DeathMatch!! photos on Flickr

This is a pointillist work I made with blue, red and black ink on paper. I just love Marilyn Manson's personality and crazy style! Everybody should have an aura...

Please, see my other portrait of Marilyn Manson

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For more information about my art: info@benheine.com

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Biography

Brian Hugh Warner (born January 5, 1969), better known by his stage name Marilyn Manson, is a professional musician. He is the lead singer of the industrial metal band that bears the same name. His stage name is formed from the names Marilyn Monroe and Charles Manson.

Brian Hugh Warner was born on January 5th 1969 in Canton, Ohio. He attended Heritage Christian School. After transferring to and later graduating from Canton's GlenOak High School, Warner moved to Fort Lauderdale, Florida with his family. While living in Fort Lauderdale, he studied journalism and theater at Broward Community College, and became the assistant entertainment editor of BCC's student newspaper, the Observer.

Romance

Warner's first serious relationship was with Melissa "Missi" Romero. As explained in his autobiography, during the production of "Antichrist Superstar," Missi became pregnant with Warner's child, but had an abortion during her second trimester. He has also been linked to Traci Lords and Jenna Jameson. Jameson wrote about her sexual encounter with Manson in her autobiography, How to Make Love Like a Porn Star: A Cautionary Tale in which she noted him as being "massively endowed". Manson was engaged to Rose McGowan, but their relationship ended around the time he became involved with burlesque dancer and fetish model model Dita Von Teese. Manson photographed Von Teese for the December 2002 issue of Playboy. Manson and Von Teese wed in December 2005 in the Irish home of friend Gottfried Helnwein. Von Teese filed for divorce as of December 2006. The divorce came through in January 2007. In April of 2007, Marilyn Manson's girlfriend, Evan Rachel Wood, admitted that they were actually a couple.

Marriage

Manson and Dita Von Teese started dating on Manson's 32nd birthday, and Manson proposed three years later on March 22, 2004. On December 3, 2005 (court documents say November 28), the couple was married in a non-denominational ceremony at Gurteen Castle in Kilsheelan, County Tipperary, Ireland, the home of Gottfried Helnwein. The wedding was officiated by surrealist film director and comic book writer Alejandro Jodorowsky. Dita Von Teese wore a royal purple silk taffeta gown by Vivienne Westwood, complete with train and petticoats worn over a Mr. Pearl couture corset, topped off by a tricorne hat by Stephen Jones, while Manson wore a John Galliano black silk taffeta tuxedo with velvet trim and a hat also crafted by Stephen Jones. They reportedly exchanged vows in front of approximately 60 guests, including burlesque dancer Catherine Delish, Lisa Marie Presley, Eric Szmanda, David Lynch, Jessicka and Christian Hejnal, and Sharon and Ozzy Osbourne. Vogue magazine ran a multiple-page feature on the wedding in its February 2006 issue. Just before his own wedding, Manson criticized Britney Spears' wedding to Kevin Federline, in which they celebrated by wearing personalized tracksuits: "If you're going to do something like getting married, it should have a sense of celebration to it. It should be grand and not in tracksuits!"

As of January 30, 2007 Manson and Dita Von Teese reportedly split after her filing for divorce due to "irreconcilable differences" according to Von Teese. ET.com along with People Magazine has claimed that Manson was having an extramarital affair with actress Evan Rachel Wood, which may or may not be the true cause of the split. Manson's alcohol abuse and distant behaviour have also been cited as cause for the split. It has also been claimed that Manson was not aware of Von Teese's filing for divorce and moving out of their home at the time that the story was published, conceivably due to his reported stay in Paris, France. Von Teese reportedly took their two cats and two dachshunds, Greta and Eva, with her when she left. Manson fought for custody of the two cats, but only received one of them.

Evan Rachel Wood attended the grand opening of Manson's new Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art and among the most notable artworks were two portraits of Evan. She will also co-star in his upcoming horror film Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.

In music

Jessicka of the band Jack Off Jill was an early friend of Manson's, her band opened most of his South Florida shows. He not only produced most of the band's early recordings but also played guitar on the song "My Cat" and helped name the band. Manson later wrote the liner notes for the band's album Humid Teenage Mediocrity, a collection of early Jack Off Jill recordings.

In early 1993, after being instructed by his new label, Interscope Records, not to play any local shows, Manson formed Mrs. Scabtree. Mrs. Scabtree was a side project between he and newly hired Jeordie White. Manson played drums, while White (dressed as a black woman) shared vocal duties with then girlfriend Jessicka from Jack Off Jill who wore a blonde wig. Mrs. Scabtree only played two shows in South Florida.

Manson has helped or provided full scores for several major motion pictures, although several of his pieces have been cut, and his name dropped from the credits. Some of his more notable soundtrack score contributions include The Matrix, From Hell and Resident Evil.

Manson appeared as a guest on rapper DMX's album Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood for the track "The Omen", produced by Swizz Beats, and has performed (with the rest of the band) on stage with Eminem as background music in the song "The Way I Am".

Manson sang vocals on "Break You Down" off of the Washington, DC-based industrial rock band gODHEAD's 2000 Years of Human Error album. This album is distinguished for being the only one released on Manson's vanity label Posthuman Records.

In film and television

Manson made a cameo appearance as a doctor in the Murderdolls' music video "Dead in Hollywood", and also appears in the Nine Inch Nails music video "Starfuckers, Inc.", as well as "Gave Up", and Eminem's "The Way I Am" music video.

His first appearance in a film was in the role of a pornographic actor in David Lynch's Lost Highway, in 1997. He also had a minor role in former love interest Rose McGowan's 1998 film Jawbreaker and a supporting role in 2003's Party Monster, which is based on the events leading up to and the murder of Angel Melendez by the infamous Michael Alig of club kid fame, where Manson portrayed a psychotic drag queen named Christina . Manson made a cameo appearance in The Hire: Beat the Devil, a short film in the BMW films series (starring Clive Owen as the Driver), which featured James Brown as himself, and Gary Oldman as Satan. His most talked-about film cameo was in the Michael Moore political documentary Bowling for Columbine discussing the motivations of the perpetrators and allegations that his music was somehow a factor. He played himself, in animated form, on an episode of the television series Clone High, in which he sang a song about nutrition and the food pyramid. He is featured prominently throughout Not Another Teen Movie, and covered the song "Tainted Love" for its soundtrack.

His music is frequently featured on the show C.S.I.. The character on the show, Greg Sanders, is a big fan of Manson and the actor who plays him, Eric Szmanda, is a personal friend of Manson's.

Manson was featured in the 2004 film The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things, and was set to appear in Abelcain, directed by Alejandro Jodorowsky, and Living Neon Dreams in 2005, although both of these projects are still unreleased as of 2007. He will also be seen as a bartender in an upcoming vampire movie starring Lucy Liu called Rise and possibly has pending roles in Abelcain, RISE and other projects.

Manson has produced 23 music videos, most of which have gone beyond the scope of a normal performance video and been well received by critics for their imagery and direction. Manson’s three most recent released videos – Personal Jesus, (s)AINT and Heart-Shaped Glasses – were voluntarily funded with his own money (to a sum of $1,500,000) and largely not that of the record company. Manson stated in June 2006 that he saw himself "as more a student of film than of music".

In July 2005, Manson told Rolling Stone that he was shifting his focus from music to filmmaking - "I just don't think the world is worth putting music into right now. I no longer want to make art that other people--particularly record companies--are turning into a product. I just want to make art."

By 2006 Manson was working on his directorial debut, Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll, but has since put the project off until November 2007 to focus on recording Marilyn Manson's sixth studio album, Eat Me, Drink Me, followed by a world tour. The film is said to feature special effects using a magician rather than computer-generated imagery.

In graphic art

From the beginning Manson has been a recreational painter, the oldest of his surviving pieces dating back to 1995-1996, but it was after his 1998 Grey period that Manson began his career as a watercolour painter. In 1999 he made five-minute concept pieces and sold them to drug dealers with their knowledge that they would accumulate in value over time. Gradually Manson became more drawn to watercolors as an art form in itself, and instead of trading them, kept them and continued to paint at a proficient rate.

This manic creativity resulted in an exhibit for his art, The Golden Age of Grotesque, held at the Los Angeles Contemporary Exhibitions Centre on between September 13 and 14, 2002. The reaction to his paintings was largely positive with one critic comparing them to Egon Schele's pieces and describing them as heartfelt and sincerely painted, and Art in America went as far as to liken them to the works of a " psychiatric patient given materials to use as therapy ". Others however saw less merit in the works stating that the value was in the celebrity.

Two years later almost to the day, during September 14 and 15, 2004, Manson held his second exhibit on the first night in Paris and the second in Berlin, Trismegistus, which was also the title of the center piece of the exhibit – a large three headed Christ painted onto an antique wood panel. Again the reception to the works could be described as mixed but was largely in favour of the artist.

Manson opened his own an art gallery, The Celebritarian Corporation Gallery of Fine Art, on October 31, 2006 in Los Angeles for which his third exhibition (by invitation or appointment only after the opening night) was the inaugural show. From April 2 until April 17, 2007 Manson's recent works were be on show at the Space 39 Modern & Contemporary in Florida.

A coffee table art book is in the works, initially titled The Death of Art. The last given title was Quintif. It will be published by the makers of Flaunt magazine.

40 pieces from this show were ported to the Gallery Brigitte Schenk in Cologne, Germany to be publicly exhibited from June 28 until July 28, 2007. After this they will return to the Space39 Modern & Contemporary Gallery thus leaving Manson's own gallery in Los Angeles temporarily without his own work until 2008.

The price of Manson's works has been a somewhat controversial point for fans and critics alike, with most fans realistically unable to afford the paintings save for fine art editions and lithographs. Manson's prices though are realistic and reasonable considering the long-term value at a time when prices for contemporary art have never been higher.

During his European tour 2007 Manson has exhibited his paintings in Germany, Russia and Switzerland.

In other areas

Manson provided the voice of the alien Edgar in the 2005 first-person shooter video game Area 51, which also featured David Duchovny. Marilyn Manson also appears (as himself) as a playable character in the video game Celebrity Deathmatch. Allegedly, the artist posed nude for photos prior to his rise to fame. The pictures appeared in the March 1999 issue of Honcho.

Professional fallouts

Trent Reznor

One of Manson's high-profile relationships, the defunct friendship with Trent Reznor, has been marked with mutual bitterness and perhaps vendetta. This started in the mid-90s, when Manson was due to make a track that would appear on the soundtrack to David Lynch's Lost Highway, but instead Reznor was the one who wrote a song, "The Perfect Drug", for the film. In 1999, it seemed the two artists had patched their differences, as Manson made an appearance in the video for the Nine Inch Nails song "Starfuckers, Inc."

In 2004, Reznor was asked whether he had plans to do any covers; he sarcastically replied, "I was really hoping to do something unique and pertinent - like do an exact copy of "Personal Jesus" - but it was already taken."

In a 2005 interview, Manson said Reznor's Nothing Records had lost the master recordings of Manson's first three albums. He implied it was Reznor's intention, "Now that Nothing Records doesn't exist, I think there's only one of two people responsible for that. Out of those two people, there's only one that really has an opinion of me that is voiced very often."

Twiggy Ramirez

In May 2002 Twiggy Ramirez left the band, citing differences in perspective on the future of the band. He went on to play bass for A Perfect Circle and Nine Inch Nails. During this time, Manson claimed in interviews that he and Ramirez were still close friends, while Ramirez maintained that he rarely spoke to Manson. In an interview in February of 2006 Twiggy stated he was willing to record an album with Marilyn Manson if the right conditions were met. In Autumn 2006, Manson and Ramirez were photographed together at numerous parties in Los Angeles, in amicable poses.

In January 2008 it was announced that Ramirez had reunited with the band as live bassist for the last leg of the Rape of the World tour as well as co-writer of the band's seventh studio album. In an interview with The Heirophant on January 11, 2008, Manson revealed that the reconciliation with Ramirez was not as abrupt as it initially seemed, and that the two had been occasionally communicating with each other since speaking at the Roosevelt Hotel in Hollywood, California prior to the Winter European leg of the Rape of the World tour.

John 5

John 5's reasons for leaving Marilyn Manson were cited as being mutual, despite the mysterious nature of his sudden firing by Manson's manager in 2004.

John was quoted at the time as saying about the incident, "I don't know. . . I was nothing but nice to him," he continued. "I never screwed up onstage — well not really badly — and I did everything I could to get along with him. Maybe, just maybe, it had something to do with the fact that I don't drink or do drugs, and he's not like that at all. Maybe he held that against me. I don't know. He never said." John 5 was notorious among fans as being drug and alcohol free.

Before the incident, Manson had assaulted John on stage, notably, Manson kicked John in the face during a televised performance, leading to a brief confrontation in front of a packed and roaring audience (available on YouTube). This was during the intro to "The Beautiful People", when played at the Rock AM Ring 2003.

Also, during the tour John maintains that Manson spoke about matters other than business only once, "It was on my birthday, and he turned to me and said, "Happy birthday, faggot" — then walked away."

Despite this, John maintains he respects Manson, citing his skilled production style and his love for the band's music. John was already a fan of the band before joining in 1998. In response to a question regarding the reason for the split with Manson, John 5 was quoted by Vintage Guitar Magazine as saying, "(laughs) At the end of the last tour, I decided I really wanted to do this solo thing and that I had to devote all my time to it. The split with Manson was totally amicable. It wasn't one of those big breakups. We're friends. I wish there was some good dirt, but there's not (laughs)!"

In an interview prior to the January 19, 2008 performance in Orlando, Florida, Marilyn Manson revealed that John 5 would make a guest appearance during the show, stating: "I'll have [John] come on stage and play songs with us this first show. It would practically be the Holy Wood lineup." This guest appearance ultimately did not take place, however.

Madonna Wayne Gacy

Before leaving the band nothing was heard of Madonna Wayne Gacy for over a year. In an exclusive conference conducted by Marilyn Manson in April 2007, he revealed the upcoming album Eat Me, Drink Me was recorded in collaboration between himself and Tim Skold. Essentially this meant Gacy did not partake in the album, but not ruling out the possibility of him performing as live keyboardist on the upcoming tour. Later, Manson revealed that Chris Vrenna (who previously drummed for the band during Ginger Fish's hiatus in 2004) would be performing as live keyboardist on the tour, in Gacy's place.

On August 2, 2007, Gacy filed a lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking a back pay of $20 million dollars. Gacy claimed Manson has been using the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, his drug addictions, his wedding with Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll.

On December 20, 2007, Manson countersued Gacy. As a reaction to the lawsuit Gacy filed against Manson in August, Manson claims, "keyboardist Stephen Bier did not carry out obligations to take part in master recordings [of Eat Me, Drink Me], concerts [of the Rape of the World tour] and the selling of band merchandise," according to this report which states that Manson is seeking unspecified general and special damages.

Insight

Even though he is known mostly for his music, which some refer to as crude and grotesque, Manson is a very intelligent and insightful man. In interviews he is always well spoken and is calm to the people who challenge him. Most people see his music as delivering the wrong message, but Manson states that his message was to be creative.

Causes

•In 2002, Manson worked with the Make-A-Wish Foundation to make the wish of a boy with a life-threatening disease come true. 16-year-old Andrew Baines from Tennessee had a wish to sing back-up vocals for a "big" band; Manson jumped on the task and took Baines under his wing to make his dream come true. Manson invited Baines to the studio on August 27, 2002, where he let Baines perform backing vocals for the then-upcoming album, The Golden Age of Grotesque. "Yesterday, I spent the afternoon with Andrew, who reminded me the things I create are only made complete by those who enjoy them. I just want to simply say, 'thank you' to Andrew for sharing such an important wish with me," Manson said, according MarilynManson.com.

•In 2005, Manson donated a signed collector's edition mask to Music for Relief to help victims of the 2004's Boxing Day Tsunami; this auction raised $155.

•In January 2006, Manson contributed a hand-painted guitar from the Six-String Masterpieces - The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute to the Little Kids Rock auction. For every $100 raised by the product, Little Kids Rock would provide one low-income child with an instrument and lessons – Manson's guitar raised $6,250.

•In 2006, Manson became a benefactor of Project Nightlight, an LA area foundation that uses short films, music, and apparel to grab teenagers attention and inspire them to speak out against sexual and physical abuse. Manson afforded Project Nightlight a stand at the opening of his art gallery, and in April 2007 gave the charity a print of his painting Eve of Destruction and a framed collector's edition mask.

Legal history

Marilyn Manson was first arrested in Florida on December 27, 1994 after a concert at Jacksonville's Club 5 for "violating the adult entertainment code." Manson was detained for 16 hours before been released without charge. Bizarrely police believed Manson had performed oral sex on stage with a man (when in fact it was Jack Off Jill vocalist Jessicka wearing a fake penis) and thrown either his or the man's penis into the crowd. On February 5, 2001 in Marino, Italy Manson suffered what is to date his only other post-concert arrest when he was accused of blasphemy having worn the outfit of a cardinal on stage during the song "Valentine's Day". Soon after the detention it was ascertained that Manson had not committed a crime and it appeared the legal troubles were over until the next day when Manson was arrested in Bologne on charges of public indecency relating to a 1999 show where it was alleged Manson had exposed his penis. Manson was released and the charges dropped, notably the arrests came a week after two teenagers brutally murdered an Italian nun which some less reputable sections of the Italian press blamed on Manson's music.

Sexual misconduct

In a civil battery suit, David Diaz, a security officer from a concert in Minneapolis, Minnesota on October 27, 2000, sued for $75,000 in a Minneapolis federal court. After two days deliberation the jury decided that Manson's alleged molestation had been part of the show and that he had not overstepped his boundaries as an artist, ruling in favor of Manson and against Diaz.

Manson was charged with "sexual misconduct" on August 16, 2001 after Joshua Keasler filed a complaint that as he was providing security for a July 30 concert Manson had allegedly spat on his head, wrapped his legs around him and began to gyrate his penis along his neck.

Oakland County prosecutor David Gorcyca said that "It was offensive, crude and rude. This was not something that was orchestrated or choreographed as part of the act. The security guard was an unknowing and unwilling participant and, ironically, while he was there for protection... was sexually assaulted." The charge, punishable with up to two years imprisonment, was accompanied with a charge of disorderly conduct. The complaint came with an arrest warrant but Manson thwarted this by posting a $25,000 personal bond. In a one-day December 28, 2001 trial the presiding Judge dismissed the charge of "sexual misconduct" as Manson had in his view "gained no sexual gratification from the act." Manson pleaded "no contest" to the outstanding lesser charge, which carried only up to three months imprisonment, and was ordered to pay $4,000 in fines. After the trial Keasler pursued a civil lawsuit against Manson that was dropped when the two settled out of court in February 2004.

Lawsuits

•In 1997, former Marilyn Manson guitarist Scott Mitchell Putesky filed a lawsuit against Manson seeking unpaid royalties for his contributions to the band's output up to that period, including the band's recently released second studio album Antichrist Superstar. The case was concluded in 1998, although the outcome was confidential.

•On January 4, 1999, SPIN editor Craig Marks filed an assault and battery lawsuit against Manson in the New York Supreme Court. Marks alleged that Manson, upset at not making the cover of SPIN, the lawsuit specifically alleged Manson had yelled "I can kill you, I can kill your family, I can kill everyone you know!" before two of Manson's bodyguards were said to have charged him and held him against the wall and threw him to the floor after which it was alleged Manson had said, "That's what you get when you disrespect me." The case was dropped when, weeks later, Marks was fired from SPIN over financial irregularities.

•On April 2, 2002, Maria St. John filed a wrongful death lawsuit in Los Angeles Superior Court accusing Manson of providing her adult daughter, Jennifer Syme, with cocaine and allowing her to drive while under the influence. The case was settled out of court.

•On August 2, 2007, former Marilyn Manson keyboardist Stephen Bier filed a breech of contract lawsuit against Marilyn Manson seeking $20,000,000 in damages. Bier claimed Manson has used the band's money for personal interests, among which are his collection of Nazi paraphernalia, addictions to cocaine and Valium, his $300,000 wedding with and $150,000 engagement ring given to Dita Von Teese and the production of Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll as well as Lewis Carroll memorabilia, human skeletons and taxidermy. Manson's lawyers responded in January 2008 with a 101-page rebuttal of the claims, the case will be tried by jury in November 2008 in the Los Angeles Superior Court.

Major label discography

•Portrait of an American Family (1994)

•Smells Like Children (1995)

•Antichrist Superstar (1996)

•Remix and Repent (1997)

•Mechanical Animals (1998)

•The Last Tour on Earth (Live) (1999)

•Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) (2000)

•The Golden Age of Grotesque (2003)

•Lest We Forget (The Best Of) (2004)

•Eat Me, Drink Me (2007)

Filmography

•Lost Highway (cameo, 1997)

•MTV Video Music Awards (commercial, 1998)

•Jawbreaker (cameo, 1999)

•Clone High (cameo, 2000)

•From Hell (score, 2001)

•Not Another Teen Movie (score, 2001)

•Resident Evil (score, 2002)

•Bowling for Columbine (interview, 2002)

•The Hire: Beat the Devil (cameo, 2003)

•Party Monster (2003)

•Doppelherz (director, 2003)

•The Heart Is Deceitful Above All Things (cameo, 2004)

•House of Wax (2005) (acting, score)

•Abelcain (2007)

•Living Neon Dreams (2007)

•Rise (cameo, 2007)

•Phantasmagoria: The Visions of Lewis Carroll (acting, directing, writing, score, 2008)

Bibliography

•The Long Hard Road out of Hell (1998)

•Holy Wood (Unreleased)

Trivia

•All Manson's tattoos were done at Tattoos By Lou in Miami, Florida over a four-year span starting in 1991, until a new tattoo emerged in early-2007.

•In the 1990s, an Internet rumor spread stating Josh Saviano (who played Paul Pfeiffer in 1980s drama The Wonder Years) grew up to become Marilyn Manson. As of 2007, Josh Saviano is a licensed attorney in New York. He has, however, commented on the rumor, and thinks it is neat people believe him to be in a "goth band".

•Contrary to what some may deem "common knowledge", Manson has not had any ribs removed for the purpose of autofellatio. "If I really got my ribs removed," he said in the The Long Hard Road out of Hell autobiography, "I would have been busy sucking my own dick on The Wonder Years instead of chasing Winnie Cooper."

•In an E! interview, Manson revealed that he owns a Nintendo DS. "My friend got me this little Japanese lawyer game; it's fucking amazing," he said in reference to Phoenix Wright: Ace Attorney. He also mentioned that he was "pretty good at Mario Kart".

•In an interview with MTV in 2002 Manson revealed that for most of his paintings he uses a children's Alice in Wonderland tin. He also uses a 1920's mortician paint kit originally used for retouching cadavers.

•Manson has Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome, an erratic, rapid heartbeat.

•Manson, who cites David Bowie as being his biggest influence, claims his favorite songs by him are "Quicksand", "Ashes to Ashes", and "We Are the Dead". He even proposed to his ex-wife, Dita Von Teese, during a David Bowie concert (at the time Bowie was performing "Be My Wife") .

•Pets Manson has had in his life include the childhood dog, an Alaskan malamute named Aleusha, an orange tabby named O.J. which he found on the steps of Christian school, four Devon Rex cats named Aleister, Edgar, Herman, and Lily, and two dachshunds named Greta and Eva. After the divorce of Manson and ex-wife Dita Von Teese, Von Teese won the custody of both dachshunds and Aleister. For Manson's 39th birthday on January 5th, 2008, girlfriend Evan Rachel Wood gave him a new cat, Charlie (Manson), as a birthday gift.

•When asked in 2007 by Rolling Stone what his current favorite playlist was, Manson chose among Radiohead's "Exit Music (For a Film)", Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" and David Bowie's classic "We Are the Dead".

OFFICIAL WEBSITE : marilynmanson.com

MARILYN MANSON on MYSPACE : www.myspace.com/marilynmanson

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--> This biography appeared on www.mansonwiki.com/ (Manson Wiki)

Deathmatch by Howard Duncan

17 9

digital art

www.fluidr.com/photos/h_duncan

CULT FICTION COMPOUND CORE GRUNGE ART by Horrorov Mandrogynosferatutu

19

Left to Right -

TOP Row - "MISTER INSANITY" TOBY KLEIN; HALFBREED BILLY GRAM; "The INTERNATIONAL DEATHMATCH SUPERSTAR" MASADA; LUCKY tHURTeen.

BOTTOM Row - "The MIGHTY" OX BAKER (deceased); J.C. BAILEY (deceased); "The ULTRAVIOLENT TERMINATOR" BRAIN DAMAGE (deceased); DERANGED.

NOT PICTURED - "The STRONG STYLE PSYCHO" TANK; "The WILD-EYED SOUTHERN BOY" TRACY SMOTHERS (deceased); "The BULLDOZER" MATT TREMONT; FREAKSHOW; J.D. HORROR; "The PUMPKIN QUEEN" SAGE SIN; HOMELESS JIMMY.

WE WALK OUR TALK, THAT's WHY

www.youtube.com/watch?v=neMFtbpr9fo

Crybaby Canyon by Zeb Andrews

159 72

Alright, the final Antelope Canyon photo I will post... for now. I came back with quite a few that I really liked, which is quite rewarding, but the ability to edit one's photos, to pare them down to just the favorites or the best, is almost as valuable of a skill as the ability to take the photos in the first place. Actually that is something I want to talk about on a later post, teaching yourself the value in being able to edit your own images. Some do it well, others do not, but it is an important thing for every photographer to learn and practice, and practice it takes too.

So Antelope Canyon itself is an amazing place. I think I mentioned that already. ;-) Unfortunately as amazing as it is, and I think this hold true for many amazing places, us humans have an equally amazing ability to muck it all up. Not all the time mind you, but often enough to be tiresome. Before I get much further, I want to say that I met a couple really cool photographers while in this canyon. One fellow's name was Thomas and he was visiting all the way from the Czech Republic. We had a lovely conversation about pinhole photography. I hope you found your way to my stream Thomas to see the pinhole image of this canyon I posted.

Unfortunately beautiful places like this also tend to attract the "ugly" photographer. They are like "ugly Americans" just with cameras. I really don't want to waste too much of my time complaining about such people, they are a simple fact of life it seems, but maybe by spending a bit of time doing so I can help those who read this (myself included on very rare occasions) nip this kind of behavior in the bud.

See the Ugly photographer is the type of person who for some reason feels that they are in some way superior to all other photographers. Not necessarily in a braggartly sort of fashion, though that often happens too. They exhibit a more condescending or patronizing air, the attitude that they will tolerate you and your cameras in their presence as long as you don't get in their way. And even this could be bearable. I really don't care what goes on in the head of the photographer standing next to me when I am somewhere like this. If he wants to inwardly sneer at my old Nikon FM2 or beat up wooden pinhole compared to his shiny Canon 40D, let him. I am there to take photos and marvel, not to get into some sort of ego deathmatch.

Sadly though Ugly photographers, or at least the really bad ones, are not content to just think condescending thoughts about those fellows around them trying to enjoy life through photography, they have to treat them that way too.

To get specific, there was a small group of three photographers in the tour through the canyon that Wendi and I took. Three total in a group of twelve is not too bad, but it is still amazing how much one bad apple, let alone three, can dampen a mood. They were older gentlemen, late 40's I would guess, far enough along to have forgotten their own amatuerish roots I wonder. One of them sported a Tamrac photovest, funny how this poor accessory has become so maligned because of the photographers they tend to end up on.

So, the canyon is super crowded. People left, right, in front of you, behind you, everywhere. Shooting in here requires a lot of patience because people wander through. And they have all paid their money to get in. This is not a free place, you pay $30-50 just to get into the canyon, and you are only alloted so much time, an hour or two, to explore and photograph. I know these two things place stress on photographers to get their photos as quickly as they can, I certainly felt it a bit at first. You just have to be patient and realize that you are going to have to share the canyon. Your fifty dollars is no more important than the fifty dollars spent by the fellow next to you, it doesn't matter if they are carrying a cheap point and shoot and you have a professional SLR. They are there for the same reasons, and the photos they take, amatuerish or not, to them will be as priceless as the ones you will take.

Well these three didn't agree. They got into the canyon and proceeded to act like they were there on divine mandate and those who got in their way were pesky irritations.

They complained constantly of photographers getting in their way. At one point Wendi had her pinhole set up and was a few minutes into an exposure and only had a minute or two to go and one of these fellows came up and decided he wanted to set up behind her. No need to mention that she was in that spot first by a few minutes, but that did not really matter much to him I suppose because as soon as his tripod was set up he asked her to move aside for him. So she stepped aside politely to accommodate him as much as possible.

"No, I didn't mean you, I meant your camera. Your camera is in my way" Was his reply. Not a thank you for moving. Not an apology. Just a "move your camera out of the way of my camera". Excuse me? So she explained she was in the middle of a shot. He stood there for a moment, then asked her again, "Can you move your camera now, it is in my way". She finally got it through to him that she had about a minute left and then she would move on. I think that type of behavior is pretty rude. Photography etiquette 101 says that the early bird catches the worm. If you are in a spot first, then all other photographers will have to make do. I have been on both sides of this, arriving to spots early and late. When I am early, I try to be generous and allow others to work around me as much as we all can to get beautiful photos. When I am late, I find the best vantage I can, and things usually work out alright. But I never ask someone who was there first to move out of my way.

They weren't done yet though. Then they moved down to the end of the canyon and happened to find our guide there waiting for everyone to get their fill. So one of them goes up the our Navajo guide and in his best indignant put-out voice asks him if he can stop people from walking through the canyon, they keep getting in the way of their photos.

The guide said he would do what he could and sent them back into the canyon.

"Man, why do I always get all the crybabies" was his response as soon as they were out of earshot. Hehe, then he starts yelling down the canyon after this small group of troublemakers "Coming through, hold your photos!" Making them groan curse audibly every time he did so.

Anyway, I could go on a bit more. Our adventures with them were not quite finished. But why bother, this has been long enough already. The real point was not to complain necessarily. Complaining about them is not going to accomplish much, rather I just wanted to share the story to remind everyone when you are out photographing somewhere, be courteous and respectful. It doesn't matter if the fellow next to you even has a camera, let alone a professional one. Let them enjoy the space as well. You take better photos when you are enjoying yourself.

By the way, of the three photos I have posted, actually of all the photos I took in this place, this one is easily my favorite. I think because it is a bit of a more unique take on the canyon. It has a hint of the amazing color, but it is not awash in it. And the light. As Galen Rowell once said, "My first thought is always of light."

If you are interested in pricing for my images, or just plain curious, more info can be found at my website: www.zebandrews.com

Ye Olde Space Needle | 2017 MOCer Games by MCLegoboy !

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For the 2017 MOCer Games on MOCpages.

One of the categories for the Deathmatch is to Castlify a modern building.

I chose the most modern (or is it postmodern?) thing I could think of and that was the Space Needle. I took an approach of more alluding to the Needle, but not so much getting the proportions right. I wanted to make it as feasibly possible for ye olde architects to construct so that meant fattening things up a bit, and then adding turrets (because turrets=castle moc).

I'm really proud of this one, it's not everyday I build stuff like this and it's actually quite refreshing. If you desire even more details or pictures, check out this LINK!

EDIT: Except you don't get more pictures because the Wayback Machine hates us.

The Summit by Aliencat!

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The Summit from the Ninjago Intro of the Monday Deathmatch Tournament

The Monday Deathmatch Tournament: Poster 21 by Aliencat!

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Poster for the Monday Deathmatch Tournament!

Follow it here: www.flickr.com/photos/30639040@N02/albums/72157688954763143

Bomb's Away! | 2017 MOCer Games by MCLegoboy !

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Technically, this idea came before the 2017 MOCer Games, and I did build a really crappy version that was never posted anywhere, but now I have rebuilt it and given it a lovely bleak setting in the sky for the Deathmatch's Third Category: "Wait a second, something's wrong here..." in which there had to be as few right angles as possible in a build at least 8x8 big

There are more images, but you don't really need to see them, but if you do, here's a thing: LINK

EDIT: Except that thing died with MOCpages and Wayback didn't save the images.

celebrity deathmatch by miuenski miuenski

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The Monday Deathmatch Tournament: Poster 5 by Aliencat!

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Poster for the Monday Deathmatch Tournament.

Follow it here: www.flickr.com/photos/30639040@N02/albums/72157688954763143

The Monday Deathmatch Tournament - Page 185: Crash Course by Aliencat!

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Page 185 of The Monday Deathmatch Tournament.

Follow it here: www.flickr.com/photos/30639040@N02/albums/72157688954763143

Marilyn Manson -2- by Ben Heine

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NEW: I NOW CREATE MUSIC, JOIN ME ON SOUNDCLOUD!

SHOP: www.icanvas.com/canvas-art-prints/artist/ben-heine

This is a pointillist work I made with yellow, red blue and black ink on paper. I just love Marilyn Manson's personality and crazy style! Everybody should have an aura...