MAD

Describe your style:

A combination of street and graffiti mixed with some retro animation and cartoons.

What cartoons did you watch as a kid?

I was a child of G.I. Joe, He-Man, Thundercats and Transformers, which are a lot more modern than the retro animation references that I use.

What cartoons influence you now?

I like the old Steamboat Willies, the Chuck Avery stuff and the old black and white and silent stuff. When I do a piece and I incorporate a character, I try to merge a retro style with a modern day graf/street theme to sum up what I’m into. I have a character called Mr. Slop who’s based off of an old 1940s pig that I found in some old comic book. I restyled him to be a little more modern: he’s got shell-tops on, he’s rockin’ the hoodie, he’s doing paste-ups.

What does your character The Modern Hero represent to you?

The character himself is based on Mickey Mouse. His name, The Modern Hero, is my interpretation of Hollywood. The fact that he’s a skeleton is kind of how that whole aura of fame has gone from respectable to rotten. I guess I’m still in love with something about the olden days that I just can’t let go of.

Can you remember a defining moment from your childhood that started you on this path to toy and character design?

When I was eight my mom scored a box of old animation reels at a garage sale. I remember popping them on my grandmother’s projector and watching these old silent animations on a brick wall in her basement. They were awesome: these abstract animal characters that were smacking each other with boards and nails. In 5th grade I used to buy coloring books and I would recreate the old Daffy Duck and Mickey Mouse line art. Looking back now, it’s where I get a lot of my style and technique from.

How often do you sketch?

I’ve been drawing in black books since I was 12. For the past six years I’ve made it a rule for myself that everyday I draw a sketch, doodle or full tag.

Do you ever do street graffiti?

When I moved to L.A., I wrote quite a bit and then some friends of mine got beat up by some gang members. That’s when I stopped doing public art and used that influence in my 2D art and graphic design. I’m still really into graffiti. I have two kids, a wife and a mortgage though, so I’m not about to go out and risk getting arrested.

Who are your favorite writers?

I love Dalek, Futura 2000, a dude here in my home town called Scribe. I got to meet SEEN three or four years ago in New York and I felt like a school girl, my knees got all weak.

Is there a vehicle that you’d love to see one of your pieces?

To see it on an enormous city bus would be a blast. But honestly, if I was driving down the street and looked over and some tricked-out ride was all done up with my graphics that would be heaven on Earth for me. It could be some old beater, if someone liked the art enough to put it on their car, having my art be part of that expression, that’s rad. Especially when you’re a creative person, you want your car to express something about you.

Are you a big toy collector yourself?

My studio’s got about $20,000 worth of toys. I have six big floor-to-ceiling shelves of designer toys from friends of mine, stuff that I dig, stuff I’ve collected over the years.

Name three unique things in your studio.

My Glock 9mm in my desk:

That’s probably one of my favorite pastimes other than making art: shooting guns.

My can of Cerveza Clara beer:

I’ve got a can of this Mexican beer from the 60’s that I found in L.A.

My beaded vinyl toy:

I was contacted by this lady that deals with this tribe of African women who’s lives are affected by AIDS. Their main source of income, is making art out of beads. This woman asked if I could send them a toy to bead. So I mailed them a boxful and they sent me this one back that is completely beaded with this crazy bright, colorful pattern. That’s probably one of the coolest things I have just because it was totally random, completely unexpected and it’s gorgeous.

What would you do if you couldn’t design toys any more?

I’d mow lawns for a living. When I was in high school I worked for a company cutting grass. That’s the only other job I’ve really enjoyed. Working outside is low stress and you can make a decent living.

3/19/08