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Sunday, December 05, 2004 - 05:59 PM
His paintings are cartoons and comedy; his comedy is political and hilarious. He isn?t just an artist/ entertainer; he?s a social mad scientist. Meaning: the man behind QCF?s artwork is a cultural force of nature
Artist, comedian Overholser characterizes generation
By Michael D. Altman
Darin Overholser deliberately lopes across the stage two steps to the left, swivels, then doubles back four step to the right. He looks at the audience with a half grin on his face left arm cocked with microphone to mouth.
Darin has an observant grin as he delivers his commentary. It is like he is tossing grenades in the form of socially experimental jokes into the audience, waiting to see what happens.
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“I can see this area being really conservative. I always hear about it, but it’s not (real) until you see what a Sunday crowd at the Funny Bone accepts and what they are offended by. My goal on stage is to make people laugh and not offend, but there are particular topics that with silence a crowd. No matter how funny your rape, abortion, or racial joke may be, people look around the room looking for permission to react. It’s really great to watch … Picasso said, "Art is a lie that reveals the truth." Just because my stories on stage may not have happened, or my paintings are a figment of my imagination, people can find their own truths. It’s disloyal to a point, but I think there is a certain amount of nobility of well.”
Often his cartoons are stoic in the sense that they capture a significant moment or feeling. A moment in time.
“ Some ideas can be more efficiently laid out visually, and others need explaining,” he says, bridging his inspiration in painting to his inspiration in standup.
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Darin’s art, his sense of humor, who he is, is important in that way. It isn’t on top of you. He isn’t going to punch you in the face to get a reaction. His style is less intrusive, somewhat sneaky… the good kind.
"The retail price of evil is...."
QCF Magazine June 2004 |
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A native of Newcomerstown, Ohio, Darin is a graduate of the Cincinnati Art Academy. Since his graduation in 2001, he has continued to develop as an artist and a comedian. A job waiting tables at a Cincinnati restaurant gave sufficient pay to support his passion, and enabled the already peculiar schedule an artist must keep. A schedule including trucking around with a group of comedians varying in size to Louisville, Indianapolis, Columbus, even to West Virginia where Darin was given his first paying emcee job at an open-mic in Huntington. He continued to craft his given ability and strictly maintain studio time for painting.
At home he worked on his paintings: murals, birthday portraits, and personal pieces. He would also draw for the cover of CityBeat and the Cincinnati Enquirer, while regularly appearing as the artistic backdrop for many issues of Queen City Forum magazine--everything he could get his hands on.
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In each venture, his sense of culture is innate. “Topics I constantly revisit deal with pop culture. What people listen to, what they watch on TV, what channels they change or what signs they hold. I am fascinated by what gets people worked up, what people will fight for, and what they watch slide by without a care. People are amazing creatures.”
“The concept of Pres. Bush opening a library in his name on Mars is funny on so many levels”
QCF editor |
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Although it is so often a subject of his art, Darin does not identify himself a political creature. “I think it’s great that younger people want to make a difference. It is much harder for younger people who do not have a lot of experience to gain respect in politics. I do not really take any certain stances, so I hope people do not look at my art and see a future politician. It’s more smart-ass commentary than anything. You can look at a group of my illustrations and find contradictions. I'm more out for the reaction. I think its great people enjoy my work, but hope people do not look to me for political inspiration. Maybe that’s a good scenario, because I paint what I'm fed.”
Darin and his comedy troupe, The Comic Revolution, Chris Wagel, Tim Jones, Brad Thacker and Corey Ward will be performing at the Cinema Grille in Mt. Lookout each Tuesday night beginning on Dec. 30th through the new year. Overholser and company can also be seen performing at the Funny Bone in Newport.
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Darin’s paintings are currently showing at Milton’s Café on Milton St. and Sycamore in Over the Rhine. The show will last through the New Year.
Michael D. Altman writes “I Don’t Mind Telling You” based on insight into the direction politically and socially of this, the Pepsi Generation (No--- that’s Gen Y?). The fact checker responsible for this confusion has been sacked (fired). The column appears as a weekly feature in QCF magazine.
Links
· Darin Overholser homepage
· Cincinnati Enquirer --- “Comedy with a Cause”
· Tim Jones
· Brad Thacker
· Mt Lookout Cinema Grille
· Funny Bone Newport on the Levee
· The Comedian Soapbox
Contact Information
· michaelda@queencityforum.com
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