Buck Rogers had his iconic “Atomic Disentegrator” gun, Flash Gordon had his ear piercing “Signal” gun and Tom Corbett, Space Cadet had his “Atomic” rifle, but none of these interstellar, weapons of alien destruction hold a candle…errr.. rocket flare, to Budget Raygun’s “Applesauce Fire-Fighter” by artist/writer Kevin Skinner.
One is instantly captivated by the images of Mr. Skinner’s “Buget Ray-Guns“. They look like props right out of an old ’50s b, Sci-Fi film like “Zombies of the Stratosphere or from a classic Golden Age issue of “Planet Comics”. Yet, they also hold a strange familiarity that can be tough to put your finger on. Something you’ve perhaps seen in your grandfather’s garage filled with relics of early, electric tools and gizmos. Or…some sort of utilitarian object you caught a glimpse of at an estate sale in a kitchen that never left the mid-century, an era when things were still made in the good ‘ol USA and made to last with stainless steel like an old “Waring” blender that if left in the middle of the road would cause a “Smart” car to crumble and flip on impact. Yeah….those were the days when things were made with pride, with heart.
Just like these incredible ray-guns.
The imaginative construction and minimalist, yet stunning photography almost cloaks the notion that these works of art are made from found objects. They all look like they dropped out of a time machine from the past and at the same time the distant future. Explore every facet of Mr. Skinners site and also discover his incredible gift for prose, which will feed your curiosity further and propel you to a universe where you will yearn for the “Applesauce Fire-fighter”, “Wild West Bend” or the “Universal Speedgun” to be in your grasp.
Navigating to Budget Ray-Gun for me is more than a visit and eyecandy, it’s inspiration, it’s entertainment, it’s anticipation… it’s an experience.
