I first saw Murdoch Stafford‘s work at an LA show curated by Witchcraft’s French Sayer, and both Sean and I were blown away. Murdoch’s illustration is stark and deadly – he creates with an almost comic book sensibility, and his creations leap off the page and at your throat. Murdoch is behind some of Witchcraft’s dopest graphics – his ‘Goat Sabbat’ tee is a Witchcraft staple – and has also done some epic deck designs for the UK’s Ekta Skateboards. He creates scenes of decay and apocalypse in highly contrasted black and white, scenes of whirling, violent movement and stench-ridden death. His subjects grip you in sinewy claws, their decaying flesh tearing off in putrid sheaths as they draw you into their realm of terror. They metamorphose before your eyes, turning life into death, and death into rebirth. One of my favorite pieces is his ‘Summon Allegions’ deck design for Witchcraft, a giant, goatheaded Dark One in full medieval armor, with his followers gathered at his feet. This deck inspires me to teach my baby daughter to skate so she can ride one of these to kindergarten! After the jump, check out some of Murdoch Stafford’s visions of darkness…
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