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| PLUTO ART IS BACK |
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We thought he had disappeared forever, but part-time underground cartoonist Pluto has returned with another of his ‘Shits On’ footy cartoons.
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Pluto (real name Kraig Krieger) has been busy learning how to become a single Dad and has moved back to his home state of Victoria after nearly a decade in New South Wales and South Australia.
Better known for his appearances on television and internet radio (Greetings From Australia), plus a successful career as a boundary umpire in the old V.F.A. and a goal umpire in the W.B.F.L., in which he participated in several Grand Finals, Kraig also possesses a sensational Aussie Rules & Music memorabilia collection.
AustralianRulesFootball.com.au managed to score a rare interview (and a drink or two) with him a few days after the A.F.L. Grand Final, and find out what he has been up to recently.
(ARF) Thanks for meeting up with me for a chat.
(Pluto) No worries. I just hope you are not a St.Kilda supporter (laughs)
(ARF) No. I am celebrating a Flag just like you are. Did you attend the game?
(Pluto) Yeah. I was at both Grand Finals. Can’t believe I have been to two Grand Final draws though. I had visions of ending up in a cardiac ward at the Alfred Hospital during the last quarter.
(ARF) Glad you didn’t. We would not have seen this latest masterpiece of yours.
(Pluto) (laughs) Not sure about the masterpiece bit, but it was finished on the Monday after the Prelim so someone would have found it at home and published it no doubt.
(ARF) When did you begin drawing the pictures?
(Pluto) I presume you mean the ‘Shits On’ series? My first one I did was actually in class at Melbourne High School back in 1977. One of the Phys Ed teachers was a mad North Melbourne member and I hated his guts, so I drew it to give to him on the Monday after the Grand Final. Of course the Maggies drew, then got done in the replay and I never gave it to him. But my form teacher found it and the shit hit the fan big time. He really did not see the funny side of it. Luckily the Principal did and just gave me a warning. He thought it was quite funny and suggested that I take up Art as a serious subject, but I did not have much interest in that.
(ARF) When did you begin using the ‘Pluto’ moniker for your stuff?
(Pluto) Oh, that was also a suggestion from the Principal. He suggested using a false name on any pictures of that type while I was at school so no-one would know whose drawing they were and I would not get into trouble again. I had no idea what name to use, but I came up with Pluto because I enjoyed Astronomy and Pluto was my favorite planet. I was going to use Uranus, but decided against it for some reason. It would have been a better choice on reflection I guess (laughs)
(ARF) How many different ‘Shits On’ drawings have you done?
(Pluto) Umm. Lets see. 1977 was the first. Then I drew 1979, 1980, 1981 but they never saw the light of day and were subsequently destroyed by myself out of frustration because of the Grand Final results. I then did one for the 1984 Grand Final and some friends asked for some copies, so I ended up giving about 20 copies away for nothing. A good mate of mine suggested that I do another one in 1986 and sell them to supporters. So I did, sold a couple of thousand in the pubs in Richmond and Jolimont and made some money which was nice. Then I did the same thing for 1989, 1990, 1991, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996 & 1997. I didn’t have time to do anymore until 2003 when I was living in Adelaide and was unemployed, so I did one to commemorate Port Adelaide achieving ‘Back to Back’ minor Premierships and sold about 5000 in the carpark at AAMI Stadium.
This is the first one I have done since then, although I have done some as fundraisers for a few country & suburban clubs in South Australia. Have you kept count? (laughs)
(ARF) I have it on tape. Too hung over to count (laughs). What happened to the 1977 one?
(Pluto) My Principal never gave it back. No idea what has happened to it.
(ARF) What other art have you done since school?
(Pluto) Not a lot due to lack of time. I drew some sketches while I was a volunteer at the Sydney Olympics and managed to sell them, but they were using my real name and were not as crude (laughs). I actually saw one for sale in a collectors fair last year while I was up there and it had a price tag of $6000 on it. I was stunned and went to find my mate to show him, but when I returned less than 15 minutes later it had been sold, which surprised me even more. I had sold it originally for $20.
(ARF) What was the subject?
(Pluto) It was a cartoon of Cathy Freeman knocking out her opponents, during the 400 metre race, with boomerangs. Quite politically incorrect, but funny (laughs)
(ARF) I believe you also did some stuff in Mount Gambier as well?
(Pluto) Yeah. I did some art for a website called ‘YourLimestoneCoastCityGuide.com’. mainly about local characters and attractions. They were under the moniker of ‘Pluto’ as well, and sold okay. Stuff like the ‘Umpherston Shithole’, ‘The Blu-Loo Lake’ and the like.
(ARF) Have you ever seen any of your footy posters for sale anywhere?
(Pluto) Not a lot. I think people tend to keep them for display in their bars and toilets (laughs). Although I did see a 1990 one for sale at the Chapel Street Bazaar and it had a price tag of $200 on it. Not bad for what was then a $2 poster.
(ARF) Is this the first ‘Limited Edition’ you have issued?
(Pluto) Yeah. It was suggested to me by an artist mate of mine in Sydney that I should sell them over the internet and also make a ‘Limited Edition’ I had no idea what he meant by that, but he told me what to do and so I have followed his advice and have made available 500 framed, signed & numbered copies.
(ARF) Did you sell any at the ground?
(Pluto) No way. I was too busy celebrating, but I did have a friend who ventured around some of the inner city pubs and sold some normal prints and got some orders for the Limited Editions as well, which was nice.
(ARF) Will you be doing future Grand Finals?
(Pluto) Maybe. It depends what other stuff I have happening at the time. Plus I don’t want to flood the market with them. Part of the appeal to me is that they have become a bit of a rarity and a collectors item, or so I have been told. Because they have never been mass-produced or available in retail outlets, they have remained pretty much an ‘undergound’ item. Not that I could really imagine Myer or K-Mart selling them. They would offend way too many people (laughs).
(ARF) Have you ever gotten into trouble with the A.F.L. regarding copyright issues or the like?
(Pluto) Well no. I didn’t use the A.F.L or club logos or names, so there is no way they can do anything about it even if they wanted to. So I do not need any licensing arrangement from them. Not that I would ever imagine them allowing something that says ‘Magpies Shits On Saints 2010’ to carry the A.F.L. logo (laughs).
The ‘Magpies Shits On Saints 2010’ are available here.
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Posted on Oct 12, 2010 18:37pm by admin
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