By Paul Salfen, Christine Thompson for AMFM Magazine
In a sea of slick, formulaic television, every once in a while something comes along that makes you stop, tilt your head, and mutter, “What the what is going on here?” That’s exactly the reaction co-creators Skinner and Allen Cordell are hoping for with their wildly original series ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER.
The 10-episode mind-bender follows the misadventures of a doomed PBS-style television program being filmed in outer space. Skinner, the eccentric artist-host, and his ragtag crew—including a stop-motion animated Space Cowboy—battle everything from meteor showers to intrusive thoughts and the cold indifference of the universe, all while Skinner paints breathtaking original artworks live on camera. Each roughly 15-minute episode blends stunning visual art with hyper-phantasmagorical slapstick, body horror, gore-soaked colors, and off-the-wall comedy. It’s equal parts The Joy of Painting with Bob Ross, Commander Mark and the Secret City, and a fever dream straight out of Adult Swim’s golden era.
AMFM Magazine’s Paul Salfen sat down with Skinner (co-creator, writer, and star) and Allen Cordell (co-creator, writer, and director) to talk about the show’s origins, the pure joy (and occasional terror) of creation, and why embracing your inner weirdo is the best career advice anyone can take.
From 90s Outsider Weirdness to Outer Space Art Class
Skinner lights up when describing the response the show has been getting. “I’m really excited that people are responding the way you do—like, ‘What the what is going on with this?’ That makes me happy.”
The show’s DNA traces straight back to the late ’80s and ’90s alternative explosion that shaped both creators. Skinner cites Pee-wee’s Playhouse, Mystery Science Theater 3000, MTV’s Liquid Television, and Spike and Mike’s Sick and Twisted Festival of Animation as the cultural life rafts that kept his outsider spirit afloat as a kid.
“It really captured my mind and made me feel like there was something for me to grab onto,” he says. “I didn’t relate to the other kids so much, and it feels good to participate in that—even in this small way.”
That same raw, unfiltered creative energy is exactly what ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER delivers. It’s not just an art show. It’s a psychedelic nightmare wrapped in slapstick, a love letter to public television that’s been spiked with enough body horror and absurdity to make David Cronenberg crack a smile.
“I Gotta Draw a Skull”: The Origin of a Gift
Skinner’s artistic journey began the way many great ones do — with pure childhood envy and dinosaur doodles. As a kid, he realized he could escape boredom by drawing Godzillas and trying to figure out how to render Hulk Hogan’s muscles. A defining moment came in kindergarten when a cool kid named James, who had long hair and drew killer skulls, became his hero.
“I remember this envy just washing over me like, ‘I gotta draw a skull. I want to be like James,’” Skinner laughs. “And here I am. I want to find James and be like, ‘James, I did it!’”
(He jokes that James is probably “wrenching on a motorcycle somewhere.”)
While Skinner brings the visual fireworks, Allen Cordell brings the directorial vision and razor-sharp comedic timing. Their partnership is the secret sauce that makes the show feel both chaotic and strangely cohesive.
Advice for Aspiring Weirdos: Just Start Making
When asked what advice they’d give to someone wanting to create something as bold and singular as ART SHOW!, both creators kept it refreshingly simple and honest.
Allen Cordell: “Find people you like working with. Get a camera and make something. Don’t future-trip on whether it’s going to be good or bad—those narratives will stop you from making art.”
Skinner echoes the sentiment, stressing the importance of chasing joy over perfection.
“You have that excitement when you see somebody doing something and you go, ‘Oh, I kind of want to do that.’ You’ve got to foster that spark. Pursue the things that bring you joy. It’s going to make your life a million times better.”
The Flow State (and the Anxiety) of Painting in Space
Creating the show is no small feat. Each painting takes Skinner roughly two to two-and-a-half hours while he’s simultaneously talking, reacting, and navigating Cordell’s cues. He describes slipping into a flow state of free association — until the anxiety hits.
“The pitfall is if I start to self-examine: ‘Is this good? Is this stupid? Am I ruining the show?’ Then I start sweating,” he admits with a laugh.
His survival strategy? “Not being attached to the outcome so much. That’s the Captain Skinner way.”
Cordell’s role behind the scenes includes keeping the energy high, sometimes with bad jokes, and constantly feeding Skinner wild directions. “He’s got a vision, man,” Skinner says with obvious affection and respect for his collaborator.
Highlights You Can’t Unsee
Ask what viewers should expect and the answers come fast and gloriously unhinged:
- Skinner transforming into a giant Voltron-style mech piloted by an army of tiny Skinners
- Gremlin footage, Bigfoot sightings, and 2001: A Space Odyssey-style cosmic birth sequences
- Breakdancing, a conversation with God, and a special cameo from Blake Anderson
- Paintings that somehow finish themselves in reverse (yes, really)
“It’s hard to describe,” Skinner says, “but you’re going to get into it and it’s going to be fun.”
And that might be the best way to sum up ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER: a show that refuses to be easily explained, but rewards viewers with pure, unfiltered creative joy.
In a world that often feels increasingly sanitized and predictable, Skinner and Cordell have built something refreshingly different — a colorful, chaotic, beautiful reminder that art doesn’t have to make sense to matter. It just has to make you feel something. Preferably while laughing, cringing, and wondering what the what you just watched.
ART SHOW! WITH CAPTAIN SKINNER is currently available to stream. Do yourself a favor and let Captain Skinner paint your brain a new color.
