You might not know Marc Wagner, but you’ve probably seen his work. The Sioux Falls artist is co-creator of Skullmore, a zine named for his toxic waste-colored rendition of the famous mountain (complete with skeletal presidential visages), stickers of which have become something of a subversive, tongue-in-cheek phenomenon. Wagner joins us for a conversation over bagels and coffee about what it all means.
How did your love of art begin?
Marc Wagner: My parents have been really supportive, so I’ve been drawing since I was 4 consistently.
How has your style evolved? It’s really fun and cartoony. Did you go through a realist phase?
MW: It’s been pretty consistent. I did some realist stuff. I painted in high school for a couple years, but I just like the speed at which I can draw, as opposed to the layers of paint drying. It’s always been this cartoony thing, and it’s just gotten better and my lines are more refined. It’s something I’ve stuck with.
Some of your zines and cartoons have rather cryptic phrases or messages. What are you trying to get across to the viewer?
MW: I got really interested in psychology in college, so I’ll just draw without thinking too much, unless there’s a goal in mind. It’s just about discovering things inside my subconscious. The phrases will be ones that have stuck out to me. Maybe it’s a song lyric or something I heard in a TV show. Something that just stuck in my brain, and at that moment, it seemed appropriate.
I think those drawings and phrases are very subjective, and I welcome people to look for their own interpretation, rather than give a definitive answer. Particularly with Mount Skullmore. I don’t have a particular message behind it, because I think it’s more impactful that way. Some people think it’s just a fun play on Mount Rushmore. Some people get much more political with it. I don’t think any of them are incorrect. All of those were my intention, so I like to leave things intentionally vague.
You’re a foster parent. How has being around kids impacted your art?
MW: Hanging out with them has kind of resparked that childlike wonder that went away for a while. Getting to introduce them to things from the past – we’ve been watching a lot of Looney Toons and Duck Tales – cartoons that I used to love. It’s fun to see how images impact people. I just introduced the 3-year-old to Wonder Woman the other day. To her, it’s the coolest thing in the world, because she didn’t know there was a girl superhero who was tough as nails, but also kind. It’s interesting to see things from a different perspective.
Who are some local artists that have been big influences for you?
MW: My buddy Les Cotton, who is the guy I make the Skullmore zine with, we are extremely competitive with each other in a very friendly way. I’ll send him a drawing I’m working on and he’ll try to top that. We’re always trying to one-up each other. We keep each other from getting too stale or safe.
Amy Jarding, who’s another friend of mine, has been great to watch, because she didn’t go to school for art. But she’s been doing these amazing things. I’m finding that it’s really interesting watching her be uninhibited. She doesn’t have to worry about the things we were taught to never do, because it doesn’t really matter.
It’s great to see what Zach DeBoer’s been doing with Exposure [Gallery & Studios], of course. Just the way he supports other people. The list can go on and on.
What are you working on now?
MW: I’m working on a comic book, more zines, Skullmore Volume 4, and then a whole slew of freelance stuff for bands – posters and logos.
Let’s talk about Skullmore. What is it and where can we find it?
MW: Skullmore is a free magazine that Les and I make. We try to celebrate local art, whether it’s visual art or music or writing. It’s entirely submission-based.Â
Funding comes from local businesses, like Zandbroz [Variety], Urban Archaeology, Total Drag Records and Rock Garden Tour, just to name a few of them. It can be found at those places, plus Last Stop CD Shop. Wherever we can leave them.
How often does it come out?
MW: Whenever we can find time for it. I want to do at least two a year, because I want it to always be a fun project and not a chore. And I also don’t want to rush and put out something I’m not proud of.
You have recurring characters in your zines. Tell us about some of them.
MW: A lot of them pop out of nowhere when I’m sketching. If I like them, I’ll keep using them. I’m slowly working on a comic book that incorporates a lot of these characters and gives them a little bit more of a backstory and personality.
Do they have names?
MW: The main one is Rad. He’s the bald guy with the sunglasses, and that’s me. I draw him in scenarios and he kind of reacts the way I react, which is constantly anxious. I’ve been drawing him for about six years. Other characters represent other aspects of my personality.
Does drawing help you work through things happening in your life?
MW: Absolutely. It’s a de-stresser. It’s a way to get my mind off things, to solve problems. Like if I’m working on a freelance project, I’ll just start drawing something else, and somewhere along the way, something will click.
To wrap up, what’s the most surprising place you’ve seen a Skullmore sticker?
MW: I see a lot of them on cars, and I don’t know the owner. I’ll take a picture and kind of scurry off. I know there’s definitely some in Minneapolis in bathrooms and bars. I’ve personally put one in a dive bar bathroom in Telluride, Colorado. It constantly surprises me where those little guys end up. It makes me feel really good.
More info: marcmakesthings.com.
