I had the pleasure of sitting down with Verbicide Magazine recently to talk: process, dumpster diving, inspiration, and music lists. They are an amazing magazine, and their website is full of great art and supurb music selections! Heidielisewirz.com is officially up and is chock full of show updates, project listings, galleries, and new prints for sale!
xo h

External Link: Heidielise Wirz – Verbicide Magazine Interview/ New Website

Artist Kevin Fitzpatrick and volunteers paint a 40ftx17ft mural on the station front at KBOO Community Radio in Portland, OR. Music by ‘Yeah Great Fine’. Video filming by Leah Brown and Kevin Fitzpatrick. Video editing by Stephen Kane, with help by MJ Woodis. Thank you to the entire KBOO board of directors and volunteers.

External Link: Kevin Fitzpatrick – KBOO RADIO – MURAL DOCUMENTARY

This was around 30ft. long… done in all spraypaint, in Portland Or. …

more to come my pretties…
enjoy
Ashley Montague
www.eardrums4eyelids.com

GUYBURWELL – ACCLAIMED POSTER ARTIST – SOLO SHOW FEATURING NEW ORIGINAL WORKS

Date: Opening reception April, 29th 6-9pm with artist in attendance. Show runs April 29th – May 23rd.
Location: Screaming Sky Gallery – 1416 NE Alberta St – Portland, OR 97211

Event:  For this special solo show, titled “FOLKS 1,2,3”, GUYBURWELL is creating his signature style in a whole new medium: woodprints.  This show will also feature new original works in print and other media.

GUYBURWELL is an internationally collected poster artist.  He has been asked to create concert posters featuring his unique style for various national and local bands.  His work has been exhibited throughout the US and Europe.

Contact:
Andria Robbins
503.730.3561
andria@screamingskygallery.com

Additional resources:
www.screamingskygallery.com
www.guyburwell.com

Fifth Annual Art Tour Makes Final Stop At
Scion Installation L.A. Gallery on Sept. 12

After traveling through Detroit, Art Basel in Miami, Phoenix, Minneapolis, New York, San Jose, Philadelphia and Portland, Scion’s Installation 5 Art Tour opens in Los Angeles, the final leg of the tour, on September 12th. The opening reception takes place on Sept. 12 from 7 p.m. – 10 p.m. at the Scion Installation L.A. Gallery, 3521 Helms Ave. (at National), Culver City, CA 90232.  The reception is free with complimentary valet parking and an open bar. The exhibit will run until Sept. 30, 2009. Gallery hours are Wednesday through Saturday 11:00 AM – 6:00 PM and by appointment – 310.815.8840.  For more information, visit www.scion.com/space.

My painting of Anne Boleyn (from beyond the grave) will be in the ‘Textbook History’ show at Compound Gallery in Portland, Oregon. The show runs September 3 – 27 with the opening reception this Thursday Sept. 3 @ 7pm.

Compound Gallery
107 NW 5th
Portland, OR

Introduction

After early training painting in watercolor and oils, Lee moved to largely digital media in 1989. He spent a decade as a Docent & Naturalist Illustrator at the Smithsonian Museum of Natural History. Lee’s commercial clients include Sony, Paramount, Electronic Arts, Hasbro, Discovery, the Alliance Theatre, and the National Zoo; and his work has been showcased in the Spectrum Annuals, Design Graphics Magazine, D’Artiste – Digital Painting and Communication Arts’ Illustration Annual. He lives in Portland, Oregon with his talented photographer wife Annaliese and their dog Lego. 

Do you use live models for your figurative work, or have you really embraced the digital age by using a program like Poser? 

Live models are so valuable because they often bring new and exciting details to a piece that I hasn’t thought of in advance -a faint scar, an attitude, a more extreme or interesting pose, or a story. And since my wife is a fabulous photographer (and model) herself, real people are almost always the best way to go. 

That said, I have used Poser on and off for years. It’s an fine tool for laying out a complex piece, or working on a pose that’s thorny in a short period of time, but it’s still not the tool I wish it was. I’ve accidentally turned more Poser people into grotesque pretzels… 

Which type of work do you earn the most money from and how much is that?

I often joke that the more I want a job the less money that job will pay, and vice versa. Design jobs (logos, packaging, et al.) are great fun for me. They’re often very collaborative and it’s nice to create art so important to a client’s future. They are good for the pocket book, and if I were clever I’d strive to do a lot more of them, instead of…

Complex old-school illustrations always take more time and offer more opportunities for failure. Who knows? Maybe that’s part of their appeal. Occasionally I get to spend an appropriate amount of time on a big ad campaign like the Domaine St. Michelle ad and it all comes together perfectly. 

How much do you rely on your agent to earn you a living? 

I have a lovely rep in LA named Joanne Hedge.

While I bring in the majority of my own work, Joanne always sets me up with the best kinds of work – like the eight Laurel & Hardy paintings I did for 20th Century Fox’s DVD collections. I personally find it invaluable to have both an agent and an eye for work.

With most other illustrators working with an almost abstract style do you feel that you now have niche market with your traditional type of illustration?

Perhaps so, albeit a comparatively masochistic niche. I do envy those people who can turn an illustration around in 3 hours without breaking a sweat (especially when that work is better than I manage in a fortnight)! 

Apart from art and illustration what other things are you into?

I play a mean game of Scrabble, and a passable game of tennis. I’m a film-lover and a civic-minded chap. When the wind blows right I also design games, sculpt, write, perform and travel. 

Who are your favourite artists/illustrators alive today?

That’s such a tough question to answer as I have so many. I’ll list a few by category. 

Locally:
Greg Manchess: http://www.manchess.com/
Eric Bowman: http://www.linesandcolors.com/2008/08/15/eric-bowman/
Adam Gillespie: http://www.nightlightgraphics.com/

Nationally:
Brian Despain: http://www.imphead.com/
Adam Rex: http://www.adamrex.com/
Glen Orbik: http://www.orbikart.com/gallery/

Internationally:
Claire Wendling: http://www.claire-wendling.net/
Zoltan & Gabor: http://www.boros-szikszai.com/galleries/
Joao Ruas: http://souvlaki.jp-ar.org/

Why is your dog called Lego?

He’s fun for the whole family!

Have you ever considered keeping a sketch blog?

Definitely. But since my sketches tend to be project-specific, they must remain private for reasons of client confidentiality. I do participate in an invitation-only journal that a dozen of my closest artist pals use to show works in progress, critique, and provide the very best kind of competition. 

Have you ever displayed you work in art galleries?

Yes. Last year I was one of the 13 invitees to a spectacular show called PIXEL: Artists Who Use the Computer. The show also featured Rick Berry, Jon Foster, Tadahiro Uesugi, LeUyen Pham, J. otto Seibold, Tyson Mangelsdorf, Darrel Anderson and Echo Chernik.

Given that the vast majority of my  work is digital, I don’t have masses of canvases cluttering up the house just crying out for a real exhibit. While I don’t actively seek out exhibition to free my house of painted clutter, I’m always happy to display work when I can. I enjoy talking about work, meeting people, demonstrating techniques and, above all, getting out of my studio!

Are you involved in any collaborative projects at the moment and is there anyone you would like to work with?

I love collaboration! Right now I’m collaborating on a series of fabulous Victorian photos with my wife. I’m working on a game called The Doom that came to Atlantic City and a game called Death Rally 1880 with my best friend, game-designer Keith Baker. A monstrously funny book with Portland artist Kasey Gifford. A piece with Mario Pons from Mexico City.

What’s next in the pipeline for Lee Moyer?

I’ve just this minute finished the theatrical poster commission of a lifetime, but can’t talk about details for legal reasons. Next up (beyond the projects mentioned above): a poster for Smithsonian Folkways, a soupcon of Star Wars, branding and designing packaging for a fabulous chocolatier, and finding the right publisher and distributor for my Literary Pin-Up Calendar.

Laurel Or Hardy?

Stanley! 

di Lodovico Buonarroti Simoni or da Vinci?

That’s hardly an either/or question! While Michelangelo was busy painting Sistine Chapel’s ruthlessly accurate portraits of the clergy as devils, Leonardo was writing backwards to avoid church persecution and designing ornithopters. We owe both a real cultural debt (and I owe Michelangelo some back-pay for ‘collaborating’ with him on a piece called Marvel’s Renaissance for Wizard magazine). 

Cheese and Onion or Ready Salted?

Dark chocolate with orange. Oh wait… Were you talking about crisps?

You can see more of Lee Moyer’s work at
www.leemoyer.com

Introduction

Doug Boehm is a professional freelance illustrator and fine artist. His illustration work has been published in magazines and newspapers across the US, some of which include: Time Inc., The Village Voice, Rolling Stone Magazine, Seattle Weekly, and PC Magazine. He has been published in several other countries including Australia, Canada, Taiwan, and Costa Rica. Doug has also illustrated for ad campaigns, music packaging, consumer packaging, and is always looking for new venues for his work.

Doug has shown his work in several galleries and has been collected in the US, UK, Australia, and Taiwan.

Did you know ‘Go Home Bud’ was an anagram of ‘Doug Boehm’?

I never really thought about that. Thanks for pointing that out. I will name my first born, “Bud”. Another fun fact about my last name is that it’s pronounced, “Bame”. Yes, the “oe” equals a long “a”. 

Are you an illustrator who dabbles in fine art or an artist who dabbles in illustration?

I suppose I’m an illustrator who dabbles in fine art but most of my fine art follows some kind of story line. Lately I’ve been trying to blur the edges between my illustration and fine art. I’m not a illustrator who would rather be a painter, I’m passionate about both.

How much are you worth now and how much do you think you’ll be worth in ten years?

It’s not worth mentioning. But if pressed I would say I’m currently worth between $1 and $5.2 million. That should give you an idea. In ten years I plan on wearing a top hat and will walk the streets with my solid gold cane. The neighborhood children will have a constant supply of toys and candy. 

Apart from art and illustration what other things are you into?

In addition to sitting around thinking about what I will be worth in ten years I also like graphic design, playing guitar from time to time, listening to music, fishing, traveling, drinking wine, making wine, talking to my cats, and hanging out with my wife. Life is good.

Who are your favourite artists/illustrators alive today?

A few of my illustration inspirations are Sue Coe, Dennis Corrigan, Henrich Drescher, Rich Borge, Melinda Beck, and Charles Burns. I also like several illustrators that are closer to my age such as; Mario Zucca, Colin Johnson, Danny May, Tim Gough, Jon Krause, Aaron McKinney, The Heads of State, Jude Buffum, Mutt Ink, and James Jean. Some of my favorite artists would be Jesse Reno, Robert Hardgrave, Kevin Titzer, Chris Mars, Andy Kehoe, and Jim Houser. I love lots of different kind of art so my list should be much longer.

At a guess how many primates have you drawn in your professional career?

I think I’ve painted about 20 in the last couple years. My main ape characters are titled, “Stereo Friends”. I started painting them as a metaphor for the perfect relationship. They rely on each other which brings out the true nature of both, much like a marriage or friendship.

Have you ever considered animating your work or having someone animate your work?

I don’t have the patience to animate my own work but I would love to collaborate with someone on such a project. I’m working a personal side book project that I would love to see animated at some point.

With a choice of any space or gallery in the world; which city and venues do you consider to be hotspots and which ones would you like to show at?

It’s been a dream of mine to have a show in Tokyo. I’ve never traveled there but it’s always on my mind. I would show up to the opening in a purple helicopter. It would be a sold out show. People would feed me sushi and rub my feet with warm towels. I would miraculously speak fluent Japanese and everyone would be joyous. Bill Murray might even show up.

Why is your MySpace profile private, what are you hiding?

I had issues with myspace for a while. I really love flickr though. I feel like I’m going to get cooties every time I’m on myspace.

Are you involved in any collaborative projects at the moment and is there anyone you would like to work with?

I’m not collaborating with anyone at the moment. I’d love to collaborate with someone who can sew. We’d make puppets, hand bags, and pillows. I don’t have anyone in particular in mind. I would be interested in doing a film with puppets rather than animation. I guess I would prefer collaborating with people that do not necessarily paint. However, I’m always up for a good exquisite corpse. 

What’s next in the pipeline for the Doug Boehm?

In terms of illustration, I usually have an editorial assignment in the works and plan on keeping up with that. I’m in two group shows this month on in Seattle, WA and one in Portland, OR. Visit my blog for details. I’m also taking part in a group show in San Diego this December. In March I will have my first show in New York City.

Life or death?

Life

Egg or Bacon?

I like when they collaborate.

Bunnies or skulls?

Bunny Skulls

Tai Chi or Tai Chow?

Tai Chow

Iron-Man or the Hulk?

Hulk Smash! I did enjoy the Iron-Man movie though.

You can see more of Doug Boehm’s work at
www.dougboehm.com
www.dougboehmillustration.blogspot.com
wwwdougboehmart.blogspot.com

Hello Anna, thank you for doing this interview! To start off with I would like to know what motivated you to start AGM and how did you do it? Also what qualifies you to have an international illustrator representative agency named after yourself? Did your name carry weight in the industry before AGM?

I was out of work. No seriously, I was working for another agency that had a totally different philosophy and work ethic then I did, so I decided to go out on my own. Also, I come from a family of entrepreneurs and always knew that one day I would run my own company.

As for my using my name as the agencies name, it was a friend that suggested it. I was spending many sleepless hours trying to come up with a catchy creative name. Then one day this friend of mine just suggested that I should just keep it simple and call it call it Anna Goodson Management. In retrospect, its one of the best things I have ever done. Did it carry any weight? Absolutely not, none whatsoever. I was a complete unknown. When I first approached artists to represent them, most of them turned me down. They would ask me things like “who are you and how long have you been doing this?” since it had only been a few weeks; most of the people I first approached turned the other way. Let’s just say that I totally understand what its like to start at the bottom and work your way up. As for being international, why not. I always felt that the only thing separating me from illustrators from other countries was the different time zones and I could always deal with that.

In comparison to some other Artists’ Reps, for example Debut art or even thorogood, you generally represent a small number of illustrators and artists, not forgetting the couple of photographers you have on your books. Even though you represent fewer people than other illustration agencies do you feel that you still possibly represent too many as it stands? Have you seen the film Jerry Maguire? If not, get a copy and check it out… Do you try to spread your time evenly between promoting all of your illustrators all of the time or do you concentrate on your top earning illustrator(s) and leave the rest twiddling their thumbs even when there’s lots of work?

I try not to compare myself to other reps and do what I feel is right for me. The size of the group we have suits me just fine. If I wanted I could represent many more but I like the agency to have the feel of an intimate boutique rather than a Wall Mart. I was always told that “size” doesn’t really matter, does it? As for jerry Maguire, yes I saw the movie but am not a big Tomcat fan. Since we are located in Montreal, Quebec I like more to compare my style with that of Rene Angeli, Celine Dion’s agent. Yes, it’s true that Celine has an amazing voice but if it were not for her agent pushing down doors for her, she would probably still singing at local bars in Old Montreal. I like to think that I have a lot of drive and go after what I believe. For example, when I first took on Pablo from Argentina, he was a complete unknown. I went crazy when I saw his work and fell madly in love with his illustrations. I also knew if I worked really hard and did not take no for an answer I would help him do really well. The first place I contacted was Rolling Stone. No, I did not have any contacts there at the time but just knew that his illustrations should be in there. I called and called and called. I sent FedEx’s and I even went to NY with his book. Well the day finally came and the phone rang with a job for him. We ended up working regularly with RS for two years after. It was a dream come true but only the beginning. We eventually sold one of his illustrations to the singer formally know as Prince for $$ well lets just say several years worth of salary for an illustrator living in Argentina. I kept pounding and the jobs kept coming. We recently found out that Pablo has had 5 illustrations selected for the next Communication Arts Illustration Annual as well as just completing his first full page for The New Yorker. Yes, this story evolves around Pablo but I do this for all the people that I represent. It’s my job, my duty and of course my passion. I have never nor will I ever put more energy on the artists that are the most successful. It is the ones that are slower that sometimes need that little bit extra encouragement and support.

Good answer . So outside of the job you do what skills and interests do you have?

My job is my life and my life is my job but since the birth of my daughter Sacha two years ago, I have fallen deeply in love with being a parent. I would have to say that it has become my new favorite pass time. That might sound corny to many reading these answers but its true. From the moment you have a child, you really realize what life is all about.

That’s not to say that having children is for everyone, its not but it sure was for me. I use to be your typical type A personality where my career took precedent to everything else. Now I must admit that I truly do stop and smell the flowers. I also stop to tie Sacha’s shoes, point out the shapes in the cloud and teach her that the color pink has different names such as “fusia.” I re connected with Broadway musicals by going to see Mary Poppins with her and learned to ask if “that cookie” has nuts. I now read labels on food something I thought I would never do. I buy organic when I can and have become quite concerned with the environment. To think that so many things are affected by what we do has made me a more responsible human being.

I also I can’t wait for the zoo to open up this season. A few weeks ago a baby giraffe was born and Sacha and I watched the birth on the internet. I promised her that we would go and see that baby giraffe in person.

Now here’s a question you must have been asked many times: You find or an illustrator finds you and you want to represent them – what is the next step?

If I find an illustrator whose style I like, I send them a note and tell them exactly that. I ask them if they have heard of our firm and ask them if they have ever thought about being represented. They often get back to me with typical questions such as what is the commissions we take, what are the markets that we cover, is it exclusive etc. I also suggest to them that they ask around about us to various sources and gladly supply email addresses of others in our gang, should they have any questions for them.

If an illustrators contacts me and I like their work then I ask them a few questions like how did they hear about us, what do they know about our agency, what are their expectations in a rep. We also have a contract that I email over so they can see what our agreement looks like.
To be honest, it’s a pretty quick process. I have taken on a new illustrator on a Friday and had them up on our website by Monday.

I really like to dive into the relationship. I am a reactionary kind of gal and when I feel its right it usually is. I get a good gut feeling just by writing a few emails or talking on the phone. I have said in the past, I don’t care how great someone’s work is their personally is as important to me.

Once the contract is signed and the images are up on line then I have Johanne Decker, who heads up my illustration division contact them and fill them in on other procedures they need to know about. Usually at the same time, they get a welcoming note from Sylvie Hamel who is in charge of the administration part of the agency filling them in on all the other details. We are really very well organized and any new illustrator joining AGM sees this from the moment then get on board.

OK you have the contracts signed – Apart from putting the new illustrators’ details and images online at AGM; how do you go about promoting the new illustrator… or photographer?

This is like asking how they put the caramel into the Caramel bars. Are you asking for the receipt of our success? I would have to answer back with the question, what don’t we do? Once we sign on an artist with AGM we work very hard at promoting them. We do whatever we can and are very very pro active in getting their work seen. We send out printed promos, email, call go see clients with portfolios, get on all the top websites, advertise, etc.

We also encourage our artists to participate in all the great contests out there. We also pay a % of their participation. I feel that it is only fare to do so. I think we are the only reps that do this. I mean how can I push them to participate so that they get that added exposure and not contribute to the costs?

There really isn’t much that we don’t do. Actually, we don’t do source books. Personally, feel that source books are way too expensive for what you get out of them. Its not fare to ask a new illustrator to lay out so much money for a page in a book. That just did not make sense to me. I also feel that source books are outdated and I try to find more current ways to get out artists work seen. In fact Alternative Pick doesn’t even print a book any more and theirs was one of the really interesting ones. Here in North America we have something called Zoom Media which is advertisements in bathrooms and in front of urinals. It’s advertising space that is the size of a small poster. We have been working with them for years and have received thousands of emails that start like this… Well, I was in this restaurant and bar and then went to the bathroom and staring me in the face was this really great illustration and I took down the website address….

We are all over North America, from coast to coast. Let’s just say that this media plan of mine has given the agency some really great recognition.

We have also just recently just produced our most elaborate illustration promo to date, a beautiful full color book where each illustrator has a spread. The AGM Spring 07 Promo. The book is gorgeous, if I can say so myself. The cover is silver with the AGM logo embossed on the cover. Kind of looks like a smaller version of the ibook g4, with list of amazing illustrators inside. The only text in the book is a small partial client list for each artist as well as putting the city and country the artist comes from. I was quite impressed when I first saw it. It’s a real keeper.

We have also been doing the AGM Christmas Coaster Promo for 7 or 8 years now. It’s a collection of coasters that we print each year and send them out to clients. Each year we do a theme and each illustrator and photographer produces an image for the promo. Clients love them and whenever we send them out we always get calls to see if we have more. I really like this promo and it has become a part of AGM. I can’t imagine not doing the coasters for Christmas. It’s just a great way to promote and offer a nice gift to clients to show our appreciation.

Right… Back to Jerry Maguire! If you could only represent one Artist – who would it be and why?

Toilouse Lautrec. Because he’s good!

If you could only represent one worker bee out of the artists and illustrator you currently represent – who would it be and why?

Ok, so you want me to choose one artist out of my gang, no can do. Next question.

Can you name any companies that should be avoided at all cost?

All Stock and Royalty Free companies.

Why do you say Stock companies – are they not just another outlet for illustrators to make money?

I am really against stock illustration. I work hard at getting commission work for my gang. Yes, it is another outlet to make money but at what cost. For now stock and royalty free illustrations are not that great but things are changing fast. The more great illustrators that get involved the more choices there will be available and the less commission work there will be out there. I think stock and royalty free is very dangerous to the future of illustration and I am fighting on the behalf of all illustrators.

Where do you stand when it comes to speculative work?

Here’s a link if you would like a bit more information on the subject http://no-spec.com

We don’t do spec work. When we pitch on a project we always charge a fee or we don’t do it. That has always been our policy. Great website by the way. I had no idea it existed.

Good policy! Do you ever lose work by sticking to your guns?

Who cares.

Have you ever thought about opening a gallery at AGM? Where you could show and sell your illustrators’ and photographers’ work? If so – what would it be like and what would you call it?

Yes, I have thought about it, but I’m really too busy with the agency to think about anything else at this time. Maybe one day… I have a lot of ideas. I would want it to be like the kind of gallery you stumble into when walking around Soho NY. I have no idea for a name. I would have to think long and hard about what I would call it.

So if you did have a gallery would you invite Tom Cruise?

Where do these questions come from? Everyone would be welcome to come to the vernisage. Even Tom Cat.

What’s next on the agenda for AGM?

I want to continue doing what we’re doing, keeping our Artists busy and discovering new exciting styles to represent along the way. The last 11 years have been incredible and I hope to use the experience I’ve acquired to be a better agent and a productive part of this amazing industry. I am very thankful for our success and feel honoured to work in a business that I love.

Peanut butter and jelly or Cheese and pickle sandwich?

Use to be peanut butter but recently found out my daughter is allergic to peanuts’ so will go with cheese and pickles.

Illustrators or Artists?

Illustrators are Artists.

Work or play?

That’s easy, PLAY!!

Top Gun or Days of Thunder?

Neither

A Few Good Men?

When Harry met Sally

Andy Potts or Pablo Lobato?

I love them both, impossible to decide. All I can say is that Pablo has been with us for years and we are good friends but with Andy, it was love at first sight. They are both super guys and amazing illustrators. I have had the pleasure of meeting them both in person and that was very special. Pablo came to see us from Argentina and Andy recently visited from the UK.

And last but not least – what does an illustrator have to do to get your attention?

For an illustrator to get my attention, I have to have a cathartic reaction to their work. I am a reactionary and usually get very excited when I see work that interests me. It doesn’t happen that often but when it does my attention is definitely captured. I will usually call them up or send them a email telling them that I love their work. It’s hard for me to describe “that” feeling I get when I see something really great, I guess I just have a great intuition.

I personally look at every email I receive as long as it is addressed to me. I automatically delete emails addressed to Dear Madame or Dear Sir and hate to receive mass emails that illustrators send out to several reps at one time. I get quite a few emails from illustrators looking for representation so some times it might take me a while to answer back but I eventually do.

Thank you Anna, it has been an absolute pleasure interviewing you. Ohh… And congratulations in regards to Communication and Applied Arts Illustration Annuals.

You can see more of AGM’s portfoilo at
www.agoodson.com

Comments from the AGM gang.

Kim Rosen
All the women at AGM are extremely hard working and are excellent at their jobs. Anna is a really supportive and caring agent and I feel lucky to be a part the group.

Ilana Kohn
Anna, Jo and all the ladies at AGM are amazing! They really make an effort to make the group feel like a family and take care of everyone on a personal & professional level. I just can’t even begin to say enough nice things. Love em.

Hiroko Hasegawa
I am amazed by Anna’s passion and by the energy. I think that a courtesy and prompt work of AGM is great.

Stephen Ledwidge
Since joining AGM I haven’t ceased to be impressed with the level of dedication, professionalism and the over all high standards of the team. I’ve been working for some great clients that I would never have been able to reach otherwise. It’s great to be part of the gang.

Clare Mallison
Since I have been with AGM I have been inundated with commissions. Anna is committed to promoting her illustrators; she is supportive, approachable and has helped me make illustration my full time career.

Phil Wheeler
Anna is proactive and ambitious for her illustrators and these have got to be the most important characteristics of a good agent. She runs a very professional outfit which is a pleasure to work with. My client list has been given a very healthy boost since I joined AGM.

Janice Nadeau
In my opinion, Anna Goodson Management is a very professional and hard-working team who takes care of the artists’ career in order to let them concentrate on what they are best at: creation. Also, Anna Goodson is promoting our work in a very inventive way and, as an artist; this helps me to push further my own creative limits.

Gianluca Folì
Anna and her team are wonderful. Anna follows with great attention all of our work. It’s the familiar atmosphere of the agency that makes you want to give your best. I’m really pleased to be part of it.

Tyson Smith
Anna works really hard for her artists. Anna and her crew have done a really good job keeping me busy and getting my work seen. Ironically I have never met her (she’s out of Montreal and I’m in Portland, Oregon), but she often will check in on me to see how I’m doing, that means a lot. It’s not all about work and money.

Chris Pyle
I just wanted to put my two cents in as regards to being represented by AGM. Besides being an ultra professional agency what a lot of people should know about Anna and everyone at AGM is that they make you feel absolutely wonderful every time you come in contact with them. That type of treatment just makes me want to be a better artist.

Cover by hawk krall for Willamette Week in Portland. Inside is a guide to their many ethnic, artisanal and out of the way food markets.

Have you ever been arrested for any Art related incident, what do you think about Banksy and do you condone sticker art on public property?

In recent years I’ve been able to evade trouble in one way or another. I lace up the kickers really tight and choose the right spots. I’d rather put up 300 stickers in one afternoon on a crowded Newbury Street in Boston than try to do the same thing at 2 am. Seems a bit backwards, but it is the way to get shit done.

Banksy is the king of this. Anyone with their head on straight should have respect for his work and his methods. I bet he is approached on a daily basis to do very lucrative work for big corporations… but to my knowledge, he is not having it. His integrity and wit is very admirable.

Public property is an interesting concept. I encourage and enjoy quality street-art anywhere it fits. There are codes that I personally follow in regards to where I’m willing to put stickers and graffiti. Some people have higher standard, some have lower standards. I sometimes ask myself “would my mom get a kick out of this?”. If the answer is yes, the spot gets hit.

What inspires your geometric work?

I have a huge fascination with math and architecture. Nature is important too. On a very basic level, these three things are the core of my abstract work. How much do you get paid as an Art Director? It ain’t a bad 9-5. Nuff said.

Apart from Art and illustration what other things are you into?

Family time with my wife and son, back-country adventures in Maine, reading about all sorts of stuff that is relevant to contemporary tastes. I stay dialed into street culture in general. I’d list all of the magazines that I peruse, but it would take all day. One really cool thing about being in advertising is that everyday is a new challenge. You need to be familiar with the product or service before you can successfully work on it. So in my time in this industry I have studied and learned about all sorts of interesting stuff. I’m currently art directing for a bank, so everyday I’m learning something new about their services. Might sound boring, but knowledge is power.

Who are your favorite artists/illustrators alive today?

Well, I’ll make it easy and give everyone a chance to do some research… The KDU, Depthcore, The Seventh Letter Crew and the whole Wallspankers Team.

Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

I’ve been in some really cool shows. East and West. I’d love to line-up some more showings in Cali and NY.

Are you involved in any collaborative projects at the moment?

Lots of collaborations going on right now, but I don’t want to spoil the surprises. I recently did work with Poketo, People Like Us, Owl Movement, Team 08, Dj Limelight, and of course Wallspankers. I am always down for collabos.

Is there anyone you would like to work with?

For sure! If I would listen to it by choice, enjoy eating or drinking it, wear it proudly or be moved by it’s design and innovation… I want to work with it.

What’s next in the pipeline for MWM?

B&W Bangers 3 is at the press. VectorFunk 2 will be going to the press in a couple weeks. The WS:1234 Book will go to press this summer. Solo-show at this dope boutique called Cream in Portland, Maine next month, and another solo-show in April at Sanctuary here in Portland. I try not to show the same work twice in the same town, so I have my work cut out for me for the next couple months.

Transformers or Rocky?

“Eye of the tiger” is the shit. But, so is “More than meets the eye”. Tough call, I guess the new Transformers has me more pumped than the new Rocky.

Hip-hop or Rock?

Aesop Rock.

A spray can, but no canvas or a blank wall, but no tools?

I think limited tools yield more interesting results 9 out of 10 times. I’d love to spend an afternoon rubbing mud and twigs all over a boulder, or arranging found objects from the side of the highway. Range is conducive to growth. Believe that.

You can see more of MWM’s work at
www.mwmgraphics.com/

How evil are you, would you steal candy from a baby?

I really don’t think I am evil. I would rather share candy with a baby than steal it from a baby, I’m not even sure what kind of candy a baby would be eating or have on them at any given time of the day – and if they did happen to have candy, they’d probably be eating it and baby’s are way slobbery – so say I was going to steal it, I’d nab it and it’d be all slimy w/baby slobber & It’d probably slip out of my greasy hands – but even if I was going to share it, I’d still have the same slip slime problem & if I didn’t know the baby all that well I don’t think I’d wanna chomp into a slobbed up candy from some weird little kid.

How many toys do you own and do you play with them?

I own a bunch of toys. Once someone sent me the head of a big pee wee doll.

I usually just set them up around where I work & live because I enjoy toys & looking at them can sometimes cheer up your day. – - but I recently have started playing with them again thanks to The Notorious AEA. We recently picked up a little Ewok, a mini Mike Tyson and the purple alien from that program Battle Star Galactica – when we got home we played w/these guys along side some farm animals & a piece of yarn.

What is the longest length of time you have spent on a project and what was it?

I’m not sure. Sometimes it takes me forever to even figure out what I am suppose to be doing, but then maybe like two weeks later something will click & I’ll get it all done in one night.

If I had to pick one thing it would be the process of designing & then getting a sculpt made & approving it for my Evil Ape figure, that took awhile – just because I was overly picky with it & asked for changes & changes (toy2r had great patience with me!) – so maybe that is the thing I stayed with the longest – from original drawings to holding a vinyl proto-type in my hands – you’re probably wanting to know how long it took, I can’t remember – but it was awhile…

Apart from illustration what other things are you into?

Talking to & observing Old people (you can learn a lot), going to the store and looking thru magazines, eating pizza, I like to go to new york & just randomly walk around neighborhoods I don’t know, making videos, staring blankly at the wall trying to figure out what my problem is, going to see chopper, watching movies (just watched a scanner darkly last night – it was pretty good, Philip K. Dick seemed like a wild guy..), I like to make recordings, listen to music – all that stuff… A friend just gave me the new TV on the Radio – def good…

Who are your favourite artists &/or illustrators alive today?

I like Mickey Duzy, James Jarvis, Joel-Peter Witkin, Magmo the Destroyer, Ben Jones, Barry McGee, Le Merde, Fawn Gehweiler ,Raymond Pettibon, Todd James, Harmony Korine, Paul McCarthy, Kaws, Ari Marcopoulos, Fafi, Daniel Johnston, Kid Koala, Neck Face, Wrecks, Ken Kagami, James Quigley – this is a partial list, just off the top of my head here & now – lots of good folks out there….

Which galleries have you shown at and which galleries would you like to show at?

I have shown at the Orchard Street Gallery (NYC), Adicolor Studio (Berlin), Drive-In Studios (NYC), MF Gallery (NYC), Stephan Weiss Studio (NYC), MODA3 (Milawaukee), David Adamson Gallery (Washington DC), Gomi Gallery (Austin, TX), 147 Wooster Gallery (NYC), Issue Project Room (NYC), MASS MOCA, Zietgist Gallery (Portland Oregon), Somerville Arts Center (MA), Compound Gallery (Portland, Oregon), The Showroom (NYC), Mixi-Bang (Pasadena, CA), Gallery 1988 (LA, CA).

As far as which galleries I’d like to show at… If it’s a good show – any!

Are you involved in any collaborative projects at the moment and is there anyone you would like to work with?

I like doing collaborations. I kinda have an ongoing collab w/Magmo – we pick it up when we have time & see what happens – we may do another show together this year.. I have also been working with Niko Stumpo & I think we will go wild in ‘07 with new stuff, There is talk to do a collab zine w/WRECKS (if I ever get some drawings done!) & I think myself & Cupco will be doing a doll design together – -that’ll be fun…

What’s next in the pipeline for Evil Design?

New toys – the Evil Apes series will continue, WZRDS will be out soon & new guys… I have a few Buds coming out w/Jamungo, possibly some Mimobots, a Teddy Trooper in the series 2 roll, a pillow & shirt w/ Owl Movement, maybe some bags w/TRK&FLD, a puker CiBoy… Bunch of stuff…

Umm… I might bust back into doing more shirt designs – I got kinda bogged down w/other work, but folks are asking for tees & stuff – so I hope to get goin on that soon… Not sure what else – - – we’ll see, we’ll see…

Shouts?

A big shout out to James Brown (both of em…)

Carrots or Peas?

I like em both. Raw carrots are good. Have you ever had pea pasta? It’s nice.

Freddy or Jason?

Interesting Question… Can you choose?

1st thought was Jason, he came out first & one of the first R rated Horrors I saw in the theatre at the mall was the Friday the 13th w/Crispin Glover & Corey Feldman in it – & that’s an awesome one – when Feldman recreates Jason as a boy – - classic classic scene..

But Freddy is cool too… That 1st Elm St is a great movie – Johnny Depp getting all sucked into the bed & is that the one where the girl eats coffee grinds & washes em down w/coke – that’ll freak you out… You ever try it? Wild wild – - and that part with all the screaming faces in Freddy’s belly – I think that’s in a later one… Anyways….

I dunno – tough to choose… An’ ya know what… I never watched the picture Freddy vs. Jason.. Maybe deep down there is a reason I pass that video up at the rental shop — I cant choose one to root for… I couldn’t bear to see em fight – maybe they become friends in it – -I’ll never know….

You can see more of MCA’s work at
www.evildesign.com