are some of our oldest ancestors. And many are disappearing and have been stevenhager420 replaced in captivity by flashy hybrids, counterculture history, conspiracy theory & reviews which is cool, except what happens when all the original phenotypes are gone? In case of emergency, it’s up to the conser- vationist to capture, protect and preserve these phenotypes and that’s really what Wild is all about: inspiring a new genera- tion to respect the natural order by honor- In Praise of Flick Ford director David Allen, who had two other by Steven Hager ing the ancestors of the earth. This is not art directors he loved working with, Flick just a book of paintings, however, but an Ford and Brian Spaeth. The illo (above) encyclopedic compendium of vital infor- was drawn by Flick, a portrait of the two of mation and includes maps of origin and us, based on a photo from the East Village instructions on captivity. Eye. Flick, Brian and I would go on to form the Soul Assassins, a legendary band from I was living on the Upper West Side, the period. We all worked at at where I still reside, a former reporter for one point, and now we’ve gone in differ- the Daily News, hanging out ent directions, although I think all three of mostly with friends from who had us are doing our best work right now. I’m all penetrated the upper ranks of the cor- tremendously impressed with Flick’s latest porate media world. But suddenly I shifted book, Wild, 75 Freshwater Tropical Fish of gears and started hanging out in the East the World. Here’s Flick’s Rainbow Trout from the Village almost nonstop for ten years. Upper Missouri. You can’t really do these I didn’t catch on to Flick’s obsession with images justice with web shots, however. After the Soho Weekly News folded, I I’m shy, so I like extrovert buddies who fish until one day when out of the blue The fish literally jump off the pages and went looking for a new place to publish my can start a conversation. Larry Green was he got a small tank for his apartment. I many are so colorful you wonder why landmark 1980s uptown-downtown jour- my sidekick in high school and he always returned a few weeks later and his apart- anyone felt they needed to be enhanced nalism. Ah, yes, the tawdry East Village in reminded me of a young Fred Astaire. ment was filled with huge tanks, fresh and through breeding. Even more astonish- the 1980s, a time and place that someday Very suave and he loved to dance. I re- salt water. It’s safe to say the fish were ing are the prints and original watercolors may be as widely celebrated as the Sum- member thinking: odd, a dude in the talking to Flick. And what do you think they Flick carries when he’s on tour. Since that mer of Love in San Francisco, because it dance club, but then Larry told me it was were saying? Save me? tour is hitting upstate New York next week, was equally revolutionary and exciting. the easiest way to meet hot girls. I thought I’d give you a heads up on a rare Of course, that was 30 years ago. Today, opportunity to meet a colossal talent in My first book, , had disappointed Well, Flick reminded me of a young James Flick is widely recognized as one of the person. me as it looked rushed out and I guess it Cagney and he could entertain and sweet world’s greatest fish painters. He travels was. For my next book, I wanted to work talk the opposite sex better than anyone the globe catching fish so he can water- Dec. 7, 2013 – Catskill, NY more closely with the designer. I noticed I knew, excepting Chef Ra, and Flick be- color them straight from the water and Dec. 9, 2013- Kingston, NY the East Village Eye on a newsstand and came my sidekick for the next decade. He then he mostly returns them to their habi- Dec. 14, 2013 – , NY that caught my eye because I loved the certainly had a style all his own and I radi- tat. Wild is an attempt to document the Dec. 15, 2013 – Albany, NY new wave art direction. Soon, I met the cally adjusted my look just from hanging earth’s freshwater phenotypes. I guess Art exhbition: Jan. 11, 2014 – Woodstock, publisher Leonard Abrams, and the art around with him. you know life began in water so these fish NY