Thursday, September 11, 2025

Regina Pembly Interviews Ralph Rumpelton

 Regina Pembly: Ralph Rumpelton, the enfant terrible of MS Paint art. I've reviewed your work before, and I must say, your... let's call them "pieces" are as bewildering as they are fascinating. What drives you to create art in such a... primitive medium?

Ralph Rumpelton: Ah, Regina! Thanks for having me. I love MS Paint's limitations. It's like a 
puzzle, trying to make something beautiful out of simple shapes and colors. 
Plus, I think it's funny when people criticize my art.
Regina Pembly: (raises an eyebrow) Amusing. Your naivety is almost... charming. 
Tell me, Ralph, do you genuinely believe your MS Paint creations are on par with, say, 
Van Gogh or Steve Keene, whom you've mentioned admiring?
Ralph Rumpelton: Well, I'm not trying to be like them exactly. I like my art messy
 and sloppy. It's just what comes out when I have fun making art. And I love reading
 criticism of my work – it keeps me on my toes!
Regina Pembly: (skeptical) I see. Fun and sloppy. That's... refreshing, I suppose. Your fan
 club, The Rumpelheads, seems to appreciate your... unique style. What do you think
 draws them to your art?
Ralph Rumpelton: I think they like the adventure of trying to figure out what I'm trying to
 say with each piece. And maybe they enjoy the absurdity of it all, like you do, Regina.
Regina Pembly: (dryly) Indeed, absurdity is one way to describe it. You've done over 100
 album covers in MS Paint, including a reinterpretation of The Grateful Dead's Dick's Picks.
 What draws you to music-inspired art?
Ralph Rumpelton: Music is a huge part of my life. I love how each instrument comes
 through clearly in small bands. And album covers are just so... visual. I want to capture that
 essence in my art.
Regina Pembly: (smirking) Well, Ralph, you're certainly... capturing something. Your 
upcoming series featuring art critics discussing your work should be... enlightening.
 Will I be appearing in one of those episodes?
Ralph Rumpelton: (laughs) I'd love to have you, Regina! You'd be perfect. We could discuss
 one of my favorite pieces, like my MS Paint version of the back cover of Frank Zappa's
 "The Grand Wazoo."
Regina Pembly: (drolly) I'm looking forward to dissecting that particular... masterpiece.
 Thank you, Ralph, for the chat. It's been... enlightening, as always.

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