Some people are extraordinarily unique and change the game completely. We here at NOT REAL ART are pleased to present last year’s episode on Juxtapoz Magazine founder and lowbrow art enthusiast Greg Escalante. Escalante was a bona fide maverick and trailblazer, carving out a space where so many of us could feel at home.For this episode, originally aired April 9, 2021, some 30 artists and friends gathered to record personal audio messages in honor of Escalante’s birthday on April 17. To celebrate the episode’s one-year anniversary, we’re baking a cake, lighting the candles, and remembering Escalante’s impact for one more turn around the sun. Juxtapoz, the publication Escalante co-founded with cartoonist Robert Williams, is still a leading work in the alternative and underground art space. Escalante's legacy is about far more than the magazine—it’s about the community he built and the lives he touched. During the show, you’ll hear tributes from many of the artists who were impacted by Greg, including Robert Williams, Shag, Shepard Fairy, Elizabeth McGrath, and Chaz Bojórquez, just to name just a few.The episode is hosted by NOT REAL ART founder, Scott “Sourdough” Power, Heidi Johnson of Hijinx Artist Management & PR, and Wendy Sherman, who acted as Escalante’s personal assistant and gallery manager. Johnson and Sherman share their fondest memories of Greg, like his love of ice cream, their travels, and what a day spent with him would look like. Tune in to this week’s episode to hear the profound impact Escalante had, not just on the art world, but on the many weird and wonderful people in it.Key Points From This Greg Escalante Episode:The first time “Sourdough” heard about Escalante and Juxtapoz in 1995Hans's experience of being in Southern California in the center of the community Escalante was buildingHeidi's experience of working with Escalante and how they helped one another's careersHear artists like Robert Williams, Mark Ryden and Scott Hess share stories about their dear friend, EscalanteMerry Karnowsky, Ben Goretsky, Shag, Shepard Fairy, and Shana Nys Dambrot honor EscalanteHow Escalante changed Elizabeth McGrath's life and career foreverWhat a day spend with Escalante in Chinatown would look likeHeidi shares a story of a dinner she and Escalante went to when he had a rare drinkReflecting on some of Escalante’s wild birthday celebrationsHow Escalante approached studio visits with his characteristic generosity and opennessMore artists, including Marnie Weber, Natalia Faber, Timothy Robert Smith share what Escalante meant to themEscalante had a unique way of making people feel truly seenThe timeline of starting Juxtapoz; it all happened very quickly after he met RobertWhat Juxtapoz means to the art world and artists who ordinarily would have been ignoredThe story of how Robert and Escalante connected and metChaz Bojórquez shares the story of his and Escalante's friendshipSome other artists tell stories of their memories with EscalanteEscalante's experience of seeing Robert's work on the cover of ThrasherEscalante's relationships with gallerists were as special and unique as his ones with artistsInsights into Escalante's generosity with his art collection and his penchant for giving art away.Reflecting on the fun that Escalante brought to the often serious art worldEscalante’s varied music taste and his love for all genresHear about Escalante's spiritual life and what he might have thought about The VaticanThe story of how Wendy met Escalante after being interested in lowbrow art for many yearsDoug...