Seattle Magazine (October 2002)

'JUSTIN HAMPTON - Rock's Poster Boy' by Michael Alan Goldberg

A ubiquitous presence in most cities, concert posters have long served the simple purpose of promoting upcoming gigs. But Seattle's Justin Hampton is leading a new wave of designers who are transcending the practical nature of the genre to create art that's as vital and compelling as its subject matter. Chances are good that you've seen Hampton's work around town with out even knowing it. Since the early '90s, he's rendered everyone from Radiohead, Bob Dylan and Marilyn Manson to local rockers The Fakes in an edgy illustrative style that owes as much to old Marvel comics as the personality of each musician he portrays. Long accustomed to drawing the stars, Hampton, 33, has become something of an icon himself, as evidenced by the swarm of autograph-seeking admirers at his recent exhibit at The Showbox. His designs hang proudly in galleries and stores around the globe, in EMP's permanent collection and on the walls of a growing legion of fans who've made his work extremely collectible and in-demand. But the ever-humble Hampton, considered one of the world's preeminent poster artists, won't forget the many years he spent surviving on beans and rice and scrambling to pay the rent-a struggle not unlike the ones once faced by the artists he depicts. "Sometimes it would get really desperate, and I'd be wondering how on earth I was gonna make it," he recalls. "But I just kept believing in what I was doing, and I prayed it would all pay off someday." Spoken like a true rock star.

Emek, Jermaine Rogers and Justin Hampton are....

Post Neo Explosionists!!!!

Click here for photos from the show

The media hype from the show below