David Johndrow, Bill Hicks and Jim Beam (An Interview)

As Instagram portfolios overflow with images taken with ever-improving iPhone cameras, Austin-based artist David Johndrow continues to make platinum-palladium, cyanotype and gum bichromate prints, observing minute details that most of us overlook. Growing up in Houston, Johndrow became close with the late Bill Hicks, an uncannily hilarious, foul-mouthed and cathartic performer of comedy and social satire who remains an iconic influence on American culture and beyond. Johndrow and his photographs contributed greatly to the British-produced documentary “American: The Bill Hicks Story,” which premiered at SXSW in 2010. I caught up with the artist recently to ask about his latest goings on via email.

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JA: You grew up with the late Bill Hicks and took many photographs of him, and you’ve talked about how he encouraged you to pick up the camera. Do you find that your experiences with him still inform your work?

DJ: Being friends with Bill influenced my life in a lot of ways. He was so committed to integrity and honesty and in doing what one loves and pursuing it to the fullest. Meeting him was like a validation of things that I had felt inside, but was afraid to express openly. He was so bold and so honest about things that it helped me do the same. I think that to be a great artist (or anything really) you have to shed

all of the ideas that society and culture instill in you and to forge your own path. His main message, for me, was to think for yourself.


JA: What do you think it is about Bill that still resonates so strongly with people?

DJ: Bill wasn’t afraid to speak aloud what people are feeling inside. Also, he was funny as hell. Humor comes from recognized truth. Maybe that’s why there aren’t any funny right-wing conservative comedians. But that’s another topic.


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From The Desk Of Kelly Hogan: Bill Hicks

Neko Case has called her pal Kelly Hogan “the Zelig of rock ‘n’ roll.” Her name appears in the credits for albums by Mavis Staples, the Mekons, Will Oldham, Matt Pond PA, Amy Ray, Giant Sand, Archer Prewitt, Alejandro Escovedo, Drive-By Truckers, Jakob Dylan, Tortoise and many others, Case included. Hogan’s fourth album has been a long time coming, in part because she’s been busy as a crucial part of Case’s band (anyone who’s seen Case live has witnessed Hogan’s amusing banter), in part because of the nature of the project. For I Like To Keep Myself In Pain (Anti-), Hogan sent letters to her songwriter friends, many of whom she’d sung with, asking them if they would send her a song, either one written specifically for her or one that “you think I could do right by,” as she said. That process started several years ago, and results yielded songs from a veritable who’s who: Vic Chesnutt, Stephin Merritt, Andrew Bird, Jon Langford, Janet Bean, M. Ward and others. Hogan will be guest editing magnetmagazine.com all week. Read our recent feature on her.

Hogan: I’m gonna talk about someone whose art has meant so very much to me in the past 15 years.

One afternoon during a heatwave at SXSW in 1998, my pal Ted and I retreated into the cool dark of his apartment, with his pet snake and some cold beers. The curtains were closed, and a mattress was on the floor. Ted said, “I’m gonna show you someone you’re gonna like.” And he put on a video of Bill Hicks.

I jumped up off the bed and yelled, “That’s him! That’s him! It’s finally him! That’s the guy whose show I saw right after my friend Allen died!”

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BIll Hicks Comic Book Biography

Some interesting news recently came from a recent article on Bleeding Cool regarding some controversy and a split between Bluewater Productions, a comic book company that has made a name for itself publishing comic book biographies of famous people, including President Obama; and the creator of a recently announced line of biographies dedicated to famous comedians.

Bleeding Cool interviewed the creator of this series Jaymes Reed who has split with Bluewater and will now publish through a "print on demand" basis. In the interview Jaymes casually announced an "authorized" comic book biography of Bill Hicks in the works!

"We’re even doing a Bill Hicks book that will be authorized by Bill’s estate. I’m working closely on it with Steve Hicks, Bill’s brother."

While there has been no official announcement made yet. And I have heard nothing from official channels, I did a little digging and was able to uncover the above cover art designed for the comic! 

When we have more news and a release date I will be sure to post it here!

SOURCE

UPDATE

Jaymes Reed has sent me the official cover art (which is subject to change). They are aiming for a November release for the Bill Hicks issue.

Let's honor Bill Hicks

Houston's late comedian-philosopher deserves to be memorialized with a statue.

Copyright 2013: Houston Chronicle | January 25, 2013 | Updated: January 26, 2013 12:44pm

One of the downsides to living in a city built on oil and gas is that we have few celebrities. A local economy lacking in media companies, amid a landscape that can be underwhelming, doesn't attract all that many famous people. So when a local talent does hit it big, Houston usually exhibits a sense of civic pride beyond what you might see in other big cities.

On the other hand, our preoccupation with business also makes it easy to forget our once-hometown celebrities when they become famous. So when a figure remains on our minds long after he's gone, you have to admit that Houston had someone special.

Someone like the late comedian Bill Hicks.

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It's Just a Ride Comic

Check out this awesome comic by Gavin Aung Than of zenpencils.com

Continued at zenpencils.com

Bill Hicks and George Carlin get a musical tribute

(CBS News) We'll be posting up the always-amazing Friday music round-up in just a bit, but before we do I want to kick off the music a little early today in the form a tribute to two legendary comedians: Bill Hicks and George Carlin. You really need to check this one out.


The touching musical remix of two comedians who have personally inspired me a great deal over the years is entitled "Bill Hicks + George Carlin: The Big Electron" and was created by one of our favorite media-made-into-music artists, John D. Boswell (aka melodysheep), who has been featured here on The Feed numerous times in the past, and who writes about his latest:

Two legendary comedians offer their perspectives on life, through song.

Another masterful piece of work by Boswell that has earned him a big triple-rainbow salute of awe from us here at The Feed! If you'd like to check out more by John D. Boswell (aka melodysheep) you can click here to see our past posts of him or click here to go to his YouTube page.

SOURCE

Comedy gold: Bill Hicks's Relentless (The Guardian)

Leo Benedictus
guardian.co.uk, Thursday 25 October 2012 12.49 EDT

Early death does wonders for an artist's reputation, it is true, but Hicks was a major talent – raw, angry, sincere, unhappy, weeping and yelling at a complacent world


Exceptionally sincere ... Bill Hicks. Photograph: Everett Collection/Rex Features

The setup: While he was alive, nobody, I suspect, had a higher opinion of Bill Hicks than he did. And certainly no other comedian inspires the same devotion among his fans that he still does today. (People actually sit down and transcribe his shows.)

One thing needs knocking on the head immediately. Early death does wonders for an artist's reputation, it is true, but Hicks was a major talent, and the world would still be saying so if the cancer hadn't got him in 1994, when he was just 32. Like the music scene that overlapped his short career, Hicks delivered a kind of grunge comedy: raw, angry, talented, sincere, unhappy, a weeping yell into the face of a complacent world. Nowhere in the recorded shows is he what you could call likable, but neither does he cease to mesmerise.

It's tough to choose one show to recommend, because there's barely a flaw in any of them. Relentless gets the nod for revealing a little more of his personal experience, and a little less of the great preacher-man. Although, that said, One Night Stand and Revelations share much of the same material. "I don't fit in anywhere, that's my problem," Hicks says in this show. "I'm the little dark poet, that's who I am."

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