Seattle Superheroes: Dina Martina
The brash, screechy-voiced singer is a treasure
By Seattle Mag April 11, 2016
Seattle Superheroes is a regular series on seattlemag.com wherein artists depict standout people in our community as superheroes. While we’ve taken some artistic license with the narratives, the sentiment behind them is very real.
There’s that adage about art that it has no certain definition, but that you know it when you see it. Well, this concept couldn’t be more true then when laying eyes for the first time on the great Dina Martina, who would likely be dressed in a backless black dress with bright red lipstick splashed on her lips as she sings a Christmas song about Santa.
Twice a year, Martina takes over Re-bar to perform for the good people of Seattle. While she’s best known for her Christmas show, she hosts a hilarious show in April through May 1, featuring her standout videos and her off-puttingly adorable demeanor.
While not working as an entertainer, Martina prowls the street looking for an ice cream cone to sing into or a nice chocolate candy to give to a fan, but she also uses her extreme singing abilities to stun and apprehend evil doers threatening the charm of the city. So, if you see her in the wild, yell, “Thank you!” and let her know she’s appreciated.
About the artist: Ben Horak is a Seattle-based cartoonist and graduate of the Center for Cartoon Studies. Ben’s art has appeared in periodicals including The Stranger, Seattle Weekly and is a regular contributor to Intruder comic newspaper. Find out more at Grumptoast.com.
Follow Us
Spring Arts Preview: Visual Art
New exhibitions across Seattle offer plenty of reasons to spend an afternoon gallery hopping.
Pioneer Square’s First Thursday crowds may be getting the headlines, but the city’s visual arts scene stretches far beyond one neighborhood. From Belltown to Ballard to Capitol Hill—and even down to Tacoma—galleries and museums are presenting new exhibitions that reward a slow look. Here are the shows we recommend seeing this spring. Indira Allegra: The…
Spring Arts Preview: Theater
Stages across the region are hosting everything from intimate productions to beloved Broadway favorites.
This spring’s theater lineup runs the gamut—from a Tony-winning drama at Seattle Rep to a velvet-roped cabaret in Capitol Hill and the return of one of Broadway’s biggest musicals. These productions offer a look at the range of work happening on local stages right now. Hurricane Diane Written by Pulitzer Prize finalist Madeleine George, Hurricane…
Spring Arts Preview: Dance
This season’s dance offerings put storytelling at their forefronts.
With all the recent buzz around Pioneer Square’s post-pandemic awakening, a lot of people are claiming that the arts are back. In our opinion, they never went away. Seattle’s dance community has continued building new work, from longtime local creators to internationally known choreographers. This spring brings returning classics, world premieres, and festivals highlighting artists…
Earthen Art-Rock
Seattle trio Mt Fog’s music is, at turns, dreamy and feral.
There’s a concept in psychology called “nominative determinism,” where people may be drawn to pursue a career in a field suggested by their name—a substitute teacher named Mr. Fillin, or a polar explorer named Daniel Snowman, for example. It’s a condition that seems to mostly affect Batman villains (you can’t just name your child E….