Seen: Alex Solis – “The Famous Chunkies” at Iam8bit

 famouschunkies-9

Alex Solis made the trip from Chicago to LA for last Thursday’s (4.16) opening of his The Famous Chunkies art show/book release at the Iam8bit gallery in Silver Lake.   The show features a seemingly endless collection of prints from his popular illustration series of the same name.  What began as a discussion with his daughter about TMNT and how the turtles consumed mass amounts of pizza and yet were still active, energetic and fit has grown into a fun yet message-driven project to draw attention to unhealthy eating habits.  

Running through April 28th, the show  features an army of pop culture Chunkies including characters from  comic books, cartoons, video games, and movies.  If you grew up loving a particular character, there’s a pretty good chance it has received the Chunky treatment.  From Star Wars to Marvel to Nintendo to Hello Kitty, there’s something for everyone.  Our favorite? Chunky Pikachu, who’s grown so wide that he can barely fit into his Poke ball.  The prints are quite affordable at $25 for the 5×5 ones and $30 for the small number of 8×8’s or $100 for five of any size.  Framing is an extra $15 per print. Check ‘em all out at the i8m8bit site.

The event also served as a signing for Alex’s brand new book of the same name, which brings the very best of the Chunkies to your shelf—one inspired character per page, one after the next.

If you are in or around LA, definitely drop by the gallery and  have a blast as your favorite changes . Oh, and in case you missed the news, The Famous Chunkies toys are coming via VTSS shortly. First up? Star Wars.