Interview by Peter J Woods!

Why hello, and how are you doing today?
Just dandy.

Did you go to school? Where at and what for!?
Yes, LSU, and Graphic Design. A GD degree is cool but not entirely necessary.

Did you grow up in Louisiana? Do you have a funky accent?
Yes, I was born and raised in Baton Rouge which is less than an hour away from New Orleans. All we do there is row around in pirogues and wrestle alligators. About the accent, Ya'll sure think I have one.


How'd you get your start in design?
My Mom and Dad are both photographers and they exposed me to a lot of art at a young age. In the beginning I wasn't to keen on it but with their persistance I soon warmed up and grew to appreciate it. Thank you Mom and Dad.

Which parent do you love the most?
They are equal in their coolness and they both are really cool. I mean on like a coolness scale, they are both 10's. I on the other hand am at about a 4.5.

What was your 'big break'?
One time I broke my leg playing soccer, that kinda sucked but I didn't cry cuz i'm so tough.

What inspired your work?
Friends, family, music, and ex-girlfriends.


Do you have a cool scar to show off to the ladies?
One time a while back I was riding my bike I ran into a piece of string that was tied across the road to mark something. It gave me this inch deep rope burn on my arm. I learned my lesson, I now stay away from streets and roads as much as possible.

Speaking of ladies, who do you think is the most attractive celebrity?
um... Natalie Portman with hair.

What do you do to get past creative blocks?
Go to sleep, then while i'm laying in bed dozing off I sometimes come up with the best ideas. I keep a notepad next to my bed to jot these ideas down. Sometimes they are illegible, which sucks cuz those are probably the best ones.

I've noticed that a lot of work is derived from word play, such as Green Card, Marked Terriertory, and Pandamonium. It is amusing the way you can use words to make designs, how do you come up with these ideas?
Usually I come up with the titles after I complete the piece. Except for on Pandamonium. I came up with the title first and then decided to make a sad panda destroying a city king kong style which when finished seemed way too busy to me so I simplified it and eliminated the city.

What's the most played song on your iPod?
Probably something by matt pond p.a., but for some reason I liked their stuff a lot more before they covered "Champagne Supernova" for the O.C.. So if not Matt Pond maybe some Josh Rouse or maybe even some jazz like Brubeck or something. Okay I checked and yes it is "take 5" by Brubeck.

How has Threadless helped you?
As well as landing me a pretty sweet job it has also done a pretty good job at getting my name out there. I get a good amount of inquiries and freelance offers all due to this site.


Some of your work has a lot to do with pop-culture such as More Cowbell, Trucker hat's used to be cool, I'm in a Comic Book, and Eject Goose Eject. Do you think you have an obsession with pop-culture? Do you have anything that you would consider overly geeky in relation to pop-culture in your possession?
I have a couple toys on my desk but nothing overly geeky but I would love to get a life size Chairy from Pee Wee's Playhouse.

How and when did you hear about Threadless?
Summmer 2003 at Barnes and Noble I read about it in Communication Arts but did not buy the magazine. The next day I made a pretty weak submission and have been hooked ever since.

A job at Threadless is considered both glamorous and prestigious. Has working there met your expectations?
I can definitely say that it is the best* real job I have ever had, and that everybody that works here is just so amazingly talented and creative. The Fogo trips don't hurt either. Mmm. meat.

Do you think that Threadless helps designers?
Yes. I'm a prime example of this. For me it was a wonderful creative outlet while I was at school and I often would spend more time working on a shirt rather than on a boring kerning project.

Your designs have progressed a lot over the last couple years. You have come a long way from shitty designs like Heart on Sleeve (1.172), and What's up dog (.969) then you progressed Green Card (2.184) and Swarmed (2.746) and then your worked continued to incline to your first big hit Squeaked (3.43), and later hit the jackpot with Pandamonium (3.535) and Fathom Farewell (3.414). What is your favorite design of yours?
Dude. Updog is classic. Printed I like Fred and the Giant Eel. Non printed I like On the Plains.


Recently you have had a bit of a dry period in the last couple months, with no designs breaking the 3.0 barrier. What do you have to say to your critics that say you're washed up, a has been, a seven-hit wonder?
I guess i'm due a come back. Ross cues up LL's "Mama said knock you out" and starts to bob his head.

What are your favorite parts of the site? Is it the comments from your peers, the exposure, the prizes, or is it the hot modeling by the Threadless crew?
It is all those pieces smashed together into one, those are the things that keep you coming back. This site is just a well put together amazing idea which is why you are starting to see imitators.

If you were able to bring any person back from the dead who would it be and if you would kill anyone who would it be?
I don't want to kill anybody but I would of loved to meet my grandpa Fred.

Thanks, Ross!

Interview by Peter J Woods!

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