The pin-ups of Krysztof Nemeth: "X" marks the art

Despite the fact that he's a polite and wholly upstanding family man, Krysztof Nemeth knows a few hundred girls. And they're not exactly Girl Scouts, either. Some have devil horns poking out of lacquer-black hair; some carry whips and knives; some tie up other girls and leave them in compromising positions. It seems the naughtier the girl is, the more affection Krysztof has for them.

Nemeth's ladies are, as you may have surmised, merely ink and paper. The 36-year-old Port Orchard-based artist has been drawing pin-up girls for fun and profit for several years now, and with the publication of "X: The Pin-Up Art of Krysztof Nemeth," he takes a jump at the national stage. Artists such as Coop! and Shag have built industries out of a modern illustrative style similar to Nemeth's - a melding of the tattoo work of Sailor Jerry, the Playboy illustrations of Jack Cole and the fleet, funky lines of 1960s Pop Art. Krysztof Nemeth has an excellent chance of staking out a piece of that profitable real estate for himself, if the girls of "X" have anything to say about it.

Every one of Nemeth's pin-ups, drawn for the most part in black-and-white with occasional spots of color, makes an immediate statement — one that's playful, dangerous, alluring and even full of nostalgia. While the girls are garbed in punky gear (Nemeth is also a musician, with tastes leaning strongly towards classic post-punk and New Wave) and are arranged in poses familiar to fans of Betty Page, the girls' faces are youthful and quite nearly innocent — if not for that ever-so-slight arch to their eyebrows and the fullness of their lips.

The cleanness and sharpness of Nemeth's line gives his pin-ups a timeless quality. Your grandfather or great-grandfather might have seen one of these girls painted on the nose of a WWII bomber, while you'll recognize the facial expressions and attitude as those of the luminously untouchable rocker babes you've seen (and very nearly had the courage to approach) in Capitol Hill's bars and clubs. They're sexy without looking cheap and tough without sacrificing their girl-next-door vulnerabilities. It's a tough line to maintain, and Nemeth draws it seemingly without effort.

It's also fun to page through "X" and spot the ladies that are guilelessly wearing some of Nemeth's enthusiasms and ideas. His leather-jacketed "Scooter Demon" betrays his love of all things Mod. "Dead City Bike Club" puts "Hamlet" on wheels. "Bombshell Babe" pays homage to WWII pinups, while simultaneously making a humorous anti-war statement. "La Diabla" and "La Reaper Severa" recall the cow-punk style that was more or less birthed by Los Angeles band X - you probably don't need me to explain that particular coincidence.

Probably the most exciting thing about "X," however, is a promise made on its inside title page: "Vol. 1." While "X" is a celebration of Nemeth's first ten years of drawing pin-ups, anyone who pays a visit to his Charm School website will see that he's certain to have enough material for a second volume inside of a year. This isn't a look back; it's a howdy-do, a calling card from a talented and wildly inventive artist who's destined to make a whole lot more girlfriends and thousands, perhaps millions of fans. Pick up a copy of "X" at Amazon.com or locally at Salon de Sade, and get acquainted with Krysztof Nemeth's blossoming genius.

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