Paintings Shipping Soon
over 7 years ago – Wed, Nov 23, 2016 at 09:33:45 PM

Hello Zarmy members - We received news from Copro Gallery that they will start shipping the DY5TOPIA paintings to Backers next week, so for those lucky folks who are waiting on a painting, they will soon be on their way. 

We are still waiting on a handful of Backers to respond to their surveys on BackerKit, and for those who have already responded, your surveys have been locked down in preparation for fulfillment. 

Chet produced a great deal of new affordable sculpts for DesignerCon this year, which will be on sale this Friday for his Black Friday sale, along with Oil Studies, Prints and much more. Head over to the Store of DOOM this Friday and get some great deals on amazing Dark Art merchandise! 

DY5TOPIA Past, Present and Future
over 7 years ago – Mon, Nov 07, 2016 at 10:56:13 PM

Check out the blog on ILikeToPaintMonsters.com concerning DY5TOPIA: Chet Zar's DY5TOPIA Evolves

 

BackerKit Surveys on Halloween
over 7 years ago – Thu, Oct 27, 2016 at 03:07:59 PM

Hello Zarmy - Just a quick update: we will be sending out surveys through "BackerKit" on Monday, October 31st! Please watch your email, and respond to the survey, so that we can ensure you receive all of your items! Not only will you have a chance to confirm your current "add-ons" by applying your credit in the virtual store, but you will also have the opportunity to grab additional items, such as sketches, studies and much more - all at the reduced Kickstarter prices!

Note: For those who increased their pledge to support stretch goals and/or the overall momentum of the campaign, and you still see fit to contribute that additional amount, simply use the "Tip Jar" as many times as needed to eliminate your credit, then you can purchase additional items out of pocket. 

Thank you again for all of your support, and we look forward to getting rewards out to you  as soon as we can! 

DY5TOPIA Opening Night
over 7 years ago – Thu, Oct 20, 2016 at 10:03:10 AM

Thank you for your patience while Chet and I have been preparing for, and carrying out the DY5TOPIA Solo Show. I arrived on the West Coast Wednesday and set about making myself useful, assisting Chet and Jim Beinke preparing a host of items. Chet's "Interloper" was a foam monolith towering high, character masks needed molding and painting, and frame corners required finishing. The backyard was a bustling hub of energy as people came and went, carrying all manner of creepy and dark. The excitement was palpable as I helped complete an underpainting on the Interloper, and then watched in amazement as Jim set about "skinning" this seven foot plus monster! 

It was incredibly gratifying to not only see the "Interloper" manifesting before my eyes, but moreover to have a hands-on experience in its very shaping. This "monster" has been a central focus in the field guide, which I've been writing for over six months now, and here it was standing in front of me! Once Jim finished skinning the "Interloper" it required a final paint job, and while Chet and Jim did the vast majority, everyone got a chance to drizzle paint down the gangly being! 

I also had the opportunity to assist with Chet's mask - a process I knew nothing about. It was truly a pleasure to see him work, taking the piece from a roughed out mud sculpt, to a plaster mold, and finally a latex mask. My task was menial (much like painting the frame corners for the DY5TOPIA paintings) and included scraping the clay out of the plaster mold, and then thoroughly scrubbing the mold, but it was fascinating nonetheless.

Working up until the last minute we gathered the paintings, coffin, masks, costumes, and merchandise and headed out to Copro Gallery to meet up with Lee Shamel and the Figment Foundry crew, owned and operated by James and Tayler Brown. You have never seen people work so hard towards a singular vision, in this case DY5TOPIA. The parking lot was alive with activity as everyone, many Zarmy members included, helped to piece together the elaborate set. Inside was no different with Erica Miller and Gary Pressman facilitating the final, minute details. Nothing could prepare me for the darkness that would set in, despite my intimate involvement in the show...

As Cris Velasco's score rose and "Black Magick" (played by Rick Galiher and costumed by Junker Designs) emerged from the DY5TOPIA street scene staircase, an ominous sensation gripped the attendees. An uneasiness permeated the atmosphere, and it seemed those who came to look were almost afraid to see! The "Interloper" (played by Alexander Ward) snapped its arms as Zarmy members began snapping pictures, and the entire experience took on a very surreal quality. It seemed the fine line between our world and DY5TOPIA began to blur. Oddities turned up in every direction you turned - trench coats, gas masks, beaks, rotten grimaces, everyone moving as if in slow motion. Water continuous sloshed from a rusty pipe, and nearby a skulking zombie peered into a storefront, where enormous centipedes writhed upon a countertop. Adjacent to the street scene were towering smokestacks glowing an ominous red, from which thick smog belched. 

Up the ramp and through an elaborate Mausoleum complete with a coffin, flickering candles and flying-gas-mask facades, and into the "Interloper" monitoring station, where flashing imagery and bizarre landscapes could be seen upon the screens, along with a live feed of those in attendance. Damien Echols held down Gallery 2, where DY5TOPIAN leaves swirled about gallery goers' feet as they enjoyed his many "Collaboration" pieces. Gallery 1 boasted Chet's fourteen paintings, framed atop rusty, drippy walls, with "Black Magick" periodically moving through the crowd. Five framed excerpts from the field guide hung near Chet's painting "DY5TOPIA", elaborating upon the many facets of "Creeple", "Black Magick", "Interloper", "Landscape", and "nOmen". Words truly cannot capture the essence of what transpired, and so I will leave you will pictures instead!

Look forward to some exciting private video links that I will be posting in an upcoming update...

HUGE Thank You!!!!
over 7 years ago – Mon, Oct 03, 2016 at 02:14:57 PM

Mike Correll here, surprised, excited and honored - We did it! Together the Zarmy successfully stretched DY5TOPIA past $55,555, unlocking the Monochromatic Oil Sketch to ALL Backers $25 and up (Operator/Gas Mask reward tiers)! 

I am privileged to have an inside perspective of Chet's world, so I know very well how he feels about DY5TOPIA. This has been a dream in the making for over a decade, and NOW with the support of YOU, his dream is literally coming true! In accordance with our promise, all Backers $25 and up will receive a Monochromatic Oil Sketch - the first series of its kind! With the amount of funding you have all so generously contributed to this campaign, I can guarantee that the Solo Show will be beyond awe inspiring! Thank you for all of your support, and Long Live the Zarmy!!!