Ghetto Geppetto's Solo Show Opening at Woot Bear!!

Welcome to Hoodland!! This past Saturday was the opening of Ghetto Geppetto's solo show at Woot Bear. We were on hand to say hello to Roy Miles, the creative mind behind Ghetto Geppetto, and check out the town! We also have a few photos (some imprecise iPhone photos from my shaky hand) to give you some idea of the event itself!

Hoodland is a place of many colorful characters, and contains attributes of people that Roy knows! There's Hoodfoot, the friendly urban sasquatch; Hoodfoot's friend Fuzzy, who is floating away on some balloons. Then there are the usual neighborhood folks you may know yourself, such as CBarz, the beanie wearing, car stealing neighbor. One of my personal favorites is Nerdy Boombox, with his big glasses and many layered self. I asked Roy if all the characters are friends with Hoodfoot and he said no, especially not the ghoulies. Drama! Roy mentioned that in real life, people know a mix of folks from all backgrounds, and his characters capture a lot of that range.

Now, onto the art itself! When Roy first came onto the scene, he was well known for his vinyl toys, having been one of the few early creators of vinyl toys. He created a hip hop toy series named Biddies. Over the years Roy has continued to explore many different types of art mediums, and in recent years he has focused more on wood carvings. I asked him about how these pieces were made, and the various layers were cut in multiple ways, such as laser cuts, computer controlled cuts, etc. The many layers help to add depth and uniqueness to each creation. The paint colors are so vibrant and feel cartoony. These effects are purposeful, as Roy wanted the pieces to conjure images of what animation would look like in real life, with soft lines, not harsh, precise computer generated lines.

Roy was doodling and doing signings for fans and generally a great person to hang out with! His family also stopped by and he was nice to introduce folks to them too! It was a great turnout and Woot Bear was a fun host as always.

If you missed the show, you can still stop by and see the show, including this sweet window display, which comes complete with engine noises and lights! You can also pick up a piece online here!