I’ve had an affinity for drawing since my youth, however it wasn’t until I was 15 years old that I began drawing for metal bands. In 1991 I discovered the underground metal music scene and began corresponding with various underground death, black, and thrash metal bands, fanzines, record labels, distributors, tape traders, and fans around the world. Since it was before the Internet, all correspondence was made via postal mail, wherein we exchanged letters, fliers, and music. Since I already had a love for both drawing and metal music, I viewed the underground metal scene as the perfect platform for giving my artwork purpose and meaning, so I began to illustrate logos and demo tape covers for bands, covers and filler art for underground fanzines, etc.
How were you introduced to metal music? What is the meaning of metal music for you?
I can recall my parents purchasing several 7” singles from the major artists of the 80s and then transferring them onto mix tapes for listening during our annual family vacations. Being exposed to bands like Duran Duran, Depeche Mode, Men at Work, New Order, Styx, A Flock of Seagulls, The Pretenders, Fleetwood Mac, etc. opened my mind and fostered my appreciation and passion for music. In 1983, my grandmother purchased my first Walkman for me, along with a copy of Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” full-length; I played that cassette into oblivion. In 1986 my taste for music began leaning toward hard rock and glam metal, thanks to my exposure to MTV. I would spend my allowance on bands like Def Leppard, Ratt, Keel, Dokken, Motley Crue, White Lion, etc. After about a year or more I graduated to even heavier music and began purchasing albums by thrash metal acts like Coroner, Cryptic Slaughter, Kreator, Slayer, Demolition Hamer, Possessed, Vio-Lence, Overkill, Sadus, Destruction, etc. This obviously led me onto the path of death metal with staple acts such as Death, Deicide, Cannibal Corpse, Obituary, Pestilence, Malevolent Creation, Napalm Death, etc. Upon discovering the underground scene, I was able to access even more bands who were lesser known or just getting their start. The underground scene offered so much variety and originality that wasn’t easily accessible via record stores or the bigger metal labels. I have so many old demo tapes in my collection from bands like Human Remains, My Dying Bride, Mortal Dread, Phantasm, Execration, Incest, Cataclysm, Putrid Decay, Torture Krypt, Morpheus, etc. many of which I still frequently revisit because they’re so incredible and way ahead of their time. What metal music means to me—it’s a part of my everyday life and truly is a lifestyle for me, and in some ways my livelihood. I wear a metal shirt daily, listen to metal while I drive, listen to it while I work, dedicate endless hours of time illustrating for the metal scene, and write, record, and publish my own metal music. I live and breathe metal.
What are your main inspirations to produce your obscure art?
What currently inspires me most about drawing is the ability to pause the regular demands on my time as a parent and husband. I love being a parent and husband, and much of my time and energy is directed toward these wonderful endeavors however drawing allows me to have a meditative moment and get completely lost in my own work. In terms of outside influences and inspirations, I often enjoy looking at the work of other artists, especially artists who also publish in the realm of metal music. Some of the artists whom I follow closely include Dan Seagrave, Daniel Shaw, Chris Moyen, Justin Bartlett, Brad Moore, Juanjo Castellano, Toshihiro Egawa, Christophe Szpajdel, Pushead, Wes Benscoter, Muhamad Candra, Sam Mills, and many others. I also enjoy the work of the old masters like Flemish painters Hieronymus Bosch and Pieter Brueghel, German painter and printmaker Hans Holbein, and the pre-Raphaelites such as Edward Burne-Jones.
What kind of special techniques and tools do you use to draw?
I’ve worked with various pen types over the years however the past few years I’ve been using Sakura of America products; particularly the Micron pens (various nib sizes) and I especially love to use their Brushpen products. I also use white jelly roll pens and Sharpie markers. For paper, I use simple 20lb printer/copier paper. Regarding techniques, I mostly concentrate on thick and thin brushstrokes using the Brushpens but I also lean on cross hatching and stippling techniques in my art too.
Is there any kind of special or personal feeling that you want to express with your artwork? If so, why?
Ultimately, I’m attempting to capture the essence of old school death metal in my artwork. I do this to be nostalgic but also to capture a moment in time wherein the genre was at its genesis. On a separate note, I’m also aiming for my art to leave an impression of our human mortality by making my work appear grotesque, otherworldly, and putrid. Death is a certainty and I believe there is value and important philosophical/worldview-shaping implications in acknowledging our own inevitable end.
With what bands, record labels, etc., have you worked?
I’ve worked with hundreds of bands and labels in my career, across many styles of metal, and other genres of music as well other industries altogether. Some of the most visible work I’ve completed has been for clients like The Black Dahlia Murder, A Day to Remember, Carnifex, Thy Art is Murder, Arch Enemy, Justin Beiber, Pusha-T, Rihanna, City Morgue, Dethklok, Amon Amarth, Volvo automobiles, Stan Against Evil television series, and clothing brands like The Hundreds, Rebel8, Raised By Wolves, and Death Saves. I also have some other major clients on my schedule that I can’t reveal at this time because they have not yet been officially published or are currently in progress.
What are the main/highlight works you have made?
The greatest joy and personal highlights for me has been illustrating for bands whose music I am already a fan of or sincerely enjoy, such as Grave, Morbid Angel, Nunslaughter, Hulder, Autopsy, Suffocation, Obscene, Horrendous, Ossuarium, Rotting Christ, Varathron, Skeletal Remains, Timeghoul, Bloodbath, Dying Fetus, Mystifier, Cemetery Lust, Zealot Cult, Deceased, Arsis, Revel In Flesh, Mortician, Nailed to Obscurity, Massacre, Gorgasm, Medieval Demon, Mortuary Drape, Imprecation, Gatecreeper, Tomb Mold, and the list goes on.
What would you say separates your own art from other artists?
I do believe I have a distinct style that allows my work to stand independently from others. All art is repetition however it is up to the artist to translate reality through their own unique vision, to reshape the work of others into something fresh and engaging; I believe I’ve achieved this feat through my art. Another distinction about my work is my willingness to venture outside of my heavy metal niche by exploring other areas of entertainment consumption to include other music genres and industries like television and film, food and beverage, gaming, fashion, publishing, etc.
How do you handle commissions (money, trade stuff only)?
I charge a flat rate for my illustrations however I do accept trades or a combination of the two on some occasions. This usually depends on the circumstance or the kind of relationship I have with my client.
Speaking about your metal scene, what bands, distros, labels, zines and other artists, can you recommend?
It’s difficult to speak about the local metal scene in the northern Virginia area—where I live—because it’s changed quite a bit since my youth. In the early 90s the most important bands from the local area here included Deceased, Abominog, Incarnis, Grand Belial’s Key, Arghoslent, Medusa, Doomstone, Morbius, Witch-Hunt, Rain Fell Within, As the Sea Parts, etc. The very first show I attended featured Deceased, Corpsegrinder, Suffocation, and Dismember. I was invited to the show by the drummer from Corpsegrinder—he used to publish an underground fanzine called Chainletter ‘zine. Their singer at the time was George Fisher, who later joined Cannibal Corpse; in retrospect it was great to see him perform up close in a small club setting. Regarding fanzines, there was Death Vomit ‘zine, Violent Head ‘zine—which was edited by a now well-known gothic-industrial DJ, Mike Kangal, and Sinistrari ‘zine—which recently made an appearance in the Lords of Chaos film during the “Helvete” scenes (I drew the logo and frame on the cover). The local scene here has been a bit disjointed in recent decades and I haven’t paid much attention to it, save for a few bands like Corpse Hole, Dispellment, Charged Minds, and Svierg. Regarding the American scene, I think the USA has a lot to offer. Some of the labels I’ve been purchasing from a lot from lately include Maggot Stomp, Caligari Records, Rotted Life, Desert Wastelands, Redefining Darkness, Headsplit Records, Dark Descent, Unspeakable Axe, Reaper Metal, Hell’s Headbangers, Nuclear War Now, Necroharmonic, Moribund Records, etc. All of the record labels mentioned here, both new and old, deserve your attention.
Last words and contact!
Juan, I want to thank you for your time, support, and thoughtful questions. Keep up the great work with Metal Maleficarvm as well as your band, Death Invoker! Thank you for supporting underground metal music! If any of your readers wish to learn more about my artwork, please visit: www.riddickart.com.
