Feb 1, 2013
Alrighty, owe you guys a few good stories on some of the last pieces, let's go with the piece most prominent in my mind right now: Scumbags.The shirt actually came from another project originally and was being worked out to be a part of our first collaboration...due to high levels of grimey weird stuff, that never happened.But the template for doing a mascot shirt was there.
There's always a need to articulate thoughts and feelings, I felt it was done quite deliberately last year with pieces like the Jimmy Loko and Self Sponsored shirts.We have never used a mascot here,and it just seemed like a great direction to go for the vibe trying to be channeled.
Early Scumbag sketches
The goal was to address the parts of business and our community that has to do with exploitation and lack of action.There are a BUNCH of people that have a million gripes, but very few of those people actually do anything conducive to making a change.They're 'NO WORK,ALL SAY' ....they kind of just go wherever the flavor of the week jerkface decides to take them and play along, whining the whole way and doing nothing.This translates to their entire lives,and they get nowhere most of the time.
The Scumbag in the design is thought to be the mascot character, no he is just an opportunist.Whether he's selling,joysticks,DVDs,or whatever else, he is going to get by as long as there is a dummy willing to buy whatever he's selling ...or saying...and no one will do anything outside of watch him and whine a little while doing little to nothing to stop him.The Scumbags are those bozos that put up with this.
Despite the game references,the Scumbag mentality translates to all communities and worlds.Scumbags are everywhere.There are very little people that work in spite of whatever setbacks come into their life.This work is a nod to make people want to take action when pursuing their goals and desires...a sort of 'we will rise' within a fun to wear shirt.
As for aesthetics, the influences were propaganda,and old iconography.It just seemed super fun to make something super wearable and fun regardless of the heavy message.The iconography and colors seemed to make it just REALLY nice at the end of the process.
If you look closely, there's a small offset in the Scumbag's print, that is a nod to old comics where the printing is just a bit off from the press.Really smart stuff I can't take credit for.. my bud Matt came up with that like the smart butt he is.Too crazy.
In closing,this shirt is the one that probably got the most responses from strangers, and it was nice to see that the work can be appreciated on all levels,that's a great feeling and a new one..just really heartwarming,especially considering how much work went in and sleep was lost making this.Definitely a non-Scumbag effort.
Finished product,turned out ill right?
There are a few more Nods hidden in the piece, but it's no fun telling you guys all of them.If you have the shirt, look closely and you may catch some, if you don't have the shirt, make sure to get it while it's in the SHOP and we can get a pow wow going to talk about the shirt some more.Haha....anyways, hope you enjoyed the rant and deconstruction.Look out for some of the other stories soon! -h_h-
Stay Hungry
Jan 29, 2013
Might be biased because the background music is by a band named Hadouken...but there's some ill stuff in this vid.Check it. -h_h-
Stay Hungry
Jan 28, 2013
Was talking with my boy and close confidant about the MONSTERS tee today and it occurred to me that we've been sleeping on a few of the previous design stories....or to be extra real, I've been avoiding them shiz so I don't make a total buttwipe out of myself.Something about blogs and speaking volumes of truth about even the most seemingly insignifcant things in the world of HH has been prone to make tons of people mad and act weird out of nowhere.But then again,that's the point of the whole collection. Changes in people and worlds.
The MONSTERS tee along with Scumbags and Hype are a small collection made with the intent of exploring what it's like to deal with people in this industry from the perspective of someone (myself) trying to do good things,both in and out of the brand.It's darkness vs light for a greater good and a tale of struggle all in little black pieces of cotton.
There was a period in the last third of the year where just about anybody you could name in fighting games was hitting me up to do work.It was weird.All of these emails, tons of people, crazy amounts of opportunity ,all coming my way and lining up to make AWEEEEEESOME stuff happen in a super small amount of time.
There is an aspect I've never taken into account well with HH: business.What I mean by that is, tons of people say stuff they may or may not mean with sometimes good intentions ,other times bad, and you kind of just have to know,not everyone is your friend or cares about what you're doing.This is a bit vague, but the result of the last four months of 2012 was just a bunch of people wasting my time, the fans time, and hurting what could have been some great productions for their own reasons.
You guys know how I feel about the brand, the fans, the time put into all of this....so each and every letdown just caused me physical and mental anguish.I've dealt with depression before and continue to at times, so the pieces you see are a manifestation of that struggle with darkness while trying to maintain a positive inspiring outlook for myself,the brand,and fans.
There's an expression, "When life gives you lemons,make lemonade"....consider the pieces that came out strawberry lemonade Arnold Palmers.In other words,instead of getting super bunked out ,that energy went into making crazy ill threads that were a Nod to what was really going on in the heart and mind of someone that wants to do good things and that will have to face obstacles much larger than jerkfaces who waste our time to get there.
Each piece is a part of that story and a tidbit of commentary regarding those feelings and probably the most well designed stuff to come out of HH so far.I will give a seperate breakdown to each piece and some of the design elements/stories over the next few weeks.But I hope the collection spoke to some people both aesthetically and now does so in an emotional sense now that they know where the concepts and energy come from.It's about a struggle, and struggle we will... hope you like strawberry lemonade Arnold Palmers...haha.
Stay Hungry
Jan 26, 2013
Been cranking this while folding all week. Best sweater shots in the game.
Stay Hungry
Jan 25, 2013
New drop in the shop later on today.Look for these puppies and some throwback stickers around noon PST. These will probably go fast, so don't sleep too long.Rock on dudes! -h_h-
Check out the ill back print
Stay Hungry
