Gustafer in Charlotte
By Olivia Fortson
Morgan Taylor, who created the story of Gustafer Yellowgold, an appealing creature from the sun who landed in Minnesota, brings his creation to life during two free concerts on Saturday.
INSIDE MORGAN'S MIND
"I've always been an illustrator -- I've been into cartooning since I was a kid," says Taylor. "I shied away from it when I was a teenager and got into rock and played in bands." At the urging of his wife, Rachel Loshak, he decided to write a children's book he had always talked about, and came up with the quirky main character, Gustafer Yellowgold, based on doodle drawings he made for years.
THE CONCERT
With mellow and appealing songs by Taylor performed by him and his band, the illustrated images of the adventures of Gustafer Yellowgold are projected onto a screen. "I've created something that's solely my personal taste in music and cartooning all wrapped up into one. It's the most fun I've had with my music and it's completely honest and from my heart."
GO, GUSTAFER
Three months after Taylor released his self-published Gustafer Yellowgold children's book, the intriguing critter's appeal spread and soon he was getting calls from literary agents and producers from Hollywood. "We've been happily surprised about the width of the appeal," he says. "I think it's because there are lots of different levels in the material: Infants like the colorful images and mellow music; ages 5-6 start asking a lot of questions ("Is Gustafer real?"); the older kids are snickering at the absurd humor; and parents are drawn to it for the nostalgic experience of its pop-rock."
FUN FACTS
• Thanks to the crossover appeal of Gustafer, Taylor and his band have performed the concert many times as the opening act for the hit indie band Wilco. "It's interesting to face a crowd of Wilco fans and ask, `Do you believe in dinosaurs?' " says Taylor.
• In few weeks, a new show, "Gustafer Yellowgold's Mellow Sensation," makes its Off-Broadway debut. Some of the songs that will be performed at the Charlotte show are a preview of what New York City audiences will hear.
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