Charles Voltaire is the artist, poet and philosopher who created the Voltaire Press.

Charles Voltaire is also an idea. He was first imagined as a joke, then as a pen name, until eventually he became a symbol of something bigger than the artist himself. His words stream from his eyes to his pen and with each stroke he connects ideas, symbols, and stories revealing deeper mysteries long since forgotten.

He symbolizes that part in all of us that wants to be heard — that part of us that wants to do what’s right and speak up but doesn’t know how. He embodies everything you wish you could have said if you’d had the courage to speak your mind without fear of the ramifications. He’s a sinner but his conscience is clear because he took the time to confess his story. He’s Rodin’s “Thinker,” naked and perched atop the gates of hell pondering a way to clothe his pride so he can make his way home to Eldorado.

Love him or hate him but don’t question his honesty. He wears his heart on his shoulder and the power of his speech and actions are tattooed on his face. He uses myth as a tool to tell his story and is rooted in poetry. He is a soldier, only his weapons are far more powerful than those of conventional warfare and just like a samurai he carries two swords on him at all times.