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Talking Folk Art, Death, and Mortuary School with Mike Egan

By Sam Slaughter Apr 21, 2021 1:40 AM

mike egan death rides a cat — “Death Rides a Cat” Courtesy of Mike Egan

Which new bourbon are we pumped about? What does it take to be a master journeyman? Where are we excited to travel to next? Each week, The Manual Podcast invites an expert, artisan, or craftsman for a roundtable discussion on what’s new, exciting, and unique in their trade.

For this week’s episode of The Manual Podcast, the gang’s all here as Nicole, Sam, and Greg sit down with visual artist Mike Egan.

Egan, who has become known for his bold paintings that resemble, among other things, Mexican folk art, first discusses how he started as an artist (it was art school). From there, though, life did its usual thing of derailing or changing plans and that’s when Egan found himself studying mortuary arts.

For the next few years, Egan dedicated his life to his work. He didn’t have a choice, he says, as he was on call 24/7 basically. It was a gallery show in Pittsburgh, though, that helped change that. From there, Egan began devoting his time to his art — and when you hear about his work ethic, you’ll see just how much time that really is.

Finally, the gang gets into what his process is actually like. How does he plan his projects? How long does it take? What’s it like once a piece is done and in a gallery? Heck, what is it even like to do a gallery show? We ask all of the hard-hitting questions about art in this one, so prepare to get a little nerdy over awesome artwork.

Are you an artist? Did you know about Egan before we did? Do you make something we should see? We want to hear from you. If you ever have a question or comment for The Manual Podcast folks, give us a shout at podcast@themanual.com — we’re always around! Be sure to follow us on Facebook and Twitter so you can join the discussion.

Further Reading

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Why John Ford’s Westerns Get Better as You Get Older

Clothing, Hat, Face

There are worse ways to spend an evening than watching John Wayne stop a stagecoach.

He stands in the road, saddle slung over one arm, spinning a Winchester as the camera rushes toward him. It is an entrance worthy of a movie star, and in Stagecoach, you can practically watch Wayne become one. Before he has done much of anything, you want to know where he is going. You would probably go with him.

Cigar Lounge Spotlight: Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach

cigar lounge

I was at Española Cigar Bar & Lounge in Miami Beach earlier this year when the idea for this weekly spotlight first came to mind. I was in town to interview Floyd Mayweather Jr. at a yacht party that turned out to be as bombastic as the 15-time world champion himself. The trip kicked off with dinner at Claudie for a taste of the French Riviera. I was whisked into the restaurant’s private dining room, where guests included a slew of GNC executives, former NBA players, and Oscar winner Cuba Gooding Jr.

After five or so Old Fashioneds, three of us decided to keep the night going, and we were all in the mood for stogies, which is always a great idea during one of Miami’s muggy nights. Española Cigar Bar & Lounge was the place to be, and if you’ve ever walked Española Way on a Friday night, you understand why.

Feeling stuck or behind? Here are the five days you need to schedule every month

HIker standing in the sunrise

It feels like every single month, when the calendar turns over (figuratively speaking, unless you still have a physical calendar), there is no way it is already the first of a new month. It can feel like you are stuck in the middle of a grind, that you are behind on everything, and no matter how hard you try, you can’t catch up. Or even move forward. That can weigh on you. Just like a new year creates new motivations, new planning, and new goals, you can break the months into smaller scales.

Your monthly calendar (and even further, going to the week) should reflect the things you want to accomplish. And, if you are feeling stuck, unmotivated, or like you are falling behind, here are five non-negotiable days you should set up every single month to set you up for climbing out of your funk.