experiencing life
before the internet
Graphix Artiste 1) you were born in 1985, right? where did you grow up, and what was your environment like creatively?
Yes, I was born in 85, and grew up in Dallas. I was in the suburbs, and it was a very Ed, Edd n' Eddy kind of environment.
You go ask friends in the neighborhood to come out and play, you would see the latest trends walking around at school, and I was drawing pictures for a quarter in class so I could buy a snack.
Yes, I was born in 85, and grew up in Dallas. I was in the suburbs, and it was a very Ed, Edd n' Eddy kind of environment.
You go ask friends in the neighborhood to come out and play, you would see the latest trends walking around at school, and I was drawing pictures for a quarter in class so I could buy a snack.
2) when did the internet first enter your life, and what did it feel like at the time?
Internet first entered around 1997, we got dial-up, which started to slowly become accessible around the city and states. It was very cool, uncharted territory when you logged in.
A lot more discovery happening. It was the wild west. Very counter-culture with the early scenes developing digitally.
3) how did you find inspiration before everything was online?
Before the internet, you would find inspiration at school, going over to a friend's house, and that kid's older brother who listened to White Zombie with all the posters in his room. Or go digging around CD Warehouse, rent a movie or game at Blockbuster, or flip through pages at a small dingy comic book store. Oh, and TV.
4) was there a specific artwork, magazine, film, or music discovery that really shaped you early on?
I was definitely part of the MTV generation from the 90s- from Spring Break specials, music video blocks, TRL and late night Liquid Television- and I would watch it all summer long. If I had to really pinpoint what had the biggest impression on it, it was probably Fantasia on VHS, I was mesmerized. And maybe Sonic the Hedgehog, Sega Genesis had an edgy and hardstyle energy to it.Then came Beavis and Butthead, Ren & Stimpy, Korn’s Freak on a Leash music video, the Limp Bizkit Significant Other album cover, Beastie Boys Intergalactic, Parappa the Rapper, Toonami and Jet Set Radio.
5) do you think boredom or isolation helped your imagination growing up?
Boredom was a huge factor in helping imagination! You would be building forts in your house, drawing your own characters and making up stories, or just be outside getting lost in a sewer, doing dumb shit on bikes getting hurt. There was no urgency, just wonder.
Boredom was a huge factor in helping imagination!
6) do you think younger artists miss something today because everything is instant and always available?
Younger artist miss sitting with something, really absorbing it. Back then, you would have that one book, or one game that you would look at, obsessing over and over, because you didn’t have everything instantly accessible at your fingertips. Today, you see something cool, give it a Like, and scroll on. And really, the cool stuff is hard to find.
Do some digging on the Internet!
Younger artist miss sitting with something, really absorbing it. Back then, you would have that one book, or one game that you would look at, obsessing over and over, because you didn’t have everything instantly accessible at your fingertips. Today, you see something cool, give it a Like, and scroll on. And really, the cool stuff is hard to find.
Do some digging on the Internet!
7) what excites you about the internet today - and what feels wrong about it?
The thing that excites me about the internet right now is the cool little pocket communities you find amongst the scenes, whether it’s a Discord server or group chat on Instagram- that is where the tiny spirit of the old internet lives.There are so many new artists sharing some insanely cool art, and I love it. I look at it as a big art class, and everyone is working on something different.But on the same side of the coin, the Internet is very corporate now, everything is an ad or promoting something, feels like work and it's all becoming noise with how over-saturated it is.
8) your characters feels very simple but instantly recognizable. how did it first appear?
The base character came from trying to make a Astro Boy/Felix The Cat-like mascot, but stripped down to the essentials. I love mascots, so I just like to create a mascot for anything.But I was recently told that it’s the eyes that make them standout. The eyes!
The base character came from trying to make a Astro Boy/Felix The Cat-like mascot, but stripped down to the essentials. I love mascots, so I just like to create a mascot for anything.But I was recently told that it’s the eyes that make them standout. The eyes!
9) why do you think simple characters or symbols can feel so emotionally powerful?
It’s the mascot effect - They give you something to connect to, like a friend.A powerful symbol too, like the Aphex Twin logo has a similar effect, but more on the magick side. Both give you something to project onto and identify with.
10) did your visual style come naturally over time, or did you consciously search for it?
Both, when I started, I set out to kind of do my take on the Sanrio style. Then I discovered Carl Barks Donald Duck comics, and was inspired by all of his linework and character expressions. Over time, as I dug deeper within myself and followed the visions, I realized I wanted to captured the vibe of the 90s and feeling those characters you would see on JNCO jeans, old Skateboard brands and No Fear shirts, but for today on the Internet.Friendly, but mischievous.
