occasionally sent me notes on IUOMA. Somehow, after I deleted my account on IUOMA, I got a message from her (via IUOMA) telling me that she can't handle the one-sidedness of our correspondence so she was "bowing out." I am totally fine with that. I think I had only sent her a total of two pieces anyway--and I want less stress. The quickie envelope is just a quickie acknowledgement of her message---because I'm sure she wondered if I got it or not as my account is deleted. Anyway, that is one more envelope off of my list... Phew!
CASA DE CORPSES: Finally! I have a 10th envelope finished for this post---now I can put it up. It's been just a day or two shy of a MONTH since my last one. Sure, I was on vacation for two weeks, but since getting back, my envelope groove has kind of gone M.I.A. This envelope is for a guy on Instagram and for some reason I had the hardest time with it. I had two earlier envelopes I abandoned midway because the ideas behind them just weren't there. That's never happened before. (I'm saving them as I'm hoping those lose gears in my head will click into place eventually.) This one is a bit bloodier than the others. The recipient is a fan of 70s/80s slashers. It still looks like one of my envelopes--but the fab mid-century screaming people are nowhere to be seen.
And, I’m gonna sign off here. Not to worry. I will be back. My list of people I "owe" mail art to is right at 25 (for the moment. It will probably mushroom some more, but...). That ensures at least 2+ more posts. (I hear you groaning out there. Stop that! No one made you look...)
I hope your summer is smashing and beware when opening YOUR mailbox. You just NEVER know when I'll be in there. YIKES!!!
ah good stuff. i like the one you sent me, even if you said it wasn't that good. i will include this meaty blog post in my next blog post at Mail Art News. people will be able to sink their teeth into your post. no bones about it.
Anonymous said…
Great mail art Shawn! I'd love to rifle through your stash of "stuff I had lying around!" I think your well curated collections of horrified faces, assorted body parts and ghoulish words must be the envy of all! And a Mom that would pose with a weed whacker was an extra bonus. Loved Tara Odorizzi's artier mail! My kind of mail art. Finally passing your talents on to inspire Coco Muchmore's class is helping to keep the world of mail art alive! BRAVO!!!
SUE!!!! How are you? So nice of you to visit the page. My stash of image ephemera is a mess in reality. It's all over the place! I can't seem to keep organized. (But don't tell anyone.) I'm glad you liked Tara's piece. That was the first thing she's ever sent me, I believe. She's one o' the few mail artists I've ever met in real life. I am so glad to know her. Coco's class has been pushed back a bit to late July. If I have time (and can get a handle on some of the mail art I "owe"/have "promised"), i'll make more for her. She apparently is also doing another lecture in the fall. Hooray! Thanks for visiting as always. It's a pleasure every time. CHEERS!
Mr. Mail Art News (aka Mr. Brown)! Hi there. I am glad that you liked your envelope. That's something at least. It is also kind of you to offer to put it in your blog post. As I have told you separately via email, I believe your Mail Art News is a great thing for Mail Art history. I hope others recognize it as thus as well. Thanks for visiting the blog. CHEERS!
I know I've said this before, but you're too hard on yourself. Your envelopes are all awesome!
I hope to get a rubber stamp from Adam too. I emailed the photo and information to the address he posted for it, but I haven't heard anything yet. I'm sure he has a lot!
I just watched your interview. It was great! I enjoyed seeing how your envelopes progressed over the years.
Hi Pam! Thanks for visiting. Since I quit IUOMA, I told Adam that he doesn't need to send me one of the rubber stamps. Although I am still doing the mail art thang (obviously), I feel somehow not legit because I am no longer a card-carrying member--just some hokey freelancer. I should have ammended that portion before posting the blog. Oh well. I can't wait to see your stamp if/when it comes. The poor man must be VERY busy. Thanks for watching the video--I think. O' the HORROR. I warned you--I am NOT meant for the camera. But thanks for visiting anyway. CHEERS!
Comments
i will include this meaty blog post in my next blog post at Mail Art News. people will be able to sink their teeth into your post. no bones about it.
around!" I think your well curated collections of horrified faces, assorted body parts and ghoulish words must be the envy of all! And a Mom that would pose with a weed whacker was an extra bonus. Loved Tara Odorizzi's artier mail! My kind of mail art. Finally passing your talents on to inspire Coco Muchmore's class is helping to keep the world of mail art alive! BRAVO!!!
I'm glad you liked Tara's piece. That was the first thing she's ever sent me, I believe. She's one o' the few mail artists I've ever met in real life. I am so glad to know her.
Coco's class has been pushed back a bit to late July. If I have time (and can get a handle on some of the mail art I "owe"/have "promised"), i'll make more for her. She apparently is also doing another lecture in the fall. Hooray! Thanks for visiting as always. It's a pleasure every time. CHEERS!
I hope to get a rubber stamp from Adam too. I emailed the photo and information to the address he posted for it, but I haven't heard anything yet. I'm sure he has a lot!
I just watched your interview. It was great! I enjoyed seeing how your envelopes progressed over the years.
Since I quit IUOMA, I told Adam that he doesn't need to send me one of the rubber stamps. Although I am still doing the mail art thang (obviously), I feel somehow not legit because I am no longer a card-carrying member--just some hokey freelancer. I should have ammended that portion before posting the blog. Oh well. I can't wait to see your stamp if/when it comes. The poor man must be VERY busy.
Thanks for watching the video--I think. O' the HORROR. I warned you--I am NOT meant for the camera. But thanks for visiting anyway.
CHEERS!