When I first moved back to Cleveland a year ago, the first flyer I laid my eyes on (handed to me by John from Clan of the Cave Bear) was a freaking masterpiece – a stoner pan-frying his brain. It was the details which caught my attention – a band t-shirt entitled “Goat Cheese”, complete with jagged heavy metal script and a logo of a pentagram imprinted wheel of cheese. That, and the open mouthed (with open head-wound) expression on the character’s face, just made me bust up. I was back in Cleveland, where flyers were still a viable form of art…not just some graphic design student’s fetish.
I used to collect Derek Hess flyers when I was a kid, now I collect John G. flyers…it’s that simple, the dude’s got talent.
I sat down with him at the local cafe, asked a few questions, got a few answers…and we even gave birth to a mini-comic from some of the interview (it should be featured in the next issue). You can get in touch with him at jgritty@gmail.com
“The world represented in my work is pretty much exactly the real world we live in, only weirder and more just the way I SEE it. I’m fully, almost sickeningly, aware of reality the way it really is, but I think it would be a lot better if there were animal people and robots and we acknowledged that we in fact are living in the post-apocalypse.”
“For me, I think art works out as a form of (almost) therapy that allows me to break-dance with ideas and fuck around with communicating without actually having to, y’know…engage anyone.”
“I draw a lot…my process for something like a poster starts with a shit ton of really rough thumbnails – mostly brainstorming, even if I have a clear vision of what I want to do – I’ll usually work an idea over a lot. Then I do a larger – full sized rough sometimes using reference. Then I’ll light box that onto a drawing board and clean it up until I feel comfortable enough to start inking. I ink with a brush and micron pens – I also use a toothbrush and whiteout. I’ll work the piece until I’m happy with it. Then I scan it in photoshop. I like to do all my text and typography by hand. It’s pretty tedious, but totally worth it.”
What’s the best way to say “I love you”?
By postcard – people love to get mail and when you send a postcard your message can be read by all the mailmen and postal workers too.
What’s the most fucked up thing you’ve seen?
I dunno about fucked up, but the other day I saw a BURNING BUSH. Seriously – a bush, by itself, nobody around – engulfed in flames.
What’s the most beautiful thing you’ve seen?
The burning bush was pretty beautiful.
Any insights on the Cleveland art scene?
It occurred to me lately that I am probably oblivious to most of the goings on, but from what I see, I don’t think it’s nearly weird enough. I’d like to see things get seriously strange.
Is new America the old Germany? And if so, is the new Germany the old America?
I don’t think there is an old America, so new Germany is out of luck.
