This week of The Inevitable brings us Killer Napkins, the artistic alter ego of Jason Spencer, a St. Louis native with a penchant for the eerie and fantastical.
Known for his unique blend of cute and horrific imagery, he first studied fine art before branching out into illustration, apparel design, sculpture, and painting. Today, we delve into the creative mind of this prolific artist as he shares his journey from working in concrete to diving into the world of NFTs.
Please note that Killer Napkins’s artwork featured here has been compressed due to file size constraints. There is so much detail in his work, we encourage you to visit the uncompressed artworks available on Opensea, linked with each piece below.
The Long Coast of Mr. Tim-Tum by Killer Napkins; owned by DeeZe.
Growing up, Spencer was drawn to "spooky stuff," which he attributes to his childhood obsession with the video game DOOM and the comic book character Spawn (yes and yes!) This fascination eventually evolved into an affinity for skulls, skeletons, and sinister monsters, elements that would come to define his artistic style. As Killer Napkins, Spencer found skulls to be "universally relatable," while the endless possibilities of monster creation allowed him to unleash his wildest imaginings. His pieces often present fantastical journeys through the weird and dark, imagining alternate realities and what lies beyond in the Afterlife.
The problem solving of creating a piece is the fun part to me, and I am not always sure what that takes other than messing up and retrying over and over until it clicks. ~ Killer Napkins
During his time in college, Spencer studied fine arts, taking as many art electives as possible. He later dropped out of a four-year art school, but his passion for art never waned. For eight years, he balanced his concrete foundation-building job with various artistic pursuits, eventually going full-time as an artist in 2017. Spencer found his niche in digital illustration, acrylics, street art, and sculpting, often collaborating with bands and brands on t-shirts and album art.
Cwampo Glom-Glom Planet by Killer Napkins; owned by thespacejvnkie.
In 2021, Spencer discovered the world of NFTs, a natural fit given his extensive experience in digital illustration. He credits finding a like-minded community of artists for easing his entry into this new space, where everyone was on a level playing field. NFTs offered an exciting opportunity to experiment with new processes and think differently about his work, from animation to augmented reality prints.
As a member of the Ghost Club, Spencer has found camaraderie and inspiration among fellow artists in the NFT space. The group, founded by Mumbot, serves as a platform for artists. Spencer credits the group for pushing each artist to take their art to the next level through exhibitions and collaborative drops. For example, Killer Napkins recently participated in the "Here to Destroy" art show as part of NFT LA, curated by Ghost Club at the Kreepy Club HQ in Los Angeles. A physical print of Killer Napkins’s NFT, Metal Skube, was on display, and it may be claimed by the NFT’s owner.
But please don’t get too excited about this opportunity, as the NFT auction ended before publication and yours truly won Metal Skube! I am very excited to claim this print because Killer Napkins took it to the next level, enabling an AR view to show animation of the print. He also shared a process video of his creation of Metal Skube.
Metal Skube by Killer Napkins; owned by DjjD.
Spencer believes that NFTs are appealing to artists and collectors because they offer a unique way to share original digital art as tokens. For him, the creative possibilities seem endless, and the medium has opened up opportunities to explore new ideas and techniques. He sees potential for the traditional art world to continue to adopt blockchain technology for certificate of authenticity documentation, which could further legitimize NFTs in the broader art sphere. While he remains unsure about the long-term impact of NFTs on the art market, he encourages emerging artists to persist in their creative pursuits, whether in the NFT space or elsewhere.
When it comes to his creative process, Spencer admits that it's often a matter of trial and error, with ideas sparked by various sources, such as movies, toys, or other artists' work. He embraces the challenge of problem-solving and pushing boundaries, refining his sketches and ideas until they click.
In the realm of physical merchandise, Killer Napkins has been exploring the world of designer toys and sculptures. Utilizing skills developed in VR sculpting and resin printing, he's produced a variety of unique items, such as hand-sculpted, resin-cast keycaps for mechanical keyboards. As a budding mechanical keyboard enthusiast, I am drooling over his future plans here.
Enter the Crustlands (Open Edition) by Killer Napkins.
Looking ahead, Spencer has a plethora of projects and collaborations in the pipeline. From beer labels and restaurant murals to expanding his CRUSTLANDS NFT collection, he's eager to explore every artistic avenue. Even dabbling in video game design, the future holds no limits for the ever-evolving talent of Killer Napkins.
For me, Jason Spencer's journey as Killer Napkins highlights the transformative power of art, showcasing his ability to adapt and thrive in various mediums. From concrete to NFTs, his unique style continues to captivate audiences, solidifying his place as a trailblazer in the NFT and contemporary art world.
The ArtDrop: Cyberdoom Funeral Mask
Killer Napkins is fascinated with death masks, and has featured them in acrylic transfers on wood cuts, digital prints, and now, an ArtDrop for us!
This ancient mask is one that fallen gods have worn. They say the true power of the god enters the mask after they have passed. ~ Killer Napkins
For the uninitiated, a death mask is a likeness of a person's face, usually made by taking a cast or impression of the deceased's face shortly after death. In ancient Egypt, the purpose of a death mask was to provide a physical representation of the deceased's face that would ensure their soul could recognize the body during the afterlife.
King Tut's golden funeral mask is one of the most iconic artifacts from ancient Egypt. It is a death mask that was discovered in the tomb of the young pharaoh Tutankhamun in 1922 by British archaeologist Howard Carter. The mask is made of solid gold and is adorned with various precious stones.
For Cyberdoom Funeral Mask, Killer Napkins wanted to create a death mask that combined with his love of sci-fi vibes. He is fascinated with some of the ornamental ancient Egyptian funeral masks and wanted to imagine an alternate universe where a futuristic community might use a mask like this in their rituals.
The ArtDrop inspired a story by HAiL, which will be memorialized on the mint page.
