Interview with RickOrmortis Schreck for #ZOMBIEART WEEKLY
One reason I wanted to interview you is that you're a successful businessman and many artists starve for lack of business acumen. I think there's a lot people can learn from you. So here's my questions:
1) When did you realize that you were an artist?
I'm not really sure dude. As a young kid I always used to watch my mother create art and knew that I wanted to be able to paint and draw like she did. My father was a bodybuilder and an athlete as well as both of my brothers were athletic.I never really was I was the chubby kid who would rather watch scary movies and read comic books. I spent alot of time watching monster movies , Godzilla flicks etc whatever was on TV, being that I was a kid before cable TV lol. I think we finally got cable in our area when I was about 12 then I was heavily influenced by MTV. So it was me, the TV and my sketch pad all the time. I didn't realize I was an artist it was just what I did to entertain myself, I needed to.
2) What was the progression of mediums? Pencil, ink, paint, then tattooing? Or some other order?
All through high school,which my senior year daily schedule was English, Gym, Lunch and 5 Art classes,lol, I used India ink and Quill pens. I also loved to use those refillable Rapidograph pens as well. When painting I used Acrylics.
In art school I learned to draw using a Sable brush and India Ink, which I still use to this day. In fact I'm still using the brushes I bought in 1988!
At 24 when the Tattoo Gods called me to service I started using Spectracolor Pencils to design flash. Now since they are no more I use Prismacolor.
And of course...tattoo machine daily . It's been 20 years now.
3) What kind of formal training have you had?
After high school I went to the "Joe Kubert School of Cartoon and Animation" in Dover NJ. It was a new school at the time with a 3 year program. I didn't do well there, I was always in the office. After my first year I was told I would have to repeat my first year to get credit. Three of my eight teachers considered some of my work offensive and wouldn't grade it until I redid it. I stood my ground many times because they weren't saying it wasn't good it was just the topics mostly , lots of murder scenes , gross dismembered bodies etc. So I got alot of "incompletes"It was 1988 and things were way different then, shit , Beavis and Butthead wasn't even out yet. I still have my rejection letter from the school which I display with pride.
4) When did you start doing zombie portraits? Which ones do you feel are your best?
Been doing it for quite a while now, but I didn't call it Zombie Portraits back then. I used to call it making people into Demons . I started doing the Zombie Portraits hardcore when America fell in love with The Walking Dead in 2010. It was so awesome to finally see people embrace Zombie culture. I have been in love with all things Zombie since the original Dawn of the Dead.
My best zombie portraits? I'm my own worst critic . I guess I am happy with an Infection I recently did of an old Margaret Keane painting. It was different than my usual techniques. This time I strictly used Prismacolors instead of the usual Ink & Brush.
The portrait of Gary Streiner came out kinda cool. It was for a fundraising poster for the Fix The Chapel cause. That was a group of people raising money to help restore a site that the original Night of the Living Dead was filmed at. That's were I came in contact with you too dude! I won the auction for your Zombie Ronald Mcdonalds!
5) What are your top three horror movies?
Top 3 Horror movies
Dawn of the Dead - 1978
The Shining
Hellraiser
6) How has social media affected your art? Has it made you more productive? Does it inspire you to see so many other people sharing their work and encouraging one another?
.Social media has totally lit a fire under my ass to continue creating constantly. Being in contact with so many awesome creative people has affected or rather " Infected" me in so many ways.
7) Tell us about your Zombie Artist Facebook group
The Zombie Artist Facebook group was created to bring us Zombie maniacs together to share ideas, build one another up and who knows maybe do a huge project together. Instead of competing I think it's cooler to network and grow as a group. We all love the same thing, fucking up people's pics and making them look dead.
8) Where can readers go to learn more about your work and contact you about acquiring Rick Schreck originals ?
I have a website
ZOMBIEVIRUSART.COM that has all of my stuff. Everything from my Tattoo shop, House of 1000 Tattoos to Zombie Portraits, Infected Thrift Store finds, Custom Ouija Boards, my comic "The Livindeds" and a page on my Zombie Dollhouse that I have been working on for 6 months now.
(MORE LINKS BELOW)
https://society6.com/rickormortisschreck
https://www.etsy.com/shop/ZombieInfections?ref=hdr_shop_menu
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Zombies-by-RickOrmortis-Schreck/140592002694142?ref=hl
https://www.facebook.com/pages/HOUSE-OF-1000-TATTOOS/60057472825?ref=hl
I can always be reached at ZOMBIEVIRUSART@GMAIL.COM for info regarding originals & commissions . Thanks so much Jack! It is really cool being interviewed by an artist such as yourself. I am a huge fan of your work and have built up quite a collection! Keep Infecting Stay Sick!!
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