RICK & MORTY: SHOW ME WHAT YOU GOT / AUTHOR: GALLERY 1988 / PUBLISHER: TITAN BOOKS / RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW
Rick and Morty is an animated TV show that has generated a tidal wave of spin-off merchandise. Filled with catchphrases and dark humour, it is currently the big weird cartoon thing with a rabid fanbase. The show itself is surreal, witty and filled with amazing ideas, but the associated tie-ins have always been a little bit hit and miss.
One of the more interesting associated events was an exhibition of Rick and Morty-themed art in Gallery 1988, Los Angeles, back in early 2017. The exhibition sold out and pretty much all the prints did as well. And given that even Uncle Rick doesn’t do time travel, it seems that you would be out of luck if you wanted to see some of this unique art inspired by the show.
Rick and Morty: Show Me What You Got collects together the exhibits in one place so you can peruse the exhibits without having to hitch a ride on a TARDIS. This is an oversized book that won’t fit on your shelf but is intended instead to lie around the house so you can browse the pictures of the exhibits. Each artist gets at least two pages dedicated to their work, and there are 64 artists involved in the project.
Some pieces stand out more than others. Chet Phillips’ take on the Cronenberg versions of Rick and Morty are visually arresting, as you’d expect. It would have been nice to see more prelim sketches, but the artist somehow manages to make body horror adorable. Shane Lewis approaches the idea in a similar way, but by drawing Rick as a classic Dungeons and Dragons monster (a Beholder, no less). Show creator Dan Harmon, of course, is a huge D&D fan. Lawrence Yang’s piece, Show Me What You Got, is a watercolour where Mr Meeseeks and friends try to save a world from the Lovecraftian Cromulon. Lovely work, though it’s not big enough on the page and would have been nice to see a poster-sized version of the same piece.
Some don’t quite work on the page and it’s obvious this was once a gallery exhibit. DCAY’s design takes a cheap and battered hipflask and makes it Rick and Morty. It looks quite tame, and we imagine some of the impact is lost on paper. Kelly Vianco’s piece called The Real MPB is a marionette of the character Mister Poopy Butthole. A bit of an interview with the artist and some photos fall short of delivering the experience of the piece to the reader, though it’s obviously a clever statement on the character. Meanwhile, Jared Circusbear’s 3D take on merchandising really works, simply because the parody is obvious from the start.
This is a great pick for Rick and Morty fans who love art. A great source of ideas for creators and eye candy for the rest of us. One to add to the collection.
