Foalio Interview –
What compelled you to start your own line?
I swore an oath to my dying parents after they were gunned down in an alley by a radioactive WWII vet that I would create the world’s most radical t-shirt brand. Unfortunately, I had to settle for creating BeastWreck instead, which is only the third most radical brand. Sorry, ma ‘n’ pa. Seriously, though, I’ve always loved cool wearable artwork, and I’m a very do-it-yourself guy, so instead of continuing to submit my designs to online contests and other companies, I just decided to leap in headfirst and start doing my own thing, so I’d have as much control over the final product as possible, and I’d get to have fun slowly spreading the popularity of the brand and interacting with the customers and fans online and in person. I just wanted to make cool shirt designs that I would like to wear, and hopefully many other folks would enjoy wearing too!
Right now all of your products are designed by you, are there plans to incorporate other artists in the future?
I have been considering bringing other artists into the fold, and there are definitely some favorite artists I’d like to work with, but I think that might have to wait a bit longer until I’m more established and figure out how to branch out into more markets. I actually tried this a while back with a very cool design I bought from a fellow artist. When I put it up for preorder, however, there was not a single preorder placed for it, so I decided to shelve those plans and save the design to perhaps be printed later. I think folks had gotten so used to my particular style, that they just didn’t register this new style of design, even though it was very good. I’m sure I could have gone on to sell plenty of the shirts, but I’m still not quite established enough to have much funds to get shirts printed without some sort of preorder phase where I can gather a bit of money to use towards printing. In the end, I might just reserve BeastWreck for my own designs and form some sort of offshoot/spinoff brand with other artists — haven’t figured it out yet.
Do you find it hard to balance your freelance work and still have time for your brand?
Absolutely. I have an “idea file” that I keep adding to faster than I can find time to create the designs I’ve got in there. Freelance work has to take priority right now, ‘cause the bills have to get paid, and any money I make from BeastWreck goes right back into BeastWreck, or the purchase of art supplies/equipment. I’m blessed enough to have a handful of repeat clients who keep my busy, and I’ve had a fair share of difficulties and setbacks in my personal life over the past several years that have kept me from being as productive as I know I can be. Once things get sorted out and streamlined a bit, I’ll be able to devote more time to the brand and keep that chugging upwards at a steady pace. It’s also very hard to manage everything by myself. When I started out, I was fortunate enough to have the help of my lovely girlfriend/business partner (who also had accounting experience), but she soon moved on to greener pastures relationship- wise, and I had to take over running everything by myself, as well as keeping the artwork coming, and there just doesn’t seem to be enough time to do both most days.
Any advice for anyone starting a brand, not just about art but the business side?
Be unique. Be dedicated. Have a strong voice. There’s an oversaturation of t-shirt brands out there, so don’t add to the mediocrity of it all. Any Joe with a handful of subpar designs and an aim to make money can start their own brand, but it takes persistence, talent, and something out of the ordinary to make an impression and keep making impressions. Come up with a name/logo/mascot/identity that is unique, memorable, powerful, eye-catching and rolls off the tongue nicely. Brainstorm the heck out of everything and solicit opinions and feedback from friends who are intelligent and savvy (not any old douchebag). Make sure you can pull off a damn decent design, or have an eye for hiring some designers who can. Don’t cut corners with costs either — you don’t have to go for the most expensive and fancy shirts, etc. but do NOT be stingy and go for the cheapest screenprinter, use the cheapest blank shirts, hire the cheapest artists, etc. Research printers and establish a decent relationship with one — communicate your needs, ask questions and make sure you know what you’re looking for and what you want before submitting any orders for anything. Keep track of all expenses and income and do not be prepared to make a profit or make a living from your brand right away, or even in the first couple years. Put everything you earn from the business right back into the business and have a separate job to take care of your income and paying the bills.
What can we look forward to from the brand in 2013?
Many more cool new shirt designs, more stickers and buttons, and even some prints, and perhaps some other new forms of merchandise I haven’t tackled yet. I’d love to find a way to really grow the brand and get BeastWreck stuff into retail shops, too. I’d also like to do some collaboration projects with some of my artist friends, or perhaps bring in some new artists to contribute designs.
Where does the name BeastWreck come from? Why so obsessed with gorillas, not that it is a bad thing?
I wanted a name somewhat derivative of my nom de plume “BeastPop ArtWorks”, which is the handle I use for my freelance art. I decided to keep the “Beast” portion, and after playing around and brainstorming many different options, I settled on BeastWreck because it implies a sort of awesome spectacle derived from animalistic chaos. My life had seemed to be very chaotic and “wrecked” for some time, yet I’d been blessed enough to be able to navigate around the dangerous reefs and fierce storms and wrest some sort of artistic career and creative joy out of the whole messy affair. I’ve always loved gorillas and apes/monkeys of any type since I was a wee lad. Planet of the Apes and old Tarzan novels fostered a primal love for all things ape from an early age, and gorillas are just so much fun to draw! What better “beast” to serve as the mascot for BeastWreck than the mighty gorilla!
