In the painting Fight Meat Dance Battle Go! I had introduced the world to a pair of meat monsters, and now I was forced to grapple with the awesome responsibility of what I had done. Children everywhere would begin to question the provenance of their chicken nuggets. Housewives with bubble hairdos and cocktail dresses would faint at the sight of steaks in the meat department. Somehow, I had to find a way to mitigate the incredible visual impact of those monsters, so the audience would be able to face their own uncertain futures after they left the library.
Taking a cue from every horror movie sequel ever made, I decided to humanize the monster by giving it an unnecessary backstory. Because once you do that, monsters aren’t scary anymore! Meat Monster Sophomore Yearbook Photo gives you a glimpse of the monster during the most awkward time in its life, draining it of the raw potency you felt from its original appearance. You’re welcome!
Connections:
This is, of course, the younger version of the same monster from Fight Meat Dance Battle Go! The more oblique connection is that this canvas is rendered in a classic retro portrait style; it’s not the same style as that used in Spooky Space Kook Visits the Sears Portrait Studio or Mother’s Circus Lion Visits the Sears Portrait Studio, but it comes from the same era and the same place in my heart.
