Dr Sketchy's Anti-Art School

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Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School is both a burlesque cabaret and life drawing event originating in Williamsburg, Brooklyn at the Lucky Cat. Dr. Sketchy's was founded in New York City in 2005, by illustrator and former artist's model Molly Crabapple and illustrator A.V. Phibes. Phibes later left to attend to her design studio.

A Dr. Sketchy's class consists of a burlesque dancer (or other performer, possibly a drag queen, trapeze artist, or roller derby girl) modeling, with drawing contests during breaks. Sketchers are known as "art monkeys", a term borrowed from the Madagascar Institute. Dr. Sketchy's features heavy drinking games, comedic skits and onstage go-go dancing. Its alcoholic content was created by John Leavitt, a cartoonist for The New Yorker referred to as a "wino" by The Village Voice. John Leavitt is (as of 2007), the creative director of the New York branch.

Dr. Sketchy's Anti-Art School was featured in episode 219 of "Deadline" on HD.net. It has also been featured on BBC, NPR, WNBC, and WPIX.

Time Out NY magazine featured Dr. Sketchy's in "The Scene" section in issue 555, May 18th-24th, 2006. Other articles on Dr. Sketchy's have appeared in the LA Times, the Washington Post, the New Yorker, Time Out London, Time Out NY, the Village Voice and the Onion.

In spring 2006, Dr. Sketchy's expanded into an international franchise. As of September 2007, Dr. Sketchy's branches exist in 40 cities around the world, including Los Angeles, Tokyo, Phoenix, London, Manchester, Detroit, Toronto, Scotland, Portland, Melbourne, Raleigh, Greensboro, Auckland, Austin, Seattle, Orlando and Hamburg (Germany). Branches vary in their conservatism, nudity levels and the skill of their artists. Ms. Crabapple insists that they pay their models high wages.

The Official Dr. Sketchy's Rainy Day Colouring Book, by Molly Crabapple and John Leavitt, was released by Sepulculture Books in December 2006, and is in its second printing. Other projects include a 2008 pinup calendar, a series of Youtube comedy shorts, a national tour, an art show, and a 21-show run at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.

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