The Marma Spot:
Morning Jeff. How was your night?

Jeff Staple:
I slept 1.5 hours. Literally. Last night was Friday night. Party night right?!
No. I worked in the office till 12:30am. Then went to have a coffee with a friend. Then went home and packed my bags for a week long trip to Tokyo.
I slept from 6am-7:30am to catch my flight.

The Marma Spot:
Could you please introduce yourself for those that don’t know you?

Jeff Staple:
OK my name is jeffstaple. All lowercase. One word. No spaces. I founded Staple Design, Staple clothing and Reed Space. I’m also the Creative Director.

The Marma Spot:
Let’s jump right in. Can you talk to us a bit about how the Airwalk project came to be and then a bit about what you hope to accomplish with the line that is being sold at Payless?

Jeff Staple:
Airwalk approached Staple about doing a shoe. We were flattered but we’ve done shoes with other companies in the past (Nike, New Balance, Converse, Gravis, etc). I really wanted to do something bigger and more comprehensive. Fortunately, Airwalk was open to the ideas. Part of this larger idea was that the collection be sold at a retailer that could offer some reach and affordability. We’ve played in the upper tier market of sneaker culture. That’s really fun and cool but the down side is that it’s almost a myth. How many people have actually seen a NB Pigeon or a Pigeon Dunk with their own 2 eyes in person?. Probably not many. So my goal with this is to give access to more people.

The Marma Spot:
I know the relationship between Staple and Airwalk is long-term. Is there a
set number of shoes that you have agreed to complete with Airwalk or is it a contract based on a length of time?

Jeff Staple:
It’s a multi-year partnership. The style number is not set in stone. We design many styles and then certain ones always rise to the top.

The Marma Spot:
No shoe that you create for Airwalk is supposed to retail for more than $50, has this impacted the design or the materials you work with? How so/or
how not?

Jeff Staple:
I feel like design is not based on pricing of the shoe. A #2 Pencil can be beautiful in design. The material is a design challenge–a good one though.
The materials play a huge part in the final pricing of the shoe. But the design challenge we gave ourselves is creating something that is durable, comfortable, cool-looking and all within $49.99.

The Marma Spot:
Staple Design.com has recently undergone an extensive change. Your longtime blog To Darrin Hudson is now housed under the same roof as Staple Design, Reed Space, Reed Pages, your Twitter Feed, and everything else Staple.
It works well together. What were your main reasons for doing this?

Jeff Staple:
The main complaint I was hearing from fans was that they have to go to half a dozen places to see everything. In fact, most didn’t bother. And hence,
one group of people didn’t know we have a clothing line. Another group didn’t know we have a creative agency. And yet another group didn’t realize we have Reed Space. So I wanted to show everything. And that was no easy to task…to show everything we do in a clean simple website.

The Marma Spot:
I know you have been going back and forth to L.A. a nice bit in the past few months, would you ever consider expanding the Staple Collective to the west coast or at least open a Reed Space or Staple Design shop out there?

Jeff Staple:
Most definitely! I used to be anti-LA…but I gotta say, it’s growing on me
in a big way.

The Marma Spot:
People need goals. My list of goals is constantly changing in order to keep motivated and passionate. With all that you have done what are some things you still want to do before you’re all done?

Jeff Staple:
One of my main goals now is taking care of the people that hold it down for Reed and Staple. I’m trying to navigate the company in a manner where one day, people can retire from working here and be happy in what they’ve accomplished.

The Marma Spot:
I’m a recovering magazine addict. I have really narrowed in on a few key magazines that I like across different fields. The Reed Pages is quickly becoming one of the staples in that select group. Can you talk a bit about the approach you have taken with the Reed Pages as well as the strategies you’re using to help you build a loyal following?

Jeff Staple:
I’ve always wanted to do a print publication. I have a few ideas for different magazines. But one of them was doing a cultural publication stemming from Reed Space, and that’s what Reed Pages is. It’s basically just everything that inspires what I do. And as you can see, the inspiration source can be from anywhere. I don’t think about strategies for building a following. I do what feels right to my gut. And I’m fortunate that there are other people who are receptive to it.

The Marma Spot:
What are your top 5 magazines of all time, still in publication or not and why were/are they your favorite?

Jeff Staple:
Vibe (Year One). Ground breaking for hip-hip. Elevated the culture. The first issue with Treach on the cover said it all. Raygun (David Carson era). He did an entire issue Zapf Dingbats. Nuff said. New York Times Magazine (Sunday Edition). The magazine that doesn’t play by the rules of other magazines. They’re lucky because their distribution model allows them to be free. Monocle. The best new magazine. Hands down. Not only from design and editorial content. But from a business model as well. It’s genius. Wired. One of the few magazines, I can read from cover to cover…every single page. Great design…witty writing…perfect amount of information consumption.

The Marma Spot:
I am not only a recovering magazine addict but also a certified audiophile.
I have no intentions of getting help for it either. Ha. What music have you been listening to lately and what was the last album you bought?

Jeff Staple:
DOOM (aka MF Doom) “Born Like This” is the last album I bought.
Others: El Michel’s Affair Kitty, Daisy & Lewis Carole King Kanye West
Carly Simon Erykah Badu

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything you are currently working on that you can share details about with us?

Jeff Staple:
My health. It’s going well. I’ve lost 19 lbs since January.

The Marma Spot:
I want to be my own boss someday. What is the one thing I need to know above all else before taking the jump?

Jeff Staple:
Forget the idea. Ideas come a dime a dozen. Especially if you’re as good as you think you are. Figure out how you are going to run your BUSINESS.
How are you going to MAKE your thing? How are you going to STORE your thing? How are people going to PAY for your thing? Thinking about things like this will ensure you can live your dream longer.

The Marma Spot:
The Staple brand is pretty diverse any chance you’d enter into the realm of reality T.V.?

Jeff Staple:
I would love to. As long as it were done on my own terms. But I am definitely entertaining the idea.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything we haven’t touched on yet that you’d like to?

Jeff Staple:
Nope….I think we’re good. Thanks!

The Marma Spot:
Many thanks for taking the time out of your busy schedule to chop it up with us. Much peace and Much Respect from all of us here at The Marma Spot.

The Marma Spot:
Hello Barry. Please take a moment to introduce yourself.

Barry Jenkins:
Hello, my name is Barry Jenkins and I’m a filmmaker born and raised in
Miami, FL. As much as I enjoy making films, I sometimes think I enjoy
writing and talking about them even more. Film critic. That’s my dream job.

The Marma Spot:
How has your day been so far? What was the best thing that has
happened to you today?

Barry Jenkins:
My day’s been good, man. Been chipping away at this writer’s block and every day I find myself gettin’ a bit more done. Like taking a chisel to a glacier to make an ice sculpture, cause in the end that’s how right in form a script needs to be to work, an ice sculpture. Best thing that happened to me today happened just now. I’m sitting in the window of this coffee shop and just now a young woman walked by, she saw me through the glass and she stopped, she came into the cafe, tapped me on the shoulder and said hello. Said she’d seen the film and wanted to thank me for making it, for inspiring her to create something. That’d be the best thing that’d happen to me any day. When I was sittin’ around hoping and wanting  to make a film, that’s the kind of feeling I got from watching films of the people I admire, folks like Claire Denis and Lynne Ramsay. To have someone say that to you, man that’s love. ‘Cause it’s all a cycle, you put in your work, someone takes it in, gets a feeling and then they create there’s and the cycle keeps goin’.

The Marma Spot:
I learned about your film “Medicine for Melancholy” a short time before it was to be released in select theaters across America. I live in Milwaukee, WI and the movie wasn’t playing in any theater here but early this year it showed up for rent on my cable box. Could you talk a little about how providing it as a cable rental came to be?

Barry Jenkins:
IFC Films, the company that bought the film, has the day and date model ingrained in their business strategy for the exact reason you stated. The movie was on the big screen in New York, but even a cat in Milwaukee can download it On Demand in the comfort of their living room. This does two things, one, when the movie generates good press in a larger market like New York,
that fresh buzz can instantly pay off anywhere folks want to see the film. Without day and date, you may have to wait six months for the film to reach Milwaukee, at which point any buzz generated by a NY release has been lost. The more practical and relevant rationale goes to the indie music model: placing the movie On Demand erases the need to press a physical copy of the film, cutting costs for the distributor. For me, it’s ideal for folks to see the flick on the big screen with an audience but at the end of the day the most important is to get it seen however possible. Quiet as kept though, the movie is finally gonna screen in Milwaukee June 12th as part of the Bike-In Film Series. I wish I could make it out but a good friend of mine is getting married in Denver that weekend.

The Marma Spot:
I am interested in what the process was from your initial thoughts about the film to shooting the first scene?

Barry Jenkins:
It happened pretty fast. I wrote the script in April and we shot it in October. The time in between was all spent getting things together, organizing ourselves to be able to pull it off. As we got closer to the shooting date,
the responsibility ramped up, it got to the point where we’d put enough of ourselves into the process that not making the film would be more difficult than abandoning it.

The Marma Spot:
I know you went to the Film School of Florida State University and I was wondering what your fondest memory was?

Barry Jenkins:
Film school is like family. It’s damn close to being a blood relative the things you go through, the thirty-six hours with no-sleep to help your homeboy make a short film dealing with the death of his kid sister. Things like that bond you like family. My fondest memory is writing my first short film, My Josephine. The script was due the next day and I hadn’t even begun it, so I decided to lock myself in the computer lab for a night and make it happen. I had this image of two people in a laundrymat at night. Twelve hours later, I had the script for what ultimately convinced me I could indeed pursue this craft,
that I could realistically develop some skill at it.

The Marma Spot:
What is really interesting to me is the passion you had to get this project done. You guys made this movie with basically no budget. Could you talk
to us a bit about how you guys kept your costs so low?

Barry Jenkins:
We did everything ourselves. We cast the film, found the locations, built the website, designed the poster and the press kit, the trailer for the film, all of it was in house amongst friends. We couldn’t afford to hire anybody to take it on and IFC didn’t buy the film until after we’d begun to play festivals, so all of it we had to handle ourselves. When you’re doing everything on your own and not paying yourself, costs become pretty damn low!

The Marma Spot:
I am a firm believer that it’s not how much money you spend on getting a project done but it’s the passion you have while creating it and the commitment you have to keeping the idea or concept as true to your initial vision as possible. With that said, how close to the original script is the final cut of Medicine for Melancholy and how long did it take, start to finish,
to complete?

Barry Jenkins:
The original script is about 90% faithful to the final cut of Medicine For Melancholy. The divergences from one to the other have mostly to do with locations — writing for one place but adjusting the shoot to the availability of another — and performance: Wyatt and Tracey brought some wonderfully subtle details to the characters impossible to capture in a script. I wrote the film in April, we shot in October/November and the version you saw was more or less edited by New Years. That’s a hell of a turn around, we shot fifteen days and cut the movie in forty. When you’re moving that fast, the final product has to be faithful to the scripted version, there just isn’t time to contemplate and “find the movie in the post” as happens with more loosely scripted, adlibbed fare. We’re extremely proud of that aspect of the film, bringing the picture in as professionally as our resources would allow without losing any of the passion or thematic intent that led me write it. Regardless of the percieved quality of the film, which is anyone’s opinion, we’re damn proud of that.

The Marma Spot:
It’s funny to me that the male lead in the movie, Wyatt Cenac who played the role of Micah, is a standup comedian because while he did have comical points in the film he was also fairly serious. I mean compared to Tracey Heggins who played Jo, I’d peg him the “comic relief” but still he was serious. Since the film was written before you landed Wyatt, did you tone his comedic side down on purpose or was it something that just happened and also, did you add the parts that allow his natural comedic flair to shine after finding him?

Barry Jenkins:
We didn’t change the script at all to suit Wyatt and, at the same time,
we didn’t alter his personality to suit the character either. Wyatt’s a very gifted performer. There’s comedy written into that character and wherever possible, Wyatt took the barest thread of those elements and embellished them,
made them flourish. To me, it was his way of truly getting “into” the character, identifying with this aspect of a man who uses humor as a tool…in this case to crack the surface of our female character Jo’. Finding Wyatt was a wonderful accident, it is a serious role and thus I’d never considered casting a comedian. Once we saw Wyatt read though — and after seeing dozens of “real” actors — it became clear that he was far and away the best man for this part.

The Marma Spot:
It’s been a while since I saw the film so I might be a little rusty on this,
but there was a point in the film, I believe it was when they were walking through the museum, where Jo stopped and looked at or picked up a card
that had a Goethe quote on it. I have my own ideas about why that it there but I’d like to hear from you what the importance of that quote being placed there was?

Barry Jenkins:
That was first and foremost personal. That quote means a lot to me both as an individual as an artist which, of course, are one in the same. There were a lot of events leading to the making of this film, and one of them stemmed directly from finding that quote, using it as a directive to “be” what I wanted to be instead of “wanting” to be. Ultimately, these characters are parts of myself and as such I wanted to give them the same experience I felt I needed in the journey of realizing myself, becoming empowered with the aide of this quote.
I go back and forth because as a filmmaker, I think it’s formally soft-headed to cut to that quote. For me, if the moment played in the wide where we see Jo’ pick up the card but the information is hers and we never cut to the actual quote, that’s a formally rigorous way of handling that moment. But as a person, I walked into that museum after deciding to write this script and,
sure enough, I turned to the counter, picked up that card and there it was, this quote that had led me on this journey (I’d become familiar with the quote long before moving to San Francisco). Formalism be damned, finding the quote again in this museum so many years later at such a critical point in my life…as a human being I had to share this moment. This is why the quote
is there.

The Marma Spot:
I know you probably get asked this one a lot but as a graphic designer I was attracted to this film on multiple levels. The color and saturation created a feeling that worked so well with the content being handled that I can’t help but ask. Was it your intent to make the impact of the visuals match the impact of the content?

Barry Jenkins:
The idea was to conjure a way to visually communicate the characters’ emotional relation to the city, this “melancholy” mentioned in the title. In a way, it was just as much a critique on the cinematic representations of San Francisco, on the warm and sunny depictions of the Golden Gate Bridge so cliche of the films set here. In shooting the film, we super-saturated the images to capture as much color as possible. Then in post-production,
we systematically drew nearly all of it out. In her review, critic Karina Longworth posited that the film was 93 percent desaturated to reflect the city’s 7 percent African American population, an extraordinary assessment to make by eye! The truth is, the desaturation fluctuates slightly depending on the character’s interactions, but for the most part, the film is indeed 93 percent desaturated. Now, as much as we’d like to, we can’t take credit for consciously tinting the film with those stats in mind. Yet in the end,
the synergy of the ideas we were attempting and the reality they reflect amounted to a relationship between film and reality that brings thematic import to an aesthetic technique.

The Marma Spot:
Everything seemed to be handled so well. The title sequence, which I believe happens after or during the end of the cab ride, was also appealing to me.
Can you tell us a bit about that and who designed/edited it? Do they have a portfolio site up that you can direct us to?

Barry Jenkins:
The title sequence was meant to unfold over a still image of the city. There’s a shot where Jo’ and Micah walk over a hill and disappear beneath the horizon. That shot rolls for a full two minutes, the idea being to bring the credits up over this image and sound of the city. As we were cutting the film, we realized that while formally this was an intellectually interesting way to handle the sequence, there was also something distancing about it because again,
our two characters have disappeared yet we’re keeping the audience here to watch titles? A few days later as we were looking at the footage of Micah in the cab traveling home, I asked Nat, my film school friend and editor on the flick,
to put a song underneath  the traveling shots. He put that Casiotone song over it and right away, I never touch the keyboard when he’s editing but I literally reached out and hit the stop button, told him to put a random title card over the shot: we had our title sequence. The graphic design elements you mention in all came from Justin Barber, our producer and, again, an old film school friend. We sent him the edit with the music beneath the traveling shots and temp title cards (we were in San Francisco but Justin had gone back to LA after we finished shooting), and he integrated the cards into the enviornment having them spring from the asphalt, wipe into buildings and things like that. Justin built our website, our posters, all the design elements while acting as producer. This is how you keep costs low: find friends with talent who’ll go to hell and back for you. All these things people assume we had professionally done we did ourselves because we had to.

The Marma Spot:
The song that is used on for the trailer was immediately appealing to me because I had never heard it before. What was the process for selecting the soundtrack like? Were the musicians pretty open to you using their music in your film?

Barry Jenkins:
The majority of the music I had in mind while writing the script; I keep a running list of songs by indenpendent artists I think would work well in a film and eighty percent of the songs in the film come directly from that list.
Again, when you’re working with time constraints as we were, knowing the elements you need as far in advance as possible is crucial to getting things done. We didn’t know anyone when we made this film, and when we approached bands about using their music this was an asset. We’d contact bands on MySpace, through their websites, Facebook, however we could get to them. Most of the bands were down from jump when they realized how small we were, six friends from film school making a movie. Whenever they weren’t, we just moved on to another.

The Marma Spot:
Before I ever saw the film I wanted the soundtrack but it was never officially released. Are there any plans to officially release the soundtrack at all and if yes when can we expect it?

Barry Jenkins:
These bands are very savvy, and while they’re more than willing to be included in the film they’re not at all into being released as part of a soundtrack. From a business standpoint, I understand their reasoning,
it usually doesn’t help a band to have what might be their best track available as a stand alone in a package that relieves the need to purchase their album. There won’t ever be a soundtrack released for this film.

The Marma Spot:
When will “Medicine for Melancholy” be available for Purchase and will it be available on Blu-ray Disc as well as regular DVD?

Barry Jenkins:
The movie will finally be out on DVD this September. There definitely won’t be a Blu-Ray disc, we ain’t big tyme like that.

The Marma Spot:
I know you are busy know with the promotion of this movie but do you have any plans for or are you currently working on any other projects at the moment?

Barry Jenkins:
I would’ve gotten this interview done a long time ago if I wasn’t working on four things at once. It’s a blessing, I’ve always wanted to work as much as am right now in the craft I love. It’s a blessing.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything else you would like to touch on that we haven’t already?

Barry Jenkins:
Not really man, except to state that whatever success the film has had is directly tied to folks like yourself taking an interest, spreading the word via blogs, tweets, Facebook, whatever. Again, it’s like a cypher, people just keep passing it on and we’re forever thankful.

The Marma Spot:
Is there any you would like to shout out?

Barry Jenkins:
Justin Barber, Nat Sanders, James Laxton, Cherie Saulter, Alejandro Cruz, Nikolas Zasimczuk, Wyatt Cenac, Tracey Heggins. That was the entirety of the crew that made this film a reality. It’s impossible to make a film that’s gotten the reach and exposure we’ve attained with so few crew, so small a group of people with no connections or cache. Or so I thought. Much love, thanks and respect to those folks, my friends who didn’t once tell me no when I said I wanted to make this film.

The Marma Spot:
Thanks for taking time out of your day to talk with us. peace+respect.

Barry Jenkins:
The same to you.

The Marma Spot:
Find out more about Barry Jenkins, Medicine for Melancholy and other upcoming projects here.

The Marma Spot:
Good Morning Aaron, I hope you are well. Would you please introduce yourself and briefly explain what your job is for those people who might not be familiar.

Aaron Draplin:
Hello, my name is Aaron James Draplin and I’m writing these words in Portland, Oregon, looking out over the Willamette River. Right now,
traffic’s pretty heavy on The Five.

I’m a graphic designer, rolling up my sleeves for the Draplin Design Co.,
Field Notes and Wilderness. I am originally from the Midwest—Traverse City, Michigan to be exact. I’ve lived all over. Minneapolis, Anchorage, Bend,
Los Angeles and now Portland.

I make logos, art direct a Snowboard magazine, watch over all design needs for Coal Headwear and Union Bindings, think up and produce Field Notes, travel the states as much as possible, run my daily blog, keep Gary alive
and just try to stay busy and keep everything as fun as possible.

The Marma Spot:
I know you worked with Steve Juras and Chris Glass to create a logo for the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) and a logo for the U.S. Department of Transportation’s, TIGER (Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery). Could you first tell us a little about how this project came about and secondly, what specific role you played in the development process?

Aaron Draplin:
Unfortunately, I’m not at liberty to discuss what just might be biggest logo gig of my lifetime, and it kills me. What a letdown, eh? Someday, I’ll be able to tell the whole story, and show you the whole mess of logos we submitted and all that. But for now, I’m still on the clock with an intense confidentiality agreement. So I can gotta play fair. I like to think it’s “a matter of national security” or something.

The Marma Spot:
Were there any other people besides the ones I mentioned that played significant roles in the creating of the logos or in the process?

Aaron Draplin:
I’d like to think President Obama himself was at the table flipping through
the pages of stuff we sent. But then again, I can’t speculate on that in print.
Wait, I already am. Oops.

The Marma Spot:
The Daily Section of the Draplin Design Co. site has provided days of inspiration for me. How do you have the time to post something everyday and are you posting as much for yourself as you are for the people that are looking at your site? Do you use it as a digital diary of sorts that you can go back to and look at for inspiration later on?

Aaron Draplin:
You know, I just sorta make the time for it, or something. I do a little bit
here and there over the course of the day so I don’t really even notice it.
My so-called “work” day consists of working on projects, figuring out things with clients, maintaining Gary, playing some guitar, trying to win records off the eBay, bloggin’ up some hot air and surfin’ for cool stuff on the web.

I get sent a lot of cool links, and am always looking for stuff too. As designers, we are so lucky to have that time. And hell, it’s the least I can do to prop up some cool link someone sent in, or I found in my travels. I just like sharing stuff. Or, I like the idea of saying, “Check this out, this will blow your mind like it did mine.” Too many things are just too good to pass up. Plus, it’s just fun to think that I’m inspiring someone with this stuff.

More and more I’m starting to lap myself. Like, I’ll be looking for something, and find a link, freak out, and then realize I’d been there before. Or a link will pop up from my site. Ha!

The Marma Spot:
On the Daily Section you often post about the music you are listening to.
I really enjoy that. What would your top five songs of 2008 be and why?

Aaron Draplin:
I’m gonna rely on the iTunes to figure this one out. Here goes:

01.
Lambchop’s “Ohio” off Oh (Ohio) and man, it’s just cuz it’s rolling, soft,
lazy and lovely. I don’t use the word, “Lovely” really, uh, ever, but this time, it’s appropriate. I was raised on punk rock, so this soft shit really soothes me.

02.
Spiritualized’s “Death Take Your Fiddle.” A scary song about mortality.

03.
Wilco’s “Impossible Germany.” Man. Two years after this one came out,
and I’m still trying to learn it on my guitar. I find it very exciting to be witnessing such an incredible band at what feels the “height of their creativity”
and knowing, they’ll blow you away again and again. Can’t get enough of
this song.

04.
The Hold Steady’s “Yeah Saphhire.” Anthems, man.

05.
Son Volt’s epic “Windfall” off Trace for the simple reason that it’s just one of my favorite songs of all time. I play it every couple days. “May the wind take your troubles away. Both feet on the floor. Two hands on the wheel. May the wind take your trouble away.” I used to wash dishes to this song on a train up in Alaska, so, it’s saved my life more than once. When I die, this one is to be played as my ashes are spread out in 49 of the 50 states. (Hawaii? Yeah right.) This will be Ryno’s job so he better be alive when I kick it.

The Marma Spot:
Chris Cobb, a friend of mine, sent me a link to America is F*cked (Graphically At Least), a clip from the mini documentary, about 8 months ago. I was drawn to your honesty and passion. When will the mini doc come out and will it
be something that will be for sale or will it be free for all to watch like
the preview?

Aaron Draplin:
We’ve got a mountain of footage, and this fun, little project has grown from
a “making a couple fun episodes about this and that” into scope-sensitive questions like, “Are we missing something?” Jess Gibson, that beast, got me into this mess. “Let me film you, man.” I accepted. It’s weird having a camera on you. I didn’t know my head was that big! Physically speaking, that is.
I have a big fuckin’ head! Like a medicine ball or something. So gross.

Right now we’ve got about six or seven little episodes in the bag and Jess is fine tuning them. I talk about where I came from, what stuff inspires me,
who I look up to and you go junkin’ with me at different haunts around Portland and what not. I really hope people dig it. It’ll be free. Hell yes.
Like anyone would buy it?! This thing was just a little fun project until
45,000 people viewed it and started writing in.

We’ve had an incredible response from the first episode and I’m relieved to say that I’m not “going after the lazy designers of the world” or anything.
Not the case. I just riffed on a missed opportunity I experienced first hand, and told Jess the story. All that cussin’ wasn’t necessarily appropriate, but,
he got me all fired up and I let it fly. Sorry, Mom.

The Marma Spot:
Have you seen/heard about the new Wisconsin Logo/Theme?

Aaron Draplin:
I have. Just a little though. Bring me up to speed.

The Marma Spot:
Well, recently Wisconsin added a brand new 50k logo/theme to the new state branding strategy. It wasn’t well received. Some won’t agree with me but I feel there is a direct correlation between the new logo/theme of Wisconsin
and the new sign the Sunset Motor Lodge that you spoke about in the mini documentary clip. What would be the best way to take control back of American graphics seeing as just working hard and holding yourself to a high standard doesn’t seem to be enough anymore?

Aaron Draplin:
What’s the best way to take control back? Honestly, I don’t know.
How about these idears as a starting point:

01. Know and respect the design history that came before you.
02. Cherish the fact that each job deserves your very best work.
03. No excuses.

That big mouth of mine and the rant that came out of it was simply a
reaction to yet another “missed opportunity” on the American landscape.
What a chance to set that little motel apart from the goddamned Kentucky Fried Chicken and Wal Mart and whatever swallowing up the rest of the strip,
you know? But that’s not what happened. And that hurt.

So when I look at the Wisconsin logo, and taking into consideration the 50k budget, well, I just have to say: That’s a lot of loot to work with to get the job done right. You know, more than enough time and manpower to look at the other 49 states and come up with something incredible. Or maybe not? I don’t know the story. Do I dig it? Not especially. Does it make me want to go to Wisconsin? I wish it did. More importantly, am I the guy who they are targeting? I can see parents liking this. I mean, that’s the thing, before I criticize stuff, I try to think about the intended target, and then I open my
big mouth.

What’s the best way to take back control? Here’s a longshot: Working hard and doing your absolute best, no matter the gig, budget or timeline. You get this chance to do it right, so do it. You have to love what you make. I look at every job like this: It’s my name on the line. Plain and simple. I don’t have too much patience for the “just get it done” school of thought.

The Marma Spot:
Who are some designers that inspire you and why?

Aaron Draplin:
Man, that’s a tough one. I mean, I got a list a mile long, you know?

But to boil it down, it’s the designers that have that certain “thing” you see in their work. You just feel it. It might be the way they pick colors or craft type or write or treat an image. There’s just so many macro instances that blow my mind. For instance, there was a gal at Hatch in San Francisco who made the  “little spool of thread” icon in the directions for their latest promo kit, and, man, that little spool of thread was so beautifully done, and such a nice,
little detail…I just really appreciated it. Like, she went the extra mile to add that to the page, and hell, it just blew my mind. She has “it” and that’s the kind of stuff that keeps me going.

But just to indulge the gushing fan in me, here’s a short list, and I have to break it down into a couple categories:

BACK IN THE DAY: Mr. Rand, Mr. Bass, Mr. Beall, Mr. Warhol, Mr. Chwast,
Mr. Vignelli, Mr. Lubalin, Mr. Noyes, Mr. Aicher, Mr. Renner, Mr, Miedinger
and Mr. Huber.

RIGHT NOW: Frank Chimero, Feliz Sockwell, Coudal Partners, Cabell Harris
of Work, Athletics NYC, Ed Ruscha, Chris Glass, Joel Templin, Art Chantry,
Jeff Kleinsmith, Jesse Ledoux, Cody Hudson, Jared Eberhardt, House Industries.

MINNEAPOLIS: Wink, Todd Piper-Hauswirth, Chuck’s CSA Design empire, Aesthetic Apparatus, Aaron Horkey, Sharon Werner, Joe Kral, Duffy,
Laurie DeMartino, Haley Johnson, Jon Baugh, Matt Rezac, Jason Miller. I don’t know man, there’s just something great always going on in the Minneapolis design scene. I still kick myself for leaving in 2000 after a brief stint at MCAD wrapping up a hi-falutin’ design degree there. There’s just so much good work going on there.

GHOSTS & DUST: And of course, the forgotten heroes of packaging,
brochure and signage design from “back in the day” that don’t get the
love they deserve. Thank you, champions.

NO THANKS: And here’s who can take a hike: The post post post post modern graphic designin’ of the roarin’, wild “ground breaking” mid-90’s.
All that “damaged/Ray Gun/illegible/puked out” stuff, you know? I mean,
I guess we had to go there, just to push the limits, but man, what a pile
of crap.

The Marma Spot:
Who are some people that aren’t designers that inspire you and why?

Aaron Draplin:
The charm, creativity and determination of Wayne Coyne of the Flaming Lips.
The wholesome quality of Jared and Jeruscha Hess.
The dialogue of those Coen Brothers.
The grit and pastoral landscapes of Cormac MacCarthy.
The hilarity of Jack Black.
The growl of David Yow.
The linework and beautiful dispair of Chris Ware.
The cynicism of Paul Westerberg.
The stoicism of Jay Farrar.
The guitarrorism of J Mascis.
The drumming of Stephen Drozd of the Flaming Lips.
The confidence and class of Barack Obama.

But damn, those people are stars, you know? Coming back down to earth, here’s a hero of mine from my hometown of Traverse City, Michigan:

When I was home in the fall, my dad took a spill, ripped a muscle in his leg and a painful hematoma developed and he had to spend a couple weeks in the hospital healing up. Normal procedure. My dad’s got a friend named Rene who’s a deacon for the Catholic Church in Northern Michigan. Rene came by to visit dad a couple times and he told me about the work he did. Here’s a guy who administers last rites to people on their death bed, or befriends people who are sick with no relatives left. I find that kind of strength, kindness and selflessness so incredibly powerful. Here’s a guy who cares for people in possibly the scariest moment of their life, or prays for them and their family.
I just have a Grand Canyon of respect for the guy.

He does his job so well, with such great poise. I think that kind of stoicism
and quiet strength can be applied to everything.

The Marma Spot:
I don’t believe there is such a thing as a 9to5. I believe as a designer you’re always “on the clock” and you’ve always got that creative hat on. Do you have any stories about a time when a solution to a problem came to you outside of nine to five?

Aaron Draplin:
Oh man, there’s been a ton of times when I’m just dozing off and I have to sit up, put the light on, find a pencil and jot down an idea or solution to a logo or and “save” whatever’s on my mind at that moment. I don’t know how to describe it other than, there’s something special about that time where you let your guard down just before crashing out, and how your mind wanders.
This also applies to taking a shower, driving or waiting in line for the elevator.
I’m just always thinking about stuff, or a project, or whatever.

There’s been many times where I was battling something a couple hours before the deadline and hit on something. You kind of surprise yourself.
And man, that shit’s pure magic. Good process goes a long way, but so does “throwing caution to the wind” and just sorta going for it. I like pushing things, to see what you might invent in the wee hours of the night, or those scary couple hours before the big deadline.

9-to-5? Yeah, right. Here’s how I look at each day: You get a good 10-12 hours to make something good, you know? At the end of the day, there’s a chance you love what you made, or, the effort you put forth. Since I can’t really separate what I do along the lines of work vs. play, this stuff just sorta all meshes into one big pile of, “I love being in the shop and busy.”
Whether it’s on the big project or the tiny one, you still gotta give your all. When I get up, I race down to the shop, cuz there’s just so much fun stuff to tear into, all the time. And by 5 pm, hell, that when the calls stop and I can hammer on stuff with a surgical focus. Going until midnight doesn’t phase me in the least.

The Marma Spot:
Are you working on any projects now that you can talk about with us?

Aaron Draplin:
Always. I’ve always got a couple coals in the fire. Field Notes has been growing and growing and our new “plain,” “ruled” and “mixed” three-packs have expanded our products into a real, live “product line.” We’re working up our very own steno book right now, and I’m here to tell you, this will be the finest steno book ever made in the states. Ever! Many thanks to the good people of Coudal Partners for their hard work on Field Notes.

I’ve got an art show in late May at Office in Portland. My favorite store in Portland! I don’t really consider myself an artist in the sense of “having a show” so this one is turning out to be a fun challenge. I’m making a poster showing basically every logo, icon or wordmark from my career up to this point. All the warts and moles slammed into the biggest sheet they can fit on the printer. It’s been super fun digging into the archives and grabbing this and that. May 27th, Portlanders! You better be there. I’ll be making a list.

I’m working up the new album design for my favorite Portland band of all time, Richmond Fontaine. I can’t tell you how honored I am to be helping out Willy and the band on this one. Full CD package design, and vinyl package too! A dream gig for me.

And finally, we’re locking down plans for the World’s Longest Yard Sale. We did it last summer. Flew into Chicago, drove over to Defiance, Ohio and followed Highway 127 all the way down to Birmingham, Alabama hitting every yard sale, flea market and junk store along the way. Five state, 650 miles,
four days. The weather was incredible and we had a fuckin’ blast. I brought home a couple suitcases of treasures, and sadly, had to leave a lot of stuff behind. This year we’re doing things a little differently: I’m buying a passenger van in Oregon and trucking down there so we’ve got our own set of wheels and more space, and, a way to haul the load back home. Can’t wait. A note to Dale, Jess and Evan: You bastards better be ready.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t already?

Aaron Draplin:

I think we’ve covered just about everything. I feel very complete.
Like I had a good meal.

The Marma Spot:
Are there any people out there that you would like to send a shout
out to or respect?

Aaron Draplin:

Mom, Dad, Leigh, Gary, Ewan, Goo, Nakamoto, Ryno, Hoss, Dale, Evan, Jess, Mark, Brad, George, Marty, Baker, Larry, Basher, Micahylira, Coulter, Capozzi, Cory, Coyle, Rod, Campbell, Derek, Bry, Chad and all the clients who give me a chance. And, all the folks who read the blog each day or buy a piece of DDC merch. You guys are the wind in my sails!

The Marma Spot:
Thanks for all of your time peace+respect.

Aaron Draplin:
Thanks for believing in the DDC and all its shady subsidiaries!

The Marma Spot:
To check out the amazing run of daily inspiration posted and some pretty great work check out The Draplin Design Co. Check out and purchase the handy Field Notes too. Another DDC production.

The Marma Spot:
Hello Mike. How are you today? Please introduce yourself for
those who do not know who you are.

Mike Mills:
It’s hot today, so I’m hot. I’m trying to make a film, trying to make some graphics that you might take personally, trying to answer all my e-mail,
trying to be a good guardian to my dog.

The Marma Spot:
When you were little what did you want to be/do?

Mike Mills:
First an Architect, then a pro skater, then I hoped my punk band would
be my entree into the world, then, as a last resort I went to art school.

The Marma Spot:
I believe that people aren’t “made” creative but are born that way. I also agree with what you have said about your earlier work “You’re always trying to wear the cool clothes and looking back you realize you didn’t even have your clothes on. No wonder everyone was giving me weird looks!” With that said what was the first “weird look” you got?

Mike Mills:
The first really weird look, and maybe the most powerful weird look was
from myself, in the mirror. I thought I was weird, I thought I was fucked up,
I thought I should be more like you know, Dana and Mandy and Matt and Dave. That was the most damaging weird look.

The Marma Spot:
What interests me most is how a person sustains so many relationships
with so many creative fields. How do you assign ideas in your head to a
specific field?

Mike Mills:
This sounds pretentious, but I think I think of myself as a conceptual artist who likes to work in “public” mediums rather than “private” ones like
art galleries. To me the different career categories are really just false creations of art schools, the people who thought up careers. It’s all one big conversation I’m trying to engage in, there are different parts to the conversation, different ways of talking, short talks and long deep private talks, but it’s all the attempt to communicate, to not be alone, to be a part of things.

The Marma Spot:
Can you walk us through an abridged version of the steps, from your first thoughts to final product, of your first movie?

Mike Mills:
Oh lord, it took 5ish years so that would be long and boring. When the presidential election was on, it reminded me a lot of making a film. It’s that long and that hard. It’s totally unlike anything else I do in that way. And you deal with so much more rejection: all the people that don’t want to be in your film, all the people that don’t want to pay for your film, all the people that in the end don’t like your film, and therefore don’t like you, but they do like writing in the comments sections of websites. But then there are all the people you get to have a long 2 hour, late night, intimate conversation with
(the people that saw your film and liked it!). And these people are from all over the world, they’re all kinds of people. That’s pretty amazing.

The Marma Spot:
There are many things that inspire. What things have you found
inspire you most?

Mike Mills:
It’s most powerful when it’s something you least expected? African pop music, Pierre Bonnard’s paintings, discovering Lorrie Moore’s stories, Michael Polan’s books on the environmental politics of food, what Jane Goodal does, Mad Men, the crazy culture shaping effects of the California Gold Rush, a film you just bumped into like “After Life” by Koreda. I guess by this I’m saying it’s very important to stumble around in the dark, to follow hunches especially if they seem unlikely (sometimes), to be open that thing you used to think was stupid. And that most things aren’t different (for instance a song and a film,
a t-shirt and a political ideology) it just seems like they’re different.

The Marma Spot:
What dreams do you have that you want to become reality?

Mike Mills:
Most of all, I want to make this personal, idiosyncratic film I’ve been working on. Even if we are in a recession, especially if we are in a recession, do you hear me! I mean if the world can take “I Love You Man” or “Ghost of Girlfriends Past” if that utter crap is somehow good or bankable, it can take a shot of this unprocessed food, this sustainably grown film food, this handmade with something real and personal at stake and for one tenth of the costs film. You know?

The Marma Spot:
I have adopted a new personal train of thought “Let’s Begin By Letting Go.”
Is there anything in your life you want to let go of and why?

Mike Mills:
That reminds me of the Corita Kent teaching slogan, “Consider Everything
An Experiment”. Or this very awesome Allen Ginsberg quote on creativity:
“The parts that embarrass you the most are usually the most interesting poetically, are usually the most naked of all, the rawest, the goofiest,
the strangest and most eccentric and at the same time, most representative, most universal…(It’s important to) write things down which you will not publish and which you won’t show people. To write secretly…so you can actually be free to say anything you want… It means abandoning being a poet, abandoning your careerism, abandoning even the idea of writing any poetry, really abandoning, giving up as hopeless-abandoning the possibility of really expressing yourself to the nations of the world. Abandoning the idea of being a prophet with honor and dignity, and abandoning the glory of poetry and just settling down tin the muck of your own mind…you have to make a resolution just to write for yourself… in the sense of not writing to impress yourself,
but just writing what your self is saying.” What an amazing thing he said!!

The Marma Spot:
You have worked on a nice amount of album art for many different bands/musicians. What are the last 5 albums you bought and the most
current 5 songs played from/on your iPod/iTunes?

Mike Mills:
Last Albums I bought: 1. Thomas Mapfumo 2. First Yeah Yeah Yeah
records (again) 3. Velvet Underground “Loaded”4. Scott Joplin best of
5. Robert Johnson best of. Last songs played all by S.E. Rogie’s record
“Palm Wine Guitar”.

The Marma Spot:
You have a new book out Mike Mills: Graphics/Films that covers your work from the last 10-15 years. Looking back on all of the work in this book,
what project was the most enjoyable to work on and why and which
project’s outcome do you like best.

Mike Mills:
That’s a hard question. It’s not really like that for me, it’s more of a process
or a mindspace that I’m in on a lot of projects that feels the most, how shall I
put it… healthy.

The Marma Spot:
With everything you work on, how do you keep it all organized?

Mike Mills:
Oh Fuck I don’t! I’m so glad I got that book done, it’s the best way to present a whole bunch of work. I do try to save everything, in flat files and boxes,
but it’s totally unorganized.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t already?

Mike Mills:
Remember life before the internet?

The Marma Spot:
Are there any people out there that you would like to send a
shout out to or respect?

Mike Mills:
Michael Polan, Lou Reed (except for the Supreme ads – but even then
I must admit, quite cunning and strategic), Dorthea Lange, Hans Haacke, Princess Leia, Josephine Baker, the fictional character “Thomas” from Unbearable Lightness of Being (especially at the end of the book), the girls in the film “Daisies”, Duane Peters circa 1980, Bowser the deceased dog,
my godson Cortez Cole, the mountain lions trapped in the Santa Monica mountains (especially P8), the piano player in “Don’t Shoot The Piano Player”, my dad’s friend Hal (so dignified), Fischli and Weiss.

The Marma Spot:
From us here at the Marma Spot thank you so much for taking time out of your busy schedule to chat with us. It means a lot. peace+respect.
To see more of Mike Mills work click here.

The Marma Spot:
Morning Melissa & James. How are you two today? Please take a moment to introduce yourselves for those that don’t know.

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: We’re JW & Melissa Buchanan from The Little Friends of Printmaking. We’re artists/designers living in Milwaukee. We were first known for designing concert posters, but now we do a bunch of different things. We’re about thirty.

Melissa: We studied Fine Art at the University of Wisconsin. We’ve been married almost 9 years. We’re award-winning illustrators. We’re collectors
of stuff. We release about 20 art prints a year. We think art should be cheap. Nobody knows if we’re artists or designers, including us.

The Marma Spot:
What time did you go to bed last night and what time did you
wake this morning?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
Melissa: We went to bed around 2:00 or 3:00am and woke up at 10:00. That’s our usual schedule.

James: It’s good for us because we can get a lot of work in without those weird, wasted morning hours.

The Marma Spot:
Branding is important especially in this day and age where there are millions of creative individuals doing their thing. I have been a fan of Little Friends of Printmaking for a while and always wondered about your name. It definitely sets you apart right away from everyone else. How did it come to be?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: Melissa and I were at the university and we’d just started to work together. Around that time, our best friend Joe was involved in the student government. Somehow he’d discovered that student organizations had free and unlimited access to university fleet vehicles—cars, vans, busses— and not just the big and important student groups but the renaissance faire people and the frisbee golfers and the didgeridoo club and so on. Knowing this, he decided to start a sham student organization so that he could rent a van. And so one day, he came over and said to us, “Congratulations, you’re the President and the Vice President of the UW Art Club,” and we all had our little sneaky giggle about that. Shortly thereafter, Melissa and I started getting phone calls night and day from people who wanted to join this exceedingly fake and unjoinable UW Art Club; our home phone had been listed online as the primary contact. Chemistry majors with an undiscovered talent for decoupage were now leaving us messages in the middle of the night asking us to “evaluate” their “portfolio.” And so it became necessary to change the name of the club– to change it to something that would inspire ZERO interest in the general public and elicit no phone calls, ever: The Little Friends of Printmaking.

I thought Printmaking would be good because of its total lack of glamour. When people aspire to be artists, they are almost certainly not thinking about lithography. And then pairing that with something pitiable and modest like
The Little Friends of, which has a Catholic school, The Poor Sisters of Our Lady of the Bleeding Exploding Heart kind of thing going on but also a starchy English sort of intractability; it definitely did the job. The phone stopped ringing immediately. And then eventually Melissa and I adopted it as our name for the work we do together, because we’d really liked it. So we’ve always thought it was funny that a name we came up specifically to repel people has been so effective for us.

Melissa: We love doing branding stuff for Little Friends. We love coming up with slogans and writing the newsletter and making alternate logos. Sometimes it can be more fun than making the artwork, making the product.
I feel like everything we put out there ought to be a reflection of our personality, and not just the artwork but everything. It’s not that we believe in building some kind of cult of personality around ourselves—We want to find the people who want our stuff, and we want them to feel like they kind of know us.

The Marma Spot:
Something I am very interested in is the balance between creativity and sustainability. As team/business how do you handle and keep all of the
“office work” straight and how do you change gears from that “office work”
to the creative side?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: Melissa is a much better executive than I am.

Melissa: We just document everything. I keep lists. A master to-do list that’s constantly updated, a master list of shipments to send out, a master list of print ideas, a schedule of prints to release. And then we can organize all that information into a semblance of order. I’m a chronic, habitual e-mail checker, and we get loads. If you keep on top of it all, it isn’t too much work really. Keeping track of these things myself has been really helpful in some ways.
I’ll meet people and they’ll say, “You probably don’t know who I am; I sent you an e-mail three years ago—“ and I will say, “Oh, no. I know who you are.”
I know who everyone is. It’s creepy (for them).

The Marma Spot:
I live here in Milwaukee also and am “trying to make it work” so to speak.
It’s rough not living in a major metropolitan area but Little Friends is thriving.
It’s almost like people that live in one of the major areas don’t trust people in a little cities to do work. How was it first starting off and what things did you do/what things happened that helped clients trust you more and get you seen as a legitimate option for clients?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: That’s true about a lot of New York clients. They would definitely prefer it if you’re out there with them. They put an inflated value on the idea that you’re right around the corner, even if they intend to deal with you only through e-mail and conference calls. It seems like security but it really signifies nothing. I guess it was hard for us starting out, but at the same time we weren’t looking to New York at the beginning. Our focus was almost completely local. Slowly, we started getting more and more far-flung jobs,
and now we’re at a point where I think only two or three of our clients
are in Milwaukee.

Melissa: I think that for a lot of people there’s a certain novelty to us being here in Milwaukee. I think it’s actually led to stuff for us. You have to find a way to make that work for you, not against you. We never apologized for being in Wisconsin. I think you just have to do cool stuff and make people think, “Hey, there’s something fun, cool, different happening over there.
I want to be a part of that.”

James: I also think having done stuff for overseas markets and being kind of popular outside the States has made it all right for people on the coasts to hire us for stuff. In Europe, they really don’t care that you’re not in New York.
It’s all America to them.

The Marma Spot:
What I really like about your work besides the amazing color is the Little Friends lens I see the world through. Seeing how another creative individual honestly sees marks, for me, a successful product/style/brand. Who are some people’s lenses you like looking through and what things inspire you both and your art?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: I think Geoff McFetridge is the main one. Our primary goal when we set out to do something is just to not completely rip him off. I remember first seeing his work and Mike Mills’ work back when I was in high school. I had always been fine art-oriented and that was maybe the first stuff I saw that got me thinking that there was some alternate path to take, or that I was more interested in design than I’d thought.

Melissa: Ed Ruscha and Gary Panter, too. I think the thing all of these people have in common is that they appear to be doing something really simple but it can’t really be replicated.

The Marma Spot:
What is the most difficult obstacle you have faced since opening Little Friends? How did you handle the situation?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: The toughest thing might have been transitioning out of concert posters and into art & design stuff without losing our people. I love doing concert posters, but there came a point where the process of it wasn’t as rewarding to me as what we were doing with our Bad Vibes art print series. And we didn’t see the concert poster thing as being sustainable for us over the long haul. Looking back, the way we made the transition fairly smooth was to basically replicate in a piecemeal way the experience that people had had with our concert posters. People were accustomed to seeing new Little Friends posters every month, so we had to become disciplined about releasing Bad Vibes prints at a similar pace. People were used to going to message boards and seeing us joke around and be weird and to have some kind of personal access to us, so we had to recreate that experience through the newsletter and the shop.

Now that I think about it, maybe the real obstacle was that our website is a piece of junk designed in a rush five years ago and our solution was to never do anything about it and hope that people hire us and buy things anyway.

Melissa: To me, the location thing is still the biggest obstacle for us.
We’re still figuring it out. We have a good-sized internet presence, and that helps. It was a big obstacle to come from a fine art background and be taken somewhat seriously in the design community. That just came with work and experience. But with all of these situations, our main thing is just to take a pragmatic approach and be patient.

The Marma Spot:
I have adopted a new personal train of thought “Let’s Begin By Letting Go.”
Is there anything in your life you want to let go of and why?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: We’re not good at letting go. Anyway, I don’t like it. I feel like
being a tightly-wound ball of misery keeps me focused.

Melissa: It’s the key to our success!

The Marma Spot:
You have worked on many posters for bands/musicians. What albums/songs are on heavy rotation for you at the moment.

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: Thee Oh Sees’ new record, especially “Ruby Go Home,” those awesome dubby remixes from the Higamos Hogamos 12-inches, that re-issue of “I am a Vocoder” by Gay Cat Park, “I Believe in Miracles” by The Jackson Sisters, Oppenheimer Analysis, “When I Let You Down” by M&G which has this awesome warm cosmic-disco keyboard sound over what is essentially fake Depeche Mode, and “International Feel” by Todd Rundgren. I’m a WFMU listener so I can’t really claim credit for any of these. Check them out,
there’s lots of cool programs.

Melissa: You forgot “How Do I Let You Know” by Le Matos! It sounds like a 1986 Stevie Nicks single, but from the future! That’s all.

The Marma Spot:
I edit a site with friends Yes Yes Y’all where we discuss music we love and love to learn about. If you could, please take a look at the site and pick a song that in your time at the site stands out to you most? What stood out to you about the song you choose?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: We looked through a ton of your site (which is great)  and the thing that stuck out the most to us was Polyrock because that’s the type of thing we generally like and I’m not sure but I don’t think we’d never heard of it! It’s got a b-squad new wave, organ-based kind of feel like that Chandra EP that got re-issued recently.

Melissa: It’s like fake Joy Division! And fake Joy Divisions need love too.
It’s like a public domain cover of “Transmission,” like when they re-record
a popular song for a TV commercial and they have to change 3 notes.

The Marma Spot:
Goals are important. They keep me focused. What goals have Little Friends
set for this year?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: We rarely set goals for ourselves, because we have a hard time dealing with disappointment. I would hate to re-read this interview in 5 years and see a whole list of things we didn’t accomplish. That would be embarrassing. We’ve had a bunch of really good years, but our success
(and the success of any individual project) depends so much on factors outside of our control. That’s been a very hard lesson for us to learn, because we always think we should just be working harder. Ultimately, the further you go in this business, the easier it is to handle something not panning out. When we started out, our thought was like, “That was our last chance to do _____, and it got screwed up,” but it’s never the last project, until it is
(in which case: Oh, shit).

Melissa: I think that because our career today is successful but also completely different from what we had expected it to be 5 years ago,
we’ve learned to manage our expectations. Or at least we’ve seen how arbitrary goals can be.

James: This year is a bad year to make goals. Like everybody else in the world, we are in total nesting mode right now.

Melissa: My goal is to board up all the windows and stock up on canned
goods and guns.

James: If I was going to just come out and say what I most wanted to do right now it would be a Little Friends book. Not a monograph, but something that was like 75% new artwork, themed; like a put on a record and look at the crazy picture book kind of book. And I don’t know the first thing about how to do it and I don’t know that many people in publishing and I don’t have a plan and THAT is the problem with goals.

The Marma Spot:
What projects are you currently working on at the moment?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: Pretty much all of our current projects are NDA. We just did an apparel thing for a thing, and a Europe apparel thing, and some other secret things. We basically live under the pointless shroud of corporate secrecy.

Melissa: We can talk about what we did last year! Last year we did a print campaign for Liberty Mutual that was fun. We did our first solo international exhibition, and the work we did for that was really cool. What else? It all blends together. I remember being busy.

James: We’re pretty excited about doing our next Bad Vibes print series, which is called “Lady-Friends.” It’s all designs about women, or of women;
I think it’s our first series that’s themed all the way through. The first 2 prints are already designed– they should come out in May or June. I guess we’ll see if people like them!

The Marma Spot:
Could you walk us through the steps that occur from the moment you are contacted by a client to the time the final art is delivered?

Little Friends of Printmaking:

James: There are various calls and e-mails and proposals and then I have to price out the job. I use the Guild handbook, which I know people complain about being on the high end of things, but I would prefer to eat and pay bills and so I like it. Then we get told, “yes,” or, “no,” and either we start working or go back to watching TV or watering plants. If there’s a brief, now we read it. Our sketches tend to be really simple and very, very small. Sometimes if it’s the first time we’re working with someone, we might go overboard with a rather overdeveloped sketch, but I don’t recommend that. We usually do at least two comps. This part of the process is really crucial for us. Research and concept is maybe the biggest part of what we do. We’re not stylists, so we have to have a good basis of ideas to work from. Comps get approved and/or we get notes. Then it’s time to make the final, or at least we hope it is the final. (This is why it can be very important to negotiate a fee for major revisions.) We work almost entirely in the computer. We save a bunch of in-progress gifs or gifs of major iterations of the image, for our reference.
We try not to send in-progress images to the client because it’s better if they reserve their judgment for the completed piece. It’s hard to art direct a little fragment or a unfinished primordial globule of something. There are friendly check-ins with the art director. At some point, weeks before the deadline,
the art director asks if he can see the finished piece. This is politely ignored. The final gets finished, and we send it off. Then there is waiting, waiting for approval, waiting for notes and revisions. This is a good time to start filling out an invoice. Make friends with the art buyer or the accountant. You might need their help to push your payment through. What, there are no revisions, because the client says you are too awesome? Hooray! 30 to 90 days later, you get a check in the mail. If they’re classy they send you samples.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t already?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
Melissa: This is probably too long already! We’re two and we talk
enough for three.

The Marma Spot:
Is there anything you would like to add that we haven’t already?

Little Friends of Printmaking:
James: Shout outs to you. This was awesome. Happy birthday to Mike Krol, good luck in the Nutmeg State. What’s up Josh; I saw you give a shout to us in that book—we felt like proud parents. Rezpekt to Justin Kay; bon voyage, duder.

The Marma Spot:
From us here at the Marma Spot thanks much for taking time out of your busy schedules to chop it up with us. It means more than you know.
peace+respect. To see more of The Little Friends work click here.

The Marma Spot:
Please introduce yourself although you should need no introduction.

Stefan Sagmeister:
My name is Stefan Sagmeister, I am an Austrian designer working
in New York.

The Marma Spot:
What have you been up to the last few years? Any important projects, trips,
or life experiences you would like to share?

Stefan Sagmeister:
After working in design for the music industry for a long time, (we had done covers for the Stones, Aerosmith, Lou Reed and the Talking Heads) I got
bored and I identified four sectors I am interested in: Art, Science, Social and Corporate. We roughly devote 25% of our time to each of these areas.
This means, for example, in art: books for the Guggenheim, in science:
the complete redesign of a science magazine, in social: the identity of TrueMajority, a group which wants to cut the Pentagon budget by 15% and move it over to Education and in corporate: an annual report for a lighting company. This mix has proven fun with lots of diverse and interesting clients to learn something from.

The Marma Spot:
So, What does Stefan Sagmeister do to unwind? Do you like baseball, fishing, chess, searching for rare and vintage vinyl etc?

Stefan Sagmeister:
None of the above. I read a lot and I travel a lot, and specially enjoy doing both at the same time.

The Marma Spot:
Speaking of rare and vintage vinyl are there any collections that you have
that are rare and nostalgic in anyway?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Well, I am not a big collector, the need to own many things always felt suspicious to me. Having said that, I do own an Empire State Building collection (but just because I have a window in the studio where you can see the real thing and the 100 models placed on glass shelves in that window make for an interesting juxtaposition). And I also have a toilet paper collection right in the lobby with 36 paper rollers installed, so you can get a ‘feeling’ for all the countries the various toilet papers are from.

The Marma Spot:
So I always ask this question to everyone I interview/have a conversation with so please bear with me, as it is somewhat generic. I only ask because I love hearing about others musical preferences and I love the possibility of stumbling across something new. So with all of that long-winded garble said what have you been listening to music wise and how does music factor into your design if at all?

Stefan Sagmeister:
As I get older, music play a lesser roll in my life. Nevertheless, we listen to music in the studio constantly. At the moment Austrian artist (and my friend) Zebe’s new excellent CD is running, earlier we had a recent Amadou & Miriam on and this weeks favorites also include CocoRosie and Antony and the Johnsons.

The Marma Spot:
Seeing as you still like to read from the newspaper and spend little time in front of the television screen I think it would be fresh to see you direct a
music video. Would you ever consider this and is there anything else that you haven’t done that you would like to?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Yes, we have done a music video for Lou Reed. We put him in a chicken suit for the song Modern Dance, you can check it out Here. It is not a masterpiece, but ok for the first time.

The Marma Spot:
I was thinking about “Style = Fart” vs. “Be Like Water” which is obviously a Bruce Lee quote. “Be Like Water” has recently affected the way I have been approaching design. It seems like there are so many people just trying to have the coolest cluster fuck of graphics and not really focusing on designing for communication and client purposes. It’s cool to be innovative but it sucks to be stagnant. What are your thoughts on these two when compared as well as your thoughts on the current state of design?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Well, I do think “Style=Fart” as being rather different from “Be like Water…” For one, I do not believe into “Style=Fart” anymore. This was originally a little wooden sign in the studio, put up there to underline our then believe that style is hot air and of no importance at all. We then tried to reinvent our formal and stylistic output with every project. This proved simply impossible to do, instead of inventing our own style every time, we ran danger of simply quoting a historic style or, worse, copying a style developed by another designer.
We now allow ourselves to stick with one stylistic direction over several projects. And I do think that good content has a bigger chance of being
heard when put into considered form and style.

The Marma Spot:
Where can design go? Where do you see it going?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Considering absolutely everything human culture produces is designed, this is a fairly large question, akin to: Where is the world going? In my much more narrowly defined world of graphics, I can say this: The still image will continue to lose much of its current importance to anything animated, anything in motion, anything interactive. In the world of printing advanced versions of ink jet technology will likely replace most other printing methods, allow for rapid 3-D printing heralding in a world of instant products. Considering even that ink jet printing of live tissue is being experimented with at the moment for medical purposes, it is conceivable that we are looking at meat products coming out of an ink jet printer in the medium future.

The Marma Spot:
From the appetizer to main course, the drink to the dessert, please let us in on what your perfect meal would entail?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Appetizer: Anni’s Chinese dumpling
Main course: Zurich shredded veal with Roesti
Dessert: Austrian Cheese cake
Drink: Sparkling apple cider

The Marma Spot:
Has there been project that you’ve done that and regretted and has there
ever been a job you have turned down that you wish you had taken, why or
why not?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Yes, we recently turned down to design the cover of Zadie Smith’s new book On Beauty, because they could not give us a manuscript and there was no way to know the quality of the book from the 10 pages we did get. I read the book after it was published and it turned out to be one of my very favorite books of the year. Would have LOVED to have designed the cover.

The Marma Spot:
What was a movie that you have watched that really left an impression on you and why do you think it left this impression and what type of impression did it make.

Stefan Sagmeister:
Recently I’d say Brokeback Mountain. Mostly because of Ang Lee’s incredible versatility. I was always a fan of the “changers” (I prefer the Beatles to the Stones, Warhol to Liechtenstein), and he pushed that concept to a new level: To think that this movie was made by the director of Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon and Eat Drink Man Woman and the Icestorm is just astonishing.

The Marma Spot:
I am as interested in what people are reading as what they are listening to, are there any books, magazines, websites etc. that you are reading at the moment that you would like to share with us?

Stefan Sagmeister:
Eric Larson, The Devil in the White City
Haruki Muarakami, South of the Border, West of the Sun
Zadie Smith, On Beauty

The Marma Spot:
Are there any websites that you frequent on a regular basis?
If yes which websites.

Stefan Sagmeister:
World Changing
Phylotaxis
RocketBoom

The Marma Spot:
Well from all of us here at the Marma Spot I’d like to thank you for taking the time out to chat it up with us.

Stefan Sagmeister:
You are welcome. It was a pleasure.

The Marma Spot:
To see more of Stefan Sagmeisters click here.

The Marma Spot:
How are you today? Could you please introduce yourself to those who might not know who you are?

Geoff McFetridge
I am well. I just put my daughter to bed. I am Geoff McFetridge, I am a graphic designer. I design films, animations, dances, drawings, art shows, paintings, fabrics, wallpaper, skateboards and products.

The Marma Spot:
How are things going for you today? What have you done since being awake? That is if you did indeed sleep.

Geoff McFetridge
I slept quite a bit actually. Today was a nice Saturday which involved a
lot of leisure Kashi eating, coffee drinking, some wave riding and a child’s birthday party.

The Marma Spot:
Los Angeles, specifically Atwater, has been your home for a long time now,
do you ever consider moving to somewhere else to live and work?

Geoff McFetridge
I have come very close to moving to the beach. But friends and creative energy inland keep me very happy here. I actually live with my family in
Los Feliz and have a studio in Atwater, I will be there for a bit.

The Marma Spot:
I have read that you are going to start a skateboard company called Atwater. Is this still so? And if yes what stages is this at, what role will you play etc?

Geoff McFetridge
It ended up being called Solitary Arts. We are about to do a second model.
Its going well, we are selling at a few select, mainly surf, shops. The board is
a very interesting design, shaped by my partner in the company Yongki.
The boards are all about altering ones perception of what a skateboard should be, and how you ride it. It is not about going to get beer on, but it is also not about nollie heels. We collaborate on all the designs, but mainly I am doing the graphics. We both have board and wheel ideas, but Yongi is capable of creating the solid setups. My grip is always chunky.

The Marma Spot:
You have worked on a few title sequences for such films as Adaptation and
The Virgin Suicides, are there any films that you have seen that you wish you had the opportunity to design the title sequences for and why?

Geoff McFetridge
I guess I have always wanted to work with Jergen Leth, Wes Anderson, Werner Herzog. It is a more complicated question than that though.
Hollywood is a terrible thing to deal with, if I know the person, or am dealing directly with the Director it is interesting. But I don’t find myself yearing to be involved in Hollywood films.

The Marma Spot:
Are you currently working on any title sequences?

Geoff McFetridge
I just finished a sequence for a film called “the TV Set” that will come out
next year.

The Marma Spot:
I know you use to be the art director for Grand Royal Magazine and that you have said that it was fun but you really weren’t all that good at laying out a magazine. Would you ever consider creating your own magazine or art directing a magazine now that you have been removed from it for a while?

Geoff McFetridge
I don’t think so. A book maybe. Ed Templeton asked me if I would be interested in designing his book and I said yes. But a magazine is all about the feeling of being glad it is done, and you have to start the next issue the next day. It is like when my parents would drop me and my friends off at the skate park and we would just skate until we got hurt.

The Marma Spot:
To me your work is either very simple with one object and maybe a phrase being shown or clustered, this intrigues me can you please talk about why
you see this happening in your work?

Geoff McFetridge
That was the point of ultimate reduction for me. The image is filled in by the language and the graphic informs the language. It is a fun way to work and
is a really effective way for me to talk about the things I like to talk about.
Those things being fairly large, ideas, like getting along, or loneliness,
or inspiration. So I sort of use the gaps in language to talk about something in, hopefully, new ways.

The Marma Spot:
I see a ton of visually amazing work everyday but there is no concept or idea behind it other than to make it look visually amazing. Now I’m not claiming that I have never done this. I think it’s apart of what we all naturally do as artists and designers, to please ourselves at one time or another. Do you have any thoughts on this?

Geoff McFetridge
Yeah, I hate it when I find myself doing that. It is an easy thing to get into.
I have a pretty rigorous way of working that is all about avoiding doing work like that. The next challenge is to keep inventing new solutions that work within these rules. Of course it is not surprising that structure and limitations lead to ideas and solutions that otherwise maybe I would not have come up with. I could answer this question for days at times sounding like Tony Robbins, or Alan Watts. What your work is, has so much to do with how
you work.

The Marma Spot:
I know you did the Vandal for Nike, could you talk a little about the process you went through, from being contacted to completion?

Geoff McFetridge
I first did a watch for them, then the footwear designer was interested in doing a shoe. (Jesse Leyva) I really wanted to create something epic. Nike has such resources and Jesse had great ideas and was really open to experimenting.
I decided that I wanted to do shoe that was wearable but also had my graphics on it. So that was the design dilemma. The rule was, I would have to want to wear it. I am really pretty particular and pretty much only wear white canvas shoes. So the two shoes in one shoe came out of this. It turns out nobody had ever done a two in one shoe before! It was a bit of a revolutionary idea for them. For me it was a nod to skateboarding, and then also a comment on the current idea of distressed stuff. It is really the type of design solution that you could talk about endlessly. I was really happy with it. In the end the ironic part is that I can’t wear the shoes because I find them super uncomfortable. The 10 is huge and the 9.5 is too small.

The Marma Spot:
Have you since been approached to custom design any other shoe for any company and is this something you would do again and why?

Geoff McFetridge
Yes. But Nike is open to doing another shoe, so I would prefer to do that at this point. They are great to work with and Jesse there is super talented,
and now Michael Leon is working there.

The Marma Spot:
You were born in Calgary Alberta Canada, consequently I lived in Scarborough which is also in Canada, a suburb of Toronto to be exact. While living there I met some of the best people and had the some of the most memorable times of my life also the atmosphere, culture and diversity is way more laid back, richer, and wide spread than my current home of Milwaukee. What are the biggest differences you have noticed between Calgary and L.A.?

Geoff McFetridge
Whoa. Fewer fist fights in front of the bars? Fewer people able to fix a tranny with a leatherman? When my friend Greg Krausnick needed new wood floors for his house he cut down trees, milled the wood, dried it, then laid them himself. It might be more interesting to note that Calgary (above Montana) was always a west coast leaning place. The stuff me and my friends were into was always from California. So I have a lot in common with friends I have made here in LA. I would love for my friends here to meet my friends back home. I have a lot of respect for the people here and for my Canadian friends. I feel lucky to have grown up in the way I did, but also to have gotten
to leave.

The Marma Spot:
Here is a classic question that will never fail to be asked when conversing with people for the Marma Spot. What are some of the more recent bands/tunes you have been listening to and if you could put a classic five song EP together for distribution what five songs would be on it and what would be the name of that EP?

Geoff McFetridge
Maybe just bands
-
The Whitest Boy Alive - Burning
Brightblack Morning Light - First song new album
Little Wings - Look at What the Light Did Now
Bruce Springstein - Born to Run
Rolling Stones - Before they Make Me Run

The Marma Spot:
On behalf of everyone reading this and myself THANKS so very much for sharing yourself and your time with us. Are there any parting words or shout outs you would like to make?

Geoff McFetridge
Your interviews are the best. What gives? Nice work.

The Marma Spot:
Introduce your flavor in a couple of words, as far as your vision for your design, and what you stand for.

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Clean, smart, clear and fun.

Justin Kay: 60’s Swiss modernism meets NYC in the early 70’s meets
Upnorth Wisconsin. TYPOGRAPHY ABOVE ALL ELSE.

The Marma Spot:
That said, what are some affiliations you’re supporting right now in your personal work, as far as possible collaborations and the like?

Upnorth:
Justin Kay: As always Steve. But also all my other buddies: Black Marma
of course, Kimou/Grotesk, Pete/pkmlta, Dan Funderburgh, Matt Morgan, Mike/12carpileup, Greg/Werkburo/Xrtions… basically anyone that’s not an asshole and takes the time to craft their shit I’m down to support.

The Marma Spot:
Justin, what about your professional ties right now? Tell me a little about Complex Magazine, as well as your goals and tasks around that office.

Upnorth:
Justin Kay: Really I just want to produce a magazine that doesn’t suck.
My focus is obviously type. I try to do new things and push shit. I like to blur the lines between designer/editor/art director/etc… I think that it works best when the team just works together and doesn’t subdivide themselves into specific categories of what their title is supposed to entail. It’s What keeps
me motivated.

The Marma Spot:
Steve, what about your professional ties right now? I know you use to work
at Ecko and Triple 5 Soul but more recently just scored a nice new job at Akademiks. What do you hope this new venture has in store for you?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: I hope to work with and be inspired/motivated and pushed to do good work by those around me, so far the team here is really amazing something Triple 5 Soul is highly incapable of.

The Marma Spot:
Where is all of this style coming from? Where did you go to school and what was that education like?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Style? Thanks! I don’t know – didn’t come from college I’ll tell you that. I went to the Milwaukee Institute of Art & design, where I basically taught myself, since the instructors were incapable of being teachers.
There were 2 or 3 that new their shit, but overall, skateboard graphics and magazines did more for me than their teachings…I learned about computers, which was nice haha.

Justin Kay: I agree with Steve. School provided me with the means to teach myself. I had 4 teachers out of 6 years that taught me something. But I was focused. I knew what I wanted out of school and used it to further my own personal growth. That doesn’t mean the 400-dollar a month payments were worth it though.

The Marma Spot:
Who are some people that you look to often for inspiration?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Pete and Kimou a.k.a. Truce Design. Justin pushes me.
My friends  - Thursday nights at the Hat and the Fish can’t be beat – all that energy and good vibes is what inspires me. People watching at union square
or riding my bike around the lower east side of NY. More abstract things in daily life than specific people I guess.

Justin Kay: NYC has changed everything about the way I work. You can’t describe it. It’s just a team vibe we have out here. All of my friends are amazing people and some are designers. Being friends first helped me realize that first and foremost that is the most important thing. They inspire me.
This city inspires me. Current and the history of this place. You can’t
describe it.

The Marma Spot:
Drop some knowledge on ONEONENINE and what the intentions are for that project and any other projects you are working on personally right now.
Oh, and I’d like to “discover-Upnorth” but it’s been under close guard,
would you care to shed any light on what this is?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Oneonenine is a zine we put out to have some fun and put our friends and others in an affordable interesting forum. Tougher than diamonds, rich like cream! – As for Upnorth – well that’s many years of Justin and I planning on launching a studio, which has finally come together. We have some great projects in the works, but one of our main clients who have been great to work with is Counterflow Records and Blood is the New Black clothing.

Justin Kay: Oneonenine is a community thing. Basically the graphic design equivalent of a DIY punk zine. Upnorth is my blood, sweat and tears. Literally. Its hard coming home to work after working all day, but I have been amazed by what happens when Steve and I collab. It’s more rewarding than anything else I have ever done from a design standpoint.

The Marma Spot:
Steve, what shows or publications do you have either under your belt,
or coming up in the future?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Nothing planned – I had some of my vandalism shown in a book and some art shows – but that’s another story. I’m not real into putting that stuff in a different context outside the original intention. Maybe Upnorth will appear in a book… coming out soon?????

The Marma Spot:
What CD’s are you listening to at the moment, what CD’s are you looking forward to in the last five months of this year, and what one movie of two-thousand and five inspired you the most.

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Music right now is kinda boring so I’m not real syked on anything to come out - this band Wolf Mother is kinda dope, Doomriders released their record which rules, and I’m waiting to pick up Curumin
this Brazilian samba funk group - best movie so far??? Hmmm Charlie and the Chocolate Factory was real dope – so was Corpse Bride – I’m looking forward to seeing Mike Mills’ Thumbsucker.

Justin Kay: Black Sabbath, Motorhead and anything Justin Broadrock.
That’s all I care about right now, music-wise. And Tommy Gurrero live. Movies? Shit, I never keep up with that stuff. I have really bad taste in film.

The Marma Spot:
There are mad haters, biters, and riders. What do you think of these people and what if any words do you have for them?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Cheer up!

Justin Kay: I don’t care at all about any of that stuff. I don’t do what I do to impress anyone. I design to solve problems and also for personal fulfillment. Equal parts of both. “Haters’ and “biters” don’t even factor into the equation
at any point.

The Marma Spot:
Bananas or apples, iPod or iriver, Cheerios or Peanut Butter Captain Crunch, Packers or Giants, Brewers or Yankees, Nike or Adidas, Knuck or Buck, Iced out grill or Ice in your cup, Flashy or Chill, Hip-Hop or rock, New York
or Milwaukee?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Apples, iPod, Cheerios, Packers, 1982 Brewers, Nike, Buck,
Iced cup, Chill, Soul, New Waukee.

Justin Kay: Bananas, Cassestem Walkman, Golden Grahams, GREEN FUCKING BAY, 82’ Brewers, Buck, Ice cold Diet Coke, Chill, 60’s Chicago soul, NYC. I’m never moving back to Milwaukee. If I moved back, I’d move to Superior.

The Marma Spot:
Lastly is there anyone you want to big up?

Upnorth:
Steve Green: Libations crew, Truce, Akanyc, frank in SF, Momar, Ian Brown, Mr Marma, Mom and Dad, Kate and Damian, Mike and Julien, the Turf (rip), uncle Kevin and Dave for the inspiration, Motorhead, West Allis, Nyc.

Justin Kay: Karli, Mom, Thomas Edward Kay, Gorman Thomas, Justin Broadrick, Truce, Move, Raza Uno, NYC.

The Marma Spot:
Please introduce yourself and the other members of Soft Gold U.S.A.

Ed of Soft Gold:
Ed Taylor, Seth Hodes and formerly Manderson — but he left for Brazil
so I’m not sure.

The Marma Spot:
How did the members of Soft Gold get started in art, when was the first time each of you knew that a job in a creative field was the way you wanted to go, and what is your first childhood memory of being exposed to some sort of art?

Ed of Soft Gold:
We aren’t producing art but thanks for the complement -we’re just designing stuff for clients. I would never consider a t-shirt for whoever art. People may think that it’s art - but it’s just a t-shirt in the end in my opinion.

It’s not like we just ended up and decided that we wanted to enter the “creative field” over a life in business. People that are creative need to
have a creative outlet and in a consumerist society you better get paid for it.
Oh and my Uncle was a painter.

The Marma Spot:
Soft Gold U.S.A. is an interesting name for a design agency, could you please let us into what it means, how you came to use the name, and why you think it fits with what Soft Gold does?

Ed of Soft Gold:
The 19th century fur trade was often referred to as Soft Gold. We started off doing t-shirts so it seemed clever. Unfortunately every designer does t-shirts now and no one makes any money from it so the name is more or less completely inappropriate as a business name. Although the name still does arose curiosity so we’ll stick with it for now and we still like making our own personal shirts.

The Marma Spot:
I know that Soft Gold has worked with such clients as MTV2, And1, Undefeated, and 2k t-shirts just to name a few. What was it like working with these clients and do you have any new projects coming up with these same clients in the future?

Ed of Soft Gold:
These clients have always been good to us and have given us opportunities that we appreciate. Whatever the future holds I hope the jobs and clients are as fun and lucrative as they have been.

The Marma Spot:
I also know that Soft Gold is working on some projects with Nike, Gigantic, Stussy, and Mazda. Can you elaborate on these projects?

Ed of Soft Gold:
We are doing some interesting stuff for Mazda, MTV and a couple of other clients. We like the work, we hope that our peers like the work and in the end we hope that the clients dig it to.

I feel the smaller companies generally have less bureaucracy and tend to be more interesting  clients. The smaller companies may not be pay the big money, but they often offer designers more freedom (and in some cases
more respect).

Smaller companies tend to have less to lose by pushing boundaries and trying new ideas. Ultimately it’s all good if we are able to do interesting work and make the client happy at the same time. In the end doing a job like a banner ad or a spot for Mazda should be treated with the same respect.

The Marma Spot:
Who are some companies that you haven’t worked with, either personally
or professionally that you would like to work with in the future and why?

Ed of Soft Gold:
Honestly it doesn’t matter. Ultimately client work isn’t going to fulfill anyone’s creative goals, well maybe on some levels. Though I doubt that any mature creative person would tell you that doing a MTV bumper is their creative nirvana. We are content with any job that comes our way. A job is a job and a client is a client. We a grateful to be sitting here now.

The Marma Spot:
No one knows better than me that sometimes working for others can get stressful, what projects, other than those for work, are coming up for the members of Soft Gold personally?

Ed of Soft Gold:
We do our own things. Seth does his magazine THEBLOWUP. I’m creating a video for Matt Pyke who was formerly with tDR and now has his own studio UNIVERSAL EVERYTHING. He is the curator of a series of exhibitions for digital video art galleries in the UK.

The Marma Spot:
Who are some people and what are some things that you often look
to for inspiration?

Ed of Soft Gold:
A: I always wanted a collective like ARCHIGRAM doing functional work as “art”. We are big fans of seventies rock mags and posters of that time.

B: There are a bunch of kids out there doing amazing things but nothing too memorable. The French dudes MM Paris, Lourent Fétis are pushing it in a good way. Their level deserves respect no question.

C: Mostly though we differ to the Dutch masters, modern art and pop culture. I always found pop culture humorous and therefore inspirational.

The Marma Spot:
How much of a role does music play in your workday?

Ed of Soft Gold:
Matts speakers worked best so we just listened to what he played.
Otherwise just put the headphones on when he played crap tracks. We all share the same musical interests. If one would go off the rails though we let ‘em play it out.

The Marma Spot:
With that said, what are three CD’s that you’ve been obsessed
with from this pass year?

Ed of Soft Gold:
CDs? Just kidding. But seriously I don’t think we have any CD’s here at the office. Its all downloads.  I’ll say DIPLOMATS to name one genre. We always end up with this on at the studio.

The Marma Spot:
Could you name a movie from this past year you saw that has inspired you and tell us about how it has?

Ed of Soft Gold:
Paris Texas has always had a profound effect on me but I don’t want to be cliché…Ummm…Actually, this year, I finally saw Punch-Drunk Love by PTA.
I always judge the effectiveness of a film by how my emotions resonate when I leave the theater or turn of my TV. It’s not my favorite but it left me effected in someway. That to me evokes feeling and in turn, I guess, evokes inspiration.

The Marma Spot:
I find new links from different sites everyday like Newstoday and Design is Kinky. Can you tell us what sites if any you visit for design and creative related news as well as share some links from your favorites bar?

Ed of Soft Gold:
Ircimages.com and Lukeford.com are the only sites necessary at the moment. Oh and Google images when you’re in a jam.

The Marma Spot:
Now this is the last question I promise. I for one am trying to be truthful with myself, and others, about my O.C. (the hit television show on fox) addiction. Are there any addictions that the members of Soft Gold are trying to come to terms with?

Ed of Soft Gold:
If your gonna be bad be good at it!

PART I (took place on 01.16.06)

The Marma Spot:
Please introduce yourself for all the knuckleheads who aren’t up on things.

Rasheed Young:
Holla… I gotta rep like an emcee… even if I don’t rhyme. Rasheed Young
a.k.a. Rawdawg, from HQNS (Hollis Queens)… throwin it down for the Simmons brothers but stil reppin’ Def Sqaud, Redman, Rocwilder, Sermon… we still here!

The Marma Spot:
No doubt. Please tell us a little about what you do and the company
you are building.

Rasheed Young:
Hmm what I do? I stay focused and remain humble, create alliances and love and live my life. That is what I DO!! What do I do for my place of work… try to be the next pain in NIKE and Adidas ass. Who do I do it for?? No one other than Run Athletics (which is what Rev Run, Gardy and myself, trying to build) and for all the true sneaker fanatics who want something new and original.

The Marma Spot:
Straight Up and Down! So do you work with Rev Run and Gardy on an everyday basis and what is the process you go through for designing
your shoes? The Arthur Ashe Legacy is sick.

Rasheed Young:
I work with Rev daily on a teacher student basis. He sends me (and others) words of wisdom daily. Every other week he’s on the check in for Run Athletics business. Gardy is my day-to-day person. We go over marketing strategies, budgets, new ideas… and hey we horse around too, get each others nerves… you know!! Life can’t be that serious if you cant enjoy it!! Most of all we learn from each other. Here in lies the foundation to concepts for new sneakers. Sneakers are life!!

Thanks for props on Ashe but hey, given its Black History Month….I give all the props to Ashe himself.” in 2000 and started doing work for clients.

The Marma Spot:
For sure, are there any new shoes in the works or whole new lines and do you have a women’s line?

Rasheed Young:
Luckily the Legacy is timeless (like a Bape- even though that monkey is dead). I’m working on several callabos with different artist, rappers…even a sneaker color way paying tribute to the geniuses that brought me here (GENIUSES= PEOPLE IN GENERAL). But really… we have some works in the pipeline however we are in the process of renaming the kicks. One jogger (Run Tek), one semi casual sneaker (to be renamed.) No women line just yet… but I have a sneaker for the LADIES. “HEY GIRLLLLLSSS”.

The Marma Spot:
As far as collaborations go how do you guys choose people you want to work with on the collab tip for your brand?

Rasheed Young:
Most of the people I know through just being a good person and knowing
the right heads. The hardest part of process is making it all make sense.
Hey… if King Kong was real… he’d have a color up too!!!

The Marma Spot:
Fresh. So I love what I do but it sure doesn’t box me in, what other things creatively or otherwise do you have going on?

Rasheed Young:
Rev and I are working on building a sneaker store in NY. We are working on names and trying to align ourselves with the right people. Honestly, thank God Run Athletics is doing so well that I have no time for anything else.

The Marma Spot:
Respect on that. So both you and I are working on MLK day but what are your plans for the evening and what do you think you will have for
dinner and dessert?

Rasheed Young:
Going home to the pregnant wife… son who is 2 and some good ole Dominican food! Desert… more work… I neva stop, neither should my competition cause I’m going hard.

The Marma Spot:
This year I am more than ever dedicated to the come up. Is there anything you are more dedicated to?

Rasheed Young:
I believe this is the year if any, my new child… that’s the biggest thing to me. Every year is big but this is the year that I will be tested. I’m ready!!

The Marma Spot:
That is cool my man. You seem as if you are. You said you are flying to Hong Kong, what do you have slated for the trip?

Rasheed Young:
I’m going to check on our factories. Run Athletics gets involved from beginning to end, from production to marketing. I’m also going to go shopping and get inspired. Other cultures inspire me and it’s funny because they say Americans inspire them. How crazy is that?

PART II (took place on 08.17.06)

The Marma Spot:
The last time we spoke you were getting ready to have a child, on your way to Hong Kong, and putting the things in place to open up a new shoe store in New York with Rev RUN. Please update us on how those things have gone and on the things that are going on now.

Rasheed Young:
Hmm… 1st or 2nd child? Has it been that long, I’m assuming 2nd child? He’s 1 month old now… it’s fun!!! Hong Kong… I secured a license deal in Asia and I went to the factories to see how they mix the ingredients we send from here to overseas. Factory life is long and crazy. We are still seeking a location for our store but in the meantime I’m opening a shop in Staten island
with Redman.

The Marma Spot:
Really? That sounds promising. Can you let us in on what that is going to be like and why you decided to do this in the first place?

Rasheed Young:
It’s a skaters sneaker shop. Doc and I have always been into kicks and also fascinated with skate. Skate is a culture and we’re not trying to pose at all but we have the right people involved in shop. True professional riders as well as skaters brands. The neighborhood is perfect for that type of store. But were also considering other sports in other territories. It just so happens that the skaters are first.

The Marma Spot:
That is interesting. I wouldn’t have taken Redman for a person that would even like to watch skating. It’s nice to be wrong and surprised by people though. So, I was looking on line at my regular daily sites for so I can stay
up on thangs and I ran across the new Legacy styles for winter 06 and 2007.
Very nice, why the different styles in that shoe at this point?

Rasheed Young:
One thing I realized is that people love the legacy style. It’s been criticized as the next Air Force 1 for sneaker heads. So hey… why not flip the same style every once and a while? We have a mid coming soon along with other run athletics styles.

The Marma Spot:
Fresh. Are you guys going to be getting into basketball or other sports at all?

Rasheed Young:
All sports. I wanna do hockey and call it fist of fury.

The Marma Spot:
That’s fresh. So Arthur Ashe was obviously the inspiration for the Legacy.
Is choosing an athlete and designing a shoe that represents their persona/attitude etc going to be something that you do when entering into other sports?

Rasheed Young:
Not really. Ashe was the perfect fit. He was a humanitarian as well.
It has to make sense.

The Marma Spot:
Thanks for the pair you sent to me. They are some of the most comfortable shoes I have ever worn and the only shoes I own that have fabric on the sole. What was the thinking behind the sole?

Rasheed Young:
Suede piercing… if u check the shoe you’ll see that there is cognac leather, croc, suede. I tried to make jambalaya out of that shoe. Tones, textures and theme help sell a shoe.

The Marma Spot:
For sure. Where you the one who designed the Legacy?

Rasheed Young:
Kevin Keong aka Kevin Saer (black bean sauce) was the chef. I was more like the restaurant owner. But props to the chef all day!!!

The Marma Spot:
Respect on that. Infamous question coming up. What music are you into right now? What tracks are you really feeling? What whole CD’s are just in your head right now?

Rasheed Young:
Respectfully I’m a music head. I just got XM radio in my car and it stays on Rhymefest. It’s old hip-hop. There’s nothing new that I’m feeling… wait…
That Dogg Pound new album is crazy. Big up to Battlecat on the beats!!

The Marma Spot:
Good looks. I thought I was the only one feeling that Cali is active track.
It’s Banging.

Rasheed Young:
There are 4 joints on that album I cant stop playing!

The Marma Spot:
Are there any movies or television shows that you are into or even want to put on blast so the rest of us don’t waste our money?

Rasheed Young:
Television is a f@#kin waste of brain cells. 2000 channels and ain’t sh@# on?? Movies… How many times are we going to keep remaking or calling sh@# part 2 or 3?? People… Go get a hobby or read a book or better yet go shopping and buy some kicks!

The Marma Spot:
Ha! Fresh. So in that vain what are the three latest greatest books
you have read?

Rasheed Young:
Autobiography of a Yogi by Paramhansa Yogananda, Days of grace by
Arthur Ashe, and the Bible by those who think they knew.

The Marma Spot:
Respect. Are there any other projects you are working on at the moment or trying to put into motion?

Rasheed Young:
I’m trying to do a couple of more interviews of hip-hop heads that truly love footwear. I have a lot of connects. Interviews will not be biased at all.
If you like Nike, you like Nike. That’s good too.

The Marma Spot:
What are these interviews going to be for? In what form? Video, written, etc?

Rasheed Young:
Freshnessmag.com. It’s written and video but we are using video for a DVD later. It works its way to other sites.

The Marma Spot:
Well, I know you are very busy and I would just like to say thanks for all of your time and for sitting down to speak with us here at the Marma spot.
Hope all continues to go well. peace+respect to you.