Sean Aaberg
Sean Aaberg | |
|---|---|
| Born | June 7, 1976 Oakland, California, U.S. |
| Occupation(s) | Illustrator, comics creator, conceptual artist, magazine editor |
| Known for | Co-founder of Nonchalance and Oaklandish; editor and publisher of PORK magazine |
Sean Aaberg (born June 7, 1976) is an American illustrator, comics creator, conceptual artist, and magazine editor connected to the punk rock, heavy metal, and Kustom Kulture movements. He is a co-founder of Nonchalance and Oaklandish. Aaberg served as editor and publisher of PORK, a magazine that defines itself as "rock&roll, weirdo art, bad ideas. Real American cool culture. Uncompromising. Upbeat. Free. Quarterly. Not suitable for squares."
Early life
Aaberg was born in Oakland, California, to parents Philip Aaberg and LouAnn Lucke. He attended Bishop O'Dowd High School and briefly enrolled at the California College of the Arts. From an early age, he gravitated toward unconventional, gritty, and vintage influences, collecting inexpensive magazines and immersing himself in underground culture such as Mad magazine, punk bands like the Ramones, and the Church of the Subgenius. He founded and played drums in several punk groups including The Latrines, The Masked Men, and A//Political.
Career
Emerging from the global DIY punk movement of the 1990s, Aaberg produced zines and contributed artwork to publications like Slug and Lettuce. His comics and illustrations have been published in outlets such as Bitch, Roctober, Kitchen Sink, BANG! newspaper, and VICE. Drawing inspiration from artists like Ed "Big Daddy" Roth, Basil Wolverton, and Robert Crumb, he is known for his Weirdo Art style and adaptability across various design approaches. His magazine PORK has showcased work by comic artists including Tim Goodyear.
Together with Eric Radey, Aaberg co-designed Dungeon Degenerates: Hand of Doom, a cooperative fantasy board game infused with punk metal themes.
Aaberg collaborates extensively with his spouse, artist and photographer Katie Aaberg, on the publication of PORK. Their work has attracted controversy due to provocative humor and use of contentious imagery; notably, they operated a blog named The Daily Hitler that employed Nazi symbolism as a form of social critique.
In September 2018, Aaberg experienced a severe stroke impacting his cerebellum and brainstem, placing him in critical condition that required life support.
Pork
Launched in 2010 by Sean and Katie Aaberg, PORK Magazine became a significant force within Weirdo Art and Rock & Roll culture. It highlighted street culture motifs such as denim apparel, studs, pizza, burgers, switchblades, and rebellious attitudes. Rooted in 1970s New York City aesthetics, the free-distributed magazine ran from 2010 through 2018.
Up until February 2017, PORK frequently incorporated Nazi imagery; this was discontinued afterward due to evolving "national circumstances," as explained by Sean Aaberg.
External links
- PORK MAGAZINE: ROCK & ROLL, WEIRDO ART & BAD IDEAS
- Eaten by Ducks Group art blog featuring contributions by Aaberg: PORK 10 HAS HIT THE STREETS (March 23, 2013)
- Images by Sean Aaberg on Yahoo
- Drawings by Sean Aaberg on Flickr
- Beer labels: Oakshire, Free State, Pyramid, Wild Onion, Battered Boar Label designs created by Sean Aaberg
- Oakshire Brewing to Release Hellshire II Imperial Stout aged in Bourbon Barrels Artwork by Sean Aaberg