thePULSEBy Annette Cinelli
When Doug Chapel was a boy, his dad would bring home small paper samples from work for his son to doodle on after school. Doug would staple 10 pieces of paper together to create an adventure comic strip. As the years passed, his passion for art never wavered and, even as his materials and skill level matured, he never lost that youthful energy and sense of play that keeps his current work so fresh and captivating.
Doug began working in the graphic design field back in 1989 at an unpaid internship at Worcester Magazine. He reminisces fondly about his time there, recalling that “I’d come in on days I wasn’t even scheduled and keep asking for more stuff to do.” He started by cutting photo paper in the dark room and bordering photos with border tape. He learned as he went along until he eventually ended up at his current graphic design job, creating car ads and other direct-mail advertising pieces. Ideally, Doug would like to be doing more of what he describes as, “LOUD, unique, unusual design work that totally stands out” and attracts attention for the client, event or project he is representing.
Not only does Doug do design work as his “straight” job, he also has his personal art. While his job is sometimes draining, he stresses that “I HAVE to create my own stuff. Sometimes if I’m out drinking, or at a friend’s house, I may just do a doodle on a napkin or placemat or Keno ticket.” Viewing the art Doug has on display at his website, www.dsquared.org, one can see that he has a distinctive style that is just as prevalent in his napkin doodles as it is in his fine, finished cartoon pieces, a style that is a refreshing combination of skill and a sense of fun.
Doug’s eclectic mix of artwork includes napkin doodles, illustrations, prints, flyers, t-shirts and more. When asked what inspires him, Doug says, “Old film noir movies, riding my scooter (an Aprilia Mojito Custom 150) around the reservoir at breakneck speeds, exploring dive bars, high-end bars, nightclubs, and other unusual gatherings of people, shopping, trips to New York City, Montreal, Hong Kong, or even just the IKEA store in New Haven, action figures, comic books, and other designers. I love old Atari video games and flea markets and yard sales and all kinds of cool, geeky things, which is what my comic/zine Action Geek is all about.” His work has cartoons of friends, sketches of famous people, robots, collages and other works with various characters and scenes that you have to see to truly appreciate.
Be sure to check out Doug’s work at AG at CC, an Action Geek Art Show, at CC Lowell, located at 258 Park Ave. He will be showing various art forms ranging from his bi-weekly cartoon to his full-color cartooning to an assortment of design work he has done in recent years. Doug promises that the event will be an exciting one “because my stuff doesn’t just sit there very well…it lunges off the wall at you, demanding attention.” Check it out January 5-25, 2006. And be sure to stop by for the free opening reception on Saturday January 7th from 1-4pm. Until then check out some art, sign the guest book, or buy a t-shirt at his website www.dsquared.org.
