Recently I interviewed my friend James Russell. Well actually, he is my friend by proxy because really he is my brother Scotty's best friend and so more like another brother to me. What I can remember growing up with Scotty as an older brother was having MANY creative experiences. Most of which, included his friend James. When I told Scotty that I was interviewing his best friend from childhood he gave me a wonderful soundbite. He said "It's not so much about the art that Jam...es creates it is about the fact that James is art; a living piece of it." Ah, well said bro and what a wonderful tribute to your buddy of 30 plus years. Please enjoy!
Me: James you and Scotty were drawing and writing comic books when we were just kids. I didn't even know until college that you guys were actually creating graphic novels. In retrospect, it was a little weird that while most kids your age were into dinosaurs you guys were creating publishable works of art.
J: Ah, yes, we did do that. We always were working on something a little ahead of our time.
Me: A lot of people know your Dad, of course, as the Art Teacher that they had at the Lewistown Junior High. I know I had him as a teacher. One would assume that a lot of your talent comes from him?
J: Yes, that side of the family but my Mom too, She painted china, wrote light verse, was a well-known conversationalist and overall very creative person. My sisters also sang beautifully. In fact my sister Renee’ gave me her guitar before she passed away, and she encouraged me a lot musically.
We all have oil paint in the blood.
Me: Are you passing on your gift to your daughter?
J: Well Leah is a wonderful writer of lyrics and short stories; she definitely has talent but she is very shy. She also took banjo from Elliot Smith when she was 14.
Me: Darn, no interview with her huh?
J: Unlikely. (laughing)
Me: You draw, paint, sing, play instruments; which ones?
J: I play the guitar, bass and some banjo.
Me: You and I have talked about performance art before. You would like to act?
J: Yes, I would like to do some one man plays something like that. I used to be involved in a lot of the stuff that Dave Rummans is doing in town, played with him and Wicks (Brian Wicks) and Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) on stage. Would like to do that again. I am actually working on some music with Will (my nephew William Gumeson). We pulled together a small group called Jimmy and the Gingers.
Me: Ha! Is the other band mate a red head?
J: yes!
Me: Ah, cool. Can’t wait to hear you guys. What kind of music are you working on together?
J: We are pulling together a Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) tribute. Doing some of his favorites like the Butthole Surfers, some post punk and psychedelic stuff.
Me: You and your cousin Vince have a band, Morbid Public and a couple of cd’s?
J: Yes, they are entitled, Choose Your Own Adventure and Paper Rose. (I will post the links to some songs you can listen to.)
Me: You guys have done some pretty creative stuff together besides music too, right?
J: Yes we once took a camera made in 1910 down to main street and took pictures of random people and things with it.
Me: I’d like to see how those came out. Neat. You said you are doing a lot of art with the kids you work with.
J: Yes, pretty much daily.
Me: Tell me about that.
J: Well, we do a lot of one man plays, improv, talent shows even break dancing. I give them a topic and have them do improv commercials. I teach them basic drawing skills with consistency, like Dad taught all of us and we use crayons, colored pencils and dry erase marker. We do story boards. I’ve taught them how to do comic book cells. Most of them have one of my drawings in their rooms.
Me: You have a very nice creative outlet at work.
J: Yes, I teach them some music too, iambic pentameter, rhyming…
Me: Do you consider yourself an artist?
J: Mmm. No, I guess not. I just feel like I have to be creative.
Me: You and Scotty were always exploring the dark side of stuff to. You and your ghost pictures scared the poop out of me.
J: (laughing) Yes, we explored and I continue to be interested in the macabre. I do a ghost tour of Lewistown or rather, a macabre tour.
Me: Really? Like what?
J: I researched all of the places in town where lynching’s and things like that, took place in our little towns history. It’s pretty extensive.
Me: I could see where that would be pretty interesting. People love the supernatural stuff. What for example, is on your tour?
J: In WW2 the community tried to lynch the principal of Fergus High School because he refused to stop having the school teach German.
Me: Really! Wow, that’s a bit overkill.
J: Ya, he gave a rally speech on his knees in front of the flag and that saved his life. But that was the first Fergus High School. It burned down in 1906 and 1917 and so the one that is now there was actually the third one.
Me: I did not know that. Very interesting! I am definitely thinking we should set those up around Halloween. Those tours would be a blast.
J: Sure. I have some other ones I do also.
Me: Well we have talked about what you do in the arts already, what’s next?
J: Hmm. Eventually I would like to write some screenplays and do some more acting.
Me: I am sure you will. I would love to see more of that locally.
J: Great, I'm in.
Me: Well, thanks so much for your time James. It was great seeing you and interviewing you.
J: You are most welcome.
Me: James you and Scotty were drawing and writing comic books when we were just kids. I didn't even know until college that you guys were actually creating graphic novels. In retrospect, it was a little weird that while most kids your age were into dinosaurs you guys were creating publishable works of art.
J: Ah, yes, we did do that. We always were working on something a little ahead of our time.
Me: A lot of people know your Dad, of course, as the Art Teacher that they had at the Lewistown Junior High. I know I had him as a teacher. One would assume that a lot of your talent comes from him?
J: Yes, that side of the family but my Mom too, She painted china, wrote light verse, was a well-known conversationalist and overall very creative person. My sisters also sang beautifully. In fact my sister Renee’ gave me her guitar before she passed away, and she encouraged me a lot musically.
We all have oil paint in the blood.
Me: Are you passing on your gift to your daughter?
J: Well Leah is a wonderful writer of lyrics and short stories; she definitely has talent but she is very shy. She also took banjo from Elliot Smith when she was 14.
Me: Darn, no interview with her huh?
J: Unlikely. (laughing)
Me: You draw, paint, sing, play instruments; which ones?
J: I play the guitar, bass and some banjo.
Me: You and I have talked about performance art before. You would like to act?
J: Yes, I would like to do some one man plays something like that. I used to be involved in a lot of the stuff that Dave Rummans is doing in town, played with him and Wicks (Brian Wicks) and Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) on stage. Would like to do that again. I am actually working on some music with Will (my nephew William Gumeson). We pulled together a small group called Jimmy and the Gingers.
Me: Ha! Is the other band mate a red head?
J: yes!
Me: Ah, cool. Can’t wait to hear you guys. What kind of music are you working on together?
J: We are pulling together a Ferd (Scott Ferdinand) tribute. Doing some of his favorites like the Butthole Surfers, some post punk and psychedelic stuff.
Me: You and your cousin Vince have a band, Morbid Public and a couple of cd’s?
J: Yes, they are entitled, Choose Your Own Adventure and Paper Rose. (I will post the links to some songs you can listen to.)
Me: You guys have done some pretty creative stuff together besides music too, right?
J: Yes we once took a camera made in 1910 down to main street and took pictures of random people and things with it.
Me: I’d like to see how those came out. Neat. You said you are doing a lot of art with the kids you work with.
J: Yes, pretty much daily.
Me: Tell me about that.
J: Well, we do a lot of one man plays, improv, talent shows even break dancing. I give them a topic and have them do improv commercials. I teach them basic drawing skills with consistency, like Dad taught all of us and we use crayons, colored pencils and dry erase marker. We do story boards. I’ve taught them how to do comic book cells. Most of them have one of my drawings in their rooms.
Me: You have a very nice creative outlet at work.
J: Yes, I teach them some music too, iambic pentameter, rhyming…
Me: Do you consider yourself an artist?
J: Mmm. No, I guess not. I just feel like I have to be creative.
Me: You and Scotty were always exploring the dark side of stuff to. You and your ghost pictures scared the poop out of me.
J: (laughing) Yes, we explored and I continue to be interested in the macabre. I do a ghost tour of Lewistown or rather, a macabre tour.
Me: Really? Like what?
J: I researched all of the places in town where lynching’s and things like that, took place in our little towns history. It’s pretty extensive.
Me: I could see where that would be pretty interesting. People love the supernatural stuff. What for example, is on your tour?
J: In WW2 the community tried to lynch the principal of Fergus High School because he refused to stop having the school teach German.
Me: Really! Wow, that’s a bit overkill.
J: Ya, he gave a rally speech on his knees in front of the flag and that saved his life. But that was the first Fergus High School. It burned down in 1906 and 1917 and so the one that is now there was actually the third one.
Me: I did not know that. Very interesting! I am definitely thinking we should set those up around Halloween. Those tours would be a blast.
J: Sure. I have some other ones I do also.
Me: Well we have talked about what you do in the arts already, what’s next?
J: Hmm. Eventually I would like to write some screenplays and do some more acting.
Me: I am sure you will. I would love to see more of that locally.
J: Great, I'm in.
Me: Well, thanks so much for your time James. It was great seeing you and interviewing you.
J: You are most welcome.
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