Last week Scoop revealed the Zombie Gras 5 logo designed by Geppi’s Entertainment Museum’s Sales Manager Nadja Martens. This week Scoop talked to Martens, who has been an artist for most of her life, about creating the logo, her artistic style, and ways she incorporates it at GEM.

Scoop: What was your inspiration for the design?
Nadja Martens (NM): The inspiration for my design came from my love for the community that has come together through Zombie Gras and Baltimore. For the last few years we have had a single zombie featured in the design and I wanted to do something different.

Scoop: The logo has an American Gothic-feel. Was that painting an inspiration for you?
NM: Perhaps subconsciously, “The Baltimore Gothic”; it wasn’t intentionally planned out that way.

Scoop: Previous logos had a more skeletal visage. Did you want to portray a more humanistic zombie in the logo you created?
NM: It was a result of different reference photos and trying to make it more independently different than the previous year’s logos.

Scoop: In film, TV, and comics the level of decay in zombies has a very broad range. How did you decide what level of grotesqueness to use for the logo?
NM: I used decay in ways that benefited the iconic look to the characters no more than what was necessary.

Scoop: Earlier Zombie Gras logos were available on t-shirts, will this one also be available on shirts?
NM: Yes

Scoop: Will it be available as a print or poster?
NM: There will be a small run of posters

Scoop: What is your preferred art medium?
NM: I am a mixed medium artist. I have formal training in oils and computer illustrating. In my own art I like to break rules and use whatever medium that gives me the texture I am trying to achieve. I set out originally to 100% make this logo using my computer illustration skills but after hours of frustration I grabbed a pencil and everything just started to work and finished the logo using Illustrator and Photoshop.

Scoop: Can you describe that process in more depth? How much of the logo was pencil drawn and what finishing touches did you do with Illustrator and Photoshop?
NM: My sketch up was pencil drawn and I went in with ink, the coloring was all computer done.

Scoop: Where did you receive your formal training?
NM: My formal training was begun at the Baltimore City Community College and then I transferred to The Community College of Baltimore County.

Scoop: How long have you been an artist?
NM: I’ve always been an artist in some way or another since childhood but it wasn’t until I was about 22 or 23 years-old that I began to take myself seriously as an artist. When tragedy struck in my personal life I turned to oil painting as a form of therapy. I try everything and I love trying new mediums. Whether it’s music, film, painting, or something else I can’t keep myself from creating. I use this ability to think out of the box in my career at Geppi’s Entertainment Museum and it has given me an edge.

Scoop: Can you give us an example of how you used these various skills in your work at GEM?
NM: For GEM events I’m always looking through what we have left over and trying to repurpose and reuse things from past events. We had our open house last year and I really enjoyed making our Hollywood themed centerpieces out of film strip streamers, wire, glitter, and vases from past events.

Scoop: Have you delved into artwork for comics or cartoons?
NM: For personal use. I have a comic alter ego she looks like she’s from AC/DC. I drew a comic in high school and self-published it in a zine for a couple years after that. It was called Stinky Mike and he had a rat sidekick. I’m also a huge fan of Dame Darcy and Lenore, I would like to do something in that style.

Scoop: What is your preferred art style?
NM: I take a huge amount of influence from 1960s exploitation films, sci-fi media, pop artists such as Andy Warhol, surrealism, and the fantasy childhood books and movies I grew up on. So I would have to say pop art and surrealism.

Scoop: Are you a fan of zombies?
NM: I was a huge fan of zombies when I was 19 years-old when getting into the horror niche and lost interest for quite some time. Zombie Gras and The Walking Dead certainly reintroduced me to zombies and I would certainly call myself a fan.

Scoop: Have you created other zombie or monster related art pieces?
NM: No, and it was a challenge but I’m drawn to things that are challenges.

Scoop: How long have you been working at GEM?
NM: Just over 3 years.

Scoop: What positions have you had with the company?
NM: I started as a front desk/sales associate; quickly I became a key holder and an unofficial assistant to the sales manager. Two years ago I was promoted to Sales Manager of special events.

Scoop: Have you produced other artwork for the museum?
NM: This year I’ve been taking over a lot of graphic art for the museum and so here and there I’ve added something in but nothing this substantial.

Scoop: Do you have plans to create more art for GEM?
NM: If the opportunity comes up and I’m not too busy with my other work I’d consider it.

Scoop: Zombie Gras 5 is being held on March 28. Is there anywhere we can see your art before then?
NM: I’ll have art on display at Ottobar in Baltimore throughout February. It opens on February 6.