1. What are you?
I’m a maximalist.
Maximalism is the art of more-is-more; layered patterning, highly saturated colors, and ample accessories, and a real sense of playfulness and bold gestures.
Art is hung salon-style, books are arranged by color over theme, and knick-knacks are carefully arranged. Maximalism exists in art as well, and certainly in design. Here’s planes, landmarks and stadiums as such.
This style carries over into my work as well - if you look at this magazine cover I illustrated years ago, you’ll get a sense of how I would arrange an entire house. I’ve been a maximalist my whole life - just more neatly so now.
My film work is very neat with many points of interest; the people who enjoy my projects revisit them for the attention to detail.
Because I like children’s stories, my projects feature a lot of creatures - such as carefully crafted puppets. They provide an organic element to my style, a more fluid performance in a rather rigid world.
2. Can you show us how you’re rich?
I sure can! I’ll show you how I’m rich with a set of keys and little story.
In my humble opinion, the orange corduroy jumpsuit was very stylish for an early 80’s boy, and my onesie served many purposes. It was my daily, the perfect evening wear and my bedtime pajamas of choice. Every day I woke up feeling like a lion, so why take it off? In fact, I locked the zipper in place by the collar, and kept the key in a small pocket. It gave me confidence - I was Boy Corduroy.
When I finally grew out of the jumpsuit, I kept the key as a memento. I would continue to keep every key in my life: apartment keys, car keys, locker keys, diary keys… and I have them all on one large key chain. The sheer number of places they open to me is stunning, and I can access them at any time - moments of wonder and sorrow, unbridled joy - they serve me as a way in to preserve and keep those memories alive. They remind me that I’m rich and rooted.
Here are some of my favorite out-there keys, to give you a glimpse into why this silly keychain means so much.
Ms. Pacman Machine
This little key opened the side door to the Ms. Pacman arcade game we had growing up, the one where you sit across from each other. I’m still great at the game, the key instills me with competitive spirit.
Spanish Lighthouse
View from lighthouse bathtub
This heavy key opens a rusty metal door that leads to the winding staircase up a light tower on the coast of Spain to the Mediterranean. I spent a reckless summer there and can still take in the breeze at the site.
Capital Ballroom
I love punk rock, my first show was a Rancid concert at the Capital Ballroom in Southeast DC, where I grew up. The club shuttered but for years this key let me sneak backstage to amazing shows that still ring a bell.
Hodge Lodge
3. How would you make an object in your bedroom famous?
4. Can you create a character and introduce us to them?
Meet Fritz. He’s a monster, he’s blue, and he’s had a bad day. In fact, he’s standing under a rainy cloud without an umbrella right now.
He doesn’t care much for personal growth. As long as he can fix his broken heart and get through another day, breaking even is all he asks. When there’s little to believe in, he is able to conjure up his essence, which is love. Much like Elmo, he stands for love. Unlike Elmo, he will ruin your day if you stand in his way.
His eyebrows are designed to express two emotions: hope and disappointment. But there is a magical third emotions he conjures, when all the elements come together in a magic moment: resolve. Indeed he is a determined believer in love - he’s super soft, not what you’d expect of a monster with a turbulent temperament.
At the end of the day, who can blame him? He was born a monster, misunderstood from the jump - but there’s a human touch we can feel when he comes alive, and brightens our day that moment we understand you have to fight for true love.
5. What would you like to make that you don’t have resources for right now?
I would like to make a film based on my grandmother’s book Saint George and the Dragon. It’s a classic tale that has a lot of important themes that are relevant today, like purpose and honor. At its core, this is a love story, underlying that you can find strength in love to overcome your greatest fears.
It’s awesome, really intense for a children’s book and the aesthetic of the film would certainly be inspired by Hyman’s art, which won the Caldecott Award. It’s read in schools, and is part of the library of great kids books, and I think it would be a killer film, that warrants a bigger budget than I have right now - I would be thrilled to make this my final film.
I imagine it as a modern adaptation, meaning set in the world today - and blend the live-action story with animated elements, pinning the classic tale to a kid’s imagination. It’s a drama, and I’m not a dramatic guy, but there’s moments of levity throughout, and the adventure speaks to me.
After multiple attempts, Saint George slays the dragon by going with it. This theme has been in our family ever since, and the book was a pivotal moment in my grandmothers’ career as a prolific author, who wrote it when she turned 40. I am facing a pivot in my career right now, and being the same age I have found inspiration in the book.
