Troy Mighty

BIOGRAPHY

Born Troy Daniel Collins in El Cajon, California, 1980.
At a ripe age of fourteen, having endured years of learning nothing, Troy scavenged from the pits of yearning a brave new surname, and a growing lust for life.
At sixteen, Troy Mighty left home, determined to change in himself the negative habits acquired there. Coming to Sacramento, the nearest metropolitan area, he was constantly astounded by the sights around. Folks in wheelchairs, blind people, dirty people, crazy people and so much more all existed here; the sheltered life he’d thus far lived became plainer to see.
Jumping into this exciting new life allowed him to meet all sorts of new folks, many of whom had spent time traveling the globe in various forms, simply for the sake of being somewhere else. It was a concept he’d never before been presented with, but was eager to challenge himself to. By freight train, bus, and hitchhiking, Troy ventured further into the world, spending time in different towns, meeting new people, attending music shows anywhere he could. Music had encouraged this new growth from the beginning, and was becoming a more and more consistent catalyst for tomorrow.
It was back in the San Diego area, around the age of six, that Troy began drawing, largely because of a PBS show called “Secret City”. The host, Commander Mark, spent each show drawing with the child-based home audience, singing songs about shading, creating exciting new worlds where space creatures flew charming vehicles through their Dr. Suess-esque space towns. Troy spent countless hours drawing with Commander Mark, and carried into the rest of his life the interest that this developed in creating such worlds, through unthought-of scenes of perplexing hilarity.
Years later, at nineteen, Troy was introduced to the vast world of underground comics by a new and very influential friend. It was through these comics and graphic novels (especially those of Chester Brown, Julie Doucet, Robert Crumb, Daniel Clowes, and Chris Ware) that Troy began to understand where his own artistic interests might lie. Through the inspiration of this new friend, the incredible show fliers he’d created in his home town of Cleveland, and the humorously witty and challenging portrayals in these comics, Troy’s own artistic language and style began to fully develop.
Around this same time, Troy began playing more music, also largely due to the influence of friends (especially the ones who didn’t mind the racket of a newcomer learning an instrument!). The next few years passed by in Sacramento, and Troy’s musical and artistic abilities continued developing. He became involved in organizing music shows for the people. Basements, apartment buildings, even freeway overpasses acted as venues for touring and local bands not quite satisfied (or just too young) for the typical spots. Out of this organization sparked the desire to promote these shows in an exciting way. Troy had seen so many boring show posters stapled to telephone posts around town, depicting boring band name this and boring band name that in the same boring computer font on a boring sheet of paper, with no other images to liven things up. This was the greatest encouragement of all to bring his art to the people, and create exciting fliers that might make the public more intrigued about a show with bands they might never have heard of.
This began years of drawing and design, largely for the promotion of music. Show fliers, tour posters, cd and record covers, and t-shirt design were the focus of most of Troy’s artistic output during this time. He also began making work for exhibition, beginning with his first solo show in 2000.
Troy Mighty continues to create art for music promotion and exhibition, using a variety of mediums, including acrylics, pen and ink, pencil, and screen-printing.

EXHIBITIONS

June 2009 – “Board & Graphics Show”; Group show at A Bitchin Space, Sacramento
September 2008 – “The Circus Show and Other Atrocities”; Group show at the Verge Gallery, Sacramento, CA
October 2007 – “Oh Boy, It’s Troy and Joy!”; Duet show with Joy Bertinuson at A Bitchin Space, Sacramento, CA
September 2007 – “The Circus Show”; Group Show at A Bitchin Space, Sacramento, CA
February 2007 – “Troy Mighty Makes Me Sick”; Solo show at Fools Foundation, Sacramento, CA
January 2004 – Solo show at Newsbeat, Sacramento, CA
August 2003 – Solo show at the Fresh Pot, Portland, OR
August 2001 – Duet show with Jay Howell at New Helvetia, Sacramento, CA
October 2000 – Solo show at Espresso Metro, Sacramento, CA

SELECTED COMMISIONS

The Mole “Greatest Hits” cd cover, art and design; Daly City Records, 2009
San Kazakgaskar “Welcome to Beautiful…” cd cover, art and design; Lather Records, 2008
Dead Western “Soften Your Screams Into Sings” LP cover and labels, packaging art, design, and production; 7 color screen-print, edition of 500; KDVS Recordings, 2008
Family Underground / Fursaxa tour poster, art, design, and production; 2 color screen-print, edition of 36; Weird Forest Records, 2007
Dead Western “Plays A Mandolin” 7” record cover, art, design, and lettering; Fuck The Bastards (Barcelona), 2006
Dead Western “s/t” 7” record cover, art, design, and die cuts; Weird Forest Records, 2006
Gift of Goats “When We Ate Each Other’s Fingers” 7” record cover, art and design; Omnibus Records, 2005
The Sores “Six Songs of Despair and Frustration” LP cover art and design, Borox Records, 2004
Antennas Erupt “s/t” 7” record cover and labels, lettering; Weird Forest Records, 2004
The Intelligence “Test/Birdcall” 7” record labels, lettering; S-S Records, 2004
A-Frames “Complication/Frankenstein” 7” record labels, lettering; S-S Records, 2004
Lili Z. “Leatherlution” 7” record labels, lettering; S-S Records, 2004
Wolf Eyes/ Comets on Fire promotional poster, art and design; private party, 2003
4-way Split LP cover and labels, art and design; Omnibus Records, 2002
Erase Errata tour poster, art and design; Troubleman Unlimited, 2001