South Dallas based artist Raymond Butler's artwork is a Gen X and Millennial fever dream— captivating blend of pop culture and childhood memories from a 90s upbringing.
That's probably how people know him best.
His most distinctive works are the "Sammies" - a handmade cartoon-like wooden sandwich that represents a whimsical escape.
Or perhaps people have seen him on the mic hosting a Latinx dance night in Deep Ellum.
However, for the past two years, Butler has been bringing back the ancient art of oral storytelling through his monthly event Talking Dirty After Dark.
Butler said he always had the desire to do something related to storytelling but just wasn't sure how to bring his vision to fruition.
"I've done events forever for the past like 15 years and this was something that I knew I was good at, like talking to people in and telling stories and sharing stories with my friends. [But] I never really, like, figured out how to make that a thing," Butler said.
It was when his girlfriend at the time introduced him to the world of Snap Judgment.
"It was amazing. Like the guy was talking about some[thing] really heartfelt ... it was really just an emotional rollercoaster," he said.
And even after a deep dive into episodes and YouTube videos, Butler put his hopes of a live storytelling event on hold —until after COVID.
"I had all this extra free time and I wasn't really like producing any shows at the time. I was working, doing artwork, and I was like, you know, why not? Why not just try it and see what happens?"
Butler spoke with his connections at The Wild Detectives, an independent bookstore and bar venue in the Bishop Arts district of Oak Cliff and they gave him an opportunity to host his new event there.
But ticket sales were not taking off in the way Butler's previous events usually did, especially pre-COVID. "People [were] coming three, four or 500 people at a time to any of the art events that I was throwing," he said.
At this point, the inaugural Talking Dirty After Dark event had only sold 25 tickets.
Two years later, Butler events are selling out.
"I went from 125 to 175, 175 to 210 every single month," Butler said.
The Talking Dirty After Dark Storytelling series has built their own welcoming community. Butler refers to it as "The Dirty Family."
"One of my friends called it like a group therapy session because you share this real personal thing that's sometimes funny, sometimes tragic, you know, emotional to a group of strangers," he said.
Jared Rodriguez, a frequent audience member, is part of that "Dirty Family."
He and Butler are longtime friends from their days at the Dallas College El Centro Campus.
Rodriguez shared that he will continue to attend Talking Dirty After Dark events because he "knows [he'll] get to hear a story from someone totally different."
"There's a true intimacy and humanity behind it that can't be duplicated anywhere else," Rodriguez said.
The face-to-face conversations and connections are a large part why Butler started and continues these events.
"You know that saying like, you got to know where you been and know where you going," Butler said. "I feel like that's how the truth, a lot of our history that isn't written, is spoken you know, it's passed down from your grandparents, great grandparents, your mom, your dad."
Talking Dirty After Dark format of oral storytelling is reminiscent of the griot, a West African tradition that holds a significant place in Black culture and history.
Just like the griots who serve as advisors, historians, and storytellers, Butler has created a platform for artists to breathe life into their personal experiences through words and performance.
"A lot of the world wants to tell Black people who they are and often it's in a negative light," said Andrew Wattley, a storyteller who has appeared several times at Talking Dirty After Dark.
"Our truth is from our experiences and it's the first hand account that transfers our Black identity into the community and the next generation," Wattley. He has now a budding comedy career after losing his job during COVID and started participating with the live storytelling event.
Wattley started off as an audience member, shared a two-minute story during an intermission and is now headlining a show at the Dallas Comedy Club in Deep Ellum.
Wattley shared during this KERA interview that he feels COVID-19 was arguably the loneliest time for humanity in history. "It didn't matter what your race, age, gender, or beliefs...we were all trapped inside in fear."
"COVID made us realize how fragile life can be and that we can all come together and be human again," Wattley said.
Having a space like The Wild Detectives with both indoor and outdoor accessibility had made this a popular event, according to Butler. This is a sentiment shared by Diana Martocchio, current manager at The Wild Detectives.
"The outdoor space has been so key in helping people feel like they can safely return to events, and the indoor space allowed for those who felt more comfortable a little earlier on to reconnect," Martocchio said.
The Wild Detectives has been in Oak Cliff for nearly a decade as an independent bookstore and bar venue.
"The biggest elements of what we try to create lie within building a space that creates community and inspires an atmosphere of open dialogue and communication," Martocchio said.
The Wild Detectives host concerts, monthly poetry nights, and book readings and on Saturday, July 29, they will host a special Talking Dirty After Dark event.
Talking Dirty After Dark will be celebrating its 2nd anniversary beginning at 9 p.m. In addition to a night of storytelling, there will be a Mezcal tasting sponsored by De Nopales Native Imports and a dance party with tunes spun by DJ Eternos.
Butler said he wants people to be encouraged, get on stage and feel that there's no judgment that "we are laughing and crying with you."
Everyone is invited - Butler also shared that even a priest has attended a night of Talking Dirty.
"Well, if it's good enough for Jesus, it must be good enough for everybody else," Butler said.
Tickets cost $25 and are on sale through Eventbrite.
Got a tip? Email Brittany Stubblefield-Engram at bstubblefield-engram@kera.org. You can follow Brittany on Twitter @thebritofdallas.
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