June 19, 2013

For real illustrative oomph and pizzazz, Mike Kuchar's he-man naked hunks – cavorting with dinosaurs and each other – are much more fun. He and his twin brother, George, also made ultra-camp underground movies in the 1950s and 60s, which were a major influence on director John Waters. It's a surprise any of Kuchar's gladiators and Thor-type beefcakes can even walk, let alone slay brontosauruses, given the bulging impedimenta they drag about between their legs.

November 5, 2012

I met Mike Kuchar at Ben DeLaCreme’s house.  “They’re making breakfast, but no bacon – I love bacon,” Mike Kuchar told me nervously before we began our interview.  I put him in front of the foresty photo wallpaper because it made me think of his films.  Later that day, Three Dollar Bill Cinema was screening Kuchar Brothers’ movies at the Northwest Film Forum.  Kuchar sat in the front row and provided a live commentary, sharing with us behind the scenes anecdotes and inspirations responsible for titles such as “Hold Me While I’m Naked” and “I Was a Teenage Rumpot”.  His narration was, just as his and his brother’s films, brilliant, heart-breaking, unassuming and, perhaps, unintentionally hilarious.

April 9, 2012

June in San Francisco ushered in an exhibition for the underground filmmaker and visual artist Mike Kuchar. “Mike’s Men: Sex, Guys, and Videotape!” was held at Magnet, a city-funded STD clinic in the heart of the Castro, that supposed gay mecca. In fact, the event proved to be one of the most successful attempts at bringing together queer men during Pride month. Superbly curated by Eric Smith, Mark Garrett and Margaret Tedesco, “Mike’s Men” was a collection of illustrations and four video shorts. The exhibition served both as a tribute to his lifelong career in avant-garde art, and an acknowledgement of Mike’s recent loss.

June 16, 2012

A little while back we profiled The Secret Life of Wendel Sampson, a psychedelic gem from the mind of pioneering queer filmmaker Mike Kuchar, who along with his twin brother, George, inspired generations of indie directors, including John Waters and Guy Maddin.

While George was the more prolific of the two, Mike still cranked out a stream of flicks, including A Tub Named Desire (1956), Sins of the Fleshapoids (1965) and The Craven Sluck (1967).

Now Mike has a solo exhibit running at Magnet gallery in San Francisco through the end of the month. “Mike’s Men: Sex, Guys and Videotape!” features the underground legend’s drawings, videos, posters and limited-edition prints from the 1960s to the mid-2000s. “As an illustrator, my aim is to amuse the eye and ‘spark’ imagination,” says Kuchar. “To soothe with sensual lines and excite with color. To create titillating scenes that refresh the soul and put a bit more ‘fun’ to viewing pictures.”