Can you share a little bit about the piece and how you conceived it:
Aside from a sick obsession with cephalopods, I was really trying to utilize the long, narrow space of the board in a visually interesting manner. I collect these brilliant antique glass bottles that I had been sketching recently and thought they would really fill the space of the board. I also dig collecting jarred specimens and thought that a squid-type critter, wedged into one of these lovely things, would end up looking pretty smashing on a deck. Hopefully, it does.
Are you a skater? If so, can you share a memorable skate experience with us?
Trust me, I am by no means a person who skates, lacking the motor skills to even stand upright on an unmoving deck with no wheels, but I have always had a fondness for decks on an aesthetic level. As a result, I’ve come to the conclusion that designing boards is the closest I am going to get to becoming a skater, as I will never truly fulfill my dream of having proper coordination. I will just have to stick with crying and clutching the skateboard on all fours, while someone gently drags it along with a rope.
If you were to describe your work to someone who’s never seen it, what would you say?
Squishy.
Could you share an image of one of your latest sketches?
Would you share three unique things in your workspace that inspire you?
1) The insects I’ve collected
2) My ferret, Chubby.
3) Fancy, antique glass bottles.
What’s the most extreme reaction you’ve ever received in response to your work?
I’ve been asked on a few occasions if there is something mentally wrong with me. Generally being told that the sense of humor in my work is gross and inappropriate isn’t that uncommon. The deck design however, is very mild for me.
What art is hanging on your walls at the moment?
I have some Victorian tintypes and post-mortem photography, some letterpress drawers with all sorts of wee knick-knacks in them, a Bell Witch poster, a St. James Infirmary Jazz Band poster, several framed insects, an original Edward Gorey illustration of a cat sitting under a book, some medical illustration from the 1800’s, two Shell pesticide ads from the 1940’s, a framed “Lollipop Trollops” poster by Edward Gorey, and a huge Balinese Rangda mask with white goat hair.
What are you really into right now?
I compulsively collect (both catching and pinning) insects, antique black glass and small press comics.
What would be on your quintessential mixtape?
Honestly, my mixtape would be the length of one eternity, so this list will simply include only the current essentials…
1) Wax Mannequin’s Tell the Doctor
2) Cab Calloway’s Minnie the Moocher
3) Mogwai’s Killing All the Flies
4) Mr. Bungle’s Retrovertigo
5) Really anything by Tom Waits… he’s brilliant.
6) Radiohead’s Iron Lung
7) The Pixie’s Where Is My Mind
8) The Decemberists The Rake’s Song
9) Siouxsie’s If It Doesn’t Kill You
10) Depeche Mode’s Wrong
11) Didn’t Leave Nobody But The Baby from the Oh Brother, Where Art Thou? soundtrack
12) The Tiger Lillies’ Meat
What websites do you check out regularly?
Well, there’s always good old Failblog.org. I’m also a regular at SomethingAwful, Creepmachine, Whatsthatbug, Sexypeople, ScienceDaily, Lastfm, vimeo and Pinktentacle.
What’s the first picture you can remember drawing as a child?
I remember drawing many cartoon characters off of the television. Willie the Operatic Whale was a favorite, for sure. As well as anything from black and white Max Fleischer cartoons (Betty Boop, Felix the Cat), Tex Avery, Warner, Chuck Jones, and Classic Disney cartoons.
What was your last memorable dream?
I did have a very memorable dream about a post-apocalyptic earth turning to swamplands, that released noxious gasses into the atmosphere. I happened to be some sort of hazmat-clad biologist, gathering specimens of the landscape to test. Some terrible things went down with some new species of monster, that had inhabited the newly formed swamplands. I think I may have come close to dying…
If you had to change careers, what would be next?
I would definitely head in the direction of entomology, or forensic entomology. The shear concept of using insects to identify a time line of the deceased, as well as the potential cause of death for an individual is endlessly fascinating to me. Not to mention, if I had a working position that allowed me to spend the whole day with insects, I’d be in my own personal version of heaven.
Are there any upcoming shows or projects you’d like to share?
I’m working on a few lil’ solo comic books, zines, and an insect-oriented children’s book.
What’s your motto?
CUUUUNCH!
