Monday, October 7, 2013

Interview with Bill Killen.



Full Name:
William Robert Killen IV

Do you have a nickname?
Bill

Birthplace:
Providence, RI

Current hometown:
Burrillville RI

Favorite city:
NYC

Birthday/Age:
12-9-70

How would you describe yourself physically?
Awesome.

How would someone else describe you physically?
Not so awesome.

Hair Color/Eye Color/Race?
brown - blue – white

Sexual orientation?
Straight.

Religion, if any?
Agnostic.

Are you superstitious at all?
Not really.

Any bad habits?
DRINKIN!

Current occupation/Dream job:
Owner Killen Studios INC Acrylic Systems Manufacturing / same.

What do you like to do when you’re not at work?
Paint.

What is your zombie outbreak survival plan?
Dodge and weave.

Weapon of choice:
Shotgun.

Do you have any special skills?
I can paint zombies.

Did you go to college and, if so, what for?
RISD – painting.

What is your favorite animal?
Hawks.


Speaking of pets, any pet peeves?
Those Stars people put on their houses.
Why that in particular? It’s so specific.
I don’t know I just think it shows a little laziness. Someone wants decorate their home to stand out and they do it in the most conformist way possible. I know that’s too harsh and I really wouldn’t hold it against someone… it’s just a pet peeve not a way of life.

Favorite/Least favorite Food:
Not a big eater...

What is your favorite quotation/motto/saying?
"Nuts!" - General Clement

What is the best thing that ever happened to you?
I got married.


What is the worst thing that ever happened to you?
I got married.

What is the best thing you’ve ever done?
Became a dad.

What is the worst thing you’ve ever done?
That could a long list - not sure I want to go there!

If you could kill one person, consequence free, who would it be?
Probably shouldn’t say - I may get in trouble with a certain government agency...

How did you get started doing what you do?
I have always been an artist – it’s just something I have always done and always will do.

What is your advice to other people that want to get started doing what you do?
You have to be 100% dedicated to it. If not then it’s just a hobby which is fine if that’s what you want. But to actually be considered an artist is a life long goal and obsession that one may never really accomplish so you better dive in 100%

What projects are you working on?
I always have at least 4-5 paintings going on at once plus developing new lines of artist products for RISD - We are finalizing a new line of High Chroma ink that I'm excited about.
Tell me more about that. What is “High Chroma” and why are you excited about it?
High Chroma means the color is extremely saturated with a maximum pigment load so they are very bright and dense colors. It’s artist quality (as opposed to the lower student quality) which means I can charge more for it! Thus the excitement. But I am seriously proud of the formula behaves and think it’s better than the other acrylic inks on the market.


 What are you watching?
Wilfred.

What are you listening to?
Talk radio.

What are you reading?
"Lost Soul a confederate soldier in New England" by a Rhode Island author Les Rolston.

Favorite author/book?
"One Second After" by William Forstchen - I also love the Harry Potter series – that’s tough to admit.
There’s no shame in that. I’ve read all of the books and watched all of the movies.
I read the series 3 times… maybe that’s why I was like “dude move on…” in my head.

 Favorite band/song?
The Clash

Least favorite band/song?
Boston

If you could do anything other than what you do now, what would you do?
I would have made a career in the military.

Who would you want to meet that you haven’t met?
Leonardo Da Vinci

What’s the best and worst job you’ve ever had?
I worked as a Creative Director for Revlon in NYC. They didn’t pay me for 13 weeks and I was finally fired after 6 months when my boss found out I wasn't gay. "You can't be a good designer if you’re not gay." - Then they used all my designs for the next year.
Wow. What a dick move. I have no issue with the pink mafia but that’s a bit fucked.
I Know! I me neither my best friend and godfather of my daughter is gay, but he’s a shitty designer…

Anyone you recommend I interview that you can put me in touch with?
Les Rolston might be an interesting local guy to talk to. I don’t know how to get in touch with him though. Probably isn’t too hard to find.
Cool! Thanks! I sent him a Friend Request on the Facebook.
Actually, in an interesting coincidence he got his interview responses back to me just before you did so his interview is the one before yours.
Got any questions for me?
How did you come across my work?
Glad you asked!   I’m working on a post-apocalyptic zombie epidemic novel length book project and I searched Facebook for the keyword “zombie” and added/joined everyone and every page that seemed interesting and worth the effort. It’s a weird coincidence that we live in the same state. I grew up in Woonsocket and live in Cranston but I tell people I live in Providence because who wants to admit that they live in Cranston? Speaking of zombies, how do I go about commissioning some art to illustrate the book I’m working on? As a fellow artist, I know how much time and effort it takes to make a piece of art, so I know better than to ask you to do it for free for some dubious chance at “exposure” but if I can get you on board to agree to do a painting for the project when it’s ready for illustration I can compensate you for your time and effort and it very well may be a decent opportunity for a bit of cross-promotion. You interested?
Definitely, I actually just sent out copies of my book to publishers. “Prey” it’s mostly an art book but I threw a brief narrative of an artist surviving the zombie apocalypse and passing the time painting zombie portraits. My rates are pretty reasonable I try and keep costs as low as possible. You can check out pricing on my etsy page www.thezombiehorde.etsy.com and you can always email me with ideas and we can work something out. Thanks!
That sounds awesome! Thanks! And thanks for subjecting yourself to being interviewed!

Pitch parade:
Give me all of your links for things you want to promote.   All of them.

About the Interviewee:
     Bill Killen’s Horde Series is a project started in 2011 at the request of a friend who runs a horror genre news website.  The series branched off to custom portraits, skateboards, motorcycles and zombie pin-ups. He currently is working on a book of the artwork called “PREY - Victims of the Zombie Apocalypse”. Custom work is available at thezombiehorde.etsy.com and can be found on Facebook under “The Zombie Horde by Bill Killen”. The acrylic paintings are all done with Killen Studio acrylic paints. Killen Studio Acrylic System TM , which is being private labeled by RISD as “RISD Acrylic Color” and the Museum of Modart Art as MoMA Studio TM
     Killen’s non-zombie paintings and silver point drawings are of a representational narrative genre.  His oil paintings are executed in the “Flemish Painting Style”  -  realism created by many thin transparent layers of paint on wood or canvas. The method is a lengthy one, and is best suited to miniatures, realism, and painting that requires a very high degree of detail and surface finish.  The silver point drawings are created with a piece of Sterling Silver (or 18k gold) rather than the more common graphite pencil. The silver metal tarnishes over time giving the drawings a delicate, antiquated look.
     He portrays a specific place and time with simultaneous empathy and detachment.  The viewer is left to fill in the blanks of each pieces storyline of improbable and sarcastic juxtapositions. The Female form puts new life in old narratives, powerfully & unapologetically taking control.
     He recently came out with his own line of acrylic paint - Killen Studio Acrylic SystemTM , which is being private labeled by RISD as “RISD Acrylic Color”. He earned his BFA from Rhode Island School of Design and continued Studying Drawing and Painting at The Art Students League of New York under Ephraim Rubenstein, Sherry Camhy, Harvey Dinnerstein and Nelson Shanks.

Experience.
  *  Creative Director – present
  *  Private Instructor. 2003 – present.
  *  Various Freelance Commissions, private and public, 1993-2008.

Education.
  *  Art Students League of New York 1999 - 2003.
  *  BFA Rhode Island School of Design 1993.

Exhibitions:
  *  AS220  Solo Show  2013
  *  Risd Alumni Show  “Radius”  2013
  *  Bottle Neck Gallery NYC solo show 2012
  *  Bottle Neck Gallery NYC group show 2012
  *  AS220  Show  2010
  *  AS220 Group Show  2009
  *  Risd Alumni Show  2009
  *  Risd Alumni Show  2008
  *  Salon 2002: New York Academy of Art, NY, 2002.
  *  Limner  Gallery Annual Juried Group Exhibition, NY, 2001.
  *  Credit Suisse Exhibition, NY, 2000.
  *  Reworked, Climate Eight Gallery, NY, 2000.  (Solo Exhibition)
  *  Art Students League Showcase, NY, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002 & 2003.
  *  Degree Exhibition, Rhode Island School of Design, 1993
  *  Rhode Island School of Design Student Exhibition, 1992

About the Interviewer:
Scott Lefebvre has probably read everything you've read and can write about whatever you want him to write about.
Mostly because when he was grounded for his outlandish behavior as a hyperactive school child, the only place he was allowed to go was the public library.
His literary tastes were forged by the works of Helen Hoke, Alvin Schwartz and Stephen Gammell, Ray Bradbury, Richard Matheson, Stephen King, Clive Barker, Edgar Allan Poe, and H. P. Lovecraft.
He is the author of Spooky Creepy Long Island and a contributing author to Forrest J. Ackerman’s Anthology of the Living Dead, Fracas: A Collection of Short Friction, The Call of Lovecraft, and Cashiers du Cinemart.
His reviews have been published by a variety of in print and online media including Scars Magazine, Icons of Fright, Fatally Yours and Screams of Terror, and he has appeared in Fangoria, Rue Morgue and HorrorHound Magazine.
He is the Assistant Program Director for The Arkham Film Society and produces Electronic Music under the names Master Control and LOVECRAFTWORK.
He is currently working on a novel-length expansion of a short-story titled, "The End Of The World Is Nigh", a crowd-funded, crowd-sourced, post-apocalyptic, zombie epidemic project.
You can check out the blog for the book here:
You can check out the Facebook Fan Page for the project here:
You can check his author profile at:
You can follow him at GoodReads here:
You can check out his electronic music here: soundcloud.com/master_control
You can check out his videos at: www.youtube.com/user/doctornapoleon
You can check out his IMDB profile here: www.imdb.com/name/nm3678959/
You can follow his Twitter here: twitter.com/TheLefebvre or @TheLefebvre
You can follow his Tumblr here: thelefebvre.tumblr.com/
You can check out his Etsy here: www.etsy.com/people/arkhamscreenings
You can join the group for The Arkham Film Society here:
You can stalk his Facebook at: www.facebook.com/TheLefebvre
You can e-mail him at: Scott_Lefebvre@hotmail.com

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