Clever art with a smile
Humor is one of Mike Alsperger’s priorities. One motto he lives by is he who tickles himself laughs as he pleases. His art reflects this notion.
Alsperger, 47, does three-dimensional computer animation. He combines hand-made clay figures, small wooden and painted props, and his imagination.
When doing a clay figure, he starts with a piece of wood for the base, a bolt fitted with washers and wire mesh. He then slaps the clay on and forms its shape.
The clay he uses turns into something similar to plastic when it is baked.
He does the head separate from the body because the head usually gets in the way. “The head is generally bigger than the body,” Alsperger said, “It’s more humorous that way, almost distorted.”
He then attaches the head to the body. If he is using the piece for the caricature on a greeting card, he does not bake the clay so it can easily be posed. He has done pieces that characterize himself, his wife and a handful of clients.
The final product is a photograph of his creation that can be reproduced on greeting cards, T-shirts or posters.
He also manipulates photographs and builds objects in virtual space. Using photo-editing software, he has the ability to make fake things look real. One piece has him standing in front of what appears to be a tricked-out hovercraft.
Shadows are included to create a 3-D effect.
“I try to be clever,” he says, “I set up a scene with a specific atmosphere and feeling in mind. Then, I create it.”
The final picture can represent an entire story on a single panel. His cartoons have intricate details that, when blended, illustrate a sort of situational comedy. Whether or not the subject actually exists in real life or is merely a figment of his imagination, the pieces look remarkably real.
Alsperger’s uncle, a cartoonist in Chicago, taught him some tricks of the trade and was his biggest inspiration. Later, in high school, he practiced his talents in the school newspaper. In 1980, he earned a fine arts degree from Michigan State.
A Spokane Valley resident for the past 20 years, Alsperger cannot remember a time that he wasn’t creating something. “It’s who I am,” he says, “I don’t know what I’d be doing if I wasn’t doing this. It helps get rid of stress and it keeps me rooted.” A workingman by day and an artist by night, he works out of a photo studio in his basement.
He has taken classes at community colleges in computer graphics, design and animation. He went from student to teacher’s assistant, and ended up teaching a class.
It is more than a hobby to Alsperger, and he hopes one day to do it full-time. After years of practice, his pieces have the quality of an expert designer. For now, he passes out business cards that have his unofficial trademark, Mike’s Made-O-Clay Productions. He wants to expand his greeting card designs, show some of his clay wedding figures at bridal shows and share his ability to laugh at himself with others.