LIVING THE ART LIFE

Interview by Jimmy Heartcore of Heartcore Clothing

For Emptees

Michael Shantz is not your every day artist. Well, he is in the sense that he draws every day, but that's not the point I'm trying to make here.

He takes bland and boring objects, and puts them together in the most demented fashion possible. He breathes new life into them. He doesn't just 'move shit around'. He adds to it. He cuts it up, swallows it, and when he spits it back out -- well, sometimes its just sick.

Sick in a good way.

Michael, your style is pretty gnarl, where do you draw your inspiration?

I think the majority of my inspiration comes from a lot of japanese gore art, old woodblock prints of bondage girls getting cut up like a fish.... that kinda stuff. As well as the lyrics for crazy bands like Dark Funeral and Cradle of Filth. I also just think of the worst most horrible things ever and draw them.... so my own wierdo of a brain inspires me? yeah....sure...why not eh.

When you're drinking a couple beers, do you often think of the most fucked up thing ever and decide to draw it?

Wellllll when i was in unversity i drank a LOT more and tended to not be able to draw....so no? BUT... dont worry... i do tend to indulge in the electric lettuce from time to time... usually right before i start designs..... so maybe more than time to time... and i think of majorly fucked up things. and then draw them

What would shock people to know you enjoy listening to?

Ummmmmmmmmm, fall out boy? yikes.....

If you could do a mashup with any designer worldwide, and work on a project with them -- who would it be, and what would you work on?

Right now im doing a small collab with Godmachine AND Derek Deal 'cuz we were alll bored... and when i joined up on emptees and even before when i'd see those artists work, i thought they were the absolute best thing since dead babies... jk jk !!.... and now im working with them...its great.

I think if I was to work with someone huge it will be with Pushead or Camille Rose Garcia.... maybe even bwana spoons.... id probably design a set of toys... or do a cartoon about a mutant teen in highschool who secretly kills nerds with the vampire janitor. But the zombie teen also falls in love with a girl and then eats her brain and becomes madly depressed and write goth ballads at a coffee bar . Voiced by Jack Black.

Have you ever considered starting up your own label, and why haven't you yet?

OK, so here's the deal.... I have about 4 designs for my own line which i wanted to call Gross Bros, but i keep redoing parts of them so that keeps me from getting them done. Also, i dont have enough $ because what i make goes towards rent and food and going to NYC and making connections in hopes of making more money.

If you were in a room with Betty White, what would you do or say?

I would wonder how she is still standing and then convince myself that she is undead... i would freek out and grab a pipe and jam it in her mouth then chop her head off with a samurai sword and pop out one of her eyes.. then fill it with weed and get really baked to take my mind off the fact that Betty White may not have been a zombie and actually just been really old annnnnd that theres a good chance that a lot of the guys in prison watch The Golden Girls and that i wont be able to walk for my stint in prison unless i make it obvious that im insane and thusly, perhaps, be safe from shower horrors.

What advice would you give to designers who are just getting into the mix?

Learn color theory! PLEASE !!!!! AND take a life drawing class.... buy some books on perspective and lighting and learn the basics. I dont care if you think that so and so is the best and you want to draw like them because if you dont know the basics of how a body moves and how long an arm is supposed to be, or where your eyes are in relation to your ears, you will suck. Dont bash other designers either, because you will look like an absolute tool and will never ever get any help or work. Dont RIP OFF OTHER ARTISTS !!! Even if you think its a trend and your just following said trend...usually your not, your ripping off the style of that artist. oh oh !! Get a style all your own....thats brutally hard BUT thats what makes an original artist original, and if you want to be good you will be willing to put aside your ego and work towards your future as an artist.

Do you ever wish that Canada had more badasses?

Marty McFly, Ace Ventura, Austin Powers.... 'nuff said.

How important of a role does where you design play in your actual work?

It dosnt at all. Of course its nice to have a good amount of room, room for refernce books and inspiration, but i have also done killer work in a cramped basement suite with no light. But i think IF i was to have a perfect place to do my work, i would definatly have enough bookshelf space for all my art books from university, references for anatomy and stuff... room for toys, a good chair that dosnt make my shoulders and back hurt.... and a TV so i can watch horrible horror movies and the food network.

How many girls have wanted to uncheese your cheeto because of your design skills?

I seriously dont think any girl has been like ohh wow your arts so hot... that decapitated hooker covered in maggots makes me wanna jump your cheeto.... only in the movies bro...only in the movies

Lastly, what effect has the rapidly developing adobe design package had on your design process?

I use photoshop cs2.... and i will continue to use it forever.

You can learn more about Michael Shantz by checking out his blog at http://michaelshantz.blogspot.com/ or his myspace at http://www.myspace.com/shantz