I may be biased, but the most magical section of any craft store is the STICKER SECTION. The most arresting sight? HUGE, GIGANTIC ROLLS OF STICKERS.
Oh, you know what I am talking about. Like the most magnificent quadruple-quadruple-quadruple-quadruple rolls of ultra-soft toilet paper, except they are MADE OUT OF GLOSSY PAPER. WITH LOTS OF STICKERS. AND PERFORATED SECTIONS. If I want EXACTLY 45.5 inches of Chubby Dinosaurs, I can make it happen.
And who grants me the opportunity to make my chubby dinosaur dream a reality? The pioneer of the sticker roll: Mrs. Grossman’s!
Based in Petaluma, California, Mrs. Grossman’s has been manufacturing stickers for nearly thirty years! Founded by Andrea Grossman (yes, “Mrs. Grossman” is an actual person), Andrea created the sticker roll rather cosmically. The website states:
In 1979, a local paper store asked for a red heart sticker to decorate shopping bags for Valentine’s Day. Andrea couldn’t find anybody who made such a thing, so she carefully cut a heart out of black artist’s paper and sent it to a label printer, and forgot about it.
Three weeks later, a big carton arrived from the printer. When Andrea opened the box, she gasped! Instead of being printed on flat sheets like she expected, the hearts had been mistakenly printed on rolls, like ribbon. The visual impact of these beautiful rolls was extraordinary, and suddenly Andrea realized that these hearts had the potential to be way more than a Valentine’s Day novelty - they could be a product!
The sticker empire annually prints 15,000 miles of stickers (which, for me, is equivalent to 18.75 trips to see my NYC friends). Propelled by sticker artists (an actual job!!!) and talented designers, Mrs. Grossman’s has transformed EVERYTHING into a sticker! This is no exaggeration- Mrs. Grossman’s deserves that capital “everything.” Unconventional highlights of Mrs. Grossman’s current sticker collection include: chimpanzees, dog biscuits, chubby sea life, turkeys, woodland animals, ropes & knots, construction equipment, motorcycles, and celebration pets. An unprecedented opportunity to interview Susan Eslick, CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF MRS. GROSSMAN’S, conjured simultaneous squeals (Maria in Queens, me in Chicago). Which triggered heart palpitations and rapid gasping, a response that only mirrors my reaction to Georgina’s parents sending her to Penance, the boot camp for troubled girls. Conclusion! Maria and I simply adore Mrs. Grossman’s!!!! ONWARD TO THE INTERVIEW!
1. So let’s say I’m Sofia Coppola, and I want to film a biopic on YOU. Discuss what it would contain (filming locations, and a condensed plot summary which chronicles your rise to sticker stardom). Please be as accurate as possible. No castles or dragons. Unless, however, they are legitimately present in your life history.
Locations
Act 1: Buffalo, New York
Act 2: Providence, RI
Act 3: San Francisco, CA
Soundtrack
Todd Rundgren
Talking Heads
Rufus Wainwright
Plot Summary
Young designer spends her childhood drawing on any flat surface that presents itself and confounding her parents with requests for Eames chairs, instead of a canopy bed for her room. Spends four years studying printmaking at the Rhode Island School of Design [Production Note: Can we get Dale Chihuly to do a cameo?] Our heroine follows her dreams, talents and stomach to San Francisco, where she builds a successful career as a home furnishings designer and plays endless games of restaurant roulette. As she creeps toward the big 5-0, her inner child screams to get out, so she chucks the world of shelter mags and showrooms and buys a one-way ticket to stickerland. Hilarity ensues.
Sometimes I have to do a little dance or wear a funny disguise to get them relaxed and their creative juices going.
2. Please describe the sticker design process at Mrs. Grossman’s. How do you, the designers, and the sticker artists, manage to continually release creative and innovative stickers?
As the creative director and art director it’s my job to inspire and encourage the design team to come up with exciting and fun designs. Sometimes I have to do a little dance or wear a funny disguise to get them relaxed and their creative juices going. What’s challenging, and I mean that in a good way, is that we have so many markets to design for: boys, girls, kids, scrapbookers, cardmakers, women, even men - there’s literally no end to the styles of stickers we can do. Deciding what NOT to do is sometimes harder.
3. In your bio on the Mrs. Grossman’s site, you mention that you are inspired by designers, and popular culture. Who are some of your favorite designers?
Oh, I love so many different designers working in a variety of mediums. I love the work of Maira Kalman, Proenza Schuler, Lorena Siminovich, Denise Schmidt, Picasso, Renzo Piano, and so many more.
4. How has your respect for these designers and your interest in popular culture influenced sticker design at Mrs. Grossman’s?
I love to see how trends pop up all over the place-in advertising in both print and TV, in fashion, fabrics, and home furnishings and in packaging. I especially love to track color trends. Right now I love orange, hot pink, turquoise and always black and white. I like to update stickers that have been in the line for a while with new color pallets to give them a fresh look.
I like to take the dirt pile from the construction sticker, turn it upside down and make it look like a gloomy dark cloud hanging over the Chubby Pig or whatever animal I’m into. I like a little irony with my stickers.
5. What is your favorite sticker or sticker pack?
Oh that’s such a hard question to answer since it depends on my mood or what I’m working on. I of course always love our very first sticker, the Red Heart. It’s modern and classic-the epitome of good design. I seem to be gravitating toward the Chubby Pigs these days. I like to take the dirt pile from the construction stickers, turn it upside down and make it look like a gloomy dark cloud hanging over the Chubby Pig or whatever animal I’m into. I like a little irony with my stickers.
What I love about stickers is that they’re “instant happy.” You put a sticker on an envelope, coffee mug, name tag, your face - anything, and you’ve given it a personality, and individuality, and someone else is going to smile when they see it.
6. What do you do with YOUR stickers? Do you believe that stickers should be collected or used?
When I go out to dinner, I like to give stickers when I pay for the check. The server always loves that little surprise. I think people should do whatever they like with their stickers. I understand the desire to save them, but I want people to use stickers everyday. It’s so easy to make someone’s day if you carry around stickers and give them away. The kids in my neighborhood know me as the “sticker lady” because I always carry them and give them away. Even when I go to meetings where there are no creative types in the room, I always give away stickers and the people light up with delight and they always remember me.
What I love about stickers is that they’re “instant happy.” You put a sticker on an envelope, coffee mug, name tag, your face - anything, and you’ve given it a personality, and individuality, and someone else is going to smile when they see it.
7. What is the most creative way someone has used Mrs. Grossman’s stickers?
I’ve heard that a few people have worn our Red Heart Sticker while in the tanning booth so they would have a cute little heart shape left when they removed the sticker. And I’ve seen a car in driving near the office which is covered in an intricate pattern of stickers.
I went camping once (really it was just once since I’m in no way a camper) But we needed olive oil and I traded my stickers for some olive oil from another family. They of course felt they got the better end of the deal.
8. Please rank the following sticker types on the scale of 1 (amazing) to 7 (great, but relatively poopy).
9. Name a favorite in the following categories:
TOMORROW: CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH SUSAN! A little birdie also told me that there might be a contest tomorrow, as well. A contest that involves winning things. Perhaps Mrs. Grossman’s treats. Perhaps. STAY TUNED.
Tricia’s Notes & Picture Credits:
The font is Adam Gorry Lights by Senitel Type, which is available here. Image of Proenza Schuler’s Spring 2009 line is by Marcio Madeira. Renzo Piano image from Archinect.
9 Responses for "Rolls of Fun with Mrs. Grossman’s: Interview with Creative Director, Susan Eslick (1/2)"
15,000 miles?! Omg.
I LOVE Maira Kalman (illustrated ELEMENTS OF STYLE? YES!)! Proenza Schuler? Another YES!
ALSO I love a little irony with MY stickers.
PERHAPS I should consider a new career path?
What cosmic timing. Perhaps you really should consider a new career path? Then you could play with Miss Erin all day in the Bay Area?
“Your word is ‘Rufus Wainwright.’”
“Definition?”
“American singer/songwriter known for virtuosic vocals and lush scoring.”
“Can you use it in a sentence?”
“The latest Rufus Wainwright CD is his most symphonic work to date.”
“Rufus Wainwright. R-U-F-U-S-W-A-I-N-W-R-I-G-H-T. Rufus Wainwright.”
“That’s correct. Your next word is ‘Benefit.’”
“Benefit. B-E-N-I-F-I-T. Benefit.”
“I’m sorry, that is incorrect.”
I’m sorry, we all have slip-ups. Even I, too, have occasional problems spelling Rufus Wainwright. At least if I ever made my own CD, I would be able to spell my name correctly. And “benefit.” I can spell that too.
Rufus is wonderful, even when he can’t reach the high notes on My Phone’s On Vibrate For You.
[...] Creative Director Susan Eslick shares her current obsessions. Yesterday, we learned that Susan has used stickers to barter, and surprise waiters and waitresses. This [...]
wow. this brings me back. i love the description of how stickers can make anyone’s day!
Is it fair for an interviewee to say how much they are enjoying S + D? I mean, it’s not like they have to kiss anyone’s sticky bottom now…Truthfully, I’d love to start sticker ATC’s with S + D fans…We need to talk and get some ideas to stick!
Yes! That would be amazing! We must figure out details later!
(and thank you bunches for your kind comments!)
[...] a few weeks ago my kind associate Tricia interviewed Susan Eslick, the Creative Director at Mrs. Grossman’s. We loved Susan & all the Mrs. Grossman’s [...]
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