TROG (Australia)

TROG (Australia)

Well, when, roaming around FB you discover an artists whom work make you think about a mix of Griffins/Jim Phillips and other gods like those ones, you, at least myself, have to take contact immediatly. But, to tell you the truth, those sick drawings, full of eyeballs and other marijuana leaves made me wonder what kind of psychoguy will answer my mail :) I must say Trevor have been really nice along the whole process interview, and this is why I take this opportunity, here, to tell him how sorry I am for the delay it took to have this interview online !

Hello, of course as every Crewk interview, first question: what are we listening to when we come to visit you? 

Nofx / Johnny Cash / Hedpe

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

im TROG -  underground comix artist from Australia who should probably be based in LA or San Francisco -  when someone goes i seen this sick artwork and it had bongs n weed n pills n lines in it they were probably talking about my work as "im that guy!!!"

When did you start drawing? 

i can't remember i kinda always clicked with drawing it was like the one thing in my life that just comes naturally to me and connects with me-  i think i was put here to draw

Did you follow any course or did you improve by drawing in the margins of your schoolbooks?   

i did study graphic designyears ago - i finished that in like 1998  but i was kinda stoned for most of my classes - surfing / skating and smoking - just sittin in class trying to copy Rick Griffins work...

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

i actually work full time as a brand manager for SRH clothing and just do selective work,  personal canvas works, art exhibitions plus lately i've also been doing some killer stuff for cannabis expos (which suits me - like really fuckn suits me)

Are you collaborating with magazines/fanzines, regularly? 

i've actually never done any of those-

Where does your influence come from? Is there any artists/graphists you particularly like, what are your influences? 

my artistic  influence  comes from the greatest artist to have ever walked this earth- Rick Griffin,   plus Williams, Roth, Moscoso, Wilson, Crumb, Brown....   as far as my influence i generally like to sketch concepts and comix and then when im wasted i can take one of those concepts and get it looking how i imagine it should look as a full canvas.

What are the principal steps in your work ? 

start at one corner of a page and sit there till im at the other corner -  i may stop and smoke during this however i generally already have a concept in my head and just flow- i find the less i actually think about it the better result i get and i like it when i look at something and can't remember doing it and be like - hey thats sick as fuck- how the fuck did i get it to there and then follow the layers n go like hey-  my wife spins out at stuff i draw- she will stand there and be like how the fuck do you do that..

Do you do everything by hand or on computer?    

i do pretty much do all my stuff by hand- i have "LETS DRAW" tattooed across my fingures with eyeball men holding pencils on the tops of my hands, so i kinda need to keep drawing by hand or else it will shit me - i think handwork is where its at and even colouring by hand you can get a result you can't get on computer- its a more personalized piece of art-  i do some stuff on computer if i need to however i would already have drawn it all by hand then scan it in

How long does it take you to do a poster?  that totally depends on the poster- what kind of state im in personally- where my heads at - how many layers are involved-  i mean i could do one in a day - or it could take me a week

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 ? 

if someone asked me to do a picture of horses running with a sun set- they would get like a wack cartoon version with horses running with cone pieces sticking out of them with an acid induced sunset n wierd shit going on - if they ask me to do it then they want my style.... if they don't want my style-  don't ask me-  its that simple

For which band have you already worked for? 

kottonmouth kings /  hedpe / slightly stoopid / kyuss lives / mickey avalon

For which band would you love to work? 

pearl jam / Green Day/ offspring / nofx

Do you choose the artists yourself? 

all the bands i've done stuff for i have been asked to submit to them

Career Highlight?  

 i had my own signature "TROG" bong made

What is the most difficult part in designing a poster ? 

doing the poster is the easy part -  getting it approved by the band and the management and getting paid is the difficult part- this is the part that sucks

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

im not in any scene -  im so underground people don't even know who i am "YET"

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?  

 you can view my work on:  www.facebook.com/artofTROG  

The best praise you received lately? 

the best praise i get is when a kid messages my page and figures out that im the artist who done some piece of art that he liked and didn't figure out it was me till now-  when that happens thats cool...  like your that guy -  and im like fuck yer kid im that guy.....sick - much appreciated...

What can we wish you for the future? 

that 'im remembered for creating some of the most unique cartoon drug influenced work of this time period..

Thanks for answering my questions and see you soon on the website !!