First Posted: 10/13/2014
A former Abington Journal editor and Scranton pop culture artist was selected to participate in an art show honoring a 1990s television program at a special event in Chicago, Ill., Sunday, Oct. 26.
Christopher J. Hughes, a pastiche artist who specializes in computer-generated pop culture mash-ups and crossovers featuring well-known characters, was contacted by Consequence of Sound (consequenceofsound.net) Art Director Cap Blackard to submit his pieces titled “Little Viking and Strong Man” and “Wellsville Fighting Squid” for inclusion in a one-night-only art exhibit and sale at Chicago’s Lincoln Hall.
The works are an homage to “The Adventures of Pete and Pete,” an offbeat Nickelodeon program that originally aired from 1993 to 1996 and has since developed a dedicated cult following. The television show especially experienced a resurgence in pop culture notoriety thanks to various cast reunions and events held across the country.
Hughes, of West Scranton, first started at The Abington Journal as a correspondent and was hired as staff writer in May 2006. He then served as editor of Go Lackawanna, interim editor of the Weekender and online editor, features writer and copy editor at The Times Leader before serving as interim editor of The Abington Journal from July to August 2013.
The art show will augment the evening at Lincoln Hall that includes a live concert by the band Polaris, who created the music for the live-action program, and a recording of the podcast “The Adventures of Danny and Mike,” which stars “Pete and Pete” actors Danny Tamberelli and Michael Marona.
Prints from all artists will be sold at the event through a special website guests can browse. Artists from across the country were selected for the exhibit so that Consequence of Sound could form “the best ‘Pete and Pete’ art show” possible.
“Little Viking and Strong Man” and “Wellsville Fighting Squid,” along with two other tribute works, were originally created by Hughes for a June 2013 pop culture exhibit held at the former New Visions Studio and Gallery in Scranton. The pieces reimagine the characters Little Pete and Artie, the Strongest Man in the World, in the style of Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes” comic strip and the show’s high school mascot as a rough-and-tumble, tattooed cephalopod.
Hughes’ other works, including daily napkin art drawn for his children and additional works-in-progress, can be found at www.peterparkerpa.com and on his Instagram account, @peterparker_pa.