THROWBACK THURSDAY

A TOUCH OF CLASS

This is a classy piece on one of our clients in Japan..

ON THE OUTSIDE LOOKING IN

Here is a piece from Japan that was an addition to a piece from back in the day.

WEEKEND RECAP

On our way back home thanks to the guys at neighborhood we tattooed the head designer to say thank you for letting us be a guest at their tokyo offices . Here is flics of tattoo plus location.

My Mexican Tattoo

Back in May of 2009 when I was in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, I got this tattoo down at Baja Tattoo in Cabo. I'm not sure that I've ever posted it here, so here it is....The artist's name is Carlos, and he is the owner of Baja Tattoos. It is in the same mall as Sammy Hagar's Bar, Cabo Wabo. They stay opened late and I think they get a lot of business staggering in from the bar! They do some really fine work at Baja Tattoos. Although I've heard "Don't ever get a tattoo in Mexico!", I can vouch for Baja tattoos being extremely clean, talented and professional! A great bunch of artists work there.....I had this work done before the extensive sleeve work got started on my right arm...


The tattoo is an interpretation of a classicAztec sun God design


Carlos and his crew run a really tight ship down at Baja Tattoos

SOUL SUNDAY

TRAILER OF THE THE WEEK

Here is a PSA by George Carlin and a Trailer "It's Bad For Ya"

in one of his last live performances.

R.I.P.

THE QUIET STORM

Go out and support our homie Jae Bueno out at Brooklyn Projects in Pasadena Ca.

Burning Man tattoos

This year's Burning Man was an incredible journey for me, and an amazing burn for all who attended. We experienced almost three full days without any dust storms, which has to be some kind of record for Burning Man. The weather was amazing, the art was amazing, the music was amazing, and the TATTOOS are always amazing.

First of all in the tattoo department, let me tell you the most wonderful story. On day two of the event, I wandered deep into the playa with my good friend Aaron Steiner. We were on our bicycles, looking at art installations way out in the deep playa. At one point I noticed what looked like an art installation that had fallen over or something. It was still quite far away, but I could see that something was up, and there was a pickup truck parked near it and some people milling about...I snapped a couple of pictures, and then headed towards the apparent wreckage of an art installation gone bad.

When I got close, a handsome fellow wearing a brown leather vest and a yellow skirt, came bounding up to me. "Hey man, our wall fell over, we need some help putting it back up!" he said. I immediately noticed that this guy had a beautiful Burning Man tattoo on his left upper arm. It was a gorgeous tattoo, and I asked him if I could take a photo of it. Sure he said, and as I readied my camera I asked him where he had it done. "Vancouver" he said, and as I asked him who did it, a strange wave of familiarity and certainty came over me. "A guy named Dave Nicholson at the Dutchman Tattoo shop" he said, and it hit me. Dave is the artist who did MY right arm sleeve, and he had been telling me about another guy he was doing a Burning Man tattoo for! As I started telling my new friend the story, he exploded in exclamation "Holy shit! You're the guy Dave's been telling me about, the guy who worked on the Heavy Metal movie?"

Well, it was an incredible meeting to say the least. Our mutual tattoo artist had been telling us about each other for the last year, and here we were, meeting in the middle of absolutely nowhere in the deep playa at Burning Man! At this point in my life, I don't really believe in coincidence. Think what you will, but this meeting was in my mind, a destined and very special occasion, orchestrated by mischievous elves from the 6th dimension!

Me and T-Bone posing with our Dave Nicholson tats

While I was at Burning Man, I took photos of tattoos that caught my eye, always asking the individual's if I could photograph them. People love showing off their tats. Here are some of my favorites.

OFF THE WALL

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Here are some classic Chevrolet Advertisements from 1959..

CITY TO CITY

Here are a couple fliks of whats been happening the last couple Days..

LA ROSA

Here is a recent collectors piece on a client from out here in Japan..

THE HYPEBEAST INTERVIEW

SA Studios has been a lot more focused lately with greater visibility. We’ve been seeing collaborations with video game releases and more video content. Is this something we’re going to see developed more and more?

SA Studios has grown a lot and we’re able to do different collaborations now. Everybody’s ruining the word collaboration. But we’re a commercial company, and we need business to work. Throughout my whole life, I worked on keeping it real and keeping it hardcore. But with SA we will be doing big projects for big companies as an agency. If the work looks good and you’re true to yourself, you’re not selling out. We’re very careful in that aspect and we’ve turned down many projects.

I look at it as no different than what you do on the streets. You’re making a highly visible piece of art. People go out and paint on the streets to have their work shown, commercial work could be considered along the same lines?

It’s hard to maintain a hardcore image and yet work commercially. But if I make shoes I want to wear and the whole package is well done, I don’t see a problem. I think it opens the doors to so many other artists when they see somebody like myself who was able to design without going through design or fashion school.

Do you find it important to help bring up a new generation or at least help them out?

I try to start off by being an example. I’m a husband and a father now with four children. I’m a teacher with a protege that works under me. You can almost see the progression in my work. From when I was a single guy, smoking weed and drinking, I had a certain style. Then I stopped drinking and smoking, then came another style. I’m now 41 and married, so there comes a new style on its own too. I’m thinking a different way than when I once was a 20 year old kid.

Do you approach graffiti, tattooing and your other visual work the same way?

No, when I do graffiti, I’m usually thinking in the mindset of a vandal. Doing it fast, thinking the cops are coming. The goal is only to make it somewhat readable. When I’m tattooing, I’m more relaxed and I take my time. But when it comes to my other styles, I need to wear a different hat. A mural on a car under clear coat is different than being a designer with Illustrator. Each dimension of art requires a different approach and style.

You’ve become well-known for your graffiti and tattooing, but are there other platforms you’d like to make your mark on?

In the future, I want to get more into films and animations. I love designing electronics.

You did a few mobile phones?

Yeh I did a Side-Kick and two Metro PCS phones. Now I’m working on touch screen stuff, drawings, icons and different stuff like that. You get the sample back and you’re like ‘YOOOOOOO’. Just like when you get shoe samples back, your heart pumps. In the future I want to get more into cars. I want to bring car culture up to a new level.

Looking back, you’ve become an integral member of the Chicano community in bringing awareness to the culture. What are your thoughts on that?

I think it’s fair to say that Chicano culture and the Hypebeast crowd never really intersected before. They were far from each other but I like them both.

You’re sort of the point between both of them…

I need to be careful to make the right decisions such as protect the brand and everything we’ve worked for. It’s difficult to get respect from both sides. I’ve been drawing and designing for the “Hypebeast”/skate/shoe culture world, long before I was where I am now. I put up a mural inside of the UNION store in the 90s. Now people are like ‘come on in’. In this day and age, everybody is a critic and lots of are posting their comments. I don’t even read the comments cause it’s impossible to please everybody. The most important is your peer group and doing things for people you’re proud of. These days anybody can Google anything and they aren’t properly influenced. But there are those that look at Hypebeast and they can get so much information that would ever know.

Where do you think your success over the years has come from?

I don’t consider myself talented, special or really unique. Everything’s been done before. But can you take it, twist it and re-do it. I’ve been drawing my whole life and now people are saying ‘oh you’re talented’. I look at it more as a skill in an area I’ve been practicing for over 20 years. Some kids feel ‘oh I can’t do that’. I tell them I’ve developed the motions and the skills in my brain and reinforced it with my muscles.

Any last words?

For all the artists coming up, it’s important to visualize positive images. Don’t spend time talking shit about other people. Picture yourself doing straight lines, dig deep to create something old school and re-introduce it all while being as original as possible. Practice every day. If you work hard enough you can take care of people around you. I bought my mom a house and I don’t expect applause from it. I figure it’s what I’m supposed to do. I have an old school mind to take care of my family and children, and art has helped me do that. Additionally, through art I’ve been able to help and beautify my community. They say that the only thing that you can show at the end of your life is what you gave away, not what you collect.

Click here to see the full coverage of the OTW Shanghai Launch Party..

ICE C.R.E.A.M

If you have been wondering what we got going on next year here is just a preview of one..
Click HERE for the full story..

SOUL SUNDAY

Machete LA Premiere at Orpheum Theatre from SA Studios Global on Vimeo.

TRAILER OF THE THE WEEK

FOR THE STREETS

Here is one of the recent pieces on a client from the streets of Tokyo Japan.

FROM ABOVE

Here is one the latest from out here in Japan..

JAPAN SESSIONS

Here are a couple pieces from out here in Tokyo..

RIDE THE TRAIN

Here is the latest issue of YRB magazine with my artwork on one of 3 covers and an interview..
Click HERE for the full piece.

TOUCH OF THAILAND

Here is one of the pieces from Thailand. The homie Kong a.k.a "The Thai Rock Star" got his lost wings back.

SOUL SUNDAY

TRAILER OF THE WEEK

TO THE CHEST

Here are a couple chest pieces we didn't show you on twitter.

BOO YA

We took a stroll through Shibuya crossing & had a feast at Moti which serves the Best Indian food I have ever had.. Trip out on the crazy vending machines they have all over the city.
Follow me on Twitter for some fliks of the tattoos. Twitter.com/misterctoons

THROWBACK THURSDAY

Here is something we are going to start bringing you..

Just to kick it off right we are gonna start with a couple advertisements of the "new"

1958 Chevy Impala.

DRAGON DAYS

Just touching down in Tokyo..

Here is one of the last pieces done out in Thailand.

Look out for the Japan fliks!

TRIBUTE TO THAILAND

Here is a piece inspired by one of the warriors from a temple we went to..

SOUTH EAST ASIA

Here are a couple more pieces from the Thailand sessions..

SOUL SUNDAY

Here is one for all you Teena Marie lovers out there..

TRAILER OF THE WEEK

ORIGINS

Took a quick break to go check out a Muay Thai champion take another Victory..
Thanks to Tat for treating us as special guest.