Photo by: Stacey Barich (Atomic Cheesecake)

 

By Leonardo Casas

 

Kevin I. Slaughter is a Renaissance man with a particular proclivity to indulge himself within the realms of the Baroque era, always aware that his own roots could successfully be set up on the grounds of the Romantic epoch. Renaissance man because he possesses a very rare and groundbreaking spirit. Baroque since his whole enterprise expands itself within those great marks of the history that is contemporary to him. Romantic, well, because as many historic intellectual  pursuits,  with the alleged proportions of this one, his own is  articulated on equal portions between the potential of the classical and the possibilities of the revolutionary.

Slaughter is a graphic designer, editor, curator, lecturer and ultimately the creator of a new series of video works around the, sometimes, hilarious and questionable apocalyptic spirit that is blooming everywhere in our times. That same spirit that expresses itself within the key of current fashion trends and haunts the internet and help to raise incomes to the entertainment industry.

As editor co-founded “Scapegoat Publishing”, a company responsible of classic books such as “Motel Bizarre” (a book with Stephanie Crabe’s photographic work), “Androphilia” (Jack Donovan’striking opera-prima), the Answer Me! issues compilation (the lengendary Jim and Debbie Goad’s magazine) and “The Satanic Scriptures” (a book by the Church of Satan ‘s High Priest Peter H. Gilmore) among others.

Currently Kevin is the mastermind behind Underworld Amusements where his investigative task takes another dimension. Publishing books on paper editions as well as e-book format Underworld Amusements display a catalogue where both wickedly groovy old American smut (“Ladies in the Parlor” or “Laff and Juggs” among others titles) and high profile society sceptics (“Iron youth reader”) share its place with classics of misanthropy and sardonic prose such as Friedrich Nietzsche, H.L Mencken or Anton LaVey.  Titles like “The Antichrist”, “Letters fron the Devil“  or the recently New York Times reviewed, “Men versus Man” are part of this publishing house impressive and unusual catalogue.

Mister Slaughter is not just the responsible of the edition but the creator of the elegant and powerful style of design that each published volume displays.

As part of his unstoppable work Slaughter has travelled around his country giving lectures and appearing on conferences and meetings. His latest dissertation was on the Separation of Church and State week organized by the Secular Student Alliance at Wayne State University. Among a Rabbi, a Muslim and a Catholic Priest, the public had the opportunity to listen to Kevin lecture about “The Great Satan”

Now in order to expand his reaching area and to increase his communicational tools the Underworld Amusements lord gives us the brilliant “The Devil’s Ponies”, a short film written, directed, filmed and edited by him. “The Devil’s Ponies” is based on a comment published on You Tube linked to one of those many conspiracy theories wreathing around. Little magical animals, talk-shows about Devil-worshipping, forbidden books, Lady “Sister on Satan” Gaga, among other pop configurations, flows from a rare galaxy where many urban paranoias waiting for its moment  to explode during this quite particular time we are living in. Obviously all this delusions crash against Slaughter’s strong but humorous stance.

At his website we can read “Kevin I. Slaughter: The Unwanted Advocate” almost like a warning,  it is quite possible that in the current time/space contingency Kevin`s activities could establish themselves in a delicate territory, where popular acceptance collides with the taste and the understanding of a very few, but, as some of us know well, that one who defies the social tolerance from a high impact ideological platform with a clearly sardonic sense of humour, is, definitely, one of those few “outstanding individuals”.

 

For more information about Mr. Kevin I. Slaughter visit:

http://www.underworldamusements.com

http://www.kevinslaughter.com