Interview by Rachel Gottesman

Congratulations on your first Threadless print! You must feel like dancing. Go ahead....dance. You deserve it.

You know, just when I thought Threadless had printed too many giraffe shirts, you had to go and make a really unique, really good one. What is it about giraffes that makes them so irresistible?

I actually thought my design didn't have much of a chance due to the wave of giraffe prints the last couple months, it seems like every 2 weeks there was a new one.



My mom's boyfriend's mom actually had a dream about a penguin answering his front door, a giraffe standing there and yelling at him "Turn the f'ing ceiling fan off before I come in!" And a year and a half later after mulling it over I sketched this up at a local hangout I frequent.

Your mom's boyfriend's mom's brain sounds like a gold mine of ideas. Keep feeding her spicy food before she goes to bed, you'll get tons of shirt ideas that way!

Are you a designer professionally, or is this just something you do for fun?

I have a degree in graphic design. Currently I make wiring diagrams for automotive companies, but sometimes I get side jobs doing more creative stuff like websites and logos. Starting to submit designs on Threadless has actually got my creative juices going and I'm pretty happy about that.

Your website states that you've had over thirty room mates. THIRTY?! Was this college or something, because I'm picturing a tiny little college apartment with people packed inside like a clown car. Please tell me you didn't all live together at the same time.

The most people I've ever lived with at once was 3 others. I moved around a lot when I lived in San Francisco and people moved in and out of my apartments as well.



I had roommates from all over the world which was fun, but it got pretty overwhelming, and finally last year I decided enough was enough and got my own place. I can leave the toilet seat wherever I want, it's spectacular.



And you can walk around in your underwear. You've lived in a lot of places too. Which was your favorite? (You should say NY because they have the best bagels.)

Did you know a bagel is only a bagel if it's been boiled? Otherwise it's just bread with a hole in it. Note: YES. That's what I keep telling people! I learned that in San Francisco. Which I have to say is probably my favorite place. I really miss it. The suburbs of Detroit is where I grew, so it's got that home feeling.. NY was fun as a temporary stay, but I couldn't last very long, it made me feel claustrophobic.



If you were to grow an awesome mustache, what kind would it be?

I'm a skinny white guy. If I had a mustache, of any sort, I would look like a crystal meth dealer. But when I'm an old guy looking back at all the young whipper snappers, it would be cool if I had a handle bar one that I had to put wax on the tips and could roll the end between my thumb and forefinger.

Tell me a really funny story. Something weird thats happened to you in the past year.

I went to Peru last September, and on the 3rd day I got really sick. We were staying at a hostel, and at about 6 in the morning when the sun was just coming up I rolled over and there was a dirty stray cat curled up next to me. He apparently came through the window. I stared at it for a second before rolling over and going back to sleep for another 5 hours. He stayed there the whole time.



Thanks for chatting!

Thank you, Rachel. The Amtrak train is only $29 from Detroit to Chicago, maybe I'll get a chance to come visit the operation some time and say hello.

Interview by Rachel Gottesman

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