Boredom Is Overrated: Fine Artist Discusses His Manga, Anime, Cosplay, And Video Game Inspired Art

Casey Gardner is a fine artist and musician in Melbourne, Florida who goes by the pseudonym, [Boredom.Is.Overrated]. He is an active member of the art community and generally tries to spread art and music through any means. But what is it that inspired him to create artwork of this type?

In a related report by The Inquisitr, we ran into Casey at Space Coast Nerd Fest 2014, which we believed was better organized than even Megacon 2014, which some considered an epic fail.

We spoke to Casey in person at the convention but we decided to do follow up with him for an interview.

How did you get involved with Space Coast Nerdfest 2014?

Brian Benson, the guy in charge, (Oh captain, my captain), contacted me more than a year ago about splitting a booth with our mutual friend, Mr. E. He appreciates the work I do (I work with children with disabilities, mainly Autism) and we’ve had a good friendship for several years.

So how well did your booth at Space Coast Nerd Fest work out?

Space Coast Nerd Fest was the first Con that I’ve ever sold at. I’m used to selling at small art shows, gallery openings, public shows (like First Fridays in Eau Gallie), and dive-bar art shows. First mistake I made – using a print box. I had all of my prints in a nice wooden box on my table. Nobody looked through it. When you’re in a gallery setting, people are there to look at the art, they will look at the prints. It took me about a half-hour to notice this; I took out all of my prints and put them on the table for quick viewing.

What has inspired your type of art and how did you get started?

Sonic the Hedgehog was my biggest inspiration as a child. I started off drawing the covers of the Sega Genesis games that my mother bought me in the ’90’s.

So were you a Sega guy during the Nintendo vs Sega days?

I was Sega, but not by choice. My mom bought me a Sega so she could play it when I went to bed. I got into Sci-Fi and Star Wars and started to draw space battles and haven’t really looked back. When I was eight, my mother inquired to a local studio/gallery in Staunton, VA about art classes; they never asked my age and my mother never told them. We showed up to a class for adults full of twenty-somethings. The school auditioned me that night, decided I had talent, and let me take a few classes (my mother had already paid) anyway. That was my first foray into painting.

How do others in the art world perceive your choice of subject matter as a fine artist?

Artist peers are very supportive of my anime/manga and science fiction work. It isn’t as popular with as many general gallery patrons but when people like it, they tend to go out of their way to let me know that they like it. I try to take everyone’s advice, when someone tells me to paint sea turtles, I paint sea turtles (why not?). But I’m always got a Sci-Fi piece close to heart and in my head ready to be put on canvas.

Do buyers of your work tend to be cosplayers or do you reach a more general audience?

I’ve sold to all sorts of people. For me, women seem to buy my work more often. I’m not sure if more women buy artwork than men, but that’s just what I’ve seen with my work. I get commissions for sea turtles, space images, and even a “health-field commission.” Often times, people that show an interest in my work aren’t people I’d consider “nerds” or “geeks.”

For example, this is the first work of art that I ever sold, which I traded for a queen size bed:

Thank you for allowing us to take up some of your time, Casey!

Casey has participated at the following artistic places & events:

– Member of the Brevard Cultural Alliance (BCA) and the Off Center Art Center

– First Friday Art Walks in Eau Gallie

– Gallery openings at CityArts Orlando, Off Center Art Center, and the EGAD! Art Lab

– Displays at Hurrikane Cafe (Indian Harbor Beach) and the Big Bang Studio (Cocoa Village)

– Local shows at The 321 Local (Cocoa), Wynfield’s Sports Bar (Satellite Beach), and The Bald Strawberry (original Cape Canaveral location)

– The Florida Tech College Players’ “Art & Music Day”