Mike Hoffman's known mainly for his Fantasy artwork, but he's been writing and recording steadily since his early band days the late 70s. He started playing guitar after stealing one from an unlocked car at age 15. His delinquent pals asked him to burn it, but he wisely refused.
The "Monster University" idea had been kicking around in his mind for some time, and inspired by Spike Jones and other Monster albums from the 60s, he set about writing and recording a set of 13 songs with the idea of promoting it at the New Jersey "Chiller Theatre" in 2004. Each piece appears on the album in the order it was created.
Mike says that by the time he reached song #13 he felt he didn't have a single monster song left in him, but a year later he made a special 4-song EP, due to be released very soon. That disk has a song featuring a guest spot by 1950s Horror Host Zacherley, who literally "called it in".
Many people in the Horror "business" have enthusiastically endorsed this collection of songs, like "Monster Bash" convention organizer Ron Adams, who says "It's the best Pop-Rock Monster album--PERIOD!", and you can't get a much more enthusiastic a recommendation than that.
It's also been played both past Halloweens on various national radio programs, like Chicago's "Nightmare City Halloween", the country's longest-running show, and its DJ Stevo says the disk is "...superior to all your contemporaries". Those sorts of comments are unsolicited testaments to the craft, inventiveness and sheer fun displayed on this "monster" disk.
Elvira, the Mistress of the Dark herself, played "Monster U." at a special 2004 Halloween party for her daughter.
Even the daughter of Boris himself, Sara Karloff, has enthused over the album and the "impression" Mike does of her father on several songs. In addition to playing "himself", he also does a creditable Bela Lugosi and mean Peter Lorre.
No, you don't have to be a conventioneering geek to enjoy the record--it's not only designed with everyone in mind, it's a good listen any time of year, too. Like an old radio show, it'll summon up pictures in the minds of most listeners. Even if you have trouble summoning pictures, Mike did a special M.U. comic that goes right along with the songs!
These tunes are more than just throwaway pop/rock ditties, they're remarkably well-thought-out and written. Recorded at the Hoffman International "headquarters" outside Albuquerque, New Mexico, Mike sang, played every instrument and did mixing, too. That's the same way he does all his other projects, like Comic books (which he writes and draws), Art books, magazines like the vampire-themed "Scarlet Cascade" or any other project featuring the myriad characters he's created, like Tigress, Squid Girl, and Madame Tarantula.
Mike even toured Canada at one time with Jon Mikl Thor, promoting the album he'd designed based on his comic "Thor vs Beastwomen from the Center of the Earth". Audiences were in shock over the theatrics for those shows, and press coverage was roundly favorable in each city they visited.
Not many people can make a living getting out of bed and pursuing whatever creative idea strikes them, but somehow Mike has managed it. These days he's still producing a few "Monster" items, like a "Monster University" comic that follows the tales told here on this disk. There's even a Musical in the works called "Hokaninny", and all these other developments are featured in the "News" section of his voluminous website, linked to from this page.
Mike's also gotten a reputation as "The Most Outspoken Man in Comics", thanks to his tendency to say whatever's on his mind; his Weblog draws hundreds of visitors daily. In person, he's much milder, but when it comes to the Arts, he's as hard on others as he is on himself. You can see hear the attention to detail that goes into these songs, for example.
Next up is the fictional Italian Peacock-Rocker "Arturo Bastard", whose album from 1968 is about to be re-released in the U.S. For those in the know, Mike IS "The Bastard"!
After over ten years self-publishing, Mike has decided to call it quits and travel the world. "My move reflects the society's move away from the written word and drawings and paintings, things that don't move" he explains "If I made a single movie, I'd instantly have a thousand times the audience that one of my books has. I love Comics as a medium, but it's over--it's really over in this country. I hate it, but it's so".
There are a lot of other creators out there who have difficulty finding an audience, but few who have the audacity to leave the one they already have and strike out anew.
First stop on the forthcoming 17-day ocean trip is the exotic island of Bali, where Mike intends to drop anchor for a few months at least and draw and paint the native culture. "Eventually, I want to wind up in Europe" he admits "I am already cementing business contacts over there. They take Art a little more seriously, I think, and their Comics, the French especially, have managed to mature a lot more than here."
Growing up in Britain has helped Mike develop an "international" view of the world and his work, so the beginning of this year will see him departing his studio and exploring new lands with new challenges.
New album releases will be featured here on CD Baby, please look for them!
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