WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR FAVORITE ARTISTS?
Robert Rauschenburg, Banksy, Kofie’One/Draftsmen, Chaz Bojorquez, Restitution
Press, Andy Warhol, Retna, Kime Buzzelli, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Donny Miller,
Katharine Hamnet, Maya Hayuk, Christopher Wool, Mike C and Peter Young.

HAVE YOU EVER EXPERIMENTED WITH SPRAY PAINT, GOTTEN UP ON ANY WALLS?
SPOONFED

WHEN DID YOU REALIZE YOU COULD BE AN ARTIST FOR A LIVING?
In 1995 I interned in the Art Department at Sony Music and got a job there soon
after I graduated from Cal State Fullerton. I ended up working there as an Art
Director for 9 years, so before I realized it I was already doing it.

WHAT INSPIRED YOUR FIRST SILK SCREENING PARTY?
I learned how to silkscreen in March 2000 after I bought a compact screenprinting
kit online. I was burning screens, experimenting with printing techniques,
silkscreening on everything I owned, but always needed more things to print on. I
bought a bunch of thrift store tees to practice on, and often asked friends to
give me their old shirts or clothes to ruin. The first real party I had in my
apartment was in January 2001 and was called “SEW WHAT?”. I invited people to
bring over their own clothes, screens and sewing machines. We printed all through
the night and ended up making quesadillas under the flash dryer.

FOR THE UNINFORMED, WHAT EXACTLY IS A SILKSCREEN?
A silkscreen is a rectangular wood or aluminum frame with a fine mesh stretched
and glued across the bottom. At one point in time the mesh was silk (hence the
name), but nowadays its a synthetic polyester. This mesh is coated with a light
sensitive emulsion that when exposed to a bright light for 5-10 minutes can
“burn” any image from a piece film. Film is a clear transparency with a rich
opaque black image on it. Areas exposed to the light (clear) harden and “block
out” the holes in the mesh. The black areas remain hidden from the light, do not
harden and wash out, leaving an inverse of the image on the screen. Once burned,
ink is pushed through those open areas of the mesh onto paper or a t-shirt to
make a print. Water-based inks dry by themselves and are mostly used on paper.
Plastisol ink is what we use on shirts and must be heat-cured with a flash dryer
(20-30 seconds) for the ink to set and not wash out.

WHO WAS YOUR FIRST CLIENT AT HIT + RUN?
By March 2006 we had only done about 7 events when Louie & Netty from Temple Bar
hired us to print at a private party. Right after that Stones Throw had us at
their Coachella party, and a month later Red Stripe put us on a six-city
nationwide tour. We’ve done 250 events around the United States, Europe and Japan.

WHAT CAN WE EXPECT FROM THE HIT + RUN COLLECTION IN 2009?
We started printing very small runs of shirts by ourselves and selling them on
our web store, at pop-up shops and select places. We just put out our first mix
cd by KUTMAH and have two more planned for summer release. We give them out with
the purchase of a tee or at select events. The next mix is gonna be by THE
GASLAMP KILLER, and the third cd is by DJ NOBODY.

BRANDYFLOWER.COM SHOWCASES YOUR VARIOUS PROJECTS, WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE PEOPLE TO KNOW ABOUT YOUR OTHER WORK?
MARK OF THE BEAST is a rabbit hole full of remixed logos, igniting topics
surrounding drugs, government, conspiracies and contemporary society. I think of
it as social satire, commenting on our current world. Humor might be more
important than art, well actually I’m kidding….sarcasm is.

WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR FAVORITE COLLABORATION?
Any chance we get to work with dublab or ArtDontSleep is always a good time.
Recently we had the honor to work with Andrew Lojero and the Mochilla posse…B+
and Eric Coleman are LA’s flyest ambassadors to the world. They travel
everywhere, make documentaries, dj, take ill photos and last March curated a
series of composer tribute concerts called “Timeless”. We helped print their
merchandise and it was an honor to create exclusive gear for Mulatu Astatqé, Ma
Dukes and Arturo Verocai. We also just screenprinted sketchbooks for Michel
Gondry, and are currently planning a 10th anniversary celebration with dublab.

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO COLLABORATE WITH?
Everyone.

WHAT IS YOUR FAVORITE SNEAKER/SHOE BRAND?
New Balance should give me free shoes.

IF YOU COULD RE DESIGN A BOOK COVER,WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE?
“A People’s History of The United States” by Howard Zinn

WHO IS YOUR FAVORITE SUPER HERO?
Don’t be right be kind.

FAVORITE COUNTRY TO VISIT?
Home.

MUSIC TO LIVE BY?
The voices in your head and Zackey Force Funk.

PLUG IN, BRANDYFLOWER.COM/HITANDRUN.COM