Written by FRANCES KIDD   |   Photographed by SUSAN CRUTCHFIELD

As the end of each year approaches, calendars for the new year begin to appear. According to the New York Times, paper calendars are still popular – even in today's digital world. Some teach a new word or fact a day; others are filled with photos that might remind us of a place or thing we love.

Newnan resident Pilliard Dickle (a/k/a Joe Chandler) has turned the idea of traditional calendars on its head with his series of calendars set in the world of Calendaria. Every year, he returns to this world and creates a different look and story.

World-building isn’t a new concept. It’s been used by writers, particularly in science fiction, since the days of H.G. Wells. Filmmakers also build worlds for the stories they tell on screen.

The world Chandler has built with his calendars is both artistic and useful. Calendaria is where, as he says, “everything is made of days.” This includes buildings, factories, roads, ships and the Palace of Calendaria. Behind each calendar is a story, usually with recurring characters. For example, Professor E.G. Head (his friends call him “Egg”), dean of Chronological Studies at Calendaria U., often makes an appearance.

When asked whether he lives in reality or the world of Calendaria, Chandler is quick to say, “Unfortunately, I live in the land of reality, but I can escape to Calendaria for a while.”

The artist says he developed the idea for his calendars when he was in college majoring in economics – when the real world of numbers gave way to an imaginary world which also involves numbers but in a completely different way.

“I call myself an ‘imaginationist,’” he says. “Everything I do has to be unique.”

His work is undoubtedly unique. This year's 2023 calendar features Professor Head building a time machine and ending up in a chronological loop with no beginning and no end.

In addition to his calendars, Chandler is a filmmaker, author, singer/songwriter and performer. He presents Calendaria in a family-friendly show in which he takes audiences to Calendaria, introduces some of the residents, and describes his adventures after falling through a hole in time and discovering this new world. NCM