 Artist Bios Below!!
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Opening & Artist Reception
Saturday, October 29, 2011 6:30pm to Midnight Exhibition Closing Reception Friday, December 2, 2011 7pm to 10pm At Kosart Effects Studios & Gallery 760 Burr Oak Drive, Westmont, IL 60559 Click HERE for Directions The MALEFICIUM Exhibition runs October 29th through December 2nd. Gallery hours (Oct 30 to Dec 2nd) by Appointment Only. Please call to schedule an appointment: 630.310.8353 The First Annual Maleficium Dark Art Exhibition is sponsored by the HorrorSociety.com |
MALEFICIUM is a Latin term meaning "mischief" and is used to describe black magic and the dark arts. The name was selected to represent this exhibit as a metaphor for the Halloween inspired artwork.
Show Features:
Nigredo Two:
The Image used (above and left) for the First Annual MALEFICIUM Dark Art Exhibition is the 18" x 24" Oil on Wood Panel Painting Nigredo Two by Menton Matthews III, which was originally published in Ars Memoria #1. This painting will be on display for the duration of the 2011 MALEFICIUM Show. Image courtesy exhibiting artist Menton Matthews III.
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Boaris Frankenswine:
J. Anthony Kosar's acclaimed life-size "Monster Pig" sculpture known as BOARIS FRANKENSWINE will be back for a limited time on display during the MALEFICIUM Show at Kosart Effects Studios & Gallery!! BOARIS originally sold at a charity auction benefit in March 2011! Come see the pig seen all over the news this past Spring before he goes back into the private collection of his new family! Photo by Bear McGivney.
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Presidential Monsters:
Get a SNEAK PEAK at the new action figure toy line from Heroes in Action Toys, the vintage styled PRESIDENTIAL MONSTERS on Oct 29th at the MALEFICIUM Show before they hit stores! First Series: LINCOLNSTEIN, BARACULA, ZOM-BUSH, WOLF-BILL, The RONMY, MONSTER FROM THE WATERGATE LAGOON, and John F. Kennedy as THE PHANTOM OF THE WHITE HOUSE!
Image courtesy Heroes in Action Toys. |
Additional Show Information:
Admission is FREE! ALL ages welcome (though due to theme and content of this show, attendee discretion is advised)! Costumes & Creative Attire optional. Wine & Cheese served on Oct 29 (must present valid ID to drink wine). There will be a raffle held on Oct 29 with prizes ranging from signed prints, books, comics, masks, and other great prizes!! Purchase your raffle tickets at the show! Artwork will be for sale (unless marked NFS). All major credit cards will be accepted. TELL YOUR FRIENDS!
To request an interview with J. Anthony Kosar and/or any of the exhibiting artists, please contact us HERE |
Thank you to Everyone who attended the First Annual MALEFICIUM Dark Art Exhibition!
And thank you to all the participating artists!
And thank you to all the participating artists!
Exhibiting Artists:
Tony Akins
A Chicago native, Horror was the first literary love of Tony Akins. Comic books like CREEPY, EERIE, VAMPIRELLA gave way to books by H.P. Lovecraft and Stephen King by the time he was 11. On weekends his favorite bedtime companions were late night televised broadcasts of Creature Features watched over the top of a dog-eared copy of Elliot O’Donnell’s Midnight Hearse and other Ghosts. There was no turning back. Ghastly apparitions and spectral visitors were painted in doorways and alleys with glo-in-the-dark tempera paints. Bloody claw marks gouged the lumber piled for his father’s home-improvement projects. In the basement workshop ventriloquists’ dummies would issue blood from their eyes and nostrils as they sat benched among carving tools, saws and awls… the look of bowel-emptying terror on their little blocked heads. These, Tony believed, would make the blood of his neighbors run cold and enslave the minds of his schoolmates in clanking shackles of terror setting the perfect atmosphere for the season ahead… this was usually during Summer vacation. Tony’s contributions to comics, from Dark Horse to Vertigo and presently DC Comics, reflect his bone-chilling provenance; he holds the unofficial record for most decapitations on a single page. His protagonists and villains alike are subjected to mauling, impaling on wrought iron spikes, immolations both staked and stake-free, traumatic soul and tooth extractions, traumatic soul impactions, pulverizations, eviscerations and no few “un-liddings”. Editors regularly plead that the copious amounts of blood he spills be colored blue or green to “tone down the gore”. Tony is delighted to take part in MALEFICIUM: Dark Art Exhibition. Anything to spread a little mental “unhinging” around. Visit Tony's Website: www.tonyakins.blogspot.com
Kurt Anderson
Cartoonist, Illustrator, Video Graphics designer, Kurt M.
Andersen attended the American Academy of Art from 1986-89. His interests in
the whimsically macabre all started in 1971 when on a family trip to Disneyland. He was too frightened to enter the famous Haunted Mansion ride but on that same
trip he received a series of postcards that featured photos of some the ghostly
humors inside, and the regret has been eating at him his entire life. At some
point in his youth Mad Magazine became Kurt’s "Bible" and between the brilliance
of the artists featured in Mad and the Japanese monster movies he would watch
on TV, his artistic interests were sealed. Kurt went to work for Stern Pinball
Inc. in 1991 illustrating the cabinet and play-field for the HBO licensed game Tales
from the Crypt. He moved over to the digital realm and became an animator of
Dot Matrix displays. The licensed games he had worked on ranged from Star Wars
to Frankenstein to South Park and finally The Lord of the Rings. In 2004 Kurt
moved to Reno, Nevada and now illustrates and designs the art featured in video
slot machines for International Game Technology. His most recent games include
Kitty Glitter, Godzilla, and The Little Shop of Horrors. Visit Kurt's Website: www.planetxcartoons.blogspot.com
Charlie Athanas
Charlie Athanas is Burning City, Inc. An illustrator and animator since 1974, he has been creating graphics for the theater since 1981, including the stage world premieres of Clive Barker's In The Flesh and William Gibson's Burning Chrome. As a founding member of the live horror company, WildClaw Theatre, he has created the posters forArthur Machen’s The Great God Pan, H. P. Lovecraft’s The Dreams in the Witch House, The Revenants, and Deathscribe '09/’10 andF. Sheridan LeFanu’s Carmilla. Athanas has also designed the sets for the multi-dimension Lovecraft city of Arkham epic, The Dreams in the Witch House and Scott T. Barsotti’s bloody zombie drama, The Revenants. "…very impressive graphics. Athanas’ work is particularly adept at capturing the attention of a young, non-theater crowd, because he tends to use high-impact images that make many references to other forms of popular culture." ~ Chicago Tribune. Visit Charlie's Website: www.burningcity.com
Kyle Bice
Kyle Bice is a Chicago based illustrator experienced in storyboard illustration, concept design, children's book illustrations, spot illustrations and both live and editorial caricatures. Kyle is currently writing and illustrating a couple of Children’s books to be released in 2012. Visit Kyle's Website: www.kylebice.squarespace.com
Brian Busch
Born in 1970 in Winfield Illinois, a small suburb outside of Chicago. After attending the American Academy of Art in Chicago and a string of odd jobs, Brian became a sculptor and mold maker, working in clay, wax and fiberglass. “The years working in a 3 dimensional medium has given me an education on form that I find extremely useful in creating paintings with a sense of weight and solidity.” Brian’s return to painting finds him focusing on the figure and still life and has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions throughout the United States and abroad. Brian remains in Illinois with his wife Kathie. Visit Brian's Website: www.brianbuschstudio.com
Melita MISSMONSTER Curphy
Melita Curphy aka MissMonster is a freelance artist known for her toy/ apparel design and monster themed fine art. Her work varies from gouache and acrylic paintings, to cast plastic, plush, sculpey, leather and wood to the variety of materials used for my costumes, dolls and sculpture. Curphy attended the School of the Art Institute of Chicago ’96-2000 after graduating from the Idyllwild School of Music and the Arts in California, and taught illustration techniques for four semesters at a community college in Texas, leaving to work on the animated film A Scanner Darkly in Austin, Texas. After moving back up to Chicago, she worked as a graphic designer at Motorola. Office life was not her cup of tea, so in March 2008, she began freelancing full-time. Things have been going strong since thanks to many supportive, wonderful people who actually pay her to make monsters for them. Visit Melita's website: www.missmonster.com
Dave Dorman
For the past 25 years, Eisner and Inkpot Award-winning illustrator and frequent San Diego Comic-Con featured guest Dave Dorman’s unforgettable art has touched every iconic licensed character in pop culture. Voted the #1 Star Wars Artist of All Time by the fans, his dynamic cover art for the Star Wars and Indiana Jones Dark Horse Comics are often credited with the fan interest resurgence in those properties. Dave’s book Star Wars: The Art of Dave Dorman was a top-selling art book for Ballantine Books. George Lucas owns more than 90 of Dave’s original oil paintings. Dave’s new book, Rolling Thunder: The Art of Dave Dorman includes a generous chapter on his most recent Lucasfilm art. Dave continues to create original Star Wars art for limited edition prints sold during the Star Wars Celebration shows, and Dave is proud to be an honorary member of the 501st Legion, Midwest Garrison. Visit Dave's Website: www.davedorman.com
Ray Frenden
Ray Frenden is a self-taught illustrator with a penchant for monsters and the macabre. Drawing from a childhood weaned on old horror comics, pulp fiction, and sci-fi, his brush and ink work hearkens to an older era. His sensibilities for line and footing in current color and design trends helps make his work unique. "At least, that’s what I tell myself," says Ray. Visit Ray's Website: www.frenden.com
Aron Gagliardo
Aron Gagliardo is a graphic designer, writer and musician. Born and raised in Illinois, Gagliardo has recorded six albums of original music with his band F.O.K. Written for Illustration Magazine, Nostalgia Digest, and the Ken Freeman Legacy. His most recent writing contribution appears in Chunklet's book The Indie Cred Test. His paintings have been featured in several group shows, including the legendary Tura, Tura, Tura show honoring the now late Tura Satana of Russ Meyer/Faster Pussycat Kill! Kill! fame. His painting Wanna Try Me hung alongside "lowbrow" luminaries such as Shag, Glen Barr, Mitch O'Connell and Niagara. He also appeared in the group show Paintings for you to Poop on: The Art of the Toilet Seat. His painting Pills, Pills, Pills, showing a somber Elvis surrounded by prescription drugs was featured on page 3 of the Chicago Tribune. His work has also appeared twice in International Tattoo Art Magazine. Gagliardo is currently the Art and Alumni coordinator for the American Academy of Art. Visit Aron's Website: www.linkedin.com/pub/aron-gagliardo/23/597/334
Ashton Gallagher
As an illustrator, Ashton Gallagher aims to capture a specific moment that drives a story. At the core of each illustration, Gallagher places great emphasis on the idea, the concept, that defines a genre, from comic books to pin up art. His portfolio has ranged in a number of areas and as his career evolves, Gallagher's interest in telling stories, through illustration, has come to focus in a few favorite genres! Outside the customary styles, respectively, associated with most of these genres - he works photorealistic. Collectively, Ashton Gallagher views his work as an ongoing, ever evolving process, built equally from both failure and success. Visit Ashton's Website: www.ashtongallagher.com
Tom Herzberg
Illustrator Tom Herzberg AWS has been a faculty member at the American Academy of Art since 2000. He currently teaches Illustration, Watercolor Painting, and Life Drawing for Illustrators and serves as the chair of the Fine Arts Department. Herzberg has completed over 2000 illustration projects for a variety of books, magazines and newspapers. His client list includes: The Chicago Tribune, The Washington Post, American Medical Association News, The Chronicle of Higher Education, Crain's Chicago Business, American Bar Association Press, Playboy Magazine, Chicago Magazine, Prentice Hall, The Art Institute of Chicago, The Goodman Theater, The Lincoln Park Zoo, The St. Louis Zoo, and the Field Museum of Natural History. He has won many awards for his work and is listed in Who’s Who and Who’s Who in American Art and is an active member of the Air Force Art Program. Herzberg holds a B.A. in Art (Printmaking) from Northeastern Illinois University and an M.F.A. in Printmaking from Northern Illinois University. His work has been exhibited in over fifty national and international fine art exhibitions, and he has been a frequent lecturer on art and illustration at schools of all levels. Visit Tom's Website: www.tomherzberg.com
Kenn Kooi
Kenn Kooi hails from the quiet suburbs of Chicago, IL. A 1990 graduate of the American Academy of Art, he has been strongly entrenched with this creative industry for over 20 years. A 15 year veteran of the model making company Acme Design Inc. in Elgin, he continues to prove his advanced skills in sculpting, machining, mold making, casting, and painting. He also likes Star Wars, were the villains embody the true meaning of "Maleficium" with their "Dark Side of the Force." Visit Kenn's Website: www.facebook.com/#!/kenn.kooi
J. Anthony Kosar
J. Anthony Kosar is an award-winning artist who specializes in Fine Art, Illustration, Sculpture, Creature Design, Make-up FX, and Product Design through his company Kosart Effects Studios, LLC. In 2007, he interned at legendary Stan Winston Studio creating effects for INDIANA JONES 4 and James Cameron's AVATAR, and studied sculpture under world-renowned creature designer Jordu Schell. Kosar designs and sculpts Halloween masks for Zagone Studios, creates special effects for theater, film, and commercials, and between projects, teaches the art of FX through his studio in Westmont, IL. Besides FX, Kosar is an internationally awarded fine artist and illustrator, having been awarded by the Society of Illustrators of Los Angeles, American Watercolor Society, Illinois Watercolor Society, and several others. In 2009, he was named "One to Watch" by Watercolor Artist Magazine, and has been selected to appear in SPLASH 13: Best of Watercolor. He designs and sculpts prototypes for toys, collectibles and medical anatomical models, illustrates for novels and comic books, and creates fine art paintings and sculptures. Kosar was Valedictorian of the class of 2008 at the American Academy of Art in Chicago, IL where he earned his BFA in Illustration. Visit J. Anthony's Website: www.kosarteffects.com
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Douglas Klauba
An award-winning illustrator, Douglas Klauba has created cover artwork for books featuring such famous characters as Zorro, Kolchak: The Night Stalker, Doc Savage, The Avenger, The Spider, and The Phantom, among others. His dramatic style, influenced in part by the pulp magazine and early movie poster art of the 1930’s thru the 1950’s, is known as “Heroic Deco” and has earned him acclaim from collectors and clients around the world. In addition to his publishing work for companies including Harper-Collins, Dynamite Entertainment, Forbes, Moonstone Books, and Radio Archives, Klauba is also a highly sought-after commercial illustrator. He counts among his clients IBM, Paramount Parks, DC/Upper Deck, the Adler Planetarium, the Bradford Exchange, the Chicago Symphony Orchestra and the Chicago Blackhawks, just to name a few. Doug’s paintings have been included in the art annuals of Spectrum: The Best in Contemporary Fantastic Art and the Society of Illustrators. His painting Mercury Jack was among the 250 works exhibited in the Spectrum Show at the Museum of American Illustration and his painting da Vinci’s Dream was awarded Best in Show at the 2005 World Fantasy Convention. He lives and works in the Chicago area with his wife and their two boys. Visit Douglas' Website: www.douglasklauba.com
Rich Kryczka
Richard Kryczka is a nationally exhibited illustrator, designer and painter. He has taught at the American Academy of Art since 1987, and has served as the chairperson of the Illustration department since 1990. He currently teaches Illustration and Advanced Illustration. Kryczka’s work is represented by the Anne Louckes Gallery in Glencoe, Illinois; Dovetail Gallery in Egg Harbor, Wisconsin; and Morava Studios in Oak Park, Illinois. He also works with various commercial clients including MSL Advertising, KHM Plastics, Technifast and Southern Illinois University graphics department. He has been honored with many awards for his fine art work, and has also received COARA and NACA awards for his illustration and design work. Recently, he won first place in the 66th Annual Painting and Sculpture Exhibit at the Polish Museum of America in Chicago. Kryczka was also included in the 7th edition of Who’s Who Among America’s Teachers. He holds an A.A. in Illustration and Graphic Design from the American Academy of Art where he studied under the late Irving Shapiro, a B.F.A. in Painting and Drawing and an M.F.A. in Painting and Drawing from Southern Illinois University in Carbondale, Illinois. Visit Rich's Website: www.aaart.edu/portfolios-faculty-kryczka.html
LARKIN
Larkin summons the creatures of land, air, and imagination to map the internal landscape of the mind. Chimeras, Gorgons, rabbits, and other creatures come together with humans to inhabit a world of dreams and nightmares. Personally symbolic, his work requires the willingness to give into the first impulse to identify with the imagery. Like a mad scientist, he combines personal symbols and biology as he explores the relationships between different organic forms. Larkin works in mixed media, combining drawing and painting with sculptural inclusions, found objects, and fiber. His draftsmanship in 2-dimensions is complemented by the organic mazes of crocheted fibers worked around or into the surface of each piece. Visit Larkin's Website: www.larkin-art.deviantart.com
Joseph Lester
Joseph Lester has been interested in fantasy and horror characters for his entire life, with early influences from Lon Chaney Sr., Ray Harryhausen, and Dick Smith. Joe started sculpting early, and to this day remains determined to make each character better than the last, as he sees artistic development as a lifelong process. He has created masks, prosthetics, characters, creatures, sculptures, prototypes, and props for numerous companies and organizations, including, but not limited to, the haunt industry, the mask industry, and also films, plays, and videos. Visit Joseph's Website: www.imageworksfx.com
Darick Maasen
Darick Maasen frolics by the Michigan sea with his patient girlfriend and fat cats. When Darick isn't hamming it up doing caricatures at parties, he strives to both disturb and excite you, like in his recent viral 'Real Koopa Paratroopa' which explored what one may find the the hunting lodge of the Mario Brothers. Darick also keeps a blog of the "crap" he draws at work: www.crapidrawatwork.com Visit Darick's Website to see the Koopa, a life-size painting of Andre the Giant, and other strange creations : www.darickmaasen.com
Menton J. Matthews III
Menton J. Matthews III aka menton3 is a writer, fine artist, and illustrator. His techniques and subjects draw heavily from old masterworks, alchemical writings, symbology, and Jungian psychology. Menton has published extensively in the comic book industry for publishers such as IDW, Image, and Dark Horse and is quickly becoming a sought after cover artist. At the core of Menton’s comics-related work is his creator-owned graphic novel series Ars Memoria, a dark and visually striking story of how a man's quest to resolve the singular tragic event of his past ends up leading him face first with the darkest recesses of himself. Currently, he is co-creator/writer and artist on the creator-made book MONOCYTE out from IDW in October 2011. Visit Menton's Website: www.menton3.com
Matthew McCarty
Matthew McCarty describes his art as Epic works brought to life as he strives to tell the greatest stories in the biggest ways. He mixes a comic book style with a realist study to make the viewer feel like they could walk into the big screen. McCarty loves to work with heroic characters and grand adventures. The hardest part is getting the ideas out fast enough. McCarty's work can be seen in the upcoming Swordsmiths of Spain card game, a fresh print in the Indy graphic novel Devil’s Island as well as his self published book Shades of Grey. While he always welcomes freelance work, McCarty currently works developing collectibles for the Bradford Exchange. Visit Matthew's Website: www.mccartyillustrations.com
Aaron Miller
Aaron Miller is an illustrator and designer with over 10 years of experience. He has worked with clients such as AEG, Fantasy Flight Games, Wizards of the Coast, and Catalyst Games. His design experience has been working on projects for clients such as Hyatt, Komatsu, and Land-O Lakes. Aaron has had his work featured in Imagine FX Magazine, Blue Canvas Magazine, and Spectrum. From illustration, design, and project management Aaron is a powerhouse of talent. Visit Aaron's Website: www.aaronbmiller.com
Bill Reinhold
Bill Reinhold is a 1982 graduate of the American Academy of Art in downtown Chicago and has been a professional Comic Book Artist and Illustrator since 1981. Over his long career he's worked for Noble Comics, First Comics, Marvel Comics, DC comics and others. As a comic book artist he is known for drawing such characters as The Badger, The Punisher, Silver Surfer, Batman, and more. Often his work was colored by his wife Linda Lessmann Reinhold. As a comic book inker he's enjoyed working with many other artists on titles such as Earth X, The Amazing Spider-Man, Daredevil, Wolverine, The Hulk, Green Lantern, and many more. Bill most recently drew Magnus Robot Fighter for Dark Horse Comics. Visit Bill's Website: www.billreinhold.com
Chad Savage
Chad Savage is a leading Dark Artist with his work featured in books and magazines, and as a web designer, manages nearly 200 dark websites. He lives and works in a dark, spider-filled office presided over by a one-eyed scarecrow. This in no way explains why he devotes every waking moment to creating artwork, graphics and websites solely for the purpose of giving people the heeby jeebies, but it might help. Visit Chad's Website: www.sinistervisions.com
Jason Seiler
Jason Seiler began his professional career in a rather unorthodox way. After getting in trouble for drawing parodies of his history teacher in high school, Jason’s quick-thinking principle hired him to draw caricatures of different faculty members. A professional artist was born. Jason went on to study fine art illustration at the American Academy of Art in Chicago for two years before beginning his professional work in earnest. Jason's illustrations have been featured as covers and interior pieces for TIME, Rolling Stone, Business Week, The New York Times, Billboard, The Wall Street Journal, The Weekly Standard, MAD magazine, GOLF magazine, KING magazine, Revolver, Guitar Player, The Village Voice, Penguin Group, Disney, The New York Observer, New Line Cinema, Universal Pictures, Aardman Animation, and Sony Image, among others. Jason also worked as a character designer on Tim Burton’s Alice In Wonderland, helping to create such characters as the Red Queen, the Tweedles, the Bandersnatch and more. Jason’s work has been exhibited several times at the Society of Illustrators in New York as well as at the Society of Illustrators West, where Jason was awarded the silver medal for his portrait of Elvis Costello. His work has also been exhibited in Communication Arts Magazine, American Illustration 29 annual, Taschen’s Illustration Now! 3, and the book Digital Masters (2010). Visit Jason's Website: www.jasonseiler.com
Tim Shumate
Tim Shumate is a 29-year-old Chicago-based artist with a degree in Editiorial Illustration from American Academy of Art, as well as a few years of Graphic Design from Illinois Institute of Art. He currently works as an Art Director at a Bradford Exchange designing sculptures and collectibles. Tim also works as a freelance tattoo design artist and illustrator by commission. Several of his designs have gone viral online and rapidly gaining vast popularity. Also, several of Shumate's designs have been printed on Threadless Tees. Visit Tim's Website: www.timshumate.com
Ben Templesmith
Ben Templesmith is a New York Times best selling artist and writer most widely known for his work in the comic book industry where he has received multiple nominations for the International Horror Guild Awards as well as the industry’s top prize, the Eisner Award. He also won a Spike TV Scream Award. As a creator, his most notable works have been 30 Days of Night (which spawned a major motion picture) and Fell. His other projects include the critically acclaimed serial Wormwood: Gentleman Corpse, as well as Welcome to Hoxford, and Singularity 7, all of which he also wrote. He has also worked on the Star Wars, Doctor Who, GI Joe, Army of Darkness, Silent Hill, and Buffy: The Vampire Slayer properties and produces art and design for music bands, dvds, toys, and film concept work. Visit Ben's Website: www.templesmith.com
Jill Thompson
Eisner Award winning artist Jill Thompson is a graduate of the American Academy of Art in Chicago and the creator of Scary Godmother and Magic Trixie. She has drawn comics for well over half her life. In addition to her own creations, Jill has illustrated a wide array of comics over her career, such as WonderWoman, Sandman, the Invisibles, Finals, Beasts of Burden, the Simpsons and many others. Look for her on Twitter if you want to see lots more art and hear her silly inner thoughts @thejillthompson. Visit Jill's Website: www.jillthompsonart.com
Bill Ystrom
As a kid in grammar school fascinated with Sci-Fi and horror,
films and TV, Bill Ystrom aka BY B.Y. was compelled to learn the art of special effects make-up. Within a few years he was taking life
casts, sculpting, mold-making and creating make-up prosthetics, mostly
self-taught. These were just the
skills needed by the newly formed Be Something Studios mask manufacturing
company in Chicago and in May of 1974, as a 15 year old sophomore in the Lane
Tech High School art program, Ystrom became a professional Halloween mask designer/sculptor,
beginning a 37 year odyssey of creativity. He has worked in various areas and forms of 2 & 3
dimensional artistic design over the years, but Halloween mask designing
remains his main focus, now with Zagone Studios in Chicago.
See Bill's Work: www.zagonestudios.com
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