Meet Horror Rudey - Rat Fink Art Contest 2024 Winner
Winning Gnarly Magazine’s Rat Fink Art Contest was an unexpected triumph for Horror Rudey, who competed against 147 other talented artists. Despite initially doubting his chances, he emerged victorious, a testament to his unique style and the support of his community. "I accepted my fate as a lifetime loser, yet I won," he marvels.
The buzz surrounding the contest led to an increase in his social media following, as his supporters—ranging from bands and clothing companies to record labels and craft beer brewers—shared his art widely. This unexpected wave of support played a crucial role in his victory.
Though he doesn't frequently enter art contests, Rudey reflects on his past experiences, particularly on 99designs, where winning was a rare occurrence. "The winning chance was 1 in every 100 contests," he recalls.
Born and raised in Bandung City, Indonesia, Rudey is a self-taught illustrator with a background in information technology. His love for psychobilly music and horror punk has always driven his artistic endeavors. Despite his parents' initial disapproval of his artistic path, he pursued his passion, creating art that translates his musical inspirations into visual form.
Currently, Rudey juggles multiple roles. He works as an in-house graphic designer for Monsters & Martians and Murder Apparel, while also holding a civil servant position at the Bandung Creative Hub. His days are long and packed, often spanning 15 hours, but his dedication to his craft remains unwavering.
Rudey's illustration style is a distinctive blend of influences, including Beavis and Butt-head, '50s American comics, and old horror Japanese manga. The result is a unique mix of stiff, raw, and awkward yet anatomically detailed art that he thoroughly enjoys creating.
His fascination with kustom kulture and horror-themed artwork stems from his love for psychobilly music. Album cover art from psychobilly bands introduced him to a unique artistic style that he continues to explore. Other inspirations include vintage barbershops, B-movie horror, hot rod art, pin-up, and more.
While he dedicates a significant portion of his work to Monsters and Martians and Murder Apparel, Rudey also enjoys creating designs for his TeePublic store, where his nerdy interests in anime, video games, and toys find a home. His toy review channel, Zoghotron, further connects his artistic and personal interests.
The economic downturn hasn't severely impacted Rudey's work, as he maintains a steady flow of projects. His wife manages their finances, ensuring stability, while his government job provides a reliable source of income.
Social media plays a crucial role in Rudey's career, connecting him with the global psychobilly scene and potential clients. However, he acknowledges the downside of piracy, with his easily traceable images often being used without permission.
Rudey's creative process combines traditional and digital techniques. He begins with ink outlines on paper, then scans and colors them in Adobe Photoshop. For vector art, he uses Adobe Illustrator. This blend of methods allows him to maintain a balance between traditional and digital art forms.
Reflecting on memorable commissions, Rudey highlights projects like the Construction Destruction coloring book, the Summerween design, and the Lulupin Fallout craft beer label. Each project has sparked long-term relationships and led to further opportunities.
Beyond art, Rudey is also a singer in the psychobilly band Kereta Susana. Despite lacking formal musical training, he and his bandmates have achieved significant success, producing their own merchandise and delivering energetic performances without the influence of drugs or alcohol.
Early art influences like Beavis and Butthead, Toxictoon, and Junji Ito have significantly shaped Rudey's style. When it comes to overcoming artist's block, video games, chores, and exhaustion are the only things that slow him down.
Having achieved his dream of becoming an international psychobilly artist, Rudey's long-term goal is ambitiously simple: to become a billionaire. His parting words of advice to fellow artists are to stay true to themselves and always strive to do their best, believing in the support of those who see the best in them.
To see more of Horror Rudey's artwork, visit his Instagram page:
@horrorrudey
...
