Who is Mik Artistik? A poet, an artist, a painter and decorator! Long ago, back in the mists of time a lonely little boy discovered the joy of a biro. Mik at an early age could be found scribbling furiously in his mum’s Women’s Own mag. Because of the vast number of children in his family he had to resort to any available white space to draw on thus any space in a Womens Own, Evening Post or Leeds United programme would be prey to Mik’s pen. Cowboy’s, super hero’s and the occasional space rocket or Spitfire plane were his subjects. After some disastrous career choices on leaving school, insurance clerk, invoice clerk for oil company, Mik, decided to fight his fear and go for an interview to Bradford Art college, having been sacked from the oil company for drawing clowns on the invoices. Mik lined up along with 15 or 20 other young hopefuls most of whom had a portfolio each. Mik had 4 drawings rolled up in a tube shape secured with a rubber band. He nearly headed for the train station before entering the holy of holies, the foundation entry office. Some how, through a combination of despair and suicidal panic he made it into the room and held out his drawings apprehensively. The tutor, Mr Dutton (“call me Martinâ€) was happy with Mik’s work. Thus 4 years of smoking camel cigarettes, going to the pictures in the afternoon…..pissed, ensued and Mik discovered the joys of punk rock, Tim Curry, Bradford Curry, Ralph Steadman and Robert Crumb.The fall of 82’ brought a dramatic shift in Mik’s fortunes. He discovered he could do portraits in biro and the adrenaline rush of working in ink from life has remained with him since. The discovery of a pile of brown paper bags on a counter of an Irish bread shop was a bonus and he has been “bagging†people ever since.1994, after 8 years of marriage, 4 years of a theology course and two small children to attend to Mik left the family home to move 5 minutes down the road to continue his fatherly duties but also to re-discover his “lust for lifeâ€. A chance occurrence in a folk club in Leeds in which Mik got up and did a 20 minute version of “How much is that Doggy in the Window†stirred the performer in him and for week after week he’d turn up to deliver some bizarre little song often improvised. He got to Edinburgh in 1997 and was runner up to Peter Kay in the Channel Four “So you think you are funny†competition. He had a brief appearance in Phoenix Nights (45 seconds actually not counting the outtake).In 2002 he got in with some funky Leeds musicians who knew him from his occasional disruptive appearances on the Jazz nights at the Wardrobe in Leeds. Since then 3 albums have ensued and this year a variety of strange and wonderful gigs which included Glastonbury, Faust support, winning King Gong at the Comedy Store in Manchester, getting the latest album played on Rock.FM, a little film on YouTube of Mik had over 5,000 hits in just over 1 month and the New Year brings more festivals and a support slot with Chumbawumba.
"Warm, Brave & Beautiful! " - Faust
"The Mad Professor Of Comedy!" - Johnny Vegas
