Wednesday Addams

80's Nostalgia
TV Show Characters from the 80's

This piece was inspired by Wednesday Addams, a character from the tv show "The Addams Family." A photo ad from Urban Outfitters served as the reference photo for my illustration. I began with a preliminary sketch (done with a .5mm pencil) which served as the base layer for my digital painting.

Growing up during the 80's, my sisters and I had our fill of movies and tv shows like the Addams family, the Munsters, Misfits of Science, Breakfast club and the Goonies. Though I did not initially relate to the term "gen-X-er," I often ironically found myself unconsciously drawn to protagonists and characters that embodied some of the traits that were stereotypically attributed to those born during my generation. If I am completely honest, there are remnants of a lingering sense of cynicism and otherness that I haven't quite shaken.

As a father of 3 kids, I wonder what types of fictional characters and stories they will recall later in life. I also wonder how they will respond to works that I felt drawn to like Huxley's A Brave New World, Camus' The Stranger, Konrad's The Heart of Darkness as they begin to explore various avenues of visual and literary expression.