Punchline #26
In "The Trump / Schnabel Schism," the art world collides with corporate ambition when Schnabel agrees to a bizarre deal with Trump, only to discover a clause that ties his fate to parking tickets across the globe. The final panel hints at a mysterious "plate painting" at Trump Casino, a work that once defined Schnabel’s rise—now part of a larger, unsettling puzzle. Written and illustrated by Max Hopper, with cover inks by Shannon Castleman, this 1998 free issue blends satire and surrealism in a story that’s as sharp as it is strange.
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Schnabel signs an agreement with Trump wherein the businessman will buy all of his paintings, but later the fine print reveals that Schnabel is responsible for all parking tickets generated worldwide by Trump Holdings. A depiction of a "plate painting", a series which brought the painter to prominence, is in the final panel at Trump Casino.
Plot details indexed by the Grand Comics Database (CC BY-SA).