Marcellus Hall An Artist In New York City

Marcellus Hall's vibrant illustrations can be found throughout well-known periodicals and books including The New Yorker, The Atlantic, Time, and The Cow Loves Cookies (Simon & Schuster 2010). Also an indie musician with his bands Railroad Jerk, White Hassle, and his solo project, he starts his career in New York City and falls deeply in love with it, intoxicated by its never-ending inspirations and possibilities. This five-episode, short-form series documents his creative journey from being seven-years-old drawing pictures to a successful working artist, and all the stages in between.

The Early Years opens with Marcellus Hall stating, “A successful piece of art is the tension between the force of nature and your own will as an artist. You’re not trying to corral it and wrangle it down to the ground and control it, you’re trying to dance with it and allow for the paint to do what it wants to do.” We then follow a visual journey of Marcellus’s work from when he was a child to a young man. After high school he went to a Liberal Arts College in Minnesota and transferred to the Rhode Island School of Design. After school he traveled cross country to visit a girlfriend in Los Angeles, and then hitchhiked up the West Coast, a quirky journey which he documented through illustrations. Then he took a 40-hour Greyhound bus ride back home to Minnesota, when he realized he needed to leave as soon as possible. He pondered: San Francisco or New York City?

The First Years in New York starts when friends invited Marcellus to take an empty room in their South Williamsburg apartment, beginning his life in New York City. He experimented with his style by drawing while walking to record what he saw. Brad Pitt ended up outside his door, he experienced heartbreak, and started a new band, Railroad Jerk. We also learn Marcellus’s perspective on “getting fucked up” and just how driven he is.

In The Railroad Jerk Years' Marcellus recounts his continued drawing and writing songs to make sense of chaos surrounding him. He created a comic strip called Bill Dogbreath for alternative magazines including The New York Press. Soon after he started getting hired by bigger magazines which gave him “feathers in his cap,” leading him to leave his day job and start freelancing. As his illustration work became more corporate, he delved deeper into his role as a musician making indie music. His band Railroad Jerk went on tour nationally and internationally.

The White Hassle Years shows Marcellus’ illustrations from when his career was maturing. He began talking about when started a new band called White Hassle with his drummer from Railroad Jerk, marking a progression in his musical style and gaining him new fans, including Isaac Brock, the lead singer from Modest Mouse. He achieved a career milestone with a cover of The New Yorker while also dealing with imposter syndrome. Meanwhile, he experienced the New York City dating scene.

In the final episode, The Solo Years, Marcellus Hall enters a new phase as an artist and finds one of the keys to longevity is experimenting stylistically. After the recession he opened himself to a new medium: children’s books. White Hassle drifted apart and he started a solo music project which is heavily influenced by his bittersweet love life. He solidifies himself as a New Yorker, remaining endlessly inspired by the city and having unexpected run-ins with celebrities, including Lou Reed and Laurie Anderson.

Marcellus has recorded New York City and his personal life for years through his artwork and music, which are featured seamlessly throughout episodes. This series is a beautiful tribute to an artist and the rambunctious city that he makes his home, and will undoubtedly inspire other artists to pursue their own careers.