Benders in downtown Massillon was slightly more packed than it normally is on a Wednesday night. Perhaps it’s because last night was the second round of the Massillon Art Battle. On-lookers ate wings and pizza while sipping on draft beers waiting to see what these two artists were going to create. Jason Sigala was announced, and he entered the painting area, dancing a little and scrolling through his iPod. As Mike was announced, he entered the “stage” with determination, tearing his T-shirt off. The theme of “fast food” was announced, and the two artists began their work as the enthusiastic audience cheered them on. Jason started out with what looked like two giant green hands while Mike painted his entire canvas purple. No one was really sure where the guys were taking this. As the battle continued, their artwork really started to come to life as more details added to each. Jason’s green monster was eating fries, burgers and nuggets, all of which had faces. Mike’s fry man started turning into a fry zombie. The allotted hour ended, and the judges deliberated. They decided that they liked Jason’s details, like his cup with an attitude, but they couldn’t find a focal point. They liked that Mike’s focal point was obvious, but they felt he took the easy way out with running French fries. And the winner of the giant paintbrush was…Mike Skaggs! Despite the general consent of the audience, Mike was surprised he won because he always feels iffy about only having an hour to create a completed piece. He said he usually spends the first 5 minutes just trying to figure out what to do. Turning the fries into a zombie was a last minute decision, and he just kind of went with it, despite horror being the type of work he usually creates. “I try to stay away from [horror] when I do this kind of stuff to branch out a little bit,” Mike said. Mike Skaggs will battle against Bili Kribbs for the title of best art battler in the land on July 30 at 8 p.m. at Benders. Do they have a bigger paintbrush?