|
Enter Next Door restaurant. The pink walls are lined with cartoon characters and one in the center stands out: a black rabbit in a yellow bowtie.
Is there a sparkle in the rabbit’s eye? Closer inspection reveals a small, white star in the pupil.
Does the rabbit smile? Smirk? Grin? Grimace? It is difficult to tell.
With head cocked to the side and ears lifted high in the air, the rabbit gives the impression of vibrancy and a sense of alertness.
The black rabbit is called “Floco” and was created by Bronx-born-and-raised cartoonist Miguel Melendez as part of a series of cartoon characters. Melendez said that many people have gravitated to Floco. He describes the work as nostalgic.
“All the characters remind me of the fairgrounds, amusement parks, roadside attractions, what you’d see painted on a placard,” said Melendez. “They could be in Coney Island.”
The star in Floco’s eye symbolizes magic, or his connection to something, said Melendez. All of the characters have something in their eyes.
Melendez began creating the characters through a morning ritual of spending time doodling on 3 by 5 index cards. Melendez said he uses a big pen and waits for shapes to naturally emerge in his doodles. The shapes do not initially look like characters, but when Melendez sees the beginning of eyes, that is the point he knows it is the beginning of a character. When he is satisfied with his doodle, he puts the character into the software program Illustrator and works on it there.
Melendez said he picks names that are short and cute, and that can possibly be pronounced in more than one language, typically Spanish and English.
Melendez prints his characters on shirts, buttons, tote bags, and mugs and sells the merchandise on his Web site. In addition, he has done character-themed birthday parties and Christmas parties.
“Young children react to them and older people react to them,” said Melendez. “They’re for children of all ages.”
The exhibit will be up at Next Door restaurant (813 W. 187th St.) until the end of July. To see more of Melendez’s work, visit his Web site at http://www.mamxo.net.
Email
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
to be considered for an Arte profile.
|
