1. What piece of art has recently caught your attention? I can’t narrow it down to just one piece of art, but the works of Phantom City Creative and “Ghoulish” Gary Pullin have been on my frequent surfing list for a while now.
Phantom City and Gary are both located in Toronto and I had the pleasure of meeting these guys last month. Their work tends to focus on movie posters/illustration and they really are leading the way in the Canadian poster design movement. Both have some nice ties to Mondo and have produced some incredible work over the last couple of years. Well worth a look. Real nice guys too.
2. If you weren’t doing what you do, what would you be doing? I really can’t think of NOT doing art to some degree. I mean, I’ve been drawing since I was 4 years and never stopped. It’s a part of who I am … the largest part actually. I knew really early that doing fun creative stuff would be with me for a very long time and I kept it up, despite being yelled at by teachers for drawing in class or being made fun of by dickheads I went to junior high with.
When asked this question I used to say “I’d be a symboligist” like what’s-his-name from the DaVinci Code, but that was only because of the meaning behind symbols and logos which ties into design again.
But I CAN say that if I weren’t doing this, there’s no way I’d be as happy.
3. Who are you most looking forward to hearing/seeing at WMC Fest? There’s a handful, but Chuck Anderson is top of the list. Been talking to that guy for quite some time and have been a fan of his work, philosophy and musical taste all the while. I have some choice heckles set aside just for him. That’s not true.
Also looking forward to Johnny Cupcakes. He’s the man. I love his designs, but more so his work ethic and lifestyle. He’s a happy guy, pretty envious of his relentless optimism sometimes, but his website can always put a smile on my face. Can’t wait to shake his hand.
4. What are three things you grab before walking out the door? iPhone for my music, $2.25 for the ferry and my Field Notes book in case I need to doodle something in a hurry. A quick 4th would be a handful of Signalnoise stickers in case I want to bomb a random bathroom.
5. How does music play a role in your life? What bands/albums are on heavy rotation? Pretty big role. I’m not one of those artists that requires music to be playing all the time while I’m working, but there are occasions when I’m working on something where music plays a pivotal role in the outcome, like my DRIVE poster or my work for metal band THE SWORD. In those cases, music is like R&D.
Bands in heavy rotation, here we go. Big list. Alphabetical order for quick reference:
Anthrax, At The Gates, Baroness, Beatles, Black Sabbath, Boris, Cave In, Converge, Dark Fortress, David Bowie, Enslaved, Guns n’ Roses, Harry Nilsson, Iron Maiden, Isis, Jim Guthrie, Judas Priest, The Kinks, Kylesa, Led Zeppelin, Mark Lanegan, Mastodon, Misfits, Monster Magnet, Mötley Crüe, Nirvana, Priestess, Probot, Pulp, Queens of the Stone Age, Rainbow, Reckless Love, Red Fang, Scott Walker, Skid Row, Sleep, Soundgarden, The Sword, These Arms are Snakes, Tool, White Zombie, Wolves in the Throne Room.
Be sure to check out Jame’s site and follow him on Twitter! James will be speaking in the Reinberger Auditorium Sunday, June 10th from 6:15 – 6:45pm!
Click here to order your tickets to WMC Fest today! If you’re interested in joining us as a sponsor for as little as $50, there are numerous packages available here.
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