ub ile e . ▁He ▁also ▁played ▁harm onica ▁for ▁the ▁ne o - v au dev ille ▁act ▁" Pop ular ity ▁Show bo at ". ▁His ▁first ▁live , ▁professional ▁performance ▁was ▁with ▁the ▁group ▁at ▁the ▁Kentucky ▁State ▁Pen it enti ary . ▁ ▁Regarding ▁the ▁Sh ack ▁Sh aker ' s ▁" s ou thern ▁g oth ic " ▁ly ric ism , ▁Billboard ▁Magazine ▁said ▁"( Wil kes ▁writes ) ▁mind - b low ing ▁lyr ics ▁r ife ▁with ▁Bib lic al ▁references ▁and ▁r umin ations ▁of ▁life , ▁death , ▁sin ▁and ▁re dem ption ." ▁ ▁Wil kes ▁is ▁a ▁Kentucky ▁Colonel . ▁ ▁His ▁contributions ▁to ▁the ▁visual ▁arts ▁include ▁many ▁illustr ations , ▁com ic ▁stri ps , ▁and ▁sides how ▁b ann ers . ▁His ▁sat ir ical ▁" Head ▁Che ese " ▁strip ▁ran ▁in ▁the ▁Nash ville ▁R AGE / Met rom ix ▁week ly ▁from ▁ 2 0 0 5 ▁to ▁ 2 0 0 8 . ▁Other ▁illustr ative ▁works ▁by ▁Wil kes ▁have ▁been ▁published ▁in ▁Ju xt ap oz , ▁Sn icker , ▁M ines haft , ▁AL AR M ▁Magazine , ▁and ▁Top Sh elf Com ix . com . ▁Wil kes ▁illustrated ▁the ▁book ▁" S po ok iest ▁St ories ▁Ever " ▁for ▁the ▁University ▁Press ▁of ▁Kentucky , ▁released ▁in ▁ 2 0 1 0 . ▁ ▁In ▁October ▁ 2 0 1 3 , ▁The ▁History ▁Press ▁published ▁Wil kes