The Washington Post
September 25, 2025

The art of Mingering Mike (1969-1976)
Chosen by Mark Robinson, member of Unrest and founder of TeenBeat Records.

He’s a guy who created all these album covers of a fictional artist, which was him. There was no actual music, but he had made all these record covers of him and his band. He had already been discovered by the time I heard of him. There’s a book on him, and he’s been exhibited in art museums. It just reminded me mostly of what I would do when I was a kid. I actually did write songs, but I was making, like, these album covers and band names for bands that did not exist, very similar to what Mike was doing. … They do look like record covers, you know? But then the one on the [book’s] cover is a picture of him running, chasing like a bird. There’s definitely this kind of off-kilter thing going on, and then there’s fake catalogue numbers and fake record companies. I still have a bunch of tapes that I’ve done where I would just make up these record labels and make up logos for them.

Click here to read the full article.

BBC World Service - Outlook

HEMPHILL is pleased to share a recent production of BBC World Service - Outlook, How an imaginary soul superstar finally found his audience, discussing Mingering Mike's story.

When Dori Hadar found a box of mysterious fake records at a Washington DC flea market, he was intrigued. From singles to live albums to soundtracks, each record cover was intricately detailed, containing song titles, lyrics and liner notes. Inside were cardboard vinyls, painted in glossy black. And all appeared to be by the same prolific artist: Mingering Mike. Dori posted pictures of the albums online, where they captured the imagination of soul fans and musicians from around the world. Encouraged, he decided to go on a quest to track down the man behind this fictional soul universe. Who was Mingering Mike? Dori was about to find out. 

Presenter: Mobeen Azhar
Producer: Zoe Gelber

Click here to listen.

June 7 - August 28, 2023

Presented in collaboration with Hemphill Artworks, Checkin' Out Mingering Mike: D.C.'s Imaginary Soul Superstar features hand-drawn album covers, drawings, and song lyrics by self-taught Washington, D.C. artist known only by his alter-ego, Mingering Mike. On view at the Martin Luther King Jr. Memorial Library are fine art prints of thirteen albums, all originally drawn between 1968 and 1975, as well as a selection of original albums and handmade cabaret posters.

Click here to learn more about the exhibition.

Mingering Mike was recently featured in an article written by Liam Ward for Messy Nessy that details the artist's "legendary" catalogue of handmade record covers.

Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"Several mini-shows nestle within “Represent,” Hemphill Fine Arts’s 20th-anniversary exhibition."

Mark Jenkins, The Washington Post

"If the personal is political, these grandiose, dysfunctional structures are calling artist-citizens to take to the streets (or, more likely, cul-de-sacs)."

Matthew Smith, Washington City Paper

"The show focuses on artistic civic engagement—artists that are out of their studios and walking the streets. Mostly culled from the gallery’s stable of artists, 'Artist-Citizen' presents works that speak through the city itself."

Louis Jacobson, Washington City Paper

"The exhibit is variegated, but like any good combine painting (and those are included too) it coheres pretty well despite itself, as giants like Robert Rauschenberg mix with such local figures as Joseph Mills, Mingering Mike and Colby Caldwell."

Jessica Dawson, The Washington Post

"Here hang big, striking works by Tom Downing and Jacob Kainen. Here, too, are precious works on paper by Al Jensen and Alma Thomas. That Eugene Atget picture of the taxidermist's vitrine? I'll take it."