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MOTHER JONES' FRANKENCORN

NOVEMBER 7, 2012

A great little drawing for Mother Jones... Art director Carolyn Perot had seen some of the new stuff on Drawger and thought it was a great direction for a Frankencorn illustration about the pending legislation in California, Proposition 37.
"The Politization of GMO's"
"Wondering if you have time to illustrate the opening story to our Outfront section on genetically modified foods? Story focuses on the politicization of GMO's (vote for me the scary mutant corn thing!) Also saw your latest stuff on Drawger and LOVE it. Could be perfect for this." 
Have time? I can always make time....how much fun could this be. Only one hiccup putting a long vertical thing like corn in a horizontal spot, but, He's a mutant so that would help solve that.
© Bill Mayer 2012 For Mother Jones.
" If you’re wondering whether your cereal, can of soup, or muffin was made with genetically modified ingredients, you’re out of luck—at least for now. Unlike the European Union, the US government doesn’t require food manufacturers to proclaim use of GMOs on packaging. But that may be about to change—first for Californians, and then, potentially, for people across the country. That’s because of a little-noticed California ballot initiative called Proposition 37, to be decided this November, which would require the labeling of all food containing genetically modified ingredients.
It’s almost impossible to avoid GMOs, since they lurk in 70 percent of non-organic processed food in the US. Upwards of 80 percent of all US corn and soy is genetically modified. Sweets are almost guaranteed to contain these ingredients, either in the form of corn syrup or beet sugar. Canola and cottonseed oils, too, commonly come from GM crops.
Californians appear ready to train a flashlight on this stealthy GMO."
I sent Forest out to buy some corn at the local farmers market, I thought this was better than searching the internet for Google images. This was a great idea and certainly helped with some of the subtleties of color and texture. I did a bunch of little thumbnails, she liked #2 and the eyes from #1. So, I jumped into a sketch version, Frankensteined appropriately into a mutant "Frankencorn."
My thinking was to do the sleazy southern politico, like in "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" Rural Searsucker-suited pig-shaped mugwump. But, of course, mutant. In the end she wanted more corn than politician. I miss the little shirt and suspenders, but I think It still worked pretty well... Probably could have made the corn do a little more stomping around on the crowd, but, all in all I am thinking it worked out pretty cool. Thank you Carolyn for letting me have so much fun with this one.
© Bill Mayer 2012 For Mother Jones.
the "Frankencorn Politico" © Bill Mayer 2012 For Mother Jones.
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