Kalynn Campbell

Early years

Campbell grew up in the small town of Jupiter, Florida, United States. As a child, he was nicknamed "Skip", a nickname he eventually dropped after moving to California. At the age of 10, while recuperating from a tonsillectomy, a family friend brought him a stack of underground comix, a gesture that would have a lasting impact on his art.

At 13, he became the cartoonist of his middle school's publication, Smoke Signals, and began selling Ed Roth-inspired hot rod drawings at local craft fairs. During this period, he was heavily influenced by "freak shows and drug shows" that came to the South Florida Fair every year. Both Triptow and Campbell worked together soon after, first on "Pork Grease Fantasies" and again on Gay Comix#8 (which featured Campbell's cover art, even though Campbell was heterosexual).

A year later Campbell moved to San Francisco and attended the Academy of Art College's fine art program where he met instructor Carl Loeffler who would become Campbell's mentor.

Loeffler introduced Campbell to the Bay Area Dadaists, of which Campbell became a member. In 1990, he received a Visual Grants Award to create commemorative stamps and envelopes for the city of Los Angeles as part of the opening celebration of the Metro Blue Line. Campbell continues to produce artistamps, most notably is his stamp work (and show poster) for the 2018 gallery show at Sugar Press held in tandem with the 25th anniversary of the punk band Face to Face.

Campbell was heavily influenced by the cognitive play of performance art as is evident in his fine arts graduation show from the Academy of Art Collage in April 1987 in which he painted large raw canvases to resemble KFC napkins then sent the canvases to selected celebrities with the request they do something to it and send it back. Among the contributors to Campbell's show was artist Yoko Ono and filmmaker John Waters. and Robert Williams encouraged him to bring the work to Los Angeles, where a small movement of artists with similar visual sensibilities was slowly taking shape. Campbell made the move to LA and began showing at the infamous Zero One (0-1) Gallery. He was later represented by the La Luz de Jesus Gallery.

As an illustrator in the music industry, he got his start with BRC in 1990, working as the assistant art director to clients Tom Petty, Michael Jackson and other major rock acts.

Personal life

Campbell was married in 1997 but divorced in 2011. He now lives in Hollywood, California.

Selected CD art Capitol Punishment: The Megadeth Years (2000) by Megadeth Lucky 7 (album) (2002), by The Reverend Horton Heat White Light, White Heat, White Trash (1996) by Social Distortion How to Ruin Everything (2002) by Face to Face (punk band) A Place in the Sun (Lit album) (1999) by Lit (band)