The craaaazy jazz, man, craaaazy.....

Beatniks!

"Bless you"

No really - they're a thing... well they were... well... maybe they are again thanks to the current hipster trend. 

I'd seen the 'look' before but when I was asked to draw some "Beatniks" for a gallery of jazz themed artwork at the back of a friends re-published comic book I was confused as to what I was asked to draw.

Some research later and I find it's a group of people who dressed a certain way and were "...a media stereotype prevalent throughout the 1950s to mid-1960s that displayed the more superficial aspects of the Beat Generation literary movement of the 1950s." Thanks Google, old friend!

So below is the final image and as I like cats - I threw some in for fun. Cats and Beatniks go well together, don't you think?

Image Watermarked as there's a new wave of art thieving ******** out there - GRR!

I enjoyed drawing this and can't help but think these characters could become a comic book in themselves.

Looking to get your band drawn like this for an album cover or for promotional material? Drop me a line! mikeyb@theartyone.co.uk

For all your illustration, character design/concepts and caricature needs drop me a line: mikeyb@theartyone.co.uk

Mikey
Birmingham based illustrator, character designer and caricaturist