Ian Castruita and I started our friendship when we were both under 4 feet tall. Everyone has a friend that they did everything with, the only difference, I stayed in touch with mine. We were in the same class in school, and shared one thing in common, imagination. We built forts, drew pictures, and pretended we were ninjas. Neither one of us had a great grasp on reality, and maybe that is why we always got along so well……we created a world to suit our own liking.
It began when Ian invited me to his house, which was right across the street from our elementary school, to play Kaleico Vision one afternoon. We played “Popeye” for hours. At this time in the evolution of gaming Popeye was basically the same concept as Donkey Kong, a series of latters and angled shelves, and if you got past Bruto, a kiss from Olive Oil. We tried for hours to climb to the top without being barreled down in the process. Nothing much has changed. Except the barrels are bigger, and less relenting.
Ian was always an excellent artist. He would draw intricate designs of spaceships, flying skateboards, and magical weapons, that we would use to develop role playing games. I remember eating his parents’ excellent Menudo and Tamales, and losing hours of time trying to pass Legend of Zelda in record time, or defeat Mother Brain. I would bring over mixtapes I concocted by removing the commercials from radio shows on Power 92.3, and while they echoed in the background, Ian would draw up the blueprint to our plan. A secret plot to takeover the world.
Time warp…….and now it’s 2007. Both Ian and I are now over 4 feet tall, and I don’t know about him, but I still build forts, and swear to my son that I am a trained and skilled ninja. Ian, just like me, passes time at a day job to pay the bills. Both of us have been starving artists for years. Ian is an extremely skilled sketch artist, comic fanageler, and paint brush percolator (whatever that means.) I’ve been battling the beastly music industry for years, and finally have found the light at the end of the tunnel. Several albums ready to release this year, and guess who did the artwork for all of them, and all of my photography…my best friend…..Ian Castruita.
Rejection becomes part of an artist’s life. A good artist is often rejected over and over….fails time and time again, and has to find a way to create even while facing the intruding possibility that…..he/she may never make it. By make it I mean “Make A Living As An Artist,” not be the next tabloid in People Magazine. I always have a lingering feeling that Ian and I face this possibility together. That we travel in tandem, silently dodging the sharpened blade of the “Society Norm Samurai.” Whose blade can sever a man’s creativity and dreams in a split second………The killer of Art………but could he ever catch such well trained Ninja? Not in this story.
The artwork to an album is a story within itself. A glimpse into what the artist felt, how the artist looked, and where he was when he made the music. My story is a story of triumph, hard work, and struggle. The fight to make music, even when every aspect of society and principle of life has drilled me with the oft repeated “It’s too late! Why don’t you just make it a hobby?” Ian’s story is the same. But in the end, this artwork is a personal story; it is a story of friendship……one friend who banged on pots in the kitchen……one friend who drew on the walls….two friends who will continue to help each other far into the future. For more info check out Ian’s stuff blog which includes a link to his portfolio @ en-blog.blogspot.com Enjoy Earthlings.
It began when Ian invited me to his house, which was right across the street from our elementary school, to play Kaleico Vision one afternoon. We played “Popeye” for hours. At this time in the evolution of gaming Popeye was basically the same concept as Donkey Kong, a series of latters and angled shelves, and if you got past Bruto, a kiss from Olive Oil. We tried for hours to climb to the top without being barreled down in the process. Nothing much has changed. Except the barrels are bigger, and less relenting.
Ian was always an excellent artist. He would draw intricate designs of spaceships, flying skateboards, and magical weapons, that we would use to develop role playing games. I remember eating his parents’ excellent Menudo and Tamales, and losing hours of time trying to pass Legend of Zelda in record time, or defeat Mother Brain. I would bring over mixtapes I concocted by removing the commercials from radio shows on Power 92.3, and while they echoed in the background, Ian would draw up the blueprint to our plan. A secret plot to takeover the world.
Time warp…….and now it’s 2007. Both Ian and I are now over 4 feet tall, and I don’t know about him, but I still build forts, and swear to my son that I am a trained and skilled ninja. Ian, just like me, passes time at a day job to pay the bills. Both of us have been starving artists for years. Ian is an extremely skilled sketch artist, comic fanageler, and paint brush percolator (whatever that means.) I’ve been battling the beastly music industry for years, and finally have found the light at the end of the tunnel. Several albums ready to release this year, and guess who did the artwork for all of them, and all of my photography…my best friend…..Ian Castruita.
Rejection becomes part of an artist’s life. A good artist is often rejected over and over….fails time and time again, and has to find a way to create even while facing the intruding possibility that…..he/she may never make it. By make it I mean “Make A Living As An Artist,” not be the next tabloid in People Magazine. I always have a lingering feeling that Ian and I face this possibility together. That we travel in tandem, silently dodging the sharpened blade of the “Society Norm Samurai.” Whose blade can sever a man’s creativity and dreams in a split second………The killer of Art………but could he ever catch such well trained Ninja? Not in this story.
The artwork to an album is a story within itself. A glimpse into what the artist felt, how the artist looked, and where he was when he made the music. My story is a story of triumph, hard work, and struggle. The fight to make music, even when every aspect of society and principle of life has drilled me with the oft repeated “It’s too late! Why don’t you just make it a hobby?” Ian’s story is the same. But in the end, this artwork is a personal story; it is a story of friendship……one friend who banged on pots in the kitchen……one friend who drew on the walls….two friends who will continue to help each other far into the future. For more info check out Ian’s stuff blog which includes a link to his portfolio @ en-blog.blogspot.com Enjoy Earthlings.
1 comment:
"...extremely skilled sketch artist, comic fanageler, and paint brush percolator (whatever that means.)"
Well, I don't know about you, but for me that means I need to change my job description on the business cards. "Illustrator" clearly doesn't get the message across as well as what you came up with!
You're a good man B. Here's hoping you overcome your video game addiction problems soon so you and I can start playing some Xbox and Wii like good friends should!
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