Comments on: Paul Komoda’s Syphilis Sculpture Up for Grabs

By: Max Shea

Max Shea — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 06:21:13 +0000

Dr. Anthony Wisdom’s color atlas of sexually transmitted diseases has gone through dozens of editions, and is still in print today. I’m not sure if that particular photo is included. I first saw that photo when I was waaaay too young. I grabbed furtive peeks at my dad’s Hustlers back then. I saw that picture when I was ten back in 1980 or so. Larry Flynt published that photo in 1978 as part of an expose on STDs in one issue of Hustler. Back then it scared the piss out out of me. It was traumatic. I had the chance a decade later to buy that Hustler at a flea market just to prove the picture wouldn’t traumatize me again. It didn’t. My brain had developed enough to process it! I too wonder about that poor woman’s identity. However, you can be sure of one thing: She is long dead. She might have died the day that photo was taken. Even today if you’re that far gone with tertiary syphilis, it’s going to kill you.

By: Kale Kip

Kale Kip — Wed, 17 Jun 2009 09:29:11 +0000

The US dept. of education wants to scare kids into paying attention during health classes!? That’ll set the benchmark for stupid policy for decades to come. Can I get that on record?

Winona Ryder? My first thought was Michael Jackson, but that is probably due to the absense of the nose.

By: Vivacious G

Vivacious G — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 17:52:11 +0000

Amazing!

By: asha beta

asha beta — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 11:41:21 +0000

I’m with Nadya–
Winona Ryder!!!!

By: Paul Komoda

Paul Komoda — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 04:32:06 +0000

You know, there was a point when the Super Sculpey prototype was cured
that I began reconstructing the missing parts of her face with fresh modeling material just to get an idea of what she might of looked like.

By: Celine

Celine — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:44:59 +0000

Seeing that woman’s picture touched me deeply. It is hard to imagine a world in which syphilis had no cure and could get to that point. Not only was she obviously a beautiful woman, but she looks exactly like my mother did in the 70s, minus the ragged holes.

I fantasize that this poor woman’s condition was stabilized somehow, and then became rich and famous for experimenting with ornate gilded prosthetics and face armor/partial masks/jewelry.

By: Wilson

Wilson — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:24:10 +0000

Great detail on a very scary looking sculpture. After reading the part where the Department of Education refused the final version, I was somewhat miffed. Wasn’t there like some sort of contact signed before the job was done? Unless of course if in the contract it stated that if said sculpture comes out a tad too realistic/scary for their education purposes, then they could just say no. I just hope Paul was compensated well enough for the hard work he did on the bust.

By: Joelle

Joelle — Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:21:35 +0000

Completely amazing! Haunting. I want one.

By: Nadya

Nadya — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:38:23 +0000

That one will be the most fearsome of all!

By: Mer

Mer — Mon, 15 Jun 2009 23:22:07 +0000

Paul Komoda, you’re a wonder.

Having seen this sculpt up close, I concur with Nadya that there’s an immense range of emotion on La Pestilencia’s face.

I can’t wait to see the “guinea pig monster” I hear he’s been contemplating working on. ;)