#45 - Mentalben: Go to School and Be a Business Major

Black Bulb Podcast

Coming from a family of artists, Mentalben (https://www.instagram.com/mentalben69/) (real name: Benjamin William Adams) has pursued art all of his life. He joins Alex and Ben this week on Black Bulb Podcast to discuss his history in the industry over a nice pour of Cascade Street Distillery's South Sister Gin. Mentalben is a sculptor, illustrator, animator, photographer, author, and carries a wide array of other talents. He attended Pacific Northwest College of Art in 1987, which at the time, was a part of the Portland Art Museum, as an illustration major before ultimately dropping out in 1989 as he had found a job. This job landed him at Will Vinton Studios, home of the California Raisins, where he worked for a year. While there, however, he decided to learn how to sculpt. With help and guidance, he learned how to do it in six months, which the work culminated in him creating a Michael Jackson Raisin. This was eventually given to Michael Jackson as a gift. Following that, he took an internship at Disney in Florida. Fast forward to 2006, Mentalben ended up at Laika (successor to Will Vinton Studios) where he was a development artist for the Boxtrolls and continued working there for 10 years. He is also an author of the Munchy Crunchy Bug Book. Check out the rest of the episode to hear more about Mentalben's life and his seeing of Portland change as a native throughout the years!

Mentalben also has an upcoming show, In the Valley of She, with many other artists where the art is based on 70's erotica. It will be in early March at Brassworks Gallery. We will update this post once we have the official dates and times.

As always, thanks to Cascade Street Distillery (http://cascadestreetdistillery.com/) for providing us with their absolutely delicious alcohol! It is always a treat to crack open a bottle and enjoy a smooth pour of any one of Cascade Street Distillery's available selection.