We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Daniel Crosier a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.
Daniel, looking forward to hearing all of your stories today. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?
After art school, I worked with a machine, pyro performance group for a short time. I realized I wanted to do something different. I started OFM OdAm fEI mUd with a number of talented friends as a fight choreographed play featuring feudal Japanese themed demons in latex monster suits, fake blood canons, heavy metal band with taiko drummers providing the score, and aerialists depicting tyranny and its affects. Because of this project that went from 2003-2011, I realized the overlapping means of storytelling can exist in any platform you attempt.
Daniel, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?
As far back as I can remember I have always been drawing. I went to Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design as an illustration major then transferred to the sculpting department where they had chainsaws and welders. There I learned to add different materials into my illustrations and sculptures – resins, wood, mold-making. This led me a down a storytelling path into stage performance with OFM featuring themes of tyranny and using fake blood effects, monster latex outfits, fight choreography and rolling that into horror comics and films. In recent years I have simplified that back into mural work using saturations of lines.
In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?
Artists exist in every nook of existence. We are the designers of your world. Without films, music, paintings, novels, video games, fashion, interior design, etc. – we unveil the stories that enrich your lives, give way to culture, making life worth living for. The art industry is one of the largest industries in the world. The fact that we still have the cliche of the starving artist is a shame. Artists have to step aside and get out of the way for commerce to exploit them. You see that with the SAG and WGA strikes currently with the film industry willing to starve them out. This is frightening.
I know my short comings do come on the business side as I am too quick to please, and do allow myself to be taken advantage of. I have seen others profit off my work. It is frustrating. But, lesson learned – I will not do anything or take work if the red flags are presented.
Are there any resources you wish you knew about earlier in your creative journey?
Yeah. Taking business courses and going to film school. Luckily life allows for the those lessons anyway even if it can be the hard way. I am learning as a I go, still.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.whenbakedthingsattack.com
- Instagram: @daniel_crosier
- Facebook: @DanielRCrosier
- Twitter: @DanielRCrosier
- Other: www.cofestivalofhorror.com
Image Credits
All art by Daniel Crosier Stanley Kaiju cover art by Daniel Crosier, written by Elisa Sargent Ravage variant cover by Daniel Crosier, published by Invader Comics Boar by Daniel Crosier Jackelope mural by Daniel Crosier