*

Who do you want to be interviewed next?

Preferably someone not already featured by the Threadless interviews (they're good, go read them!).

Sorry for the delay. We had something in the works and it just didn't happen in a timely manner.

NOW TAKING SUGGESTIONS






*

Welcome to another installment of Shooting the Chat with Shirtflirt and chelly! In this blog, an interview with BSWEBER.

bsweber aka Brett Weber is a 24.9 year old boy, has been a member since January 27, 2007 aka 'the day before Flying Mouse joined' :), has scored 9887 submissions, giving an average score of 2.25.



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1st comment on 1st sub
chocolate4jillyz on Feb 06 '07 I don't get what the dragon is trying to portray, but I'm totally loving the dragon figure. Props to that.

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Reoccurring themes: lizards, books, self
Reoccurring colors: muted earth-tones, deep-green, burgundy/rust




Photo by Rambunkcious


“Brett is a great guy and an awesome designer with an eye for detail. I'm sure there
are many more amazing t-shirt designs to come from Mr. Weber.” -Edword

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STATISTICS for bsweber

First order placed on: June 1, 2007
Other username(s): The Silver Baron

Designs = 23 (if alternate accounts/collaborations are included)
Critique = 3
Slogans = 5
Blogs commented = 1165
Product blogs commented = 50
Designs commented (some no longer show) = 687
Critiques commented = 63
News commented = 23
On or mention on Charlie podcast = 1 (I think?)
Time meeting other members = 3 (Philladelphia, Chicago, New York)
Threadshirts purchased = 21

Shirts Printed Based on Votes (1/1/2008)
45 = I'd buy it!
14 = 5 (minus the buys)
48 = 4
54 = 3
31 = 2
4 = 1
0 = 0

Travels (and the flickr proof):
# of united states = 36
# of countries = 12
# of continents = 5
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SHIRTFLIRT SHOUT-OUT

Looking at Brett's designs it's easy to see the theme of storytelling threading it's way through almost all of his work. The importance of books plays a central role to his most complete designs which leads me to believe that these books have some type of power. Being a person who hates books and has never read any type of literature that did not include pictures, I'm intrigued at this land of mystery, imagination and wonder. It lead me to open a book this past weekend and let me tell you it was incredible. After I concluded Moby Dick I realized that life's not about the get it's about the chase. it was the best three hours I’ve ever spent. Thank you, Brett Weber.

Brett's winning design; The Young Explorers is like a logo for children's literacy. if I were the ambassador for spreading the joy of reading to school children everywhere, I’d use that design as the cover of my pamphlet. but, giving my previous history of never reading nor owning a book I’d probably never be the ambassador for spreading the joy of reading to school children everywhere. hopefully Brett's not banking on that employment opportunity.

Another favorite design is Brett's current sub; The Escape. what's not to love, really. It's an obvious choice as favorite. As a designer though, you get the sense that Brett's really gaining confidence in the tee shirt medium. Going through his subbed designs you can see an evolution right in front of your eyes. Or, if you prefer, you can see god's amazing design unfolding right before your eyes. It's awesome to see as a regular consumer/agitator of Threadless and I for one look forward to his forthcoming efforts.





“Brett Weber's personality and artistic style are one in the same. The extreme detail in his line work contrasted by soft, fairy-tale like themes and colors show a dude who is at once serious about his craft, yet has never forgotten the child-like wonder of creating his own worlds within pictures. I cannot wait to see what mystical land he gives us access to next.” -FRICKINAWESOME
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NOW FIND YOURSELF ON A JOURNEY OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS!

Would you slay the dragon?
Never. Dragons are becoming increasingly scarce these days.

Where did you grow up and where are you now?
I was born in Gainesville, Florida. My father was still working on his engineering degree at the time. I lived there until he graduated (which was maybe like 2 years?) . At the moment (and for the last 20 years of moments), I reside in Newark, Delaware. It's a college town--exciting when school's in session, and deserted the rest of the year. iPear lives here though, so it's bearable.

How did you find out you were printed (at Threadless)? what did you do to celebrate?
Oh man, that was the best night ever. It was in may--I was on tour shooting a rockumentary in Europe. Backstage at the arena venue in Vienna, after the show, on my friend's laptop. I couldn't believe it. I just sort of wandered around, hugging the few friends I had there, hahah. To celebrate, I went to a guest room with bunk beds, slept for three hours, got up and hopped a van headed to Zurich. Really, I was sort of in disbelief for the rest of the tour.

What are your tools of the trade?
Glass of iced tea, mechanical pencil, sketchbook (for roughs), more tea, illustration board, micron pens, epson scanner, occasional plate of spaghetti, tea, mac g5, photoshop cs3--in that order, usually.

Name three songs; one you would listen to with breakfast/ one with lunch/ one with dinner.
Breakfast = by---Talib Kweli, to get the blood going.
Lunch = Salvador Sanchez--Sun Kil Moon, because their music is expansive, and reminds me of the middle of a day somehow. Either that, or something by band of horses. They have the same effect.
Dinner = Desolation Row--Bob Dylan, sort of a downer song, but also very chill.



What musician/band most heavily influences your art?
I'd say the one band I've probably listened to the most in the last few years is Iron and Wine. Something about Sam Beam's writing just makes the everyday ordinary into the exceptionally special. His music helped me through some hard times, quite honestly.

Do you prefer heads up seven up or freeze tag?
Freeze tag for sure! Well, never actually played the other one--isn't that a soda? Capture the flag was always my favorite though. Being pretty diminutive in stature lent itself well to stealthy escapades through dark forests.

Have you ever been involved with espionage?
Green. I think that was it. All I ever spied that is, with my little eye. Yeah, yeah, it's that tree again, it always is.

Name a movie that was better than it's book.
Recently I saw 'No Country for Old Men', honestly one of the most amazing films I've seen in a long while. Absolutely terrifying. Also in honesty, I've never read the book, but I can't imagine it can actually be better. Forgive me if I'm wrong!

If you had to dress in drag as a famous woman of the movie screen, who would you choose?
The dork in me compels me to say Eowyn from Lord of the Rings. Cmon, who wouldn't want to kill a witch king? Either that or Margaret Dumont, because she was in all the Marx Brothers movies and had a front row seat to that genius.



Take us through a tutorial of your technical process for creating a shirt design.
Probably, roughly, maybe about a hundred percent of my ideas come to me right before I drift to sleep. Whereupon, I jump maniacally out of bed and scribble something down. Seeing as I (try to) sleep every night, but I finish a design about once a month, I have about a
thousand unfulfilled ideas. After looking through my scribbles, I pick something I'd like to dork on---usually the idea I end up working on is the one I don't need a reference for, because I'm lazy like that. Once I decide on something, it's just a matter of drawing it. Then scanning it. Then deciding the original drawing sucked. Then adding to it. Then scanning again. Then coloring it in Photoshop. Then putting it up for peer perusal. Hoping they don't say to add anything, because I'm tired of this idea already. Ignoring (often wonderful) suggestions out of sheer laziness. Aaaaand subbed!

Do you believe in love at first sight?
I believe in being mesmerized at first sight, though I'm not sure if that really counts. But I've definitely been there....a few thousand times.

What happened between Enemy Anemone and The Young Explorers Society to
create such a drastic change in your design style (subbed 30 days apart)?

For my first few designs, I had absolutely no idea how to combine computers and drawing. I was under the impression that my designs had to be simple shapes that I could easily fill in Photoshop. Anemone falls into this group. It was my first design to be dropped early--I remember being actually upset about it! I was on a camping trip in the Shenandoah Valley, and when I got home my design had died. I decided I would try harder, and that's when drew Young Explorers. YES is a lot closer to how I would draw normally. I'm still getting there though, I have a lot of work to do yet!

Childhood nickname?
Hahah. Oh man. Ohhhhhh man. Ok my mom called me 'Brettie-bookie-bop". Don't let that out.

What is your cult going to be called?
'The Salvation Amry'--it'll be a really subtle ruse. Our members won't even realized what they've joined. Then I'll send them out to shopping malls with slightly off-red change buckets and bells. I'll make a killing.

Favorite crayola color.
I think mostly they taste the same. Although a good cobalt blue always showed up nicely on a freshly painted wall.

Which of your designs did you think of in the shower?
I don't think I've ever actually had a productive thought in the shower. What am I missing? It seems like it's such a source of inspiration to so many people. Usually, my only thoughts are along the lines of 'Wow, HOW long has it been since I was here last?'

Current song stuck in your head most often?
Hmm, it changes a lot. Right now I'm gonna say Dylan's 'Like a Rolling Stone'.



Please recommend one cartoon and one children's book.
' Meets Sinbad the Sailor'--amazing old school animation, hilarious dialogue, oh man. Seriously, look it up on youtube.
'At the Back of the North Wind'---by George Macdonald. Such wonderful imagery/symbolism.



What Threadless members did you know before you created your account? Who introduced you to the site?
I don't think I actually knew anyone....I'm not exactly sure how I got here! I think maybe I saw my brother wearing Stickymike's awesome 'Nothing Rhymes with Orange' shirt, and I was like "Where'd you get that?" I think maybe my sister gave it to him? Not sure, but somehow I logged on one day, and decided to try my luck!

Do you save the gallery photos of the ppl who bought your shirt?
No, but I do check them every now and then. I love seeing real people (hopefully) enjoying something I've made.

What is your favorite family tradition?
Hmm, can it be an dead tradition? My Dad used to read to all us kids every Sunday night, that's got to be one of the best family related traditions I can remember. I think those evenings were probably more influential on the way I think than even I can imagine. We've done all sorts of other fun things as a family, but not usually consistently enough to be considered tradition.

How much time do you find you generally spend on a design?
Usually between 10 - 20 hours.

What do you personally feel is your strongest tee design to date?
I think my favorite (as far as how it would appear on a tee), would have to be Raven vs. Dove (under my Silver Baron account). I am proud of that one because I didn't really fuss over it, I just sat down and drew it out. Didn't stress over the details as much.



Over or under?
Hmm, depends on the situation I suppose. It's best to be overjoyed, but underrated.

You are quite the world traveler. Where is the first major place you visited and what was the most inspirational thing you experienced there?
The first 'really far far away' place I visited was New Zealand. I spent a month just touring around both islands with a camera and fifteen other kids in a 1954 green air-stream bus named Boswell and a giant Kiwi guide. And other run on sentences. It was really such an incredibly laid back time, I would love to do it again. I'd say the most inspirational place I've ever visited is the Antarctic Peninsula. I was fortunate enough to take a study abroad trip there in 2005. The landscape is almost indescribably beautiful---so vast and pristine. The wildlife there has no fear of humans.

So, you are a blogger. How's that interaction effect your work as far as your art is concerned?
I never even realized the blog forum existed until four months after I joined. Once I started participating though, I was hooked. Design-wise, it's really a great sounding board; it's so nice to get immediate (usually) feedback on a project. All-other-senses-wise, I've made a lot of really amazing and talented friends. The level of skill on this site is so incredible, it just pushes one to try harder, to learn more, to refine what it is one does. Forgive the grammar in
this paragraph (and all the others).

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"Mr Brett Darius Weber (middle name unconfirmed) is a truly skilled individual. People may know him for his arousal inducing art, but this is no one trick pony. Not only does Brett create mind numbingly detailed, fantastic designs, but he also has the ability to hypnotize females with his eyes and cause them to throw their undergarments. I met with Brett awhile back for some Super Mario burgers. I asked him, in my best Dr Phil voice, "Mr Weber, what's your secret to making these great designs?" He then simply stared back at me, and I knew... I knew it was time to throw him my panties." -Torakamikaze
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What is your time machine (made out of)? Where are you headed in said machine and why?
It's made entirely of granola bars. I'm headed to 1804, to join the Lewis and Clark expedition as it heads west. I've always wanted to see what wild America really would have looked like. But I don't really want to eat fried rattlesnake, hence the granola bars.

What music do you recommend the bloggers listen to in order to broaden their cool factor?
I've been listening to '13 & god' quite a bit, insane mix of beautiful melody and frenetic rap. But in all seriousness, I shouldn't be anyone's coolness-broadening mentor.

Do you have any weird body/face tricks (example: crossing your toes, curling your tongue)?
I've managed to stay shorter than 5'9" for nearly 25 years! That's a pretty good trick! Umm, I can pop my left index finger out of joint at will. Gross.

Some sketches:



A minimum of 4 of your designs feature what could easily be interpreted as a self-portrait. What was your inspiration for taking such a bold step (possibly eliminating high votes due to the character represented not being generic enough)?
It's funny, because I've never actually thought about that before. I guess that's just how it came out. I'm lazy, so I usually just use myself for reference. Either myself or a sibling who kind of looks like me anyway! Hmmm......now I'm paranoid! Guess I should expand my model database. Great question though!

You come from a big family. How many siblings? Where are you in the line-up? How did your family life encourage your creativity?
There are nine kids in my family. I have four brothers and four sisters. I am the second oldest child, oldest boy. Having that family that large encouraged me to pursue quiet pass-times, like drawing. I mean, you need a break from the insanity every once in a while. But in all honesty, they are a great source of inspiration. They're all a hundred times more creative and interesting than I. Among my siblings: a world class yo-yo champion, a high school math teacher, many accomplished musicians, a nurse who has worked in Sudan,
a college football player, a fashion designer, a graphic designer, etc, etc.....How am I supposed to live up to all that??

What is the best gift you've received and the worst one you've given? Or, vice-versa, if you have better examples.
Hahah, I know this is cheesy, but I think it really IS the thought that counts. In that sense, I don't think I've ever gotten a 'bad' gift. I don't believe in ranking the importance of worth of a gift because it happens to be something I want at the time. Desire is so subjective. Ok, so I'm saying all this because I can't think of a good example to give you. How would I know a bad gift that I've given? If I thought it was bad to begin with, I wouldn't have given it! Err, no, there was this one time.....I gave someone a mixed CD full of songs who's meanings were subtly aimed at that person in an angry way. That was mean and immature of me, I told her to throw it away.

Five movies you want to see at a drive-in:
I think they'd have to be old films to feel right. And I'd need all my sibs to be there, because just because.

Duck Soup
It's a Wonderful Life
The Court Jester
The Great Escape
North by Northwest





(How) Do you meditate?
Not on purpose, but there's usually a long period before I fall asleep when I'm not really awake, but not really asleep, but not really awake....... When it comes down to it, I'm really too lazy to actively relax.

What do you see when you close your eyes?
I've been told I sleep with my eyes open. I don't know if this is always true, but I have had a few people freak out after seeing me sleep. So I guess I don't look at the back o' my eyelids very often. When I was a kid I used to close my eyes and wait to see the spectral floaters that sometimes come out of the blackness. They used to frighten me a great deal.

Best way to deal with the bummers of reality?
The best way is to systematically blur the line between reality and the creations of your mind. It's easy if you try. Before you know it, you're living in your own fairy tale world. This = not serious. Reality isn't that much of a bummer, just what we tend to make of it.

What do you do as a profession? How did you get into that line of work? How does it affect your designs?


Right now, I work for a small web/graphic design company. Most of the work I do involves layout for web advertisements and some video editing. The company is owned by a couple of friends, and they were kind enough to offer me work. The job is flexible, and allows me time to work on side projects as well. As far as my rock 'n roll lifestyle....hmmm....I do travel a good bit, I really put most of my money toward traveling. I figure now is the time to get out and see the world.

If you could get the autograph of anyone (dead or alive), who would it be?
I think it would have to be John Hancock. I mean, come on, just because. He's like the inventor of the autograph.

You attended the Mishmash in Chicago (Sept 07). Most memorable moment?
The thing that sticks is the moment I first met everybody---ran into a bunch of bloggers on the street just after getting off the train. I was carrying like eighteen bags, had no idea where I was going, tired, but happy enough. Following this group of vaguely familiar strangers
through the streets of Chicago.....very surreal. "Hey, aren't you--?" "Yeah, that's me." "Oh, cool. So what's your actual name?"

Some believe that you can tell a lot about a person in their handshake. What do you think is the best way to know about a person in a short amount of time?
People fall into two categories: taller-than-me, or shorter-than-me. It's real easy to distinguish which group someone falls into (usually the former). Seriously though, I can really only guess at the people who are somewhat similar to myself. I'm usually pretty quiet when I first meet people, so I look for other people who act the same.


What makes you shake your head?
You know those sticky rolling things that they use to get lint off of jackets and sweaters and what-not? One time my sister came up to me and ran one of those right down my face. Shaking my head was really my only defense, how else was i supposed to escape her maliciousness? Geez, be more understanding.

Most importantly, what makes you shake your rumpah?
Sometimes when I'm driving around at like four in the morning I come across some incredible scene, like a fog covered meadow, or the sight of a red night sky through the woods, and it makes me want to dance a little. Things that are just inexplicably, unutterably beautiful. Stuff like that. Also, Architecture in Helsinki's 'Places Like This' album is pretty amazing---me, my brother, and my sis played bongos along with that album earlier today actually.

*special thanks to spacesick(2) for this Mezo portrait



Mezo aka Stef McFeters is a 30.22 year old girl, has been a member since December 6, 2004, has scored 4074 submissions, giving an average score of 2.74.

Url - http://stefmcfeters.com/

365

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1st comment on 1st sub
dbkliveson on Jan 06 '05
Love Your Style,,, And Your Web-site Rocks!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

1st comment on 1st resub
AlexWilson on Jan 10 '05
The fingers still need to be fixed, otherwise I'd buy.





“Mezo is 99% rockn roll and 1 % angel”
-abeadles

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STREET CREDIT (STATISTICS) for Mezo as represented by realslimnatey



52 = subs
2 = threadless prints
0 = critique
0 = slogans
6,611 = blogs commented
397 = product blogs commented
3,842 = designs commented (some no longer show)
98 = critiques commented
57 = news commented
2? = on or mention on Charlie podcast
3 (Tom Burnz, Abeadle, Hogboy, T4sh4) = time meeting other members
Probably around 100 = threadshirts purchased
9 total hours on my wee sleeve tattoo - 8 of which were all in one sitting. This is not recommended.
3 total hours to make my famous 3 bean chili & pineapple cornbread.
10 total minutes to shower. 12 if I wash my hair.

Shirts Printed Based on Votes (as of 11/15/07)
61 = I'd buy it!
113 = 5 (minus the buys)
47 = 4
19 = 3
6 = 2
3 = 1
0 = 0





“Despite her sometimes ferocious online demeanor Stef is actually very mild mannered, almost shy in person (and) one of the most modest artists I have met considering her obvious skillz. I found her a real breeze to work with, she took direction like a true pro (and) didnt complain about the numerous little innane changes demanded by the client (well not to my face at least)... Smart, talented and an absolute babe to boot, her husband sure is one lucky bastard!’
-hogboy



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Observations and unwarranted opinions from chelly:


summary

If you are the type of person who takes life way too serious, then you could use a giant does of Mezo designs. The thing is, I’ve been sitting here for half an hour trying to find the words to summarize Mezo’s style and haven’t been able to find anything that explain the ZING! mixed with uncharted talent that she shares with us through her t-designs. Sassiness and ‘stash-ride obsession aside, Mezo takes a look at things that we’ve all seen a million times (elderly, bicycles, ties, bunnies) and makes them magical yet hip; she takes situations that we want to stare at but are usually ashamed to do so (butts, circus freaks, assassination, voluptuous ladies) and makes them tenderly human and beautiful. Not only that, but the woman is not afraid to use color, and uses it so gracefully that even a tomboy aches to wear the hot pink of one of her designs. If you find yourself tired of seeing the same ideas, techniques, tones, or moods on the latest shirts, sneak on over to Mezo’s collection for a refreshing look at something original and lively.

*

a look at the last year

Normally, this would be where I’d post my opinion of an artists weakest/strongest designs in the last year. Ever challenging the guidelines, Mezo has even broken out of this summary. You see, in the last year, there has not been one of her designs that I haven’t given under a 5.



Which makes a person wonder, has Threadless gone completely blind? Print Mezo for fuck’s sake!

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FAVORITES
*****note to readers: I know the most recent threadless interview has a “favorites” section. However, I did NOT know that when giving these to Mezo (shortly after Ian Leino‘s inquiry was sent, actually). This might be the last time we feature this, so please enjoy.

section in the library - Art & Design
flavor of hummus - Mmmm....ALL of them!
camping location - Marriott Inn & Suites
art medium - Digital
painter/actor/author/(any kind of artist) - Jason Sho Green / Audrey Tautou / Chipp Kidd
guilty pleasure - America's Next Top Model
food you cook/bake - 3 bean chili, guacamole, & pineapple cornbread
plant - Robert
night time activity - Drunken talks with the husband.
video game - Dr. Mario
quote - toss up between "If voting changed anything, they'd make it illegal" from Emma Goldman (and) "Never trust a big butt and a smile" from Bel Biv Devoe

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AN UNBELIEVABLE AMOUNT OF QUESTIONS AND ANSWERS!


Name three songs; one you would listen to with breakfast/ one with
lunch/ one with dinner.
Breakfast- Have to start the day mellow. B-52's " Club" would be glorious to hear while sitting on the patio of a small cafe along the beach and enjoying an English muffin & coffee.
Lunch- Warren G " at an all-you-can-eat pizza buffet. At the beach.
Dinner - Blue Oyster Cult "Burnin For You" at the sports bar with hot wings, fries, and beers. Not at the beach anymore because you can't vacation forever, slacker.



Have you ever been involved with espionage?
In college, the BFF & I stalked the foreign soccer team. We had major crushes on a few of them. We would drive-by their dorm, crash their floor parties, and sneak glimpses at them in the cafeteria. We would track down information on them via the internets before "Googling" for people even existed. We would then use the found information as an excuse to start up conversations with them. Does this count?

Name a movie that was better than it's book.
About A Boy, if only for the part when Marcus sings "Shake yo ass, watch yo self, shake yo ass, showmewhatchaworkinwith."

Do you prefer heads up seven up or freeze tag?
Freeze tag because I am cold-hearted.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
Nope. I don't think true love can exist until you know the person. Unless, of course, we're talking about fashion or kittens but not fashion made out of kittens.

Have you ever been hypnotized?
Apparently.

Childhood nickname?
Whimper, Balls, Saxophone, Carpenter's Dream, Board. Thanks for making me relive them, jerks.

Favorite crayola color.
Violet! You're turning Violet, Violet!


If you had to dress in drag as a famous man of the movie screen, who would you choose?
Awesome question! John Leguizamo for no reason other than we have similar features, are close in height, and probably wear the same bra size.


What's your biggest source of inspiration?
Music. My husband & I collect CDs. We love the tangible designs. One of our favorite things to do is go to the CD store and browse. It's especially nice here in Seattle - the stores are huge and have way more independant artists. I love looking at the covers - all the bright colors and styles coming together. The best section to have a good laugh in? Rap. All those gradients and bling!

Got plans for a new tattoo?
Indeed. Though, since my artist is in 'Bama, it'll take a while to complete. My BFF & I want to get a friendship design. One idea we have is a traditional sacred heart with banner. My banner will read "Born to lose" and the BFF's "Destined to fail" based on Social Distortion's " (and) Chain" song. This is specifically funny because, even though we both adore that song, people would joke around that we're close enough to be married. The other idea is an expansion. This will be something she & I can get with the addition of our 2 other friends. We're all in a fake club, Hate Tank. Our design will be a collaboration of crap we draw based on hate and hating and being generally grumpy and cynical. In short, the next tattoo will be a friendship one. I miss them.

If you were stuck watching a scene from Heathers for the rest of your life, which one would it be?
HHHHHHHHHAHAHAHA!! YES. This question deserves a major Italian award! I could comment here about how I enjoy the social commentary of the Lunchroom Poll scene and it being a perfect reflection of how naive and one-track minded most high school students are. But, in reality, I love Ram's funeral scene because everytime his dad shouts, "I love my dead gay son!", I laugh so hard I choke on spit. I'm laughing just thinking about it!

(2:40 on youtube.com video)


Hobby outside of design?
Well, up until a week ago- job searching. There's also walking, cooking, knitting, thrift store shopping, cat-collecting. You see, I'm really a 73 year old woman.

Do you ever fear that you might offend someone that you care about with your art?
I don't think I fear it as much as I'm aware of it. Art is a visual emotion or thought. I don't want to dumb down how I feel just because someone else might be offended. If all artist's did this - there would no longer be art.

In your opinion, why do you think there are so few female artists at Threadless?
DANG! I don't know!! Maybe it's because the boys have balls. Ha! However, the female designers have multiplied a lot since I started there in 04. Why don't you design, Chells? Help change the ratio.

Which of your designs were thought of in the shower?
I shower in the morning, pretty much when I'm still asleep and the brain has not reached the creative level. It's hard enough trying to focus on shaving your legs and not slicing off an ankle. So, none.

There's a bomb and you have to decide to cut the red or the blue wire, what do you chose?
Well, clearly I choose to shoot off JD's middle finger which forces him to tell me. Booya!

Your "about me" section has negative comments from the voters. Why do you keep those?
The reason is 2-fold: - I find them hilarious. - A good way to grow in art is to really pay attention to the negative feedback. If all you hear is "OMG 5$" over and over, you never change your style. You always go with what the audience accepts, which slowly makes your style bland. Hearing the bad makes you strive for more to prove the naysayers wrong.

Freenies?
With relish.

Which of one of your Threadless designs would you have them print?
The robust bearded sideshow lady please! I love her.


What is your signature lipstick color?
Wine, since there are no "beer" or "whisky" colors.

Current song stuck in your head most often?
" Was A Good Day" by Ice Cube

How did you find out you were printed (at threadless)? what did you do to celebrate?
It was so long ago! I found out by checking the email at my old job, yelled at my office partner, and forced him to take me to lunch that day. Doing that was no different than any other workday, really.

What are your tools of the trade?
Wacom tablet, IPA beers, (and) 2-ply toilet paper

Take us through a tutorial of your technical process for creating a shirt design.
1. Get a genius idea.
2. Illustrate it.
3. Realize genius idea is 47% less than genius.
4. Submit it anyways.
5. Loathe self.

Do you save the gallery photos of the ppl who bought your shirt?
No! But I do send each and every one of them a Mind High Five.

What musician/band most heavily influences your art?
My iTunes is schizophrenic (ranging from hip hop to technical metal) and since I always have the Shuffle on, it's impossible to pinpoint a single band that influences my work. Although...that may explain why my stuff tends to look so crazy.

Please recommend one cartoon and one children's book.
Cartoon - Happy Tree Friends! Love the cute violence.
Book - Ian & I both agree (and have discussed it at length) "The Monster at the End of This Book" by Grover. Best Lil' Golden book ever written. Plus, it features the badass Grover and not some retard Elmo muppet.

Where did you grow up and where are you now?
Grew up in both Baltimore MD (and) Birmingham AL....live in Seattle WA now.
East side, dirty south, west side...I represent them all.

What is your cult going to be called?
Already have one - Hate Tank. We're official. We have hoodies.

How much time do you find you generally spend on a design?
Anywhere from 30 minutes to 2 years.

What do you personally feel is your strongest tee design to date?
The one that won me a job at Tommy Bahama! Yeah, boy!


Over or under?
In the middle. Like Monie.

So, you are a blogger. How's that interaction effect your work as far as your art is concerned?
It's nice to hear from "the people". As an artist, sometimes your eyes get bored looking at what you are working on. You get stuck on where to go and what to do next. It's helps to have other people's fresh eyes guide you.

What music do you recommend the bloggers listen to in order to broaden their cool factor?
I don't listen to anything cool. It's terrible. I am clueless to many bands of the 21st century. If it weren't for Threadless bloggers, I would not have random snippets of new "cool" music. Though some of the new stuff is good - I still keep a heavy rotation of the entire catalogs of Social Distortion, Descendents, Bjork, Rocket from the Crypt, Explosions In The Sky, and Faith No More. Listening to these bands would only make you more cool to me...but being cool to me probably makes you a chump to the rest of the world so I advise against it.

What is your time machine (made out of)? where are you headed in said machine and why?
My time machine is a Model 46-C convertible Buick Special and takes me back to 1952 to simpler times where smoking cigarettes, eating beef, and refraining from exercise was considered perfectly healthy.


Do you have any weird body/face tricks (example: crossing your toes, curling your tongue)?
Double-jointed fingers. I have never lost a thumb war.

What makes you shake your head?
Extreme refusal and/or agreement and/or water in the ear.

Most importantly, what makes you shake your rumpah?
If rumpah means fist, then those young whippersnappers on the bus with their iPods turned up too loud. If rumpah means booty, then Outkasts "Hey Ya" always gets it going. I find myself in a personal conflict when a young whippersnapper on the bus is listening to "Hey Ya" too loud on their iPods....

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Thank you for joining us in the second installment of SHCHShch: Ian Leino.
Here is the link for the first part if you missed it (answers on pg 1).

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"That dude is smart. Not like a smartass....but MENSA smart. He's got the whole package somehow - intelligence and creative talent. He's got this chameleon style, too. It doesn't matter if his client is Stevie Wonder or AFI or Threadless Voters - he knows how to visually stimulate them all.

He is also very nice and has a hot wife (and) fat dog.

No, "fat dog" is not a euphemism."

-Mezo

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STATS for IAN LEINO

Printed out of Scored (as of: 11-6-07)
8 = I'd buy it!
37 = 5 (minus the buys)
25 = 4
9 = 3
7 = 2
4 = 1
2 = 0

first order placed on: March 20, 2006
other username(s): none! I am alias-less
28 = designs
1 = critique
0 = slogans
194 = blogs commented
26 = product blogs commented
346 = designs commented (some no longer show)
7 = news commented
awesome = time(s) meeting other members
27 (for me) + 32 (for others)= threadshirts purchased

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Observations and unwarranted opinions from chelly:

turning point into awesome designer - mucha luchador



major theme - pop culture interests

there is an element of either having the serious become humorous* or the fun to become mystical**, ian has found a way to tap into the interests of the voting crowd time and time again. not only this, but anyone who owns one of his shirts would be able to vouch for the immense quality to his designs. the only negative i can pin-point (which, in now way, is his downfall), is how humble he is. there is very little pimping of his subs on the blogs, no drama involved in the comments of his designs, and very few members in his fan club. none of this is for lack of talent or personality. it is, perhaps, what makes him so refreshing and allows him to keep his shirts sharp. if you haven't yet, check him out (submissions).
*serious become humorous examples - a cold day in hell,a collection of flies, chariots retired, eiffel power!, how many licks?
**fun to become mystical examples - sometimes at night, voyage of discovery, in a native tongue


pick for weakest sub in the last year-

if you want to destroy my chain mail...

although funny and wonderfully rendered in the style of old tapestry, the details of the actual joke is such a small part of the design that a viewer would have to get very close to the shirt. in fact, even if this did occur, the small chuckle it produced would not be worth the time put into figuring out the joke (aka. get out of my bubble). for me, even the colors were bland (aged?) on the white shirt and the entire design might have popped a bit more if there was something above/below the main area to add to the tapestry motif. overall, a great idea executed w/ talent but not perfect for a tee.


pick for the strongest sub-

a voyage of discovery

the details on this design are so realistic, that they actually surpass that and move on into the realm of dreams (for those of you interested, there is a web page of artists who do similar amazing things w/ paper). the placement, size, color scheme and topic of this design are spot-on. it isn't a humorous design, but still very clever in its ability to pull the viewer in with the references of the cannon of literature leading up to the focus of the design. once you see the open book, that's where the real beauty takes place. seriously, just incredible details.
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MORE MORE AND EVEN MORE ANSWERED QUESTIONS!!!

name three songs; one you would listen to with breakfast/ one with lunch/ one with dinner.
Breakfast: whenever possible, I like watching cartoons with breakfast, so probably some cartoon theme song?
Lunch: People" by Pulp - it's lunch right now, and this is what I'm listening to, so I guess that counts.
Dinner: "Bullying the Jukebox" by Bouncing Souls - it makes me think of being out for a night of dinner and drinks with friends

Have you ever been involved with espionage?
C'mon, how can you expect me to answer this? Just the fact that you even *asked* means that there have been files opened on you in every branch of the government, and people are probably on their way to your house now to install surveill..... ummm, I mean....uh, what? Of COURSE not!

Name a movie that was better than it's book.
I can't think of any that are actually *better* than the book, but I'd say that the Princess Bride comes the closest. In addition to lifting huge sections of dialog directly from the text, it also captures the magic, wonder and humor of the book, adapting it to a new medium without cheapening it or feeling rushed. This is a great tribute to Carl Reiner and the cast and crew for maintaining the vision of the book, and also to the fact that William Goldman, who edited the original book (which had a lot of long, boring parts in it) into the version that everyone knows, was also hired to adapt it to a screenplay.

Do you prefer heads up seven up or freeze tag?
Heads up seven up, by a mile. In addition to getting you out of schoolwork WAY more often, it was also the first game we learned as kids that taught us how to exploit people's expectations for our benefit, a skill of phenomenal importance in sports, poker and designer/client relations.

Do you believe in love at first sight?
I absolutely believe in intense attraction at first site, but love is something that goes much deeper than that. Love is an intimate knowledge of every aspect of a person, and the conscious choice to put their wants above you own. Barring some crazy X-files scenario, there is no way to know a person in that way merely from a look; it takes time to break down the defenses we put around ourselves, and really get to know the other person, and to examine yourself anew.

Have you ever been hypnotized?
Not that I am *aware* of. Although that could explain some of the gaps in my memory. Hmm......

Childhood nickname?
I have been lucky enough to reach this point in my life without ever acquiring a nickname. As a kid, this was due to the fact that no part of my name (Ian Leino) rhymed with a swear word. (Thanks mom and dad!) In college, among my group of friends, people with the same first name got nicknames based on their personality or physical characteristics - we had a Tall Chris, Short Chris, Flyin' Brian, Regular Brian, and Dammit Dave among others. (Why we didn't just use last names, I never figured out). SO ANYWAY, even then I dodged the bullet, probably by being the only Ian in the group. And maybe that's the trick... maybe Ian is just a weird enough name that you don't even NEED a nickname?

Favorite crayola color?
Ack, I can't remember the names of them all, but I was totally in love with my first mega 64 pack of crayons that had the cool built-in sharpener. Maybe midnight blue? That was one, right?

If you had to dress in drag as a famous woman of the movie screen, who would you choose?
Hmm, I think I'd have to go with Rosalind Russell, particularly from His Girl Friday.... partly for the chance to do all the crazy fast-talking, but also for the hats.

Current song stuck in your head most often?
After laying it aside for a few years, I've started picking up the guitar again, and am working on learning "Cannonball" by Damien Rice, so that gets lodged in my brain quite often at the moment.


How did you find out you were printed (at threadless)? what did you do to celebrate?
My first Threadless win was with "A Voyage of Discovery" for the 555 competition, and I found out through email, probably like every other winner (except when Ross wins, in which case he just whispers quietly to himself "congrats, dude!"). The first thing that I did in celebration was to pass out from shock. After returning to my senses, I IM'ed Craig, to make sure they'd sent the email to the right person. That night, we took some friends out to dinner, and then celebrated with a few bottles of champagne, and I sealed the deal by getting "I (less than) 3 Threadless" tattooed across my chest (just like from the shirt) that way, even when I'm topless, people will know where my loyalties lie.

Um... ok, so maybe I made up that last part.

It's actually on my back.

What are your tools of the trade?
Most things start out in a regular ol' Strathmore sketch book with a mechanical pencil. For things that I ink with traditional media, I typically use Micron pens, though I'd really like to get better with a nib pen and brush. After that, it's all about Photoshop or Illustrator (or more often, a mix of the two). I also have a large-ish collection of stock textures that I use in a variety of ways.

Take us through a tutorial of your technical process for creating a shirt design.
This really varies pretty wildly depending on the design, and unfortunately, I just don't have the time to go into it at the moment, but hopefully sometime soon, I'll post up a walkthrough for one or two of my designs.

Which of your design ideas came to you in the shower?
None have come to me in the shower, but as I was falling asleep one night, I came up with the Housefly / Marty McFly idea that was the basis of my design "A Collection of Flies". I was too lazy to get up and go write it down, so I just made myself think of it over and over and over so I would still remember it in the morning. It worked!


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FAVORITES
*****note to readers: I know the most recent threadless interview has a “favorites” section. However, I did NOT know that when giving these to Ian. His answers are great so we kept them for your reading pleasure.

section in the library -
In a totally unforeseen revelation, likely to shock and astound all of your readers, I'm going to say.... either the art section or the music section. Honestly, I don't hit the library that often anymore, but when I do, I typically pick up a couple of their artist books, and check out a few weird CDs by bands I've never heard of.

flavor of hummus -
Roasted Garlic: it adds a nice flavor without overpowering the hummus itself.

camping location -
My backyard with my best friend in a GI Joe tent. Wait wait, when I was NINE. I guess I should have mentioned that first. Maybe it was just the first taste of independence, and of actually, physically, being out from under our parents' roofs, but camping out as a kid was just SO awesome.
Also, this year we went with a group of friends and stayed in a rustic cabin built in the 20's that's up in the mountains near here. We cooked a leg of lamb over a roaring fire, and enjoyed an absolutely perfect night playing games and enjoying various adult beverages (which is certainly a point for camping out now, vs. when I was nine).

art medium -
Primarily pencils, charcoal, pen and ink

guilty pleasure -
Guilt is for suckas! If I happen to enjoy things that aren't considered cool, it just means that I am a unique individual who refuses to be controlled by the pressure of fitting into modern society, and not that I have bad taste AT ALL. At least that's what my talking ALF doll tells me.

food you cook/bake -
I actually cook quite a lot, and I think my biggest hits have probably been paella, pot roast, and gumbo, though I did make a roasted corn and crab chowder last week that was pretty amazing.

plant -
We grew a garden this year for the first time, and I really can't choose between the fresh tomatoes or fresh basil; both were pretty phenomenal. For decorative sorts of plants, I really like bonsai trees and orchids, though neither seems to last too long around here. Right now I've got a venus flytrap on my desk. Hopefully it's ability to fight for itself will keep it alive longer.

night time activity -
The Orange Peel, here in Asheville, is a great local club that gets bands much cooler than their small size should allow, and is a great venue to see a live show. Of course staying in and watching a good movie (or a really *really* bad one) with my wife is also one of my favorite ways to spend a night.

video game -
I don't know that I can pick a single all-time favorite game, but Katamari Damacy (and We heart Katamari) have been on the top of my most played list for awhile now. Though we did have a Golden eye Tournament Of Destruction a few weekends back that was insanely fun, too.

quote -
Maybe it's dorky to have a favorite quote from Scott Adams, the guy who created Dilbert, but this really is amazingly insightful: "Creativity is allowing yourself to make mistakes. Art is knowing which ones to keep." When I can actually remember that, it helps me feel less self conscious of my work, and more willing to experiment, and not feel like I have to do things right the first time.

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Thanks . . . I really enjoyed answering these, and hopefully they've been a pleasant diversion for anyone reading them.
-Ian

Ian Leino is a 30.44 year old boy, has been a member since April 6, 2005, has scored 5033 submissions, giving an average score of 1.57.

URL: http://www.ianleino.com

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1st voter comment on 1st subbed design:
callmeMrsBueller on Apr 12 '05
Interesting
Nice Squids
I hate that its off center though
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# of subs: 28
# of threadless prints: 3

Current sub running (go vote!)


some questions for ian ANSWERED (PG 1)

if we take a look at your web page, there is a lot of calendars and album covers or centralized around music. how does this effect your layout style when it comes to shirts?

i see that your second sub was a suggestion by your wife, how much inspiration comes from your her?

several of your designs have been printed at other web sites. at what point do you completely retire a design?

do you save the gallery photos of the ppl who bought your shirt?

what musician/band most heavily influences your art?

please recommend one cartoon and one children's book.

where did you grow up and where are you now?

what is your cult going to be called?

how much time do you find you generally spend on a design?

what do you personally feel is your strongest tee design to date?

over or under?

so, you are not a frequent blogger. how's that interaction effect your work as far as your art is concerned?

what music do you recommend the bloggers listen to in order to broaden their cool factor?

what is your time machine (made out of)? where are you headed in said machine and why?

do you have any weird body/face tricks (example: crossing your toes, curling your tongue)?

what makes you shake your head?

most importantly, what makes you shake your rumpah?



****this is just part one of our first shchshch. please ask additional questions of the artist. keep your eyes to the blogs for the second part to this teaser.*****


thanks!

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Hey readers and lovers,

It has been brought up a few times that bloggers want more interviews with artists and the artists would like to have more to say about themselves. We have heard your cries and would like to present to you:


Shootin' the Chat w/ Shirtflirt and chelly (or shchshch)


Keep an eye turned to this account for upgraded interviews (once lovingly called chattin' w/ chelly) and a higher frequency.

If all goes well, you will get:
*more artists
*more questions
*more stats
*more best/worst
*more sass
*more silly
*more more!

And we want to hear from YOU too! Let us know what you want to know. Add your own questions for the artists to answer. Interact w/o shame my friends. The time is now.

So, hello!

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