The Scarab Club will host an unthemed, all media exhibition titled, Voices, which will be juried by Joy Hakanson Colby.

The exhibition is open to all artists. Joy Colby is the retired art critic for The Detroit News. In a career that spanned more than sixty years, Joy earned a reputation as a tireless supporter of the arts. We are honored to have her sign the historic SC beam in
recognition of her considerable and lasting contributions to the arts.
We hope you will join us in celebrating her life and career at the
signing, which will take place during the opening reception for the
exhibition on Friday, September 5th, 6-9 pm.

I’m looking forward to Joy having a wonderful pool of work to draw from for this exhibition. Please pass the call for entry along to any other artists who might be interested in submitting work for consideration.

TREENA FLANNERY ERICSON, Gallery Director
The20Scarab Club

For full information please download the entry form. Questions? Contact Treena Flannery Ericson at: tericson@scarabclub.org

IMPORTANT DATES/DEADLINES FOR EXHIBITION

Exhibition
September 3rd-October 12th
Opening reception
Friday, September 5th, 6-9 pm;
Joy Colby will sign the beam at 7:30 pm

This exhibition will be juried from actual work

Deadline for Drop-off of Entries
Thursday, August 28th, Noon-7 pm or Sunday, August 31st, 9 am-Noon
Shipped works must be received by Friday, August 29th, 5 pm

(shipping to and from the Scarab Club is the responsibility of the artist)

Jurying
Sunday, August 31st, Noon-3 pm
Posting of accepted works
A list of accepted works will be posted in the gallery at 3:30 pm on Sunday,
August 31st.

Please do not call the Scarab Club for jury results.
Pick-up of entries not selected for exhibition
Due to limited secure storage, please pick up non-accepted works on Sunday, August 31st, 3:30-7 pm or Tuesday, September 2nd, Noon-7 pm. Contact Treena Flannery Ericson if you have a conflict with drop-off or pick-up dates/times.
Pick-up of work after cl osing of exhibition
Sunday, October 12th, 5-7 pm

For full information please download the entry form. Questions? Contact Treena Flannery Ericson at: tericson@scarabclub.org

By Nicole Rupersburg

Matt Busch. He might not be a name that you know. The Sith Lord knows I hadn’t heard of him prior to seeing his presentation at the Detroit Windsor International Film Festival last month. As it turns out, Matt Busch, a Michigan-based artist, is…*ahem*…an illustrator, filmmaker, musician, writer, actor, as well as my new BFF.

He’s been called the “rock star of illustration” by Real Detroit Weekly, and has the image to go with it, what with the cowboy hat and tattoos and all. He is one of the official illustrators for Star Wars (STAR WARS, people!), having illustrated the cover of the New York Times best-selling Tales from the Empire, as well as producing 7 Star Wars posters this year alone for the original film’s 30th anniversary. He’s illustrated books, magazines, posters, comics, trading cards and toys for pop culture franchises such as The Matrix, Lord of the Rings, The Crow, Heroes, Night of the Living Dead, The Mummy, Star Trek, and tons more. He has also worked with recording artists such as Megadeth, Motley Crue, the Beastie Boys, Garbage, Kid Rock, Ozzy Osbourne…and Jessica Simpson. Yes, Jessica Simpson. (I questioned it, too.)

Photo by Michael Kane

After combing through his official website, www.mattbusch.com; his blog, http://planetmatt.livejournal.com; and his MySpace page, www.myspace.com/planetmatt, I learned a lot about stalking Matt Busch Matt Busch’s career and his artistic repertoire. In addition to everything above, he has also authored a graphic novel (called Crisis); wrote, directed, and starred in his own film (called Conjure); has released collections of his work including Fantastic Visions: The Art of Matt Busch and Pucker: The Seductive Art of Matt Busch; he has a screenplay called The Taurus Factor in development; there is also a quintessential collection of his art being released later this year called The Worlds of Matt Busch.

And if all that weren’t enough, Matt Busch (who will be referred to by his full name at all times) took an hour out of his life to entertain me.

Currently, Matt Busch is working on producing/starring/directing the second series of the You Can Draw Star Wars DVD companion piece, which is part of his current World Promotional Tour. Recently I got to sit down (in the comfort of my own home in my pajamas at 1:00 in the afternoon) with Matt Busch, via a little program called AOL Instant Messenger. We discussed his current projects, his choice to move back to Michigan, his love of karaoke and hatred of beer, and his just plain wrong ranking of the Beatles over the Rolling Stones. And some other random crap.

The interview started out seriously enough. Kind of.

NR: Bueller?
MB: Hahahah!  I apologize for my tardiness.
MB: I was stuck on the phone, so…..
NR: EXCUSES.

[There was a really funny exchange here that involved emoticons, but it wouldn’t copy properly and you all just would have been lost. But IN that exchange, MB made a typo, referenced here:]

MB: Oh—please fix my typos, like galss.  You’re not really gonna keep stuff like that in, are you?
NR: But then it wouldn’t be authentic!!!!
MB: That’s cool.  I guess it makes it more real.
NR: Don’t worry; I’ll fix it so we both sound smarter AND funnier.
MB: Perfect.
NR: Okay, okay, seriously, here goes…
MB: ‘K.
NR: SERIOUSLY.
MB: *ahem*
NR: So the book You Can Draw Star Wars.  You worked on that.  Then you made the companion videos.  How am I doing so far?  (This is your chance to plug your projects, so plug away.)
MB: Yes, and the new Volume 2 DVD comes out in a couple weeks at the Comic-Con International in San Diego…
[Writer’s note: this convention is happening at press time.]
MB: Which I might add that this year I’ll be a featured special guest there.
MB: But not before going to Japan for the STAR WARS Celebration Japan in Tokyo.
MB: I also have a new NIGHT OF THE LIVING DEAD poster to promote…
MB: I can keep going.
NR: This is really the only chance you’re gonna have to talk seriously, so you may want to take advantage.
MB: It’s kinda overwhelming and overkill, so I usually just cover the top couple basics.  Otherwise people get bored.
MB: Oh, um—the big thing I have coming out soon is ILLUSTRATION NATION, a documentary on DVD that follows my adventures on the road, at work, and at play.  Coming this Fall.

And this is where the interview gets derailed. And never quite re-rails. I thought it would be more fun that way. I think Matt Busch had fun with it. That or he’s a really good liar, ‘cuz he said he had fun with it.

NR: Ever been to Japan before?
MB: Never been to Japan.  But I’ve been practicing:
NR: KONNICHIWA!
MB: Konnichiwa.  Boku Wa Matt Busch Dessu, Anata Wa Star Wars Kake Ru.
NR: Then bow a lot…
NR: I hear EVERY BAR has karaoke.  Like, every single solitary one.  The Japanese are kinda odd…
MB: Really?  That’s actually sweet, because my buddy that I’m taking and I are pretty sweet karaoke enthusiasts.
NR: Oh, OH!  What’s your favorite karaoke song to sing?!?!
NR: (Your level of coolness is in direct proportion to this answer.)
mbusch4646 (12:38:16 PM): Off the top of my head, I can usually bring the house down with Rick Springfield’s “Jessie’s Girl.”
NR: Um.  The correct answer was “Don’t Stop Believin’” by Journey.  Sorry.
MB: Haha!  But everyone does that.  That’s not cool!
NR: Sorry, but you are simply wrong about that.  Best. Karaoke. Song. EVER.
MB: I try to do the kick ass karaoke songs that everyone forgets to do.
MB: That and “Talk Dirty to Me” by Poison.
MB: At least if you perform it the way I do.
NR: I once saw a chick do a death metal version of Guns ‘n Roses’ “Welcome to the Jungle.”  In Northville.  It was strange.
MB: Wow.  That I need to see.

At this point I figured I should probably give Matt Busch the chance to talk more about all he’s got going on. It seemed unfair to have derailed him so quickly into my wild world of wacky witticisms. So, I made an attempt to get serious again. The fact that this one got derailed so quickly is entirely his fault:

NR: So the second DVD will be coming out this year, and you have now added filmmaker to your resume.  So what else do you do?  Who is the real Matt Busch?  Illustrator?  Filmmaker?  Rocker-guy?  Lay it all out for me.
MB: Actually puppets.  Puppeteering is really where this is all leading.
NR: Freaky puppets or kiddie puppets?  Or freaky Star Wars kiddie puppets?
MB: Just the kiddie ones.
MB: On a serious note, the whole silly “rock star” thing is something that I never started, but figured it helps with branding.
NR: Naw, it works.  Roll with it.
MB: Well, I think it’s a shame that artists don’t get as much attention in the media as rock stars and movie stars get.  There should be ART STARS.
NR: Um.  Well there was Andy Warhol.  But yeah…that’s about it.
MB: True, but why did it end with him?  Maybe because, in terms of being an abstract artist, he said all there was to say.
NR: I think THAT’S where all this is leading for you…you could be the next big art star!  You should start a campaign. 
NR: Like, with a website, and a place where people can contribute money and everything.
NR: And buttons.  Don’t forget buttons.
MB: Sadly, I already have the buttons.
NR: NICE!!!!  We’re halfway there then.
MB: They’re not on the website, yet, but they will be.
MB: Halfway to world domination.
NR: Well you DO already have the “Planet Matt” thing going on…so…
[http://planetmatt.livejournal.com]
MB: Sure—there’s always more.  I don’t know if there are any areas I haven’t tapped—but to hit them harder and better would be nice.
MB: If my career plateaued right now and never got any bigger, I’d still be happy as hell where I’m at.
MB: But–
MB: Taking the world by storm in all these areas even more would be cool, for sure. As an example, my first independent movie went straight to DVD, and had extremely mixed reviews (rightly so).  I’d love to do more, have them be more critically acclaimed and do better box office-wise.
NR: You DO have a pretty sweet job, btw.  It’s like every person’s dream to be doing what you’re doing (something you love and making money from it, that is).
MB: Thanks.  Yeah, I’m pretty happy where I’m at, so I’m trying to just sit back and enjoy the ride.

The following section on the film industry is something I just can’t help myself from doing. I could have been interviewing Bob the Quadruple-Amputee Painter and I still would have asked him about the film industry in Detroit. It’s, like, this compulsion that I have. I harp on it constantly. I refuse to apologize for it.

NR: What do you think of all this buzz in Michigan over the burgeoning film industry, what with Granholm’s tax breaks and all?
MB: I think it’s great.  I can tell you first-hand that Hollywood has been buzzing about the talent in Detroit for years.  I think big things are going to happen here.

See, I kept it brief!

NR: So at thedetroiter.com, we focus on the rich arts and culture scene here in Detroit (and Michigan), and promote local artists and all that, and this is why we’re talking today.  Now, you left Michigan, but you came back.  Why?  And I’m looking for some really-enlightening pro-Michigan answer here, so, you know…
MB: I have a few reasons.  For one, L.A. sucked my creativity dry.  I love the creative atmosphere, but the materialness of everyone was just draining.  I feel like I create better here.
NR: Well, it’s good to have you back here…so we can tout how the rock star of illustration lives HERE in Michigan! 
MB: Yes!  I can’t place myself in the same category as Kid Rock, Eminem, and the endless list of musicians that still choose to live here, but I think when you achieve a certain status in entertainment, and you can live wherever you want, you see how a down-to-earth place like Michigan is really where it’s at.

And now is when we get into Random Question Time:

NR: I would be remiss if I didn’t ask: do you have any inside scoops on upcoming Star Wars projects?  Anything particularly interesting going on in the House of Lucas?
MB: Well, the new CLONE WARS CG animated movie/TV show looks great.  They’re in the early planning stages of the live action TV show, and that should be cool, too.
NR: OMG, the fanboys are gonna poop themselves…
MB: Haha!
NR: Have you ever met George Lucas?
MB: Ha!  I’ve been in the same room with him several times, and been to Skywalker Ranch…  The whole bit…  But every time you go, you have to sign these contracts saying that you WILL NOT APPROACH MR. LUCAS!
NR: And I was JUST going to ask if he was a douche…I guess that kind of answers that question!
MB: You know what though—it’s not Lucas.
MB: It’s all his advisors and managers that are just trying to keep him on track with work and writing scripts.
NR: And hopefully NOT directing…
NR: NOT EVER directing…
MB: If anyone at Lucasfilm could just talk to him whenever, he’d be drowning in a sea of endless nerd questions.
NR: HAHA!!!!  Sooooo true.  Speaking of which, do you get accosted by a lot of gushing fanboys when you go to these ComicCons?
MB: Sure.  And I have 437 unanswered emails I need to plow through—most of which are fan questions.
MB: Part of it is my fault—I’ve put a lot of focus into all the You Can Draw stuff, so all these aspiring artists turn to me for free advice! 
NR: (Damn, THAT’S what I should have done…)
NR: Out of curiosity: I noticed some scabbing on your left arm.  Is that sleeve [tattoos] new?  I’m nosy.
MB: Yes—in the past month I’ve gone through roughly five 12-hour sessions.
MB: I’m finally done…FOR NOW.
NR: So is that an artist thing, the tattoos? 
NR: They say it’s very addictive…
MB: I don’t know; part of it was that I’ve reached another chapter in my life that I wanted to document on me…
MB: And part of it is that I crave to look like more of an “artist.”  I think I look like a doofy oaf, so anything I can do to help the brand is a good thing.   

And now Rapid Fire Random Questions:

NR: Gibson or Fender?
MB: Both.  It’s the player, not the guitar.
NR: Harley or Yamaha?
MB: Same.  It’s the rider.
NR: DVD or DVR?
MB: Haha!  I don’t watch enough TV to even know how to use a DVR, so I’m going with DVD.
NR: Mornings or evenings?
MB: This is gonna sound so nerdy, but these days, mornings.  I think more clearly and am more creative in the morning.
NR: Yeah, it does sound nerdy. 
NR: Local music or mainstream rock?
MB: Both and neither.
NR: Hm.  I like that answer.  Beatles or Rolling Stones?
MB: BEATLES.
NR: We agree to disagree then. 
MB: WHAT?!
MB: The Stones were “cooler” for sure, but the Beatles were SUCH better musicians and song writers.
NR: “Paint it, Black”?  “(I Can’t Get No) Satisfaction”?  “GIMME SHELTER”? Are you serious right now?
MB: Yeah, those are 3 of the best Stones songs, but the BEATLES’ list is ENDLESS.
NR: Who needs political debates when you’ve got this…
MB: Hahaha!
NR: Agree to disagree. 
MB: Yes.
NR: City or suburbs?
MB: Living: Suburbs.  Going out:  City.
NR: Do you like Busch beer, since it’s your name and all?
MB: Get this—my Dad’s side of the family: Related to Busch Beer.
MB: My Mom’s side of the family: Related to Beck’s Beer.
MB: Me—I hate the taste of beer. Period.
NR: Matt Busch: rock star daiquiri drinker.
MB: Mixed drinks, wine, girlie drinks are all good.  But the taste of beer makes me want to vomit.
MB: I’m ruining my credibility here, aren’t I?
NR: Don’t worry, I’ll edit everything.  [Writer’s note: BUT NOT THIS! BWA-HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!]
NR: If you could be any animal, what animal would you be and why?
MB: An Eagle.  Just for the sensation of soaring through the sky.
NR: So is this the bestest interview you’ve ever had ever?
MB: It’s been a hoot, I must say. 
NR: Cool!  You wanna be my new BFF?
MB: OMG!  ROTFWL!  I was gonna say the same thing! LOL!
NR: AWESOME! Call me every 5 minutes then.
MB: ‘K.  TTYL!

Photo by Michael Kane

Writer’s note: Matt Busch has been very busy these past couple of weeks and has not called me every 5 minutes, as instructed. I’ve been told I just need to forgive him for this. I still have not moved past the Rolling Stones thing, though.