Jesus & Elvis(2002)

Merry Christmas, everybody.
I guess.
Or whatever.

This post goes out to my old friend, C. Neil Williams who, I'm sorry to report, is stricken not only with an admiration of Elvis Presley, but a belief in God. Good luck with those, buddy! These are for you...





















These compositions are actually from a few years back and I've posted them before on other, erstwhile sites.
Here's a story or explanation I once included with these on an old site

I'm really not all that into the Elvis thing, so don't go thinking I'm that guy. In fact, I don't give a damn about Elvis Presley. Don't care that much for Jesus, either, though I know I'm supposed to. I have to admit, though... these are kind of funny. Perhaps they are are familiar to you already. The text for these designs, I learned well afer having put them together, is all over the web on humor pages and the like. Has been for some time now and though I've searched, I can't seem to find an author to which I can attribute the jokes. I have to say I'm a little bit uncomfortable posting this gallery - definitely don't want to be thought a plagerist - but, as i say, they're funny, and that's reason enough for now.

"Why, then," you ask, "would you, Christopher, under these adverse circumstances, bother to illustrate these texts?" (Yes. That sounds like you.)

Well, you see, one day our good friend Ron Buechele, owner and director of the Mad Art Gallery in St. Louis, decided to throw an event commemorating the second anniversary for the space themed on 'The King'. He commissioned work from a whole bunch of artists from around town and I was one them ( see the Elvis-oriented work in the 'Round Compositions' gallery for further examples ). In fact, he decided it might be a laugh for he and I to collaborate on a collection of pieces based on these Elvis-Jesus-compare-and-contrast gags he found and I said, "Okay." In the end he became too involved in planning the event and ran out of time to work on our collab, so I took the wheel and completed nine works myself, though they were credited to both of us. Anyhow, the party was a smash. The show looked great. These pieces, printed and framed at 14" x 24", came off well and sold well, too. Good idea, Ron.