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Hardlineray
230 Plays5 years ago
HARDLINERAY makes smart, high energy art of a noticeably singular and unique hand. Ray is of noteworthy talent. I loved doing this episode. To learn about Ray check out these words from his Folks Press (Portland) feature:
"When all is said and done, however, what keeps Ray sane is comics. Comics, comics, comics. In part, the sanity comes from being skilled. A fellow illustrator had this to say about Ray from Chi City. 'Even though I've seen a lot people do comics—that was like my first love—you can tell when somebody has a unique angle. Even in a very common job—some people do backgrounds, some do ink, some do coloring—you can tell when someone is just trying to do their own thing. That's what caught my attention about Ray.'"
https://www.instagram.com/hardlineray/
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Transcript
Introduction to Hardline Ray
00:00:00
Speaker
You are listening to Something Rather Than Nothing, creator and host Ken Volante, editor and producer Peter Bauer. This is Ken Volante with Something Rather Than Nothing podcast and really excited this episode to have Hardline Ray
00:00:25
Speaker
Ray does just, he's a great illustrator. I encountered him on Instagram. And one of the things I described to Ray about his images and his art, it just seemed to have this kind of like, there's just this incredible energy to what was presented. And I've seen some of your work, Ray, with a beautiful depiction of Iron Giant, Ghost Rider,
00:00:55
Speaker
And, of course, some recent images you've had of Breonna Taylor and George Floyd. Ray, I want to thank you to something rather than nothing podcast. Thanks for joining us. Thank you for having me, Ken. Appreciate it. Yeah. So all right. So that's a bit of a build up there. Let's go. Let's go back, Ray. Tell us tell us what you were like when you were younger. I mean, were you always interested in, I don't know, comic books, fantasy, illustrating? What were you like?
00:01:26
Speaker
I was a rambunctious kid. I got into, you know, a lot of trouble. I didn't really like cause trouble, but I was kind of like a sort of dentist and menace type. But also, you know, pretty creative as well as destructive at the same time. I wanted to build, you know, things and, you know, create things. And I think that was like more of my
00:01:54
Speaker
idea like longevity. And also, I was not without a lot of like culture in my household, especially with pop culture. So being influenced like by that and arts in general, to elaborate. Comics was definitely like the high the high point. You know, as a kid, you know, old grocery stores, comic book racks, like at the checkout,
00:02:23
Speaker
you know, how to hit those racks up and, you know, grab a couple of books, grab a couple of issues, you know, get fascinated by the art, even try to mimic the art, sadly, in the comic book by using a ballpoint ink pen. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.
Influences and Inspirations
00:02:42
Speaker
I still actually retain some of those old books, but I don't think any of them are something I can write home about, you know, to pay for a brand new house or
00:02:51
Speaker
calls to question kids and stuff. I, I, uh, thanks. Thanks for mentioning that. I know, um, well, and I could tell when you're mentioning, uh, you know, with the comic book racks, right? And that means something very special to you. It means something very special to me and very particular. Um, but yeah, the grocery store and finding those in, um, I had a guest on recently, her name's Kathy camper. Her episode's going to be coming out and, uh,
00:03:20
Speaker
One of the artists that illustrates her stuff, Raoul III, he talked about is that those comic book racks, that was his museum, right? That was his museum. So comic books, very important for you from a young age, that right, Ray? Yeah, definitely.
00:03:43
Speaker
Definitely. Completely part of my upbringing. Pop culture, again, in general. Comedy, too. I totally count that in as being a character, because I love comedy. It was silly. I was kind of a goofy kid growing up, depending on who you talk to. You probably see that now.
00:04:13
Speaker
You know, and others would probably, you know, totally vouch that, you know, and say probably this one way or another. The cross reference with me and I'll let you know if it's all lies or if it's all true. So who's the greatest stand up comic of all time? Oh, man. Oh, I mean, can you really have one? Yes. Yeah, I think you can. You know what?
00:04:42
Speaker
Full disclosure, favorites in any category, in any genre of things is really, really difficult for me to just put to the forefront. But I tell you, the first person that comes to mind is, let's see, I want to butcher his name, George Carlin. Yeah, sure. George Carlin comes to mind.
00:05:10
Speaker
as well as one of those comedians in a forefront. And yeah, I mean, so if I have to, I mean, there's countless others I can totally say and talk about. But we can say, let's just say George Carlin for now. How about that? Yeah, thanks.
Art in the Context of Crisis
00:05:28
Speaker
I put you on the spot with that one. Our chance. It's all good. Hey, so, Ray.
00:05:37
Speaker
Oh, one of the one of the questions I'd like to get at a little bit as far as, you know, you know what you'd like to look at art and entertainment and you mentioned, you know, in popular culture, comedy and in comic books. What
00:05:54
Speaker
Well, for you, as far as what you've created, I know artists a lot of times can kind of create little things and tinker. I mean, do you have do you have a realm within as far as creating art or deeply, more deeply enjoying art? You know, kind of what are your top forms? You know, things like painting, music, you know, like what's what's your top go to? Or you just kind of you're interested in a lot of different types. What do you land on?
00:06:25
Speaker
Well, let's see. As far as what I as far as what I do personally or what I'm inspired by or a little bit. Let's say what you're inspired by. I'm inspired by all of it, man. I if I wasn't drawing or doing doing a visual illustration, I think I would go into acting and also music. I think those two really
00:06:52
Speaker
harmonize, you know, and reach people on a whole lot of levels than visual arts. I think the the connection is still the same from between like the art, the artisan audience that there is the defective method that there is a connection period. But yeah, I'm inspired by music. I'm inspired by other artists. Visually who do who do music, who do acting,
00:07:20
Speaker
movies also is pretty, you know, pretty inspiring, you know, across the board. I just, yeah, all of it. Just really, I know, mesmer, it mesmerized me. And yeah, I'd like to interpret that on paper, you know, on canvas or whatever is in front of me. And whatever tools, you know, are really available.
00:07:50
Speaker
I primarily work traditional. So with pencils, I think pencils can be as broad as a painting or as any other medium, but translate something different in its own way. And with the inspiration
00:08:17
Speaker
you know, just coming from, you know, other comic book artists and other illustrators and musicians and actors. And, you know, it's so much out there, so much variety that, you know, it just comes to the table and, you know, you get jazzed about it, then, you know, you see something, you know, on screen and you're like, wow, that would make for like a really good
00:08:42
Speaker
outfit, you know, in the case of a fashion designer or, you know, that would that would really make for a good, you know, comic or a T-shirt or, you know, a song, you know, behind it. Yeah, absolutely. Absolutely. Yeah. Ray, big, big question. You know, there's a few big questions on the program that I like to ask and kind of get your perspective.
00:09:08
Speaker
A big foundational one is, I just wonder from your opinion and thoughts, what is art? Art is to the person who is conducting the art. In my humble opinion, and that can be determined by who's doing it.
00:09:37
Speaker
And then also, if we're talking in the means of making money, that can be determined by the person who said that, yes, this banana stuck to a wall by duct tape is artistic, and it's worth a lot of money. Right. And that I mean, that's, that's another. That's another question like, well, within itself, like, I don't know, like,
00:10:07
Speaker
Yeah. It's loaded. It's loaded. That question is loaded and I know and I was trying to think about this for like for about a week or so and just contemplate like with the magic bullet you know question and just you know while your audience but I'm
00:10:24
Speaker
I'm not going to even try it anymore. No, I. Hey, Ray, I I never answer it. I've been doing these 50 something. No, it's cool. No way. And I and I like the elements, you know, I think in your response, you know, you know, what is the intent of the artist? You know, is it is it based on how, you know, the the audience, you know, receives it? Right. Like, like we're.
00:10:53
Speaker
you know, where is it? And, you know, the, I think with art, there's the, I heard somebody reference the famous, there was a famous, um, decision around trying to, you know, define pornography and the definition after, you know, tons of litigation and arguments came down to, you know, it when you see it, right? That's as good,
00:11:19
Speaker
That's as good as they could get on the definition. A lot of people say arts like that, right? So it's like, I'm trying to describe it to you right now with words. I can't really do it, but if we're both staring at, you know, uh, this, this painting and we both can't talk for five minutes, then no, it's probably art. True. So, um,
00:11:43
Speaker
Yeah, so I mean, it's just kind of like different ways to approach it. A question that's related to that, Ray, that I was wondering from your perspective is the role of art right now and whether that's changed. And by that, I mean with the pandemic and the kind of just kind of like huge changes that result from that, like in society and in creating things.
00:12:13
Speaker
But also within some of the social upheavals the obviously that we are experiencing in seeing Do you think that the role of art itself? You as an artist that that that that has changed right now or you think it's kind of like what it's always been So good question I Would say My my best opinion in my in my own personal experience
00:12:44
Speaker
With the current state of affairs of this year, I have been triggered probably more so than inspired to create certain type of forms of art. Going back to what you were saying, we mentioned Breonna Taylor and George Floyd.
00:13:09
Speaker
There have been many unlawful, wrongful deaths of people that has happened, some that may seem more tragic and others. With Floyd in particular, I feel like it was seeing that video with so much in your face and up close and personal, people couldn't help but talk about it.
00:13:33
Speaker
or couldn't help but do something in general about it, whether that's protests, starting funds, getting awareness out, doing art, period. And it's so very necessary. And art has always been a very powerful message in times of a crisis.
00:14:02
Speaker
of a pandemic more so. And I'm seeing artists, you know, make, you know, light of situations and rightfully so, you know, given to politics, for example, you know, I mean, that's always been like politics have always been like been put on as a satire and have been a great tool to express a basic broke down
00:14:29
Speaker
ideal or factual situation of our government. And some have paid for it. I mean, I go back to, I think it was probably a few years back in France, there was a specific comic book strip and then touched on some terrorists or something or other. I can't
00:14:55
Speaker
I can't remember. I remember that controversy. Yeah. Yeah. Right. Yeah. Yeah. With the cartoons. Yeah. Yeah. And even like he paid for his life. So there's definitely like someone is hitting home. The message is getting out there. And sometimes it goes like with an unfortunate cost. And sometimes it is worth
00:15:20
Speaker
having to say something and not having to say anything at all. And I've never been that type of artist. I think with Breonna Taylor and I think with George Floyd, I can't really explain why those two out amongst many have been slain, wrongfully stood out.
00:15:44
Speaker
And it wasn't for popularity, it wasn't for money, it wasn't to jump on a bandwagon, although it just happened to be in that climate. And as, I don't know, for me, when I see something that I want to express and I want to see it in gruesome like on paper and out of my head, I'm going to put it out there. I'm going to put it out there and I'm going to
00:16:13
Speaker
at least utilize it like to show my support, you know, because I mean, I agree for that family. You know, I grieve, you know, for for black, for black culture, you know, you know, as as a black American, and, and just for people, you know, general who have to suffer through that. And as far as like the pandemic goes,
00:16:38
Speaker
I've had a lot of visual ideas for that, and I still want to put the paper. And with
Cultural and Familial Influences
00:16:46
Speaker
that being said, art in the current climate, it gets us through a lot. We deal with so much. We have to take time away from the chaos, and some of us who are not
00:17:08
Speaker
effective literary writers, poets, storytellers, journalists. I do my expression best by visually telling you. If we're not face to face, then you'll see it in my pictures. Hopefully, you get what I'm trying to interpret or you come up with your own interpretation. I like that too.
00:17:35
Speaker
You know, I'm always almost curious, you know, across the board with my work, you know, what what people, you know, kind of make of it, because honestly, I don't have an answer for when I do it. But once I make it, I just put two and two together, and then it's almost kind of sort of like a test. And it's not, you know, in something that means to be, you know, malicious. Yeah.
00:18:02
Speaker
or against a viewer or anyone who sees my work and likes it or don't like it or whatever. But there's a psychological side to everything, especially now we are connecting to today's world and how it makes us feel. Yeah, and I appreciate your comments on that. I mean, part of the thing is,
00:18:29
Speaker
You know, I've started asking a question, you know back in March and I became You know just deeply interested because I was experiencing myself of like, you know How do you like what do you create? How do you create and what do you create? Like when stuff was I mentioned this in a recent episodes was stuff was going on with the podcast What was going on with the pandemic? I'm like
00:18:52
Speaker
You know you question like what it is that you're creating right and it's a good process You know what am I doing with my time? Is this useful is this? and and So I really appreciate appreciate your comments with within that because for me it's been you know kind of psychological you know reaction to um to difficulty right to difficulty and
00:19:18
Speaker
So I'm gonna get a couple more questions. Another big one. Another tough one too. Sorry there, Ray. I mean, this is this is great. I went into this just, you know, trying to try to prep as much as possible. But I mean, at this point, I'm pretty much like I'm winging it.
00:19:41
Speaker
And I kind of feel like I can talk with you like all day on these topics. Save here. Save here, Ray. I'll just explain it out there. Thank you. All right. All right. That's good. That's good. Hey, all right. So one of the big questions is who or what made you who you are?
00:20:02
Speaker
Well, going back to your original question, I would have to say, again, it came with pop culture. But I would have to give initial gratitude to my mother. And as Klee said, as that sound, as if I'm appearing on stage and receiving a reward, it really had a lot to do with my mom. My mom turned me on to a lot of
00:20:32
Speaker
multicultural arts, you know, anything and everything, you name it. I mean, it was music, it was movies, it was comics, it was, you know, it was paintings, it was plays, it was, you know, all that and then some. So yeah, as to me, she really did it for me in making me the nerd geek
00:21:05
Speaker
I don't know. You know, you you want to call it because you mean she was tricky herself. And I, I, you know, we watch, you know, that stuff like for days and Star Wars is my thing. And that was something, you know, we watched the day. So yeah, I would find if I had to say, I would say it's
00:21:26
Speaker
The things that I love, you know, the person that I love dearly, you know, and, yeah, our world, you know, our experience, you know, in life, too.
Philosophical Reflections: Why Something Rather than Nothing?
00:21:40
Speaker
You know, for better or for worse, I mean, I think we can all agree that, you know, that that's safe for a human being. And I mean, be quite frank with you. Other stuff I'm still trying to try to figure out, you know, and feel comfortable
00:21:55
Speaker
you know, within coffee. Yes. Oh, you know, it's full disclosure. Yeah. Yeah. Well, I think on the who or what made you, I think, uh, the mama coalition, that that's a hundred percent correct the answer. If you say mama, it's a hundred percent. Thank you. All you out there that want to claim like all these mama's royal months, like, you know what? F off, you know, when you have a, when you have a partner in crime,
00:22:23
Speaker
Um, you know, and they like doing due diligence and they're beyond like the parenthood or, you know, whatever. And if they're not like the biological parent, but they were something that, you know, just kept you out of a lot of like BS. Cause, um, I'm from Chicago originally. And I, and I think with, without, if I, if I didn't have, you know, these tools, I mean, I have my other family members too helping, you know, my friends like along the way, but if I, if I didn't have,
00:22:50
Speaker
Um, you know, her, um, you know, just enicillating plant planting that seed. Um, I wouldn't appreciate the things that I do today. I wouldn't appreciate it. Like the life that I have today and, and, and, uh, be into the stuff that I'm into today. Yeah. And then thanks for mentioning that Ray too, on, uh, Chicago, I think I got, I got to double check my stats, but I know you might be about our fifth guest, uh, originally from Chicago guys, uh,
00:23:19
Speaker
Sean Wynn, Avery R. Young, vehicle Alvarez Vega. And so, hey, I'm representing, I used to live in Madison, Wisconsin, so there might be a reason why I'm trying to represent Chicago the right way, too. All right, Ray, big question again. Why is there something rather than nothing? Why is there something rather than nothing?
00:23:49
Speaker
Because without something, we will literally have nothing. Nothing is boring. Having something is always interesting rather than having nothing. And even when you have nothing, you still have something. Yeah, I like that. I think you got it right there. I think we stopped right.
Favorite Comic Book Characters
00:24:11
Speaker
Hey, Ray, who are your top?
00:24:18
Speaker
comic book characters, villains or heroes. Get out of here, you guy. My top comic book characters? Yeah. Are we going by number or you just want me to ramble off? Just ramble some off. Ramble some off. Bad Ben, Daredevil, Black Panther, Doctor Doom, Magneto, Joker, Storm.
00:24:49
Speaker
um colossus love colossus what's that i love colossus love colossus yeah no no fellow artists gotta give it up to colossus cowarina the green lantern corp what's up um let's see let's see who else who else i like your ghost rider that you did recently i was that was just badass badass character badass depiction
00:25:18
Speaker
Thank you. Yeah, Ghost Rider, yeah, has a place in my heart. I've always liked that visual aesthetic of that character. A good homie of mine. I wanna give a shout out to Matthew Clark, who is also here locally, professional comic book artist, brilliant draftsman, designer. Recently we're posting up on his Instagram his version of a female Ghost Rider.
00:25:46
Speaker
So that definitely sparked something for me. But yeah, Ghost Rider, it's always fun to do, especially ink-wise and just visual aesthetics all around. The flame behind the skull, basic anatomy, working against an effect that's not so basic, very difficult to pull off in different mediums. Yeah.
Connecting with Ray: Future Collaborations
00:26:10
Speaker
Of Ghost Rider. I love that. I like motorcycles a lot, too.
00:26:16
Speaker
Wasn't allowed to ride one, but, you know, hey, living vicariously. Yeah, I know. The motorcycle is always, yeah, it's always a thing. It's always attractive, but then there's this, you know, voice in the back of your head is, I know myself. I want to keep myself alive.
00:26:38
Speaker
But if my head could spontaneously burst into flames and retain my skull, then I would heavily consider riding a motorcycle on a regular basis. Then you're doing the 101. Then you're doing the 101 all the way down, up and down the coast. Oh, yeah, yeah. Why not?
00:27:03
Speaker
Hey, Ray, I want talking to Hardline Ray, Illustrator artist. Really great chat with you. Hey, Ray, where do listeners, where can they find your stuff? I don't know whether it's commission, seeing the works you've done in the past. Where do they look to get in touch with you and your art? Well, you can't always find me on Instagram. And I am Hardline Ray at Instagram.
00:27:33
Speaker
on Instagram.com. You can also shoot me an email under that same handle of my Gmail account as well. And so I'll have a website up soon and other ways to connect. But for now, those would be the main. That's great. Thank you so much for that. And we'll get the word out about the program on our various Instagram and Facebook.
00:28:01
Speaker
I do want to say, Ray, it's been, you know, it's one of those things where I've been following your art for a little while and then having a chance to connect with you in chat with you.
00:28:15
Speaker
I really enjoyed the time here. I appreciate you likewise Yeah, absolutely spending the time here and I do hope uh, you know, we have a follow-up visit I'll contact you again, you know down the road and maybe we could do a little bit more like Just like comic specific, you know geek out on comics just those type of questions for a bit right and maybe Yeah
00:28:38
Speaker
By all means, I'm putting I'm putting you in a book. You're already there. You're already. All right. All right. You don't even got to worry about that. You you had me. Hello. I mean, that that because I'm an Excel wager, we let's make this happen. I appreciate that because booking booking in general tends to be a little bit of a labor. So I do appreciate that. All right.
00:29:06
Speaker
Hardline Ray, great, great pleasure to chat with you. Everybody, certainly, if you're on Instagram, check out Hardline Ray. Incredible, dynamic, energetic images. Check out what he's doing and, you know, hit him up, you know, about some of that art. And Ray, again, thanks so much and look forward to chatting soon. Most definitely. Thank you so much, Ken, and I appreciate you having me on yourself.
00:29:36
Speaker
Absolutely. Take care, Ray. You take care. Bye now. You are listening to something rather than nothing.