The Superhero Lunchbox Project: Herr Metzger, Matt Polchlopek : Klaus Nomi

For years, I've repurposed old, metal lunchboxes. A Rambo lunchbox became a lunchbox dedicated to Great Women of Literature. Another honored Great Writers of the South. More recently, I've dedicated a lunchbox to The Donner Party. For a long time, though, I've had it in my head to create the ultimate Superhero Lunchbox...not a lunchbox featuring Batman or Wonder Woman, but a box honoring my real-life heroes.

I posed this challenge to a wide circle of friends: get your hands on a metal lunchbox, and put some thought into who or what your heroes are, and why. And then get to work making the Superhero Lunchbox of your dreams.

This online exhibit is the result of that challenge. I hope visitors to this site will find it fun and interesting, and maybe even inspiring. Lunchboxes are such useful things, and so many of us have fond memories of toting tuna sandwiches to school in our Partridge Family or Six Million Dollar Man lunchboxes. There seems to me to be no reason for us to outgrow this tradition of toting around our meals in metal boxes that say something about who we are, what we like, and what our values are. I know I've never outgrown it.

Start here, because it's what started it all for me, and work your way up. Enjoy. Leave some feedback. Make a lunchbox.

For a more detailed view, click on the individual images.

If you're moved to make a lunchbox of your own, and have it included in this exhibit, submissions are welcome. Get your hands on a metal lunchbox (no plastic, please) - you can buy a blank one from lunchboxes.com or repurpose an old one. Go to town. Choose your superhero, and and run with it. Photograph your finished lunchbox, write a few words about your subject, and send the photos and text to me at Telpher@gmail.com, with the words "Superhero Lunchbox" in the subject box.

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Herr Metzger, Matt Polchlopek : Klaus Nomi

This box was made as a payment to a friend who made a cross stitch for me, but the idea had roots long before that.

Pastry chef, singer, friend of Bowie, and a dude from outer space, all of these things describe Klaus Nomi. Nomi was a character, and a hell of an inspiration. He blended new wave and opera and made them sound as if they always belonged together. He was equal parts gimmick and talent, with his wacky hair, plastic tuxedo and make-up combined with his gorgeous counter tenor arias.I was drawn to Nomi from the moment I found him. He seemed to have fun with the pop opera elements, but could also make you weep with his more serious arias (his version of the Cold Song from Purcell's King Arthur comes to mind) It's a shame that Nomi isn't around anymore, I can only imagine what he would be doing now.

This box is to honor the man, the myth, the Nomi.

Herr Metzger, Matt Polchlopek