Mike King (US)

Mike King (US)

Mike's artwork is as impressive as his answers are short (so will be this introduction :)

 

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we

listening to when we come to visit you?

   PUBLIC ENEMY, IT TAKES A NATION OF MILLIONS TO HOLD US BACK

Can you tell us more about yourself, who are you, where are you from,

what do you do?

  I AM MIKE KING, FROM PORTLAND OREGON,

  I ATTEMPT TO MAKE WHAT MUSICIANS DO SEEM A LITTLE MORE INTERESTING THAN IT ACTUALLY IS

When did you start drawing?

  VERY YOUNG

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins

of your schoolbooks?

  I WAS A POOR STUDENT, I DID AS LITTLE AS POSSIBLE IN SCHOOL

  I MOSTLY LEARNED DESIGN BY DESIGNING

Today are you living from your art, or do you do something else for a living ?

  ART IS MY ONLY JOB

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly?

  NO

Where does your influence come from?

  I LOVE MODERN ART AND TRASH

Is there any artists/graphistsyou particularly like, what are your influences?

   PAUL RAND, SAUL BASS, JEFF KLEINSMITH

What are the principal steps in your work ?

  THINK AND THINK AND THINK AND EVENTUALLY DO

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?

  YES (?)

How long does it take you to do a poster?

  IT SEEMS LIKE FOREVER

You have a very distinctive style, are you doing only what you feel

like or if tomorrow somebody asks you an oil painting with horses

running out of water with a sunset backdrop, is it a problem or are

you up for it ?

  I AM A COMMERCIAL ARTIST, SO I DONT ALWAYS DO WHAT I FEEL LIKE

  I DO NOT PAINT, SO THAT MIGHT BE A PROBLEM

For which band have you already worked for?

  ELLIOTT SMITH, THE DECEMBERISTS, BROKEN SOCIAL SCENE, NEW PORNOGRAPHERS, WIDESPREAD PANIC AND MANY MORE

For which band would you love to work?

  NICKI MANAJ AND JOHN ZORN

Do you choose the artists yourself?

  SOMETIMES

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ?

  PRINTING

Do you think you are part of a "Graphic Scene", if so who else ?

  SURE, EVERYONE ELSE

You will attend Flatstock 2012, is it the first time you take part of

such an event ?

  I HAVE ATTENDED EVERY FLATSTOCK THAT HAS TAKEN PLACE IN THE US, EXCEPT ONE

What are you expecting from it ?

  A NICE TIME

A bit of self-promotion, take advantage of it, it's free, where can we

see your work , on the web or in real life?

  COME SEE ME AT FLATSTOCK OR AT www.crashamerica.com

The best praise you received lately?

  YOU ASKING FOR THIS INTERVIEW

What can we wish you for the future?

  SUCCESS AND HEALTH