Saturday, November 25, 2017

Here's Johnny!!!

I have always been persistent, I always try, ok maybe I try too hard but failure is not an option...

So what is the best way to get a BIG NAME brand/person/companies attention? No one wants to be harassed, I get that. Sure they don't have to reply unless a lawyer is involved but think about how many different network options  we have now on the Internet besides sending a direct email. Our own President is obsessed with using his personal Twitter account. It truly is mind blowing to think that I could retweet him right now and he might actually read and/or even reply...technology is amazing. Period. I was going to say, "What a time to be alive" but no the point is clearly that TECH IS AMAZE.

I told all my friends (yes all 4 of them) today that I wasn't going to let this Chopsticks story die until I got a reply from Johnny Cupcakes. I never heard anything from O'neill, RVCA and the Gaslight Anthem when I reached out in the past on similar subject matter. This one was different, I was feeling extra confident...1 out of 4 has to happen, right?

First thing first, I sent over a direct message to the Johnny Cupcakes FaceBook page which immediately replied with an automatic response that if there was a problem with my order that I should email customer service ASAP blah blah blah. Next, I tagged Johnny in a couple of my Instagram Stories and commented under his Chopsticks post on the JC IG page. Next was Twitter, I fired off a few tweets that simply said I designed Chopsticks in 2007, what is the story behind your version? I had zero intentions of becoming the annoying pest so I decided to wait until tomorrow and fire again.

Then within the hour came the reply via Twitter direct messaging which is basically a text message, a private one on one with Johnny himself...I replied instantly and we chatted...cool beans!


Was I satisfied? As my crazy friend Marc would say "Absolutely". This is what I wanted to hear, an authentic response from the brand owner himself. I never intended on saying "well I did this first and you copied me" because in all reality my design never left my own sketch pad and my personal computer. I just wanted to hear his back story. It's funny that his Chopsticks design was also unused from over a decade ago and that it was resurfaced as a last minute scramble for Black Friday New shirt release. The irony in all of this...an archived design that finally came to fruition. Johnny pulled the trigger on it and Joey (thats ME) never did. To be totally honest, I never 100% liked my design enough and it was never meant to be a real #CavotuTee.

The moral of the story is...persistence is cool and life is what it is...now I am totally inspired to start bugging the Gaslight Anthem again about using my tagline Stay Vicious as their song title...more to come.

Friday, November 24, 2017

Chopsticks

Happy Black Friday everyone! Thanks to all those who placed orders in the shop earlier today, I always appreciate the love and support from my friends, family and fans etc. Big hugs and high fives!! All orders will ship out Monday.

I realize everyone is being bombarded on their social media and email accounts with various brands/companies advertising the greatest deals/specials/discounts all day, hell all weekend, pretty much this will be the normal until the holidays are over. Yes I am guilty as charged but hype is good to some extent, sure this debatable.

Ok so we have been down a similar road like this before, in case you are new then here are a couple old blog entries so please read STAY VICIOUSGET BARRELED and GET BARRELED 2.  First and foremost I am an artist and I am a designer. This is why I started Cavotu and this why I still devote time/energy/money towards this passion project. Yes I am inspired by everything around me and I do have a lot heroes and idols in this BIG fashion game so this particular subject matter always makes me smile.

One of my SDSU advertising class professors (circa 2000) would often remind us that "everything has already been done" so we should always design with an open mind, never copy/plagiarize yet always create what our minds envision etc. I am not quoting him directly but the overall concept is there...and speaking of quotes this cliche phrase is a good one too:
Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. To imitate someone is to pay the person a genuine compliment — often an unintended compliment. 

I have admired Johnny Cupcakes and his empire for quite some time now. I have blogged about him a few times and even attended one of his special lecture/talks at Whittier College about 9 years ago. I still remember this day when I took my son, Sterling to the LA shop on Melrose Ave on 9/28/2008. I definitely put some miles on that Baby Bjorn...ahh memories. Johnny is great, love his story and his passion/drive...although I must admit that I have never purchased any of his actual products.

So earlier today I came across the new Johnny Cupcakes shirt called Chopsticks while I was scrolling through my Instagram feed. 



Now in 2007, I was working on a very similar design, YES I said 2007...So ONE DECADE AGO I was designing "Chopsticks"- this idea of a hand holding chopsticks and picking up the Cavotu logo. I had several different rough draft ideas, as any designer knows that the process from start to end has many stages, it often feels endless. Chopsticks was one of those designs where I couldn't quite get it right. I tried everything from small centered design to large front graphic as well as large back graphic but none of the shirt placements worked in my eyes. I even had a soup bowl, a plate, a bowl of Cavotu logos, and several other ideas. My friend who was helping me screen print was always telling me that I need to be realistic with my shirt placements because this was not a cut n sew type of garment, I was printing on an actual tee shirt and so I had to factor in all the angles, seams and/or how the shirt drapes when being worn etc. I had worked on this Chopsticks design for several weeks, back and forth with this and that but I was never was satisfied. This was the last saved version on my computer- March 21, 2007! And I never touched the design again. I gave up on the idea...

I was shocked to see the Chopsticks design today for sale in the Johnny Cupcakes webstore. I had to do a double/triple take. I couldn't believe that the Chopsticks idea was finally a reality. I literally did an LOL at work today. I am just imagining the graphic design team and how they pitched the idea to Johnny and/or the story behind this shirt or maybe there is no story at all and the guy/girl came up with the design in 5 minutes- BAM- print it- on to the next idea.

The story behind the Cavotu Chopsticks design was based off a memory of mine when I was living in Singapore as an exchange student in 2001. It was one of my first days in the country when I was eating alone at a local hawker stand (their version of a food court) and an older Chinese man came over to my table and pointed to me (6'3 blond hair blue eye California boy) using my chopsticks and he smiled as he said "you are doing it RIGHT!" I just laughed and said thank you.

Life is all about timing. The Cavotu Chopsticks design was never meant to be for one reason or another. If anything this Johnny version has inspired me to dig into the archives of Cavotu artwork that never made the final cut. Maybe something will inspire an idea, a spark...always dreaming...always creating...and never give up!!!

Thursday, November 23, 2017

NEW NEW

Black Friday is always a motivating deadline. I have been pretty solid over the years when it comes to releasing something new and/or having an online sale.

I got a few more tricks up my sleeve but my timing has been off lately, I was recently bit by spider on my calf...more new will be coming in 2018.

I hung the lights up today....get some. www.cavotu.com


Thursday, November 2, 2017

Thursday

I never run out of things to share, lack of subject matter has never been the issue...

I loved blogging back in the day but over the years my time/energy has shifted. I have never valued my sleep more than I do now. Yes, I still pull all nighters on a occasion but I truly feel solid after a decent nights sleep. Blogging was always a late night task...I ramble too much with very little substance.

The Cavotu Trademark has been renewed for another decade so this project is here to stay. The creative juices have been flowing lately. Focus on what matters...more to come.