The Pearly Kings is a creative collective founded by Thomas Nicholas with an ever expanding roster of members that include Ben Nicholas, Andrew Zeiter, Amir Brann and Emile Bokaer. Regardless of the medium, what we are interested in is the tangible realization of ideas. We have created magazines, films, projections, photography, dance installations and identities. If you are interested in any type of collaboration we would love to hear about it.
Thomas Nicholas hoped to have a career as a ninja, baseball catcher, pilot, hockey player, and jazz musician but only managed to go pro as a dancer, which he did for seven years with the Joffrey Ballet of Chicago. He then went on to found The New Heroes magazine. He currently works as a senior designer at Y&R Chicago.
For the full resume click here
The New Heroes Magazine is a showcase of artists that refuse to conform to the mediums in which they work. Issue 1 was released in 2009, with Issue 2 following in 2010. It explored the view of the archetypal hero through a constantly evolving cultural focus. It included interviews and collaborations with Micah Ganske, Nico Muhly, Tim Simmons, Bryan Scary, Michael Ray and Kelsey Brookes.
Issue 3, which will be physically represented as a broadsheet newspaper, is currently in development. A core artistic idea will be explored through a series of six tangental art pieces, including projections, photography, a dance/video installation, and a large scale environmental work.
The New Heroes Magazine