Since MCA’s show opens at the Orchard Street Gallery on the 20th, we figured it was a fine time to catch up with the dude...
ASF: Ok, so lemme get it straight; who makes up Evil Design?
MCA:The basic characters & toy stuff, that’s all me. Besides me though, there are some folks that pop in now and again. I once described it as a Wu-Tang sort of thing; the crew members knowing where home is, but all going out and doing their own thing too. The other members include Godzeero of Godzeero Graphiccs, his most known work to date is a total grapics package for Kin-Meki DJ. Then there’s Carmine – an Italian designer that we did some shirts with; he’s more on the fashion end of things. Sumo Santos collaborated with me on our female vampire girl shirts, of which there are some new ones coming out soon. Ronnie Hiromi is more on the photo/video end; we will have some mpegs he’s shot on the site soon. J.J. the Damaga (soft G) is the all around promotional/organizational/brainstormer of the crew. Newest member is the Notorious A/E/A – be on the look out!Do any of these artists have websites people can check out?
No, not yet, but we’re working on a whole new Evil Design site with separate sections and stuff…hopefully we’ll get it done at some point soon, that stuff always seems to get pushed to the side- but we gotta do it!Back to your work; since you have this exhibit coming up next week, what have been some of your other works or projects that you’ve been psyched about?
Probably the Weezer stuff I did, just for how it came about, how we did it and what came out of it. Rivers bought a shirt of mine at a local thrift shop that also carried other stuff, The Garment District in Cambridge, and I guess he thought the girl I drew on the shirt was funny or whatever so he asked them if they knew about it or who did it, and they gave him my phone number. Anyways, he called and asked me to draw some kids for new tour shirts, but I didn’t have a computer at this point, however I did have a fax machine, so I’d draw tons of kids and fax him sheets and wait for a call. He was definitely a cool guy and looked out for my well being when it came down to getting paid fairly for my designs. That job bought me my first computer, printer and scanner, which was awesome. Up until then I was all about cut & paste & Xerox , which was definitely fun; sometimes I think back on how fun it was to go to Kinko’s all night and try to get a design right... but anyways, I’ll stop rambling… and say that was a cool job.Yeah, I would be pretty chuffed to work with Weezer, I used to be geeked on them, back in 8 th grade or so.
Yeah, the first two records are great. El Scorcho- classic. That song about chasing butterflies, c’mon. That gets me every time. A fun thing to do is sing along real loud to ‘My Name is Jonas’ or “In the Garage” when you’re driving in your car. Before doing the designs for them I saw Rivers at a Cibo Matto show and I went up to him after the show and gave him some stickers and a copy of my zine, Spit Shack Heart Attack (soon to be reissued), now that’s being geeked. He did a solo show at TT the Bear’s once, that was pretty cool. I’m not sure what ever happened to those songs, maybe became Weezer ones... I don’t know. That had nothing to do with the question, but I figured I’d add it in.Not a problem, I’m always up for Weezer talk, or whatever. So, how did you get this upcoming show at the Orchard Street Gallery?
Basically they asked us. We have been in a few group shows there, and they have been fun; the folks that run it are awesome so of course we were psyched to be asked...
What do you plan on showing?
I’m still working on my share of stuff, but for a quick run down: stone pieces, customized skate decks, screen printed posters, t-shirts, trash filled dolls, customized naked evil ape Qees, drawings, paintings; all kinds of stuff…The show is you and Magmo; how would you describe Magmo’s work?
Magmo’s stuff is sick. He has a world he created and some things belong in that world and some things definitely do not. He is concerned with environment and health which comes through in his work. Magmo also has a great mix of technique in his work – AI stuff mixed with hand drawn, mixed with whatever other shit he can throw in. Magmo is here to Help. Magmo is here to Destroy.And how would you describe your own work?
Goofy, funny, messy.I’d say that’s fairly accurate. Have you done many shows before?
I have been in a bunch of group shows, but this is the first where I have full run of the place with a friend. So if you look at it that way, this is the first real show.Do you like doing shows? Is it stressful/fun/other?
Shows are fun. Not too much stress when you’re in a group show, because you usually only have to worry about one piece. This upcoming show has equal parts stress and excitementDo you usually sell work at exhibits and shows?
The past few shows have been for charity, so it’s cool when they sell and the money goes to a good cause (Even though I could make a strong case that my rent is a good cause...).Do more opportunities for work usually come after exhibits like this?
I got a lot of good responses after the Mr. T show, but nothing that flew me around the world or bought me a free dinner, but who needs that…
What did you think about the Mr. T show, now that you mention it?
It was great. Greg’s collection was insane. Just to look at all those Mr. T’s and to think at some point in time someone sat down and made one of those dolls for their kids or grandkids or whatever; so wild.Fully, that was the last art exhibit I would have predicted for 2005. How would you describe your own contribution to the show?
My doll was a mix of Yoda & Mr. T called Mr. Peace Between the Races T. To me, these two icons would be a perfect team to set the world straight. What if you combined their powers to create a bad ass Jedi Zen Master that just wanted to help the kids? The next generation would be changed forever, for the better. My doll was trying to portray that idea, and maybe plant the seed in some of the minds that saw it; maybe then they could embody some of these character traits in their own world and start the change.Do you feel like people picked up on the message?
I’m not really sure, maybe it’s too early to tell. Seeds def need time to grow, not saying I’m G.D. Johnny Apple seed, but you know, I think it’s cool to have a few levels of meanings in your work. Most kids were probably like “yo, look – a Yoda!”, but maybe if they saw the name or kind of thought about the two personalities involved, and their impact on society it could carry more than a pop culture reference.Any favorites from the show?
Well, I have to say my boy Magmo & Tadpoles were nice. Magmo’s on the tricked out style and Tadpole’s on the Classic T style. Lobster Roll’s was classic – you have to admit. The one that looked like a Fraggle was cool too. The best ones were the original home made ones though, there was one that looked like a Mr. T / Fat Albert mix, which was a favorite.Before you started doing Evil Design, did you ever have any crappy jobs?
When I was in high school I worked at an Apothecary. Another kid and I worked Sunday mornings– which you think would suck, but we made it into good times. There was this one old guy that came in every week that we talked to more and more every week and got to know – he kind of looked like a farmer version of Blue from Old School. One time during Halloween season he came in and I’m not sure how, but we got him to wear a fake bald cap while we did a call and response version of “Joy and Pain” with him (we taught him the lyrics). That was awesome. We’d also trick old ladies into eating crazy sour candy by offering a piece of gum or a mint – the faces they’d make are etched in my head. Such good times...Do you still run around and throw up your stickers?
I do, but not as much as I used to.So, no stickers on the Brooklyn Bridge anytime soon?
Actually, I think a few ended up on there, not sure exactly how…
In respect to your work, are people ever like “Yo your stuff looks like SouthPark, yo” and does that bug you?
People do say that now and again; it does kind of bug me, but I can see why they say it- little kid, short, big eyes, big head. I‘ve been drawing my characters like this way before South Park was even on. When it came out I was like”what the hell!” What can you do though... I personally see a difference in what I do and what they do. I always get stories of friends wearing certain shirts out and having the check out lady at the grocery store saying “Oh, what a cute South Park shirt.” I just figured, why should I change what I do because of South Park? I think my newer stuff looks less and less like South Park anyways. For the record; I am a fan of the show.Seen any new artists this year that you like?
New stuff I enjoy is by Wrecks, Apurdy, Sam Fout, Lobster Roll, Tadpole – just a short list.How do you find out about new artists, typically? Web, mag, word of mouth...
All of the above. Web mainly I guess or a trip to NYC is always good – looking at random scribblings or stickers around town, or picking up stuff at Zakka or wherever.Evil Design stuff is at Colette in Paris and Few Many in Tokyo; have you had the opportunity to check either out?
No, not at all; I really want to though. Hopefully an opportunity will come up. I’ve heard both are pretty bad-ass.What comics did you read growing up?
Mainly Mad, Crazy and Cracked. I liked those books. I did read Heathcliffe, and I had some old old Peanuts paperbacks that were aweome. Dennis the Menace. I never was a super hero guy. I did have some monster comics and some Conan comics though.What about Archie? I used to read Archie alot.
I never got into Archie. I did think Jughead was cool because of his hat; I never realized that his hat is made out of an old man hat – brim cut off, then zig zagged and folded up- pretty cool. I used to wear old man hats a lot when I was a kid.I never knew that! The hat was always a source of frustration for me, not know what the deal was exactly... Ok, so when you are working, what pens or markers do you prefer?
Uni-ball Vision, Fine & Medium.
Ok, here’s another important one; what do you order at the bar?
Johnny Walker black is usually 1 st choice, Guiness is good too when the cold weather comes.What are your biggest albums, like the stuff you get all “dude!” about?
I still say Andrew WK I Get Wet is one of the best records to come out in awhile... other than that…Check Your Head would have to be in there… I’m trying to think of records and all I come up with is songs: John Lennon “How Do You Sleep?”, “Green Shirt” by Elvis Costello, “Neutron Bomb” by The Weirdos, “Learn How” by Mission of Burma, “I Ain’t the One” by NWA, “Cat Step/My Kitten/Cat Nap” Kid606/Hrvatski. Random, but a good start…Any guilty pleasures as far as TV, music, movies etc? I really like Love Actually...
You mean like Christina Aguilera “Fighter”? Sing along to that, makes you feel good.There you go, that’s exactly what I was looking for. Other than Christina though, what are you listening to?
M.I.A., Silver Jews, ODB, Le Tigre, Saul Williams, Certainly Sir; that’s what’s in my car right now.Best hip hop video, old?
“Express Yourself” by NWA is classic, and “Just a Friend” Biz Markie too. One I really liked was 2pac and Digital Underground “I Get Around”.What about new hip hop videos?
That last B&W Jay Z video was pretty cool – Is that new enough? The newest Missy Elliot one is kinda cool, but why is Tommy lee in there!? Ruins it for me.Totally, I did not get that at all, and I’m old enough to remember when he was real cool, but I still don’t get it.
Me neither, Ruins it for me.Chicago or Steely Dan?
I liked that album when they formed that super group, Windy City Steel, and jammed for a whole album. When side one ends it’s right in a drum solo break and you flip it and it slams right back into it…I ain't heard of that! Is that for real?
Legend has it… I think it’s a Dutch import or something. My old Peruvian roommate had two copies; he’d double up off time on his decks while he was on a mix of speed and this weird drink concoction he drank out of a goat skin bag. He never let me actually touch or look at them closely so I’m fuzzy on the details.
I know you’re intoThe Boredoms, what’s your favorite record?
They’re all such individual pieces. Super ae is great, but how do you compare that to Chocolate Synthesizer? "Acid Police" is such a good song. I really can’t pick a favorite, but I did get the Vision Creation Newsun box set – it’s great.Have you ever seen them live ?
I saw them three times. First was when they did Lollapalooza, which was odd. We walked in as they were playing; they went on first and no one seemed to care. Then I saw them at the Middle East in Cambridge twice, the shows were about 5 years apart. Both very different; the first was spastic style energy insanity, the second was more getting into heavy percussion stuff, really cool; I think I have a video of that show. Eye was climbing all over the ceiling pipes.It was also cool because I ran into him on the street before the show. I had done a drawing of him and sent it to his home (I was secretly given his home address), so when I walked up I handed him a sticker and he instantly knew who I was and smiled; definitely made my day. We tried to talk a bit, I asked him to name my band, because he is known to have named a ton of bands. Ween really fucked up when they went with Ztrip Hawaii or whatever instead of WeYeN like he wanted; that would’ve been a great name… anyway, he asked for my fax number and he’d fax me a name. I never did get that fax, but my machine was all crazy at times so who knows… he was really nice, we took photos, then I left, defintely a great run-in.And finally, what can we expect to see from MCA and Evil Design for the rest of the year and into 2006?
New toys, six new Evil Ape figure variations, thirty-three new Evil Ape 2” Qees- all music themed designs. My version of a Teddy Trooper. A trexi in series #2. Something for a set of little guys being put out by Kid Robot. I hope be doing new skate decks for Monkey Skate Boards. A letter pressed card is coming out, produced by letterpressed.com. We may bring the Destroy You show to Boston at the end of the year. I will be showing stuff at WOMA Brooklyn in October. A Wizard zine is in the works… That’s all I can think of right now…
MCA’s show opens Saturday August 20th, 7-10pm, at the Orchard Street Art Gallery. The show runs from August 20th through September 17th, 1pm- 7pm daily.
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