Our Story

Martha Hull's Cute and Deadly Art was founded as an enormous and terrifying leap of faith. 

It was the year 2013; the location: Portland, Oregon. Trapped by the recession in a full-time corporate admin job, Martha's outlook as as gray as the claustrophobic winter skies. When a new boss started, an advisor suggested that Martha request a flexible schedule so she could have more time for art. It did not go over well. Not long after, Martha started dressing like Johnny Cash, and set up quit-date countdown timer.

She met a vendor from the Portland Saturday Market artisan fair who loaned her a tent. On a hunch driven by need, she quickly applied and started making art with words as well as pictures, so she would have something to sell. At the market, Martha got to a beautiful laughter when people came into her booth and that, as they say, was that.

Connecting with customers and seeing what they respond to with the most passion has helped Martha look at her art with fresh eyes, and it just keeps getting better.

Years later and 3,000 miles to the east, Martha continues to renew her vow to share as much of her deliciously warped humor with the world as possible. She makes new art all the time, and delights in bringing it to people. We exist in this beautiful hellscape we call "the world" together, and a little laughter and cuteness can help brighten even the darkest moments.

Martha imagines and paints in a small, blazingly-bright studio in Burlington, Vermont. Her art is vibrant with shimmery colors, which come from a paint-layering technique Martha has been perfecting for years. Pictures are focused on big-eyed imaginary characters, whose adventures and situations reflect the absurdity of the human condition. She loves to hand-letter much of the art, so that the words and pictures play with each other to create twisted, laugh-out-loud joy.

People who most love Martha's art are able to savor the ridiculous side of life's dark moments. Although particularly compelling to younger adults, her work speaks truth to young-on-the-inside non-fuddyduddies of all ages. Martha's ideas? They come from walking through the world for many years with the eyes of a subversive child. No, she has no plans to give them back.

All of our products are made with archival materials because - why would we settle for anything but the best? The prints and cards are printed on velvety acid-free paper in Martha's ridiculously pink home office-- one a toddler would be jealous of. Every piece of Martha Hull's Cute and Deadly art is made, packaged, and shipped to you absolutely saturated with diabolical love.