Interview by Rachel Gottesman
Hooray for getting a print! Do you have any special plans for your winnings? Might I suggest converting the earnings entirely to coins and filling a swimming pool with them?
I don't know that I'll be able to find a swimming pool in Wisconsin, so let's call that the ONLY reason I'll pass on that option.
I'm nabbing some inexpensive presents for myself and my family, the majority of the money is going towards our house fund. Isn't that exciting?!
Nope! Being an adult is overrated! Fact.
Your website (which is really cool by the way) states that you have an "unhealthy obsession" with Transformers. Just how unhealthy are we talking here?
Thank you! I watched transformers as a kid, and was mildly interested (He-man was my main man) but I watched Beast Wars as a teenager (anyone who says "Beast Wars wasn't real Transformers." either never watched the show or they are mentally handicapped) and started buying a couple figures here and there.
When I moved into my first apartment in 1999 I had 8 or 9 figures... I now have between 1,000 and 2,000 in 10 separate tubs and various corners of our apartment.
I have an Autobot logo tattoo on my right shoulder (facing forward like Optimus Prime) and the 5 faced Quintesson Judge encircling my left calf. So, yeah... unhealthy.
The figures I could let slide as "mildly unhealthy" but the tattoo is what makes it insane. Damn!
You also mention that you like collecting other things, like DVDs. What's the weirdest collection you have (besides the Transformers because that's getting up there on my weird-o-meter).
Technically, it's not my collection. But one day, my daughter, Araia and I made a video with her Littlest Pet Shop figures, I realized how many she had and it
kind of snowballed into a collection that I was paying attention to the releases, the rarities etc.
I also collected the Playschool Gobots (a Transformers brand by then) for my daughter before she was even born, so she was born with a collection of over 45 cute transforming robots.
The videos made by you and your daughter are charming. Do you think she has some of the artistic genes in her? You could be a family of designers, start a family sign making business...
I have to admit, a lot of people say that a child's first words or first steps are the most magical thing a parent can experience; but my wife and I are both artistic, and the first time we were able to easily decipher a cat she drew was the moment we got goosebumps and prideful.
We will encourage any endeavor our daughter takes part in, but we will encourage just a little more if it's something artsy.
What's your life as a graphic designer like? Is it glamorous?
Glamorous? No, Fun, sometimes. I worked at video stores for 9 years of my life, so I was VERY happy to get a job where there were no customers. I traded them in for clients, and it's better to be in a situation where "the customer is always right" actually affects how you work.
I work at an incredibly cool place though. I have my acoustic guitar to entertain me while the load bar or pinwheel interrupt my progress, and a cabana in the office for winding down.
A cabana? Hmmm... Note to Threadless HQ: let's get one of those.
What's your favorite project as a designer been (besides your Threadless work, of course)?
I've done all the branding for a local dentist since they opened a new location, and I'm proud of the logo and aesthetic I've set up for them.
I'm creating a new website and print materials for the University I got my Graphic Design degree from. Both of those are very fun, but my favorite is a local music store. I can't do everything I want to because of time constraints and budget, but I can actually do the weird and styled work I want to.
Thanks for chatting! I expect to see more prints from you in the future. (Seriously, no slacking. Get to work!)
Thank you, I hope to get over my creative block very soon!
Interview by Rachel Gottesman
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