When I was a kid, I had those 12-inch action figures, along with my Uncle’s G.I. Joe with the fuzzy beards and kung-fu grip. I loved having adventures with Superman and Web-Spinning Spider-Man, but I secretly yearned for the poseable KISS action figures. But there was no way my dad was gonna take a trip all the way to Toys R’ Us to buy me a toy that looked a Barbie doll possessed by the devil.
As an artist who’s been rejected by Hallmark Greeting Cards multiple times (no bitterness), I know I’m not the only one out there with a warped sense of humor that often goes against the squeaky-clean images of his childhood. As much as we all love the toys and TV shows of yesteryear, it’s often just as fun to see them roasted.
So if you’re looking for some funny, counter-culture-kitsch, look no further than the artist known as ‘The Sucklord’… or El Suckerino if you’re not into the whole brevity thing. His moniker, created while on an acid trip, has a two-fold meaning: “The suckiness, which is my self-deprecating, misanthropic side, and the lord, which is my megalomaniacal, self-aggrandizing side,” he said.
Photos courtesy of The Sucklord
On his website bio, The Sucklord describes himself as a “New York City Pop Artist and television personality, known for his subversive action-figure mashups and Reality TV Persona”. Under the brand name Suckadelic, The Sucklord’s line of self-made, bootleg toys have the tongue-in-cheek spirit of Andy Warhol and Marcel Duchamp and the brightly-colored, NSFW daring of SNL’s Ambiguously Gay Duo.
Art is what you can get away with.”
Andy Warhol
The Sucklord has appeared on several Reality TV programs, like Season 2 of Bravo’s Work of Art: The Next Great Artist and The Dating Game, entertaining audiences with his self-deprecating wit and live performance art. Now The Sucklord will be in Chicago (as featured in our ‘What’s Going on Logan’ article), on a three-gallery tour on Sept. 21 with two stops in the neighborhood. The schedule is as follows:
2:30 p.m. – 4:30 p.m.: A Suckadelic Lecture at Galerie F (2415 N. Milwaukee Ave).
5:00 p.m. – 7:00 p.m.: Exclusive Figure Release and Retrospective Show at Toy de Jour (2064 N. Western Ave.).
8:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.: Afterparty and Mixtape Release at Logan Arcade (2410 W. Fullerton Ave.).
Morgan Phillips aka ‘The Sucklord’.
Images courtesy of Toy de Jour
“We’ve always been big fans of Sucklord,” said Sam Wells, co-owner of Toy de Jour. “So when our friends at Collecticon approached us with the idea of doing a mini-tour, we instantly said yes and then suggested our friends at Logan Arcade and Galerie F.”
The Sucklord will be available for lectures on toymaking, hip-hop music, and his villainous toymaking career. When I asked The Sucklord what he’d say to all of the kids and aspiring artists out there who think that their work “sucks” he cheekily replied, “They’re right.”
Featured Photo: The Sucklord
Thank you for the awesome write up! Saturday is going to be amazing and Chicago will never be the same afterward. Prepare!