Disco Stick & Pencil Stick, 2009
Pencil on paper.
In an attempt to throw people off the scent of his own gayness, Mikey decided to draw someone who screamed heterosexuality... Enter Lady Gaga, whose debut album The Fame dropped in 2008. Nothing says “I’m straight” quite like worshipping a woman who wrote “Disco Stick.” Nailed it, Mikey!
Be-forrealthisain't-Yoncé, 2009
Pencil on paper.
After breezing through his Lady Gaga caricature, Mr. Mazzone made the fatal mistake of making Mikey create another. This time, he chose another small artist that disbanded from her not-to-known small girl group, Beyoncé. Mikey bit off more than he could chew when it came to Queen B, however got redemption when he made one of Brittany Murphy following her untimely death (unfortunately that one perished in the Great Childhood Home Purge),
Lady Gaga Remixed, 2010
Acrylic paint and sharpie on paper.
Mr. Mazzone tasked Mikey with revamping a piece from his Cartooning semester, so naturally, he chose the Lady Gaga caricature that had been sitting in the display case for months. Things took a turn when Mazzone slapped a copyright restriction on the lettering, despite Mikey being the original artist. Excuse him? Yes, even in high school, Mikey was already fighting for the rights to his intellectual property. The Fame, indeed.
California Dreamin', 2011
Sharpie & Colored Pencil on paper.
With Junior year came the age-old "what to do after high school" dilemma: pursue the career his parents had been shoving down his throat to the point of choking or follow his own ambitions of entertaining the masses. Art seemed like settling. Acting seemed like living.
Nicki 2011bc (BC= Before Cult), 2011
Colored Pencil on paper.
Mikey was a devoted member of the Barbz, happily stanning Nicki Minaj before she took off the mask and revealed the monster underneath. If only he'd known that one day, he'd be looking back on this portrait as a memorial to Dear Old Nicki. Gone too soon. Not literally, of course, but mentally for sure. (Team Cardi & Meg!)
Katy Perry, 2011
Sharpie on paper.
Mikey was still committed to throwing people off the scent of his gayness, and what better way to do so than by drawing Katy Perry? Nothing screams heterosexuality quite like a boy who can name every track on Teenage Dream and defend the California Gurls music video in court. The jury is still out on whether the drawing fooled anyone, but it's giving guilty as charged.
Stippling Thor, 2011
Marker on paper.
Thor, God of the Good Boys, captured here. Mrs. Fuller instructed him to make it look realistic through stippling for his independent study. Mikey spared no artistic effort in immortalizing his handsome buddy boy, who contributed absolutely nothing to the creative process beyond being devastatingly photogenic (Shoutout to Mrs. Fuller for documenting Mikey's art before it was incinerated at a dumpsite).
Foxy Lady, 2011
Colored Pencil on paper.
Mikey created this portrait of Megan Fox for Miss Cutrona's (Now Baker) Drawing class, apparently deciding that subtlety was overrated. The piece earned him an invitation into AP Art for his senior year, proving that artistic talent really can open doors. And thanks to Megan Fox, she helped get him into advanced placement!
The Beatles But Beatles, 2012
Marker on paper.
The Beatles dressed as The Beatles? Groundbreaking. Revolutionary. A cultural reset. The artistic vision! The c*ntification of four literal beetles in matching suits before the word even existed!! Frankly, the Louvre should've cleared a wall. Unfortunately, this was Mikey's last piece before choosing to hang up his art apron to pursue acting.
Mikey Enters PerHELL Middle School, 2004
Mikey’s first photograph from the fresh depths of hell: middle school, where accusations of being “gay” sent him straight to Google to figure out what the hell that even meant. Thus began a lifelong career in second-guessing every word, thought, and movement. He hadn’t even unlocked his sexuality yet, and his peers had already launched an investigation (Hello darkness, my new friend) (P.S. Missy Elliott was his fashion inspiration)
Ain't Nothin' But A "G" Thang, 2006
After years of relentless bullying escalated to physical attacks and Persell doing nothing about it, his father gave him permission to defend himself because if the school wouldn’t protect him, he’d have to protect himself. So, Mikey took matters into his own hands—by forming them into fists. Baby’s got hands, resulting in the administration with a filing cabinet full of problems.
Shaggy On Da Track, 2007
Mikey joined the track team, figuring he’d been running from his sexuality long enough to at least earn a letter for it. Unfortunately, the jocks took one look at him and made homophobic harassment their varsity sport. Mikey couldn’t catch a break, but they certainly caught feelings about a boy who wasn’t even interested in them. He quit the team, but society’s closet had a hell of a long track season.
Mikey Chemical Emo-mance, 2008
Freshmen Year. Somewhere between realizing he was gay and realizing the world wasn’t exactly rolling out the welcome carpet, Mikey entered his emo era. The hair went black, the weight went up, the school attendance went down, and the emotional stability packed its bags. It was giving My Chemical Romance with a minor in truancy. In hindsight, he needed a hug, a therapist, and definitely a better hairstyle.
Scary Lucy & Scrappy Mikey, 2010
Sophomore year introduced the world to Scrappy, Mikey’s less-hinged alter ego. The pound he was forced to be in—Jamestown High School—also refused to do anything about its uncaged b*tches, so Mikey finally let Scrappy off his leash. Tired of being walked over like a neutered Chihuahua, he took the muzzle off his smart mouth resulting in the Shit-zoos wearing Pitbull masks to take the bite. The difference? Scrappy barked AND backed it up.
Scrappy & Buddy Boy, 2010
Junior year introduced a new chapter for Scrappy. With his schedule packed with art classes and Drama, Mikey was finally beginning to question the career path his parents had practically cast him in. Art had always been the expected future, but the stage was calling. And for a boy who spent most of his life dodging a spotlight he never asked for, Hollywood seemed like the logical next step! Thor, meanwhile, remained the only cast member who never questioned the director.
Drama Class, 2011
Drama class: Mikey’s favorite class of his entire academic career, thanks to his teacher, Mr. Tehan. He was the first teacher to acknowledge the struggle Mikey faced and simply made it clear that what he was being bullied for was nothing to be ashamed of. Some teachers simply teach a subject; others flip the script and make an impact.
Senior Year, 2011
Mikey’s senior portrait, commemorating his final year in an educational system that tested his patience, his sanity, and every last ounce of his will to live. Almost a decade of bullying, bureaucratic incompetence, and character development he never f*cking asked for—but, yeah, smile for the camera!
Tehan & Favorite, 2012
Mikey’s final day of high school, pictured with Mr. Tehan, a teacher who will undoubtedly be claimed as everyone’s favorite. But Mikey has a pretty good idea who Tehan’s favorite student was, but he'll spare everyone the humiliation of finding out they were competing for runner up. Of course, this could all be wishful thinking on the part of a former drama student who was specifically trained to be dramatic (I'm saying that cause I'm humble...).
Thee Bonnie & Clyde of JHS Graduate, 2012
Bonnie & Clyde of JHS, reporting for graduation! After years of keeping Assistant Principal Sutter’s office in business, Caitlyn and Mikey finally earned their diplomas—and permanent records thick enough to qualify as historical archives. Sutter gave them the nickname; they gave him the job security. Some students leave behind a legacy of academic excellence. These two left behind a lot of paperwork. Bonnie pursued a career in cooking, while Clyde spent years being cooked by Hollywood.