EVIL AS AN ART FORM

ART APPRECIATION WEEK

The wily and nefarious time traveling villainess Agent Beryllium pointed me in the direction of The Overlord, a fellow villainess with an artistic eyeball. (In fact both myself and The Overlord got the "Beryllium Bump" on her blog yesterday.)

The Overlord, of Portland, Oregon, mixes art and sinister musings on evil schemes at her site "Evil As A Lifestyle Choice" at www.freeevil.com. I conducted a brief Q and A via e-mail with her yesterday.

Tea Krulos: What inspired you to become a super villain and start your website?

The Overlord: My New Years Resolution for 2009 was to become my inner Super Villain. Basically, everything I love about myself and everything I aspire to be has been rolled into one character, The Overlord, and she has slowly become a larger part of my life.

I love blogs, and I find that what I love isn't always the subject matter, but the personality, the vulnerability, and the conversational tone that often comes through. I've wanted to start a blog for awhile, and started "Evil As A Lifestyle Choice" late last year.

TK: Is evil an art form? In what way?

Overlord: This question deserves two answers: My Arch Enemy is an artist who has recently taken up photography and contributed a lot to the look and feel of my site. On my arch's page, we have a sampling of illustrations from a comic we worked on together, "The Apocalypse Picture Book." That project has been shelved for the time being, but I believe his goals are similar to mine, to bring people out of their mindset and shatter perceptions.

The way you live your life and interact with other people can definitely become an art form. When you decide to really take on the persona of an Evil Super Villain, it really has an impact on all levels Your day to day life. The way you dress in the morning, your tone, the words you choose, etc... All of these things have the power to impact others.

I enjoy telling people, in all seriousness, that I'm an aspiring villain, I've shacked up with my arch nemesis, and I'll take him down one day, after he gets a good life insurance policy. At the very least, I get a smile, but the goal is to slow people down and bring them out of their world and into mine, just for a moment.

I'm not talking about true evil, by the way, or the sort of evil that causes us to hurt one another. I'm talking about accepting the darker aspects of yourself that society tells You to keep hidden away. That darkness inside you is probably more real and more honest than your good side could ever hope to be.

TK: Who is the most villainous artist of all time?

Overlord: This is a broad question. My feeling is that most art has good intention, even architects working in the thick of Nazi Germany managed to have vision and make beautiful monuments.

I'm going to stick to what influenced me the most and has certainly influenced my Arch Enemy. Street art is technically illegal, but as I see it some of the most influential work out there. It has transformative power, mischief, and the ability to make a complete stranger pause and smile. There are too many people to name.

I love the people behind www.you-are-beautiful.com. I love Joshua Allen Harris' animated trash bags. Anyone Who has ever painted over a billboard or a train car and turned something ugly and mundane into something unexpected.

I hate it when vegans paint on stop signs. Too obvious. "Stop Driving". ugh...
I guess what catches my eye is the spirit of mischief, not necessarily evil, but true.

TK: What feelings do you hope to inspire in "real life superheroes" that view your art?

Overlord: I feel there is a thin line between "hero" and "villain." It takes a special kind of person to put on a mask and fight crime. A superhero who takes it to the streets could easily become disillusioned and cross over into the realm of evil. At the very least, I'd like them to see how much fun I'm having.

TK: What are your goals for the future?

Overlord: My main goal is to continue to work hard on my site. I want something that is approachable, sort of gateway into the world of evil, geared towards the uninitiated.

I would also like to organize an event, a "Super Villains in the Park," masks required. Portland is full of people who love having an excuse to dress up, myself included.

The Arch Enemy and I are working on a few comic ideas that will mesh well with "Evil As A Lifestyle Choice." We'll also be working on some children's books that I've written over the summer, because you have to hook them while they're young.