Call to Artists
The Devils Reign III: DAIKAIJU
We are currently seeking submissions for The Devils Reign III: DAIKAIJU, curated by Peter H Gilmore, High Priest of the Church of Satan. This limited edition hardcover book will feature 144 pages of original artwork, with a focus on tattoo artists and illustrators. There will be a book release party and art show at the end of 2017 at HOWL Gallery/Tattoo in Fort Myers, FL.
SUBMISSION DEADLINE: May 29TH, 2017
SUBMIT ART NOWA NOTE FROM THE CURATOR
THE DEVILS REIGN: DAIKAIJU
Since the dawn of our species, humans have been awed by the power and mystery of the grand forces of Nature under whose dominion we try and survive. Before the rise of science could explain the mechanisms behind storms, floods, volcanoes, tsunamis, hurricanes, earthquakes, mankind personified these vast and indifferent phenomena as best they could, and the most mighty and terrifying aspects of the cosmos were deemed to arise from monstrous creatures. In Japanese “daikaiju” specifically means giant monsters, with strange and fantastic characteristics, so the terrors of past legends certainly are captured by this word.
Looking back through the myths of past cultures we find the Babylonian Tiamat, a chaos dragon, who was transmuted into Leviathan in the Hebrew sacred texts. The northern peoples imagined Jormungandr as the world serpent, and the Greeks were terrified by Typhon and Echidna, who spawned a host of lesser hideous beasts. Giant monsters have thus been a primal aspect of the human imagination for millennia.
In the 1950s, science fiction films dealt with the widespread fear engendered by the reality of nuclear weaponry by invoking oversized beasts, either resurrected from prehistoric times by bomb tests or mutated by the radioactive residue from atomic blasts. Harryhausen’s THE BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS was released from the polar cap and brought long-dormant disease to New York City. THE DEADLY MANTIS came down from those frigid regions to feast on humans and society had to combat rampaging huge ants, spiders, and locusts. Japan, having been the only nation subject to nuclear attack, became the birthplace for GOJIRA, a prehistoric marine reptile roused by the Pacific detonations to ravage Tokyo. He signified that when Nature is violated by mankind’s rash behavior, it may right the balances we’ve tipped with dreadful consequences to the human species.
The success of Toho’s GOJIRA spawned a stable of monstrosities that were allies or foes, including Rodan, Mothra, Anguiras, and King Ghidorah. Over the course of three film series these avatars of nature became camp and heroic and then swung back to embodying nature’s wrath. GORGO followed from the UK, a super-sized mother saving her exploited offspring. GAMERA arose with his collection of imaginative foes. KONGA and THE GIANT BEHEMOTH smashed London. Various child-oriented series from Japan have been busy conjuring all manner of peculiar giant monstrosities and heroic silver-toned figures to combat them.
Today we are in a renaissance of Giant Monster films. While CLOVERFIELD (2008) gave us a gripping experience capturing the terrors of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, it took the success of Legendary’s PACIFIC RIM (2013) and GODZILLA (2014) to re-ignite the genre. This studio now has a “shared universe” of giant monsters that will see a very large ape in KONG: SKULL ISLAND this year, and sequels to both previous films are in the works. Toho revived and reimagined Gojira in 2016’s SHIN GOJIRA and they have plans for more incarnations, both live action and animated. So now is a splendid time for celebrating Daikaiju.
For THE DEVILS REIGN: DAIKAIJU, we task you with crafting images of giant monsters. They may be renderings of the behemoths from past mythologies and movies or you may summon up new vast beasties from the primordial depths of your own imaginations. From horrific to humorous, the daikaiju you conjure must be shown in a context that emphasizes that they are gigantic, whether their actions are devastating or hilarious. We live in a new age of Gods and monsters, so let us capture them in all of their glory for this year’s book and exhibition. Have at it, you aficionados of the gargantuan!
—Magus Peter H. Gilmore
High Priest, The Church of Satan
GUIDELINES
1. Eligibility: Anyone over 18 is eligible to submit their own original art.
2. Medium: Full color or black and white artwork. Including: painting, illustration, sketches, tattoos, photography, and sculpture.
3. Dimensions: There are no restrictions on size of original art included in the book. Portrait orientation is preferred. Work for the book must be digitally uploaded. We cannot accept mailed submissions.
5. Content: All submissions should fit within the context of “daikaiju” as described in the curator’s note above. Giant monsters are the key ingredient. Work may be adult in nature. Work should not include any text or logos that are copy written or trademarked.
6. New Work: All work submitted must have been completed within the last 24 months or done specifically for the book. Per artist exceptions may apply.
7. Upload File Requirements: You may submit up to 5 images for possible inclusion. We will publish a maximum of up to 2 full pages of work per artist. All uploaded art must be at least 300 ppi at 9×12 inches (book print size) and saved in JPG, TIF, or PDF format. Images should not exceed 64mb each. Uploaded photos or scans must be professional quality (high-resolution files, at least 2mb or larger). 3 dimensional work should have a black or white background. Blurry or low quality images will deleted. Please understand web vs print pixel dimensions before attempting to send us your art. Ask a friend for help if needed.
Additional information:
Book release exhibition: A group of 20 to 30 pieces will be selected for an initial book release and art show at HOWL Gallery, Fort Myers, FL at the end of 2017. Selected art must be ready to hang with a wire on back, professionally presented and easily shipped. Art on paper and paintings with unfinished edges should be framed (see above for size restrictions). Please be clean and minimal with your choices. We will contact artists individually if we choose to exhibit your work in the show.
Artist Copies of the Book: Artists accepted into the book will receive a discount code for one book priced below wholesale cost plus shipping. Limit 1 copy per artist. Pre-orders can be signed by the exhibit curator at no additional charge.
Book Release Waiver: The book release waiver at the bottom of the upload form will detail usage rights of the images selected for the book and exhibition. A digital signature is collected at the end of the form. A copy of the book release form will be emailed for your records.