March 13, 2007

• //The Interview - Pt. 4

  Looking back, would you have done things differently if you were in his position?
  I did do things differently. That was why we butted our heads so much. While I wanted to have control in the area that I have expertise in and let the editor handle what he was good at, he wanted to control everything even when he doesn't know anything about it. He was resentful towards the fact that I knew I was good and couldn't be pushed around the way he could with the ones that have lower self-esteem. That was why he later hired people that weren't capable to do things up to professional standards, even when I insisted him not to. He was essentially doing everything an unprofessional manager does: He deliberately hired people that I dislike to make me miserable, when one of the most important aspect about a team is chemistry; He blabbed about "working as a team" but thought he was above everyone; He told us to dress presentable but showed up in tank top and sandals; Of course, he hired people that are bad so he wouldn't have someone that out performs him.

   

  So going solo works for you better?
  In many respect, yes. But one can only take on so much work by himself, that's why you always hope to look for good teammates. I am teaming up with another artistic talent now. I stressed the fact that I am "teaming up" because there really isn't, nor should be, a hierarchy within a team. We are both happy to work with each other, help each other, and are honored that each of us can take part to put some good work out together. If I were still with my old team, this attitude would be deemed a sign of weakness, when in reality it's a sign of appreciation. You see, as a team, some members will do more creative work, and some members will do more grunt work. But no one should be considered better or in a higher position, because there's no final product without any of the integral members. I demonstrate my leadership by example. So instead of telling people what I can do and what they should do, I'll show them what I would do and that I am indeed walking the walk. My high school teacher taught me that a leader should do less talking, but more coaching and encouraging. A true leader has to remember that no matter how high up he climbs, he is still part of the team. Not above it. I am not thinking about how big I can get this team to be. I care about the quality of work we're putting out and the fact that we are doing work, even small ones like Nickelodeon's Sponge Bob or Avatar, that are to be seen by the audience and that are worthwhile of our time. I am not interested in these "practices" that takes away all your time in a day because someone wanted to give you something to do so he can justify his position without doing anything himself and the only result from the work is a beat down for not doing it good enough. At the same time, I am not gonna work with someone that isn't ready to generate artwork at the quality that is required for the paid gigs that I have. That person can practice on his/her own without me degrading his/her morale. I am not here to look for people to train, and then blame them for all the time they will hold be back while I try to get them to catch up.

   

  What do you say to those who want to learn from you but have to be turned down?
  I tell them the truth, and the truth is that I don't have enough work to hire people. But I will encourage them to sign up for an artist table at conventions that are local to them, and not hide in their room and draw all the time. As I've said earlier, how well your artwork is received by the audience can offer a good idea of your skill level, or if anything, how you should pick the subjects of the artwork base on the demand. The best part about the having a table at a convention, however, is being around other professionals and aspiring artists that you can talk to and seek advice from, which is something you can't do when you lock yourself in solitude.

   

  Is it just me, or does it seems like artists don't like to talk to people?
  No, it's not uncommon to see artists that are uncomfortable with socializing. I think it's mainly a confidence issue, which they don't really know how well their artwork may be received from the people walking by. Of course, there are artists that don't like to share what they know with others. But I make an effort to make myself approachable, because I know how hard it was for me to learn things without someone to seek guidance to, and sharing the little of what I know may help the artist community as a whole.

   

  So you're not afraid to create competitions by giving your secrets away?
  First, what I know are not my secrets. I learned it from somebody else and integrated with my own interpretation or whatever. Second, I may be giving up technical tips to people, but it is still up to these people to practice the techniques. And lastly, I am all about beating the competition fair and square, not eliminating them or preventing them.

   

  Good philosophy. So I have to ask: does your artistic ability get you more girls?
  Being an illustrator? Puh-lease. If I can pick a job title to get chicks, I'd choose to be a musician. Hell, I even get musicians attributing my "popularity" with girls. Musicians?! Come on! Girls love musicians. If you're a musician and you are blaming my pencils for cock-blocking you, then you should really look at other aspects of yourself and understand that it's not about the talent.

   

  So what DO you do?
  Oh, I listen.

   

  [Listen?]
  How hard can that be, right? You'd be surprised how few people listen to others in a conversation, though. When you talk to enough people in your life, you'll notice that 90% of them are just waiting for you to shut up so they can they go back to their own blabbing. Then the 9 of the other 10% just ignore you.
  You know that old saying about the smart monkey learns more from watching the stupid one than the other way around? It's pretty much like that for me, except I am not that smart. People that never shut up tend to talk outta their asses, and you can learn a lot about stupidity, ignorance and what NOT to do in your life.
  Socially speaking, being a listener gives others chances to lead a conversation, and that tends to have a more positive effect in any interaction.

   

  [Such as?]
  People will appreciate the fact that you actually care about what they have to say, that you respect their opinions, and that you're open-minded.

   

  [...And apply your people skills to your game and...]
  Would you really consider that as "having game"? It really is nothing more than me being genuine. When I talk to girls, people will say I am "trying to mack" on them. Well, first of all, I don't "try", I "mack". Second, "mack" is a word used by 8th graders. They can use that childish word to discredit me all they want, but they'll only look stupid as I have my conversation with the girls they couldn't figure out how to "mack on".

   

  [You do have everything worked out in your head, don't you?]
  Look at it this way: How many guys can walk away from a conversation with a girl they just met and say something about that girl besides she's a fun person, a nice person, a cute person, a hot chick? And I don't mean you can make up crap by guessing. I mean the things that the girl has said in her words. You're not gonna find too many of those guys. Even when you do, it's more because they don't know how to carry a conversation.

   

  [So you let them do the talking...]
  ...and help them carry on the conversation.

   

  [What do you say if you don't know much about the topic?]
  You ask them questions. Not questions that can be answered with "yes" or "no". Ask leading questions. Sometimes you can really learn something. Life is not math or physics. Just because you know an answer don't force feed it like the only answer. That only shows how one-dimensional of a person you are. Nobody likes to have a conversation with a know-it-all, so don't act like one. I am stressing the word "act" because I know a lot of guys talk things up simply because they don't want to admit they don't know anything about it. What is wrong with not knowing about the topic a girl is talking about? She's not gonna dismiss you because you don't know anything about girly stuff like... I don't know, horoscope. If she were that shallow, you wouldn't want to be around her anyway. But if you start to pretend you know about things you don't, and the conversation moves on deeper, eventually you're going to...

   

  [...Pull things outta your ass?]
  Yep, and end up looking like an ass to her.

   

  [Any other tips for the guys?]
  Timing is everything. Be aware of the atmosphere you're in: If everyone is teasing around and acting silly, don't go around saying things like "that's dumb" or "you're so childish", because the only dumb ass would be you for not getting it. Don't do follow-up jokes - Think of it like a baseball game: I go up to the home plate, joking opportunity flies in, I swing and hit. Next batter up. Don't walk up to the plate and repeatedly swing at a joke that already flew outta the park. You can also think of it like a "Yo'Mama" joke: Someone says to me "Yo'mama so fat blah blah blah..." And I would come back with "Yo'mama so fat... when she trips over on 12th street, she falls on the 14th." But then if you jump in and say "and she destroys all the buildings like Godzilla." Then your timing is WAY off. The punch line was already made by me, you're just killing it with the follow-up.

   

  [There's a person like that in every group, isn't there?]
  Unfortunately, yes.

   

  [So another vote goes to the "be yourself" section?]
  I never said I know anything beyond common sense.

   

  Since you meet a lot of people at conventions, are there specific type(s) of people you dislike?
  Not people. The things people do: I hate it when people lie. I hate it when they manipulate others. I hate it when they argue to win, but not argue to be right. I hate it when people chew their food with their mouth open. I hate it when they make a lot of noise when they eat. I hate it when they talk with their mouth full. I hate it when people think they can act like jerks just because they are driving a bigger or faster car. I hate it when people treat issues in life like mathematicians and thinks there's only one answer for every question...

   

  [Man, you just hate the world...]
  Yeah, pretty much.

   

  What are some of the big no-no's for you in life?
  I don't challenge people on things I cannot do myself. I certainly would not have put them down for those things. I don't dare people to do stupid things and I don't take dares. Most of the time, the person instigates the dare is setting up a lose-lose situation. If you take the dare, he gets to say you're stupid for looking like an ass. If you don't take the dare, then he gets to say you have no balls. It's juvenile, and retarded. I don't care how big my balls are comparing to his because I am not sleeping with another guy. But when he insists on the comparison constantly, it's showing that he's really the one lacking the security and wants to compensate for something that's lacking.

   

  Any last words, you know, for the aspiring illustrators that didn't get scared away by your harsh views of the world?
  Be flexible to the changing times. Survival as a pop culture artist requires the ability to adapt. As Bruce Lee once said, "Believe in yourself. Have faith in yourself. Do not look for an outside entity and replicate it." Express yourself honestly. Those are the words I live by. With a lot of hard work and a little luck, success will be just around the corner.

   

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