I was able to track down my friend Mark Riddick for a talk. He is a great artist and his success is well deserved. We are all proud to have him in our metal family (even if he doesn’t like horror movies and would rather watch ‘The Notebook” ;> ) So here is my short talk with the one and only sick ass artist!
Mark Riddick Interview By Mike Abominator.
Hi Mark; thanks for your time! When did you start drawing and doing artwork?
MARK: I can recall drawing as early as age 6 but I began taking art more seriously at the age of 14 when I was introduced to the underground death/black metal scene. I also began to take art courses in high school at this time and remember being inspired by my art instructor, who created fantasy-like illustrations using pen & ink and watercolor techniques.
Obviously, you like gruesome and gory topics, what got you to do art on this track?
MARK: Yes, the subject matter and content of my artwork is often filled with corpses, internal organs, anti-Christian motifs, and other topics related to death. I got started on this track when my eyes were opened to not only the world of underground extreme music but the art that accompanied it. I began a collection of underground fanzines, demo tapes, and 7” records in the early 90s and the images depicted on them truly made an impression on me. Almost all of the underground fanzines and demos were reproduced on photocopiers so most of what I was digesting was in black and white. I try to preserve the old school underground look and feel with my ink illustrations because I have such an affinity and nostalgia for the old days of death/black metal.
You are well established in the heavy metal community and do a lot of pieces for bands. What started you with this? You are a ravenous metal freak, right?
MARK: As soon as I was introduced to the underground metal scene by local band, ARGHOSLENT, in 1991 I started to network domestically and internationally with bands, record labels, tape traders, fanzine editors, and other illustrators. I’ve made several contacts during the past two decades and have had plenty of opportunities to get my illustrations published and recognized by the heavy metal community. Yes, I am absolutely a fucking ravenous metal freak! In fact, more than half of the income I make doing my illustrations goes right back into the metal scene when I buy records, CDs, and T-Shirts! I think for myself, and almost any die-hard metal fan would likely agree, metal is a way of life.
When you do your art, do you just kind of “freelance” or “freestyle”? Or do you get a concept going inside your head first and get in a mood?
MARK: My illustration career is certainly a ‘freelance’ endeavor for me as I have a full-time day job as a graphic artist. Regarding ‘freestyle’ or how I approach my artwork, it varies depending on the nature of the job. In some cases, my client may already have a specific theme in mind and I will filter their direction through my own creative lenses. On the other hand, I am sometimes given complete creative freedom on an illustration project. In a situation such as this I tend to borrow from my own imagination or I will reference other like-minded artists for inspiration. I don’t need to be in any particular mood to draw unless I have a great idea and need to get it on paper immediately. Illustrating is really a passion for me and it’s something I truly enjoy doing. To be able to express myself and create freely without the bounds of ethics is a wonderful gift.
What are your top 5 favorite albums that you have been playing? And what are your top 10 albums of all time?
MARK: Right now I am currently listening to: MYSTIFIER “Baphometic Goat Worship” 6xLP Box set (Brazil), BESTIAL HOLOCAUST “Final Extermination” CD (Brazil), OLD “Down with the Nails” CD (Germany), DECEASED “Luck of the Corpse” PicLP (USA), HELL TORMENT “Opening the Gates of Hell” (Peru)
It’s very difficult for me to list my top 10 albums of all time as I have so many amazing CDs, records, and cassettes in my collection but I’ll do my best (in no particular order):
VITAL REMAINS “Dechristianize” (USA), DYING FETUS “Destroy the Opposition” (USA), SEPTIC FLESH “Mystic Places of Dawn” (Greece), DECEASED “As the Weird Travel On” (USA), WITCHTRAP “No Anesthesia” (Colombia), ORPAHNED LAND “Sahara” (Israel), METALUCIFER “Heavy Metal Bulldozer” (German version) (Japan/Germany), MASTER’S HAMMER “Rtual” (Czech Republic), TIMEGHOUL “Tumultuous Travels” demo (USA), XERXES “Beyond My Imagination” (Switzerland)
Also obviously, you are influenced by horror. What are some of your favorite movies and books as far as horror goes?
MARK: Many people have this assumption of me. The truth is that I rarely watch horror movies; in fact I probably haven’t seen one in five years or more. Horror movies and/or books don’t interest me very much. I prefer to watch independent films, comedies, romantic comedies, documentaries, or dramas. Some of my favorite movies are the ones that I find emotionally moving like “Good Will Hunting,” “The Notebook,” “Saint Ralph,” “Rory O’Shea Was Here,” etc. The last two movies I watched were both documentaries, “Anvil: The Story of Anvil” (about the band’s struggle to put out a new but relative album) and “Food Inc.” (about the destructive nature of America’s food industry.)
You also play in quite a few bands! Tell me about these bands and how do you find the time for also playing music?
MARK: Although illustrating is my priority, I also find much pleasure in writing and recording my own music. I’ve played in several bands, covering various genres of underground music, since the early 90s. My longest standing project, THE SOIL BLEEDS BLACK, was initiated in 1992 and has published over ten records and CDs on various labels in the USA, England, Sweden, Austria, Argentina, Italy, and Germany. The music is not metal at all, in fact it is neo-medieval folk music borrowing heavily from traditional and contemporary medieval styles. I play a wide variety of traditional instruments for this project, such as medieval smallpipes, Scottish pipe chanter, Irish low whistle, recorder, hammered dulcimer, etc. Although this project has moved slowly in recent years we are finishing work on our seventh full-length record, titled “1212,” about the fabled Children’s Crusades of said year. My focus in recent years has been upon my solo death metal effort, FETID ZOMBIE, which is an auditory representation of my illustrative work. FETID ZOMBIE has published one full-length CD, “Pleasures of the Scalpel” and a CD-R EP, “Abort the Messiah.” My second opus, “Vomiting in the Baptismal Pool,” will be out later this year via Disco de la Muerte/Obliteration Records (Japan) and Bloondline Productions (Thailand) and features special guest appearances by BONE GNAWER, NUNSLAUGHTER, DEVOURMENT, UNBURIED, and LOCULUS. I’m currently working on my third full-length opus, “Carrion Christ,” as well as material for a split 7” with FONDLECORPSE. Here is a list of other bands I’m involved with or have been involved with in the past: GRAVE WAX, UNBURIED (working on new album), EXCRESCENT, UNEARTHED, FOLKEARTH, 15 DELIGHTS OF DIONYSUS, HEXENTANZ, MOONROOT, and EQUIMANTHORN.
Looking at your Web site, you have done a book, skateboards, art for TV, art for major magazines and Web sites, quite a few major bands artwork, as well as the underground bands artwork. Did you ever imagine that you would get this far?
MARK: Hell no; it still blows my mind that some of the bands I was listening to as a teenager I’ve actually had the opportunity to do artwork for…like HYPOCRISY, AUTOPSY, GRAVE, MASSACRE, etc. It’s also completely surreal to be out shopping at the mall or Best Buy and seeing people wearing my art on their T-Shirt, let alone on seeing it on commercials or television shows on NBC, MTV, the Travel Channel, and the Cartoon Network. It’s such a huge fucking honor and I’m completely humbled by it considering my first illustrations were published in some small DIY underground death metal fanzines almost 20 years ago. It seems unbelievable but its proof to me, and hopefully others, that passion and determination can make realities of fantasies.
Tell me about the Riddick art gallery and private studio. You are also a fan of other artists as well, which seems to be the case with all of you crazy maniac artists that we crazy maniac musicians love so much! Haha!
MARK: Yes, this is indeed the case.
When my wife and I purchased our new single family home I decided to dedicate a room strictly for my freelance art endeavors. My private studio is located in the finished basement of our home and has a double-door entry, beautiful tile flooring, faux-sheep skin rug, Ikea lounge couch, storage for my vinyl collection and record and cassette player, and a desk for my laptop, scanner, etc. The room is painted in a medium grey with one dark grey accent wall. Lastly, the walls are adorned by an assortment of original pieces of black & white art or limited edition prints from my favorite underground metal illustrators. Although I am still collecting art, my gallery space currently boasts some rare favorites like DARK TRANQUILITY’s first demo cover artwork by Niklas Sundin, IMPETIGO’s first demo cover art and layout by Stevo, plus illustrations by myself, Matt ‘Putrid’ Carr, Aaron Crawford, Dennis Dread, Justin Bartlett, Jeff Zornow, Toshihiro Egawa, Russell Evans, Daniel Desecrator, Vincent Locke, Tom Denney, Mike Majewski, Rob Smits, and limited edition prints from Stephen Kasner and Rosemary Feit Covey. Right now I’m working to secure some original art from Erik Danielsson (WATAIN), Jonathan Hulten (TRIBULATION), and of course Chris Moyen (with whom my collection would not be complete!).
I’ll let you get back to work Brother! Thanks for your time, Mark! Also thanks for your work that you have done so far for GRAVEHILL and all the other bands. Any last words?
MARK: Mike, thanks so much for the wonderful questions and for your die-hard dedication to underground metal music! All the best to GRAVEHILL and congratulations on your deal with Ibex Moon Records! Metal ‘til death!
Reader Comments
great guy, kick ass fucking art!
His cover art for _Abort the Messiah_ is utterly gruesome and fantastic.