About Me:
My name is Christian Stavrakis, and I'm a sculptor. I'm also the Chief Creative Officer of Cryptic Pictures, an independent film production & distribution company based in Pittsburgh and Maryland. My love of film - and eventually other forms of artistic expression - is an outgrowth of my youthful obsession with the works of one man: George A. Romero.
George is the reason I wanted to make films in the first place. He's the reason I live in Pittsburgh today. He was my inspiration to CREATE.
My brother Taso worked on some of George's films, and I was lucky enough to have visited the sets of Knightriders and Day of the Dead during their production. On both occasions I saw an incredible thing at work: I saw a group of unknown, non-Hollywood filmmakers working very hard to fulfill the vision of a man they obviously loved...a big, gentle Teddy bear of a man who clearly loved them too. You could feel it, like an invisible web of happiness binding these people together as they made these films off the map and under the radar.
The world lost a great creative soul on July 16th, 2017...and it's time this man was honored in Pittsburgh with a proper, respectful memorial to his zeal, humor, and independent spirit. Pittsburgh now has a bustling film community, but it all started with George and his band of merry men at the Latent Image (and later, Laurel Tape and Film).
This year marks the 40th anniversary of the production of Dawn of the Dead at the Monroeville Mall in Monroeville, PA (about 14 miles east of downtown Pittsburgh). The Mall has long been a destination for fans of George's work from all over the world, and now - with the blessing of the Mall's management - a permanent memorial to George may be installed, in the form of a bronze portrait bust sculpted by myself and sponsored by Cryptic Pictures, a company which wouldn't exist without his inspiration.
What We Need & What You Get:
We need to raise $18,000 to make this happen. This goes towards the creation and production of the bust itself (both in materials and sculpture), the purchase of supplies for same (as well as supplies for the various incentive products we'll be crafting in the weeks to come), a proper pedestal and accompanying bronze plaque for the memorial display, shipping of the incentive goods, reimbursement for work done and materials purchased, and various and sundry other expenses as yet unforeseen.
The incentives will include exclusive t-shirts, commemorative posters and postcards, a 1/3 scale version of the George bust, reproductions of the famous ashtray prop from Creepshow, DVDs of our own film Mortal Remains (which features many alumni from George's films), and a few other fun things.
George's Legacy:
Why install a bust of George at a shopping mall? If you have to ask...you didn't know George.
Dawn of the Dead was pooh-poohed at the time of its release by self-important critics who sniffed at its "thinly-veiled jab at consumerism." The cream always rises; as time has marched on, Dawn has come to be recognized as one of the most significant American films of the 20th century, genre trappings notwithstanding.
I've sculpted George as he appeared on Press Night in January, 1978. See the big grin on his face? That grin was the precursor to what I thought of as George's Tom Bombadil laugh, a great, hearty roar that seemed to emanate from the very ground beneath his feet.
Now imagine George's glee at being honored exactly where, 40 years ago, he staged a pie fight... (Here comes that big laugh...!)
Risks & Challenges:
The biggest challenge is that the clock is ticking. After I began sculpting in February, it occurred to me that the perfect event for the dedication of such a tribute was only a few months away. Our goal is to unveil and dedicate the bust and memorial at the Living Dead Weekend festival on the weekend of June 8th-10th. And it's already May...
The bust is under construction, but the rest needs to come together quickly! This 30-day campaign will end on June 6th, which is my 47th birthday. The dedication MUST take place that weekend.
Other Ways You Can Help:
SPREAD THE WORD! Even if you can't afford to contribute to the fund, please post, write, tweet, share photos! George deserves a lot more local recognition than our little project (a bridge named after him would be swell), but this is a start...it's the first public memorial to the man and his contributions to local history and the world of film.
And YOU can help make it happen!
