The next underground sensation is often discovered at Comic Con and plenty of candidates can be found in Artist’s Alley, or what is referred to at the con as “the ghetto.” Perhaps this name comes from the fact that these simple tables display the wares of hopefuls selling their paintings, drawings or toys in the shadow of the looming booths from major film studios hawking the next Twilight. But it’s in this creative shanty town that you’ll find the not-so-humble Morgan Phillips aka DJ SuperGenius aka the Sucklord, his preferred name. And he is the mogul and the mastermind behind all things Suckadelic. A New York-based artist who is mult-faceted. He makes music. He makes films. He makes toys based on his films. He rolls through Comic Con wearing a badass Boba Fett custom costume wooing the ladies… he is a ghetto George Lucas.
His Star Wars breakbeats CDs have sold over 1 billion copies… okay, not in reality, but in some imaginary universe. What is not imaginary is his love of fandom which inspired his music. These tunes could only have been made by a true nerd with a wealth of geek knowledge — someone who knows music as well as the origins of the Sandpeople. But how can breakbeat music that samples from the Star Wars films get noticed by fans, but go completely unnoticed by Lucas’ lawyers? “I’ve been pimping the Star Wars breakbeats for 10 years now and contrary to popular mythology, I’ve never received any cease and desist orders,” says the Sucklord, “I kind of sail under the radar. I honestly think that it’s so small and niche that it doesn’t matter.”
Everything the Sucklord does ties in: the music, the short films, even the toys which he makes himself. The spray-painted and moded action figures are kind of cheap-looking, but that does not mean they are not cool. “After trying to navigate the designer toy industry, I couldn’t crack in, so I decided to hand manufacture the stuff myself.”
Crimson Suicide is the lady in the Sucklord’s life as well as a character in his short films, which he produces when he can. These lo-fi films highlight the adventures of the Sucklord in a world where the most prized commodity are action figures. The shorts are meant to promote the music, the toys and the ever-expanding brand.
But what’s with the name? What’s with all the suck? “I called my company Suckadelic because I make all my stuff by hand, unauthorized, without money and under duress so by the very nature of it, they have flaws. And I allow those flaws and that’s why I call it Suckadelic and some people appreciate those flaws because they get it.” Keep on sucking Sucklord, that’s why the people love you.
