Art Inhuman: Dan Schenker's A.I.-generated Artwork Inspired By The Misfits, Samhain & Danzig (Halloween Spectacular with Eerie Von)
Art Inhuman is a collaborative effort between Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) artist Dan Schenker and writer Matt Horowitz. Dan takes band names, lyrics, and song names and with the help of an A.I. manipulates them into what he feels best represents them visually. If you have a suggestion for an upcoming addition to this series, Tweet Matt at @SharpChedder856 and/or Dan at @heydanschenker and Tag the band or artist you'd like us to feature next. This project spawned from Dan's decades-long love of music. Dan had been a fan of the band FOLLY since early high school—for the blend of Punk, Ska, and Hardcore they seamlessly wove, for the energy their music made him feel, and for the almost disproportionately poetic lyrics and topics they covered. So, when Dan thought to input some of his favorite lyrics, song titles, and album titles into Midjourney, the results were staggering. He posted them to Facebook, which caught the attention of the band, who were fascinated by the project. After the band asked to re-post Dan's work, he connected with music journalist Matt Horowitz (TheWitzard.com, NOECHO.net, IDIOTEQ.com, and more) and Art Inhuman, their semi-regular project making A.I.-generated art for some of their favorite bands, was born.
Eric "Eerie Von" Stellmann is a musician, photographer, and artist long associated with The Misfits, Samhain, Danzig, and Rosemary's Babies. Eerie Von was one of the first photographers to chronicle The Misfits in their earliest aughts. He was never an official member of The Misfits, but Eerie Von did contribute both bass and drums to a small selection of tracks that ended up appearing on The Misfits' Collection II (1995) and The Misfits Box Set (1996.) Eerie Von contributed the liner notes included along with The Misfits Box Set, as well. Eerie Von formed Samhain with Glenn Danzig after The Misfits' initial 1983 break-up. Eerie Von briefly served as the band's drummer before quickly learning and soon switching to bass guitar. Eerie Von performed across Samhain's three albums released between 1984-90, as well as their Unholy Passion EP. Upon Samhain's dissolution, Eerie Von joined Glenn Danzig's next band, Danzig, from 1987-1995. Eerie Von appeared on Danzig's first five albums, Danzig, Danzig II: Lucifuge, Danzig III: How The Gods Kill, Thrall: Demonsweatlive, and Danzig 4. Eerie Von has since released a number of solo recordings and primarily focuses on his artwork, commonly known as "Fiend Art." Eerie Von released his first book, Misery Obscura: The Photography of Eerie Von (1981-2009,) in 2016 and is preparing to soon share its follow-up, Misery Perfectum.
"Halloween, my favorite time of the year, always reminds me of the three bands I am associated with: The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. With The Misfits, we all grew up in the same town, Lodi, New Jersey, went to the same schools, and had some of the same friends. I became friends with Doyle [Wolfgang von Frankenstein] when I was, like, 13. We sat at the same lunch table every day, his brother was in a band, and they were "the greatest," he said. I became friends with his brother (Jerry [Only],) who played bass, met the singer, Glenn [Danzig], took pictures of them, made T-shirts of them and for them, went to shows, and when The Misfits broke up one Halloween night, me and the singer decided to start a band and called it Samhain. More Halloween, more music, more [coolness]. Samhain was continuing the tradition, taking it to the next level, making it more real, more dangerous. That band kept evolving, kept changing, kept turning into the band we called Danzig. Not a solo act with a back-up band, Glenn didn't want that, so we just changed the name and continued the destruction. The biggest headline gig we ever did was on Halloween. People came in droves, lit fires, danced under the moonlight, and left a path of destruction for others to follow. Halloween is the best time and the soundtrack is The Misfits, Samhain, and Danzig. I hope you enjoy your holiday. Happy Haunting..."
- EERIE VON (2022)
