Sean Goblin

Hi, my name is Sean "Goblin" Aaberg. I was born in Oakland, California in the 70s. This is also the place where i grew up & the place that helped me to develop in some interesting ways. My parents are from the plains of Montana. Both sides of the family had recently emigrated Germans that still spoke German in the house among them. There is a strong völkisch element in my family that has been passed down through things like Tolkien, Moomintroll, Grimm's fairy tales & a general low-key working class familial culture. My folks are very musical & philosophical. There was not a strong visual arts culture in my house, but my mom has a great eye for children's books so that's where most of my early influences came from. My parents are also both very idealistic & romantic, which i have thoroughly inhereted, although i have tried to temper this with cynicism just to keep me somewhat grounded.

I spent most of my childhood reading, playing outdoors & later, playing funky video games on the Commodore 64. I didn't start drawing alot until i started playing Role Playing Games, when i had a chance to illustrate some of the stuff me & my friends were making up. I also didn't start getting favorite artists until i started getting into Role Playing Games. I discovered underground comics at about the same time as i started playing AD&D & stuff like that, i think i was 10 or 11 & it was right at about the same time as the black & white comics boom so Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Cerebus & Ralph Snart Adventures figured heavily in my mind. There were some good mainstream titles going on as well, particularly Frank Miller's stuff & this Havok & Wolverine comic called "Meltdown" with art by Kent Williams. Anyhow, i never really got too heavily into any of this stuff & basically just did my own thing.

I was the kind of kid who instead of using the pre-made role playing games, i'd make up my own. This experimentation with systems in the confines of imaginary worlds of paper & pencils crossed over into my attitude towards the real world. I was & am still entirely displeased with the majority of human output & existence & am always working on ways to improve the human experiment. Still, i find comfort in certain things... & other things... & yet, other things...

My inability to find satisfaction within the constraints of society led to my heavy involvement in the Punk scene in the 90s. I started doing 'zines in 1988 & continue to do so. I still think that the 'zine or pamphlet as i call them can be the best form of media in existence... although examples of 'zines that live up to this standard are few & far between. I like to think that i have mastered the medium. Anyhow, even within the Punk scene i found myself butting up against walls constantly. I developed a Medieval Punk aesthetic which demanded for an end to the modern world & for a return to the dark ages, most likely ushered in by nuclear war or environmental collapse. After a while of living completely in this desire for a post-apocalyptic Punk Rock world, the real world came knocking on my door.

I've spent a good while attempting to reconcile the real world, working at a large library, going to & dropping out of art school, doing illustrations for magazines, working with non-profit groups, having art shows at ordinary venues & the like... but it has always been very lackluster. I cannot deny that i would like to walk the open country with a sword* at my side, a jug of cider in my hand, my wife waiting for me at home & teaching my son to dismember those that would dishonor him.

Anyhow, that's about it for me tonight!

* My wife was a metal-working major so i may get to design my own sword as well!

My website! GOBLINKO
My blog. GOBLIN TOWN
My Myspace. seanthesean