ARTIST SPOTLIGHT: “GOATBOY” HARTNUP

Some of you might be familiar with Lee (Goatboy) Hartnup’s ultra gory, ultra-realistic artwork, but if you’re not, you’re definitely in for a treat.  We managed to track down Mr. Hartnup way on the other side of the pond.

Hartnup lives in the seaside town of Eastbourne on the English south coast with his wife and two sons (who are also fortunately into horror).

Lee:

I am known primarily for my zombie pictures, which is weird as they terrify me! I have a real fear of them…for me the thought of an oncoming hoard wanting to rip me to shreds is heart stopping! So I do zombie pics! Know your enemy! I think it’s easier to make up a picture of something that really scares you because your imagination can really run wild!

I’ve loved all things horror for as long as I can remember and as a child was always doing monster make-up and drawing Frankenstein’s monster and Dracula, all the Universal crowd! 

My claims to fame are an interview in Fangoria about my zombie pics and having a character (well, two actually) named after me in [the] New York Times best selling author Jonathan Maberry’s book Dead of Night.  Yes…I start the book as a zombie…and make it to the end of the book as well! Not bad going for what is essentially a background threat! Ha! Ha!

And having Bill Moseley contact me and ask if he could use a zombified pic I did of the Devils Rejects to sign at conventions (which I gave him with the proviso of a signed pic for me, which he sent over for me to treasure!)

Tell us a little about the process of making your wonderfully morbid creations.

To do the digital pictures I jump between Photoshop CS6 and Paintshop Pro 9. I’m very lazy when it comes to learning what buttons serve what function so it’s all trial and error. the actual process involves me finding as picture of someone in the pose I want. Not as easy as it sounds when you want something specific. Then I add lots of diferent layers, for skin, eyes, hair, teeth, wounds etc. I have a folder filled with some truly horrific images which i incorporate into the picture. You know your life has taken a turn for the odd when you have folders named ‘ Festering wounds, industrial accidents, autopsies’ The I add a suitable background and merge them all together.  Add another hour tweaking colours, hue, saturation, vibrance, lighting etc and you’re done!

Where did the name “Goatboy” come from?

Hahah ahhh Goatboy! I used the name when I joined my very first forum, Library of the Living Dead and stole it from the late great stand up Bill Hicks!  One of his more filthy creations, so when I did pictures for people on the forum I would sign them Goatboy…then after moving over to Facebook it just stuck, I couldn’t change it if I tried lol.

Here is what people are saying about Lee’s work:

Lee Hartnup’s gleefully frightful techno-pop portraits are skillfully rendered and delicious to look at. Once you get past seeing yourself putrid and decayed, it is quite an honor to be in his fantastic gallery of ghouls. —Larry Fessenden

Lee’s digital zombification work is astounding. Striking and raw and emotive – the best watermarks of any character design. —Steve Johnson

HORRIFYING FREE CONTEST GIVEAWAY WINNER!

Lee (Goatboy) Hartnup — digital zombie creator extraordinaire zombified one lucky ZRS Reader, and here is the awesome result.

Want to get dead yourself? Check out Goatboy’s Facebook page for details:
https://www.facebook.com/Makemeazombie

Read our interview with the artist himself at ZRS:
https://zombieresearchsociety.com/archives/24167

We want to thank winner Glynise Kuzell for allowing us to post her before and afters!

Check out more of Lee’s artwork there and at his website:

http://themoriartyofgore.wordpress.com/