I am a creative writer who is the child of a kindergarten teacher. Perhaps this is why I immediately fell in love with eeBoo, which creates toys, games, notebooks, arts supplies, and other gifts for children and full-grown people who other people sometimes mistake for children. eeBoo’s products are all original and use artwork commissioned from children’s book illustrators. As a writer/artist, I loved the company’s focus on arts and crafts, including storytelling and writing. Late last week, I  wrote a post about some of my favorite eeBoo products.

Many of eeBoo products have earned the Oppenheim Best Toy Awards, which, if you spend any time in children/game sections of stores you will probably recognize:

Envy led me to Mia Galison, the president and creative director of eeBoo, whose headquarters are located in a turn of the century ballroom in New York City (what?!?!!). I hid my jealousy and asked her some questions about her magical job.

1. A lot of your products, including a fairy tale board game and many whimsical notebooks, encourage people to share their own stories. In a few sentences, describe your life as an enchanted tale — stick to the main plot points, but feel free to add dragons, witches, and fairy god mothers here and there.

I was the old woman who lived in a shoe. I had three children in less than two years and my husband was a self employed artist. I was a tortoise moving slowly, but I kept saying to myself “I think I can, I think I can.” There were no fairy godmothers to help or dragons to threaten, just a lot of smart, kind and helpful friends, family and associates that made the hard work mostly a pleasure. After what seemed like an endless journey, eeBoo became a goose that laid golden eggs.

2. Please describe the design process at eeBoo.

Most often I have an idea while walking to work or sorting through junk at a flea market –or cooking, or staring into space.

Most often I have an idea while walking to work or sorting through junk at a flea market –or cooking, or staring into space. I flip it around in my head–what the colors wills be, the package, the artist I’ll get to make the illustrations, that sort of thing. Then I ask [my husband] Sax about it. We walk back and forth from work every day so we have a block of time both in the morning and afternoon to discuss things. Sometimes he has good ideas and sometimes he makes me mad because he doesn’t see what I see, but even if we disagree it helps me firm up my vision of the project. I have ideas all the time. When I feel particularly buzzed about one I get started right away by calling an illustrator and sending him or her a sketch- and I get the art started. When it is a new format I get letters out to manufacturers so I can see prototypes and get prices. Often I make my own prototype in the office. Once I get some art in-house, I start to work with one of the three designers that work at eeBoo. Sometimes that means seeing a box cover design or making patterns. Sometimes it means experimenting with something completely new, like folded paper hats. I stick all my current ideas that I’m really considering on a big bulletin board. We are always working on new projects and new formats, and whatever I think I can get to market during a given season, I make..and keep the rest for the next season.

3. My mom is a kindergarten teacher. She is also the mother of a 26-year-old writer (me). Name one eeBoo product that would equally fit the bill for both parties.

We make very nice quality pastels that everyone would probably like.

4. Is your studio as amazing as it looks in the pictures? If it is more amazing, then what wonders does it contain that I can’t see in the pictures?

Our studio is in fact as amazing as it looks photos. It was built as a ballroom at the turn of the century and has 18 foot ceiling 60 running feet of skylights, mosaic floor made of yellow marble pieces, 10 foot windows and a large staircase down to what used to be the kitchen where my husband Saxton Freymann has his photograph and painting studio. What you don’t see in the photos is how many wonderful things are being made there. We are always experimenting with papers and fabrics and new materials. eeBoo also has ten lovely employees that would never allow anyone to take their pictures.

5. What are you visually inspired by?

I can be inspired by many things. Among many other things, I like Japanese illustrators from the 1930′s and 40′s, Chinese deco rugs from the 1920’2, the color pink, Belgian encaustic tiles, brand new Shanghai style, silhouettes, American quilts and naive embroidery, Hmong fabric from Chiang Mai. Unique objects that look as thought they were made for children by their mother or father with love. Embroidered blankets, crocheted hats, handmade wooden toys and stuffed animals. I could go on and on.

6. EeBoo makes lots of games for children (some of which have won awards). This makes me wonder what non-EeBoo games you play. Let’s say you’re inviting a bunch of your adult friends over for game night. Which five games do you have on the middle of your table when they arrive? (Bonus question: What snacks are next to the games?)
We are not a big game playing family but we have played a lot of Bananagrams and Masterpiece, a long extinct board game from the 1970′s based on a fine art auction–it’s goofy and easy and my kids have learned a little art history from playing it. We mostly have time to play games together when we are up in our house in Delaware County NY–there we eat S’mores with dark chocolate off of dirt flavored sticks.

7. What is your best-selling product? What product are you most proud of?
I Never Forget A Face was one of our early products and I’m very proud of it. It’s a Matching Game that includes 24 pairs of faces of children from all over the world including a girl from Afghanistan and a boy from Iraq. We included these nationalities because we made this game at the beginning of the wars and we wanted to remind as many people as possible that there were children in those countries. We get letters from children and parents all the time telling us how much they love and appreciate seeing the different faces, and about how their children make up stories about which of the children are friends.

8. One of your new products is pipe cleaner craft kits for children, animal lovers, & crafty adults. Each of the 18 different designs are creatively named for the color family of pipe cleaners they contain, and each packet can be used to create a specific animal. If these animals could come to life, and you consider their relative pipe-cleaner size, which two animals would be have the most interesting (friendly) wrestling match? Who would win?

I prefer not to think about these fuzzy little animal fighting. The Yellow Bird is a wonderful shape and the Mushrooms are wonderful.

9. Finally… what are you currently obsessed with?
Current obsessions–gnarly mushrooms from farmers markets, pom poms, fancy knee socks, Georgian miniatures, hand spun and dyed wool, and making hats.

Yesterday, Minty Lewis revealed that she has a terrier-question-mark named Otis (see above!) and that Apple might not have the destiny of a nimboBACHELOR.  Here is Minty’s current obsessions (she loves wombats too!) for your curious wee minds.

1. Koko the Gorilla
2. Wombats
3. Watching “thirtysomething” and then checking out the recaps according to Videogum
4. “Hoarders” on A&E
5. Psychics–reading books about/by them and wishing I could be one
6. Gravy (I recently figured out how to make delicious vegetarian gravy and I put it on everything)
7. Video tutorials at lynda.com (sorry this one’s so dorky, but I have a month of free classes and I am learning a lot)
8. Seeing classic movies at the Paramount Theater in Oakland
9. Looking at real estate I’ll never afford in places I’ll never live

:)

Approximately four weeks ago, I attempted to convince you that Minty Lewis is someone you should know.  She is a wonderful comic artist, and as you probably assumed from reading her comics, she has a great personality.  Minty agreed to answer an attack of my silly questions.  I predict that your future-self (that is, you in the future), will soon learn about Minty’s googly-eyed flowers and her feelings on snakes.   Maybe I should have prefaced that with a “SPOILER ALERT.”  Instead of more effusive Minty praise and spoilers, perhaps it would be best to charge ahead to the interview.  Vale!

1.  Let’s imagine that members of the “Minty Lewis FANS4LYFE” Google group (I am purely being facetious, and have not researched whether similar groups exist.  The existence of such a group would be coincidental.) unite to create a petition.  What type of petition?  A petition to convince you to create a biographic music album, of course.  In the face of such pressure, you cave and agree to take on such an endeavor.  Please list the song titles (remember! they must capture your life!), as well as a sample lyric for each song.  Other song notes (musical instrument requests, musicians you would collaborate with, locations you would record the song, etc.) are encouraged, but not required. Finally, describe what your album booklet would look like, and people you would cite in the liner notes.

I’d like to record this album in a haunted house, so that we might hopefully pick up some authentic ghosts on the audio. I’d have to cite the usual suspects in the liner notes, probably all the same people I thank in my comics: my husband Damien, my family, all my pals and pets… I’m going to say that my album art would probably contain some fruit pals, but this question is really too difficult for me to answer properly without spending several hours sketching. Anyway, here’s my track list (the lyrics vary greatly in their level of relevance to my life):

1. Say Hello by Heart (“I’d like to know when you will say hello”)
2. Baby’s on Fire by Brian Eno (“Baby’s on fire, better throw her in the water”–pretty sure he’s not referring to actual babies, but I like this song)
3. The Village Green Preservation Society by The Kinks (“We are the Village Green Preservation Society, God save Donald Duck, vaudeville and variety”–mostly because my preschool was the Village Green Day School)
4. Bicycle Race by Queen (“I want to ride my bicycle bicycle bicycle”)
5. Radio Radio by Elvis Costello (“Radio is a sound salvation, radio is cleaning up the nation”)
6. Dancing Queen by ABBA (“Dancing queen, young and sweet, only 17 – oh yeah!”)
7. Mystery Juice by Sean Lennon (“Every day I watch the TV shows , It’s getting so I know the shows hosts”–I’ve had a lot of “me time” on my hands at various points in my life)
8. Jocko Homo by Devo (“I can walk like an ape, talk like an ape, do what a monkey can do”)
9. Kings of the Wild Frontier by Adam Ant (“Down below those dandy clothes, you’re just a shade too white, shade too white”)
10. Young Turks by Rod Stewart (“Young hearts be free tonight, time is on your side. Don’t let them put you down, don’t let them push you around, don’t let them ever change your point of view.”)
11. Goodbye by Mary Hopkin (“Leave your flowers at my door, I’ll leave them for the one who waits behind.”)

2.  A little birdie informed me that you are from MCLEAN, VIRGINIA.  Tell me about McLean.
It’s true, that birdie had her facts straight. McLean is a suburb of Washington, DC and home of the Central Intelligence Agency (it’s more formally in Langley, but that’s part of McLean). In addition to the CIA, McLean boasts McLean Pizza, a Chesapeake Bay Bagel Bakery, Dolley Madison Public Library, USA Today, and Peking Imperial (Evans Farm Inn is now closed). Many people who grew up here are ashamed of McLean’s reputation as a conservative, wealthy, and snobby area. I don’t have much to say in the its defense, but I cannot deny that McLean is where I’ve spent most of my life.

IT IS MY BIRTHDAY TODAY SO PLEASE CLICK ON THE JUMP FOR MORE OF THE INTERVIEW! (more…)

So, I’ve been combing through Stickers & Donuts for all of the interviews we’ve done, and I decided to make the following Interview Page, for your browsing convenience. [Visit now. I'll wait here.]

Did you see how many fabulous artists and creators we’ve interviewed?! I KNOW! We’re proud, too. Now, go read them all, if you haven’t already. We spent a lot of time on them. They shouldn’t lay around like back issues to Newsweek, sitting in your bathroom for years. This is the INTERNET. Nothing gets dusty! Anyway, check it out, there are fun little pictures you can use on your blog if you’d like to link to a particular interview.

(Oh, and after scrolling through the interviews, if you think you are right to be featured on S&D shoot a friendly email to Tricia [at] StickersAndDonuts.com. Her most fabulous question, in my humble opinion, was the following: “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.” If you want to see the answer, check out our interview with the Creative Director of Mrs. Grossman’s STICKERS.)

Knock Knock. Who’s there? It’s Jen Bilik, the Head Honcho (founder, creator, owner) of Knock Knock. (Sorry, I couldn’t help it.) She is the one behind all of those funny, well-written, cleanly-designed pads, books, folders, binders, notebooks, and flashcards that you always see in that Kitschy shop on the corner. (Everything is also for sale on-line, and, HINT HINT, the Nifty Notes and Pocket Notes make great stocking stuffers.)

1. Pack This! Pad, $7; 2. Pro Con Pad, $7; 3. Dial an Excuse, $7.50; 4. Thanks a Lot!, $4.50, 5. Daily Mood Tracker Paper Mouse Pad, $11; 6. Things To Do Pocket Notes, $5.50; 7. Accomplish Pad, $7; 8. Random Dawdle Paper Mouse Pad, $11

Due to my various neuroses, which result in an incredible amount of list-making and indecision, Knock Knock pads frequently come in handy. Due to my obsession with clean, functional graphic design and witty writing, I feel a tickle of joy in my heart every time I see them.

Yes, the pads can be considered humorous novelty and joke gifts, but often they are quite functional. I use my “Pack This” pad every time I go on a trip. The “Rate that Wine” pad would have been perfect for the Wine class I took in college. I’ve always thought the “Daily Mood Tracker” should be used in therapy (you might need to ignore the “kill me now” column…) rather than ugly black and white xeroxed sheets (seriously, if you’re already depressed, ugly designed mood tracking sheets aren’t going to help). And, while I hope the entire “Shit List” pad wouldn’t come in handy for anyone very often, I think Steven Colbert might like it if he were renamed it “Dead to Me.”

I wanted to make a Gift Guide featuring all Knock Knock products, but then I could just write a post that says, “Please go to the Knock Knock site for your holiday shopping.” So, instead, I’ve been including them here and there, like in the Neurotic Gift Guide post. Since then, several people have said they wished they could get me The Complete Manual of Things That Might Kill You. (TIP: For someone as paranoid as me, this would be a cruel joke.)

Anyway, in place of an All Knock Knock Gift Guide, I’m offering you an interview with the founder and owner of the company that puts the “fun in functional.”

INTERVIEW WITH THE RULER OF KNOCK KNOCK (more…)

Yesterday, I introduced you to Rhiannon, exposed her tepid feelings towards being compared to Rhianna, and hopefully convinced you why I am currently (always?) obsessed with everything Liebemarlene.  We’ve reached the end, and I would now like to share with you some of the things that Rhiannon is currently obsessed with.  And because I couldn’t resist, I’ve also included some of my own comments.  In the guillemets.  Why guillemets?  I’ve always wanted an excuse to type “guillemets.” GUILLEMETS, GUILLEMETS, GUILLEMETS!

1. Lillian Gish

2. Reading about the Great Depression «The photo above is by Dorothea Lange, a wonderful photographer who took amazing photographs that encapsulated the consequences of the Great Depression.»

3. Apple Cider

4. 1940s Christmas films

5. Long necklaces

6. Velvet

7. Peter Pan collars «Psst!  Esty and eBay are great places to find lacey peter pan collars.»

8. Coupon code sites «Now, more than ever, a lot of newspapers have been publishing many articles on ways to save.  They almost always include coupon code sites, like RetailMeNot.  If you’re planning to purchase something from a pretty big website, it’s a smart idea to check a website like RetailMeNot first.  You could save quite a lot!»

9. 1920s hats now that my hair is short

10. Finding ways to antagonize my brother-in-law, Danny the Antagonizer

11. Finding ways to antagonize the jocks next door

12. 1970s Edwardian style

13. David Hamilton photos

14. Vintage knitting patterns «A neat resource for vintage knitting patterns is Vintage Pattern House’s Etsy store. Not a knitter?  Brighter Fusion’s Etsy store is full of vintage sewing patterns!»

Tricia’s Notes (!) & Picture Credits

The font is “Jane Austen” (swoon), which is downloadable at dafont.com.  Except when noted, all images were taken from Liebemarlene Vintage Look Book. Vintage knitting pattern from Vintage Pattern House.  Also of note!  I didn’t make the fancy frame adorning the picture of Rhiannon!  It was her boyfriend, Kumar!  I can’t emphasize enough, I hope to one day have photo editing skills as tight as his.

Earlier I introduced you to the illustrious Rhiannon, who runs a lovely store (Liebemarlene Vintage!), blog (Liebemarlene Look Book!), and a central hub for her little internet empire (Liebemarlene!).  Just by glancing the images featured on the previous post (I had such a hard time choosing which ones to feature!) and (perhaps) perusing her flickr, you can tell that Rhiannon has a visceral ability to put together flawless ensembles!  I was fortunate enough to have the opportunity to ask her a few questions…OKAY, I CAN’T FOOL YOU WITH MY MODESTY.  THE SCROLL BAR TELLS ALL!  I actually, as you will soon find out, pummeled her with questions regarding her style and feelings on Rhianna.  OH, and I set up fictitious scenarios regarding Bill & Ted (& George Carlin) and a fiery building.  Wee!

1. If you were to sell the movie rights of your autobiography, whom would you want to play you?  Black and White, Sepia, or Technicolor?

I think I’d want it to be a silent movie in the late 1910s, which I suppose doesn’t make any sense chronologically, but oh well!  I’d love to have Mabel Normand play me–someone silly for sure.  And old silent film blurry black and white with frilly costumes would be good!

2. How would you describe your style?  How has your style evolved with time?

Right now my style is very old-fashioned and pretty girly, though a little bit less so at the moment than usual.  And I feel like my style is changing all the time.  For instance I never, never cared about fashion at all until I was around 18, and when I got into it I dressed pretty weirdly, going through all sorts of faux punk/hipster/’80s hooker phases throughout my college years, and after that regressing and going a little bit cutesy.

3. What/who inspires you?

I’m inspired by old movies, other fashion blogs, street style blogs, magazines like Lula … As far as the people around me are concerned I’m probably the most inspired by my boyfriend since he owns his own business and makes a living out of designing and being creative and strange (in a good way).

4. Do you have a favorite outfit?

No, it probably changes every week.  Right now I’m into lace tights and dark colors, but my favorite outfit might have to be one I’m dreaming up–it’s a ’60s Christmas party style outfit with black tights, black shoes, some sort of clutch purse, and a dress from Ebay that’s on its way as I write this.

5. Based on the selection of items in your store, it seems like you always sell your best finds!  This theory, however, conflicts with how I imagine your personal closet to look like (ie, an assemblage of the most perfect items/the best place in the world to play dress-up).  How do you decide what to sell, and what to keep?  Is this decision easy?

Thank you!  Oh, it’s really hard.  When I buy for the store I try to go with only things I’d wear myself, so it’s really hard having to sell it all.  I try to be strict with myself, though; I’ll keep something only if I really, really love it or if it’s something I’ve been looking for.  A lot of times even if I do keep something I’ll end up selling it a few months later anyway.

6. What is on your Winter wish list?

I just bought the coat I’ve been wanting to buy, so what I’m really looking for now is a pair of long leather gloves to go with it (and to replace the pair I lost last winter–I’m always losing gloves!).  I’d like a few sweaters, maybe a pair of thicker knit tights for the colder months.

Whenever my sister, Ashley, and I go to garage sales together we’ll drive around looking for the ones run by little white-haired ladies.  They always have the best things.

7. As a superb scourer and thrifter, do you have any shareable secrets to finding wonderful things?

I don’t know if I’m superb, but thank you!!!  I guess the best thing (but probably not the easiest) thing you could do is to go to the best thrift/vintage/antique stores around you as much as you can, just so that you don’t miss out on anything.  Other than that I find the most things at thrift stores, but I’ve found lots of funny little accessories and treasures at estate sales and garage sales.  It might not be nice to say I guess, but “old lady garage sales” are my favorite ones by far.  Whenever my sister, Ashley, and I go to garage sales together we’ll drive around looking for the ones run by little white-haired ladies.  They always have the best things.

8. Let’s pretend you have access to a magical phone booth.  To be more exact, Bill & Ted’s phone booth (a disguised time machine).  You are allowed to pick one year/location to travel to.  Which year would you pick, what would you do, and who would you want to meet? (more…)

There are a couple of factors that led me to blogging.

• In the beginning, I was unemployed.  Sending hundreds (no exaggeration) of cover letters is unsettling, especially when no one loves you back.  Ridden with ennui, I began watching a romantically delusional Taiwanese drama and several episodes of Arrested Development.  I thought writing would be a more productive use of my time.
• (the big one)  The first blogs I ever became obsessed with were fashion blogs.  Since college, I have been an avid reader of particularly two fashion blogs: Fops and Dandies (now kaput…but you can still add/read it on Google Reader…shhh) and LIEBEMARLENE VINTAGE LOOK BOOK.

I absolutely adore Rhiannon Leifheit, the mastermind behind the Liebemarlene empire.  A vintage dealer based in Atlanta(ish), Rhiannon has a distinctive, romantically whimsical style.  She manages a vintage clothes and accessories store, blog (filled with lots of visually exhilarating outfits), and website.  My favorite fashion blogger, Rhiannon is an absolute fashion inspiration.

Rhiannon has been featured in quite a few magazines, including Lucky Magazine (Lucky Girl August 2008!!!), Marie Claire, and Bust!  For some mysterious reason, issues of Lucky Magazine magically appear in my mailbox, and when I saw Rhiannon, I squealed like a chubby pig.  Contrary to other high-traffic fashion sites, Rhiannon focuses on impeccable design, rather than specific brands.  Thus, I never find myself questioning, “Well.  That’s cool that you got a free Ed Hardy hat.  It is, however, hideous and you are a failure.”  I may be cruel, but coming across one of these sites reaffirms Liebemarlene’s unquestionable superiority.

The many iterations of the “Rhiannon outfit” (FYI- she has a collection of over 700 outfits on her flickr) exemplify her undying love for vintage.  Rhiannon is, undeniably, a vintage princess.  She excels at seamlessly integrating new pieces (like Forever 21 cardigans) with dainty dresses of undiminished elegance.  Oh! I also love how her pictures are frequently scenic!  Her Southern-forests-mansion adventures make me jealous! She brazenly explores a myriad of eras, fabrics, prints and colors.

Red ruffle dress!

eee!

The houndstooth-y sweater is fantastic!

So many colors!  I don’t think I have ever seen a coat as colorful as the 1960s plaid coat in the top left hand corner!  The kelly green dress is so lovely too!

The thread that weaves through Rhiannon’s style is her penchant for exceptional details.  Lace!  Pleats!  Prints!  Rhiannon’s eye for detail is especially visible in her accessories!

YES, I AM CLASSIFYING THAT BIKE AS AN ACCESSORY! (It’s perfect!)  Although sometimes subtle, these wee details capture the complexity of Rhiannon’s style, and dose her ensembles with extra grandeur.  My complements attest to how much I want to be Rhiannon’s friend!  (So I can foray into her closet, of course!)  I am delighted to present to you an exclusive interview with Rhiannon, where she discusses her love of old movies, the 1930s, and shares some tips so you can be a super thrifter like her!

LATER TODAY: INTERVIEW WITH RHIANNON TOMORROW: CURRENTLY OBSESSED WITH RHIANNON (HURAH!)

Tricia’s Notes (!) & Picture Credits

The font is “Jane Austen” (swoon), which is downloadable at dafont.com.  All images were taken from Rhiannon’s flickr or Liebemarlene Vintage.  Finally, the framed logos in the introductory picture and magazine captures are from her website, and were frillified by her boyfriend, Kumar.  I aspire to one day have photo editing skills as tight as his.

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.

(more…)

You’ve probably seen Jonathan Keller because he’s taken a photo of himself every day for TEN YEARS (he started when he was 22!) and, I have an unconfirmed suspicion that he has single-handedly started the “I Take a Photo Of Myself Everyday for X Days” YouTube boom. (If you want to do it yourself, this program might help.)

Anyway, the brilliant part about JK is that the video isn’t his only project. He is a project man. And, as usual, I’m having a hugely hard time selectively picking things to show you. Basically, I want to recreate his web-page on my web-page. Not practical. Or legal. So you should just visit it.

1. American Sign Language Alphabet Matchbooks (This is actually how I discovered Jonathan’s web-page. Later, I found out I had seen 3000 pictures of him on YouTube.)
2. Daily Photo Project (video below)
3. Random Comments, such as those found in this Random Leftover Survey
4. Photobooth project from fromktoj.com, which is actually a project by Jonathan’s wife. Photobooth key is so pretty! ALSO, I WEAR LIME GREEN.
5. How to Hold a Design Poster (hahaha! TRUE!)
6. Songs About Rainbows (or, as I like to call it, How to Ruin your Entire Filing System)
7. Box Bots, robots made of cardboard boxes (you can submit your own!)

I wanted to ask Jonathan about a billion questions about his photo project, then decided not to, and then ended up asking a few anyway. Luckily, he has (quite humorously) answered photo-project FAQs (er, AQs) on his web-page (seriously, go read it, my interview is very informative, but this is funny!).

According to his web-site, five years ago he was quite the internet star (as interpreted by me based on the number of emails he received never mind his youtube views), so I imagine with about 1000 more photos under his belt he’s quite the star now. Moral of the story: I consider myself lucky that I even got through the massive spam filter I hope he now has installed in his email.

“From 2003 January 01 to 2003 July 11 I received 2111 eMails to my website account. 613 of which were real eMails from people about the site, with 35 containing ‘love’. 1498 were junk eMail, 10 of which were apparently sent from the future (2038), and 59 containing ‘love’.” -JK (PS I made the graphic with Daytum)

How would you describe your art projects to someone who hasn’t seen them?
Ah, my elevator pitch is a tough sell. Thankfully I can just pull out my iPhone and show people. In the event that I, God forbid, don’t have my mobile portfolio, I begin by saying that most of my projects lie near the intersection of design, code & craft and are dictated by some sort of logical system. But in my systems, logic does not beget sense. In fact, the end result is often an amplification of the simplistic nature of the system’s assumptions and interpretations. Accumulation, iteration and revaluing the mundane also factor in often. When that explanation leaves one befuddled, I say “I’ve taken a photo of myself every day for the past 10 years. There’s a video of it on YouTube.”

When that explanation leaves one befuddled, I say “I’ve taken a photo of myself every day for the past 10 years. There’s a video of it on YouTube.”

What’s with the “c71123″?
When I was 5 years old, my father asked me to remember the numbers of three cows (the ‘c’) that needed to be bred (he was a professional artificial inseminator). The numbers were 7, 11, & 23. Being the math/number dork that I was at that age, I set out to remember those numbers for as long as I possibly could. 27 years later they hold a certain amount of nostalgic appeal. I knew the odd alphanumerics would be available as a URL, while also subtly referencing spam and numbered email addresses like hotgirl69@email.com.

What’s your favorite project you’ve done?

My favorite project is perpetually the one I just finished and put up online. There is nothing more satisfying than getting work out there for others to see. Though, to answer the spirit of question, I’d say the Princess Peach shirt as it encompasses most of the interests I’ve been involved with since I was young while also achieving what I desire for all my projects.

Which is your favorite box bot?

Like most things subjective, it’s hard to choose a single one. Overall, I like the way the beer and cigarette packages turn out. Odd, since I’ve never smoked and drink rarely. If I had to choose one to be my friend, it’d have to be the Dos Equis bug, while my mortal enemy would be the ogre Mr. Guinness. I think I can safely say that my least favorite is Boston Lager. A black mark on the otherwise shining beer genre.

What project has gotten the most reception from the public?

It’s quite humbling to be able to say that millions of people have seen a project I created.

The Adaption to My Generation (a daily photo project) by far. Check out the number comments on my site for proof positive. I’ve been fortunate enough to be featured in some very public spaces online and off and it’s quite humbling to be able to say that millions of people have seen a project I created.

What’s your process for taking photos of yourself? (more…)