Writer and director of Art Sucks, Cojo is a Global Behemoth. Following in the footsteps of Andy Warhol, over the past decade Cojo has firmly etched his signature portrait and line art styles into the upper echelon of the NY Pop Art Elite, seamlessly straddling the hip-hop world into the mainstream magazines, while staying grounded by the lofty Art Scene Status-Symbol-Sophisticates.
As for his works on canvas, "Cojo Original" paintings or commissioned portraits are very hard to attain and are prized status symbols among the rich and famous. He creates such few painted works a year, and the demand is so high that owning one privately is nearly impossible. He's done highly regarded portraits and commissions for such A-List clientele as: Busta Rhymes, Jay-Z, Ja Rule, Redman, Cam'ron, Lil' Kim, Usher, Mario, Ashanti, and many others.
His commercial work has been printed in twelve countries and ten languages. He's been printed in Maxim Magazine over the past 4 years close to 100 times in more than a dozen countries and lanugages. His artwork has been featured in Rolling Stone, Vibe, XXL, King, The Source, Ecko's Complex, Black Book Magazine, and dozens of others. He's done Fat Albert art for FUBU, Air Force 1 art for Nike, Black History Month art for Nickelodeon, Spring Break art for MTV. The Art Juggernaut is unstoppable.
ART SUCKS- SITCOM PILOT PITCH
STORYLINE:
A behind the scenes look into the life of Vern. An in-house editorial artist for "BUSTLE Magazine", a ficticious PG 13 rated Upstart Men's Lifestyle Magazine launched as a competitor (and blatant rip-off) of NYC's Maxim.
The show revolves around Vern's home life living with his uptight law student girlfriend, his odd work environment at the Bustle Magazine Editorial Office , and his chill time hanging with old art school friends. (NOTE: His art school friends don't appear in the five minute pilot for lack of time but are referenced during the end credits). Three small, funny, and bizarre contrasting circles of uniquely hilarious characters.
ONE SENTENCE PITCH:
" 'King of Queens' meets 'Just Shoot Me,' with some art, a donkey punch of testosterone, and a few extra cc's of saline.'"
ONE SENTENCE PITCH #2:
"If Maxim ripped out one wall of their editorial office and set up a studio audience who watched from the magazine's artist's perspective."
With Special Guest Appearances by Erin Elmore from NBC's The Apprentice Season 3, and Miss Pennsylvania USA 2005 Brenda Brabham. It's loosely based on the life of
COJO, the writer / director who's art and humor has graced the pages of Maxim and Stuff magazines nearly 100 times in the past 4 years.
We've seen sitcoms that have had artists as characters, we've seen sitcoms where characters work at magazines. What we've never seen, is a sitcom where the main character is an artist / cartoonist who works at a Men's Magazine and what his life is like beyond the drawings/ where he derives his inspiration, and all the f--ked up stuff he experiences with the ever more bizarre and hilarious situations he's tossed into.
Men's Magazines in this country target the male 18 -35 demographic. This sitcom would speak to them in the same voice it already speaks to them in print and through the mouths of shock jocks, but in a convenient no-read, no cover price-per-issue, moving pictures medium. Feeding Punchline, after witty caption style punchline, just the way we short attention spanned youth like to be fed.
This pilot was shot and based in Philly, but could just as easily take place in any major US City if the show were to go further in development.
