Con Artist Mark Kostabi

Mark Kostabi calls himself the World's Greatest Con Artist and who's to argue. Con Artist, a docu directed by Michael Sladek is slated to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival, an event that will surely give Kostabi another 15 minutes to let the world know that he's really a game show host who lets others paint his pictures save for a signature he dashes off at the end. He's been laying claim to this title for more than 25 years to anyone who would listen and to all who tuned in to his cable show -- whose latest incarnation is called Name That Painting. The format is simple: a Kostabi art work is presented to a panel of judges who then compete to name the piece and to win the $50 Kostabi doles out to the name he likes best. Senior Editor Carlo McCormick recently invited Kostabi to be the guest artist in Paper magazine's April issue. McCromick is a frequent panelist on Kostabi's show. Kostabi also happens to be an art star in Rome, where he has a home. So the con game goes on. And we love it!