Marc Bell is a Canadian artist who is situated somewhere between cartoon and fine art. His attention to detail and exploration of forms mixed with a clever sense of humor and a bit of surrealism invite the viewer to get lost in the world each piece of his creates. Bell has self-published several collections of his work, both independent as well as collaborative.In 2006, he edited a compilation of artworks called Nog A Dod: Prehistoric Canadian Psychadoolia which included the works of Bell, Amy Lockhart, Jason Mclean, Dirty Debbie and more. Bell recently published Hot Potatoe: Fine Ahtwerks: 2001-2008; additionally, a touring gallery show under the same name is making it’s way from New York to Nebraska.

Did anything in particular spark your interest in Illustration, Zine Culture, Cartoons, etc? Have you always drawn, or did something get you started later on?

It’s hard to say what it was exactly but I was into Mad Magazine when I was a kid and Richard Scarry. I always drew and created little projects. I created my own version of Mad called “Dumb” Magazine. I watched Pee-Wee’s Playhouse when I was a teenager and somebody in my art class worked at a comics store and he showed me Yummy Fur and that led me to Peter Bagge’s Neat Stuff and I was pretty blown away by these “grown up” comics. This led to turning into a producer of self-published things as oppposed to just being a consumer.

How do you come up with your subject matter? Do you ever run out of ideas, and if so, what do you do when you get stuck?

I think I have drawn so much that it is very natural to me. I do repeat a lot but try to vary this in my approach using different materials and scale. I don’t ever really get “stuck” but sometimes I get frustrated with how busy my stuff ultimately becomes! I am at the point where I would like to switch things up but I am not exactly sure how.

You’ve been known to collaborate often, what do you look to get out of the process? When is it better to work alone? If you could choose anyone to collaborate with, who would it be?

Hmm, I am not sure what I am looking for other than the unexpected to creep in. Either that or a solid unification of two styles together. It’s probably better to work alone when I want to create a body of my own work (sorry, that answer is kind of obvious!) I am not sure if I really have a dream collaborator, I have been very happy to collaborate with the persons I have collaborated with already.

What designers/artists influence you today? What else informs your work? Surroundings? Pop Culture? Something else?

1. Chicago Art (Hairy Who, HC Westermann, Christina Ramberg, Joseph Yoakum, Ray Yoshida etc…)
2. Fellow Nog A Dod’ers
3. Folk/”uneducated” art
4. Aztec/Mayan art
5. Other cartoonists and artists too numerous to mention
6. Random stimuli that I can’t pin down till I experience it

What is your driving force? What is it you want to say with the work you are putting into the world?

You know, I am not really sure. Some might dismiss my work as random or meaningless or “fun” or as an “inside joke” but it is a joke I want to share with the world even if it doesn’t have a specific meaning or interpretation. It might seem pretty chaotic but I see a lot of it as pretty formal in a way.

With all of the design blogs/webistes out there, for us and students all over what would you like to see with FISK?

You know, I am not sure what I would want to see with FISK. I suppose FISK should just focus on things that are interesting to FISK. I have no real advice for FISK. FISK will do what FISK does.

Having published a lot of your work yourself, what advice would you give to any fledgling designers/illustrators trying to get their work out there?

Well, there is a lot of this “design-y” stuff these days. I suppose any advice I would give would be to look at stuff you genuinely like and try to create things that are a combination of stuff you like and stuff you would like to see. To add something relatively “new” rather than just following trends. Nothing is exactly “new” but you probably know that. I almost threw a “having said that” in there but I am trying to learn from Larry David’s teachings, haw (a joke you might get if you watch “curb Your Enthusiasm”).

Dream client or project? Worst client/project experience?

I have just produced a giant book of my art called “Hot Potatoe” with the help of Drawn and Quarterly and that was a realized dream of mine.

A dream client would be one that would take artwork off my hands and make beautifully thorough documention of said work and then pack it up and ship it out to wherever it has to go. I hate documenting and packing art. I have no idea why they would go to this trouble but I would be very pleased about it all.

What’s next for you?

I don’t know. I am thinking of moving to a failed industrial town in Ontario. I am having a bit of trouble working because I don’t have a workspace I like so that is a major concern that will get sorted out soon I hope. My “shui” is currently a little off. A variation on my “Hot Potatoe” show is traveling from NY to Sackville, NB (to the Owens Art Gallery) and there it will be called “Did Yoo See The Exhibition Of The Chunky Floors?”.

Do you wear patterned/designed socks, plain socks or no socks?

I wear socks. Some are patterned but mostly they are plain black, blue or brown.

Frank Chimero. Illustration. Graphic Design. Process. Perception. Concept. Creativity. Levity. Wit. Form. Pencil. Desk. Coffee. Go!

Q: What made you want to teach design? Was there a particular experience during school that influenced you to become a design educator?

A: I think the whole experience of school contributed to me wanting to teach. I loved school. I loved learning. I still do. I think all of my instructors had a lasting impact on me and helped to instill a curiosity. They helped change how I looked at the world. Everything is magic now, and even things that aren’t special now have the potential to become so. They helped to teach me a way of looking at things that leaves room for unlimited potential. That seems special, some how, and if I can maybe help to have that happen for someone else, I should try.

What kind of qualities make for a good design teacher?

First, they still need to be working. If you’re not still making things, your students should stage a small coup d’état and overthrow the class. If a teacher isn’t working, they lose the most basic thing they can have in common with their students: they both make things. They both go through the same struggles to get work done. The teacher flows through the same creative process. They both know what it’s like to work hard and to struggle to get the result that they want on the page. I think a good design teacher needs to be willing to talk about their own fights with the creative process. They need to be willing to talk about their failures. And to be open minded to new ways of working. (Inspiration flows from student to teacher as well.)

Most students see teachers as shells because that’s how the teachers present themselves. That’s why it’s weird when students see instructors at the grocery store. “Whoah. They exist outside of the classroom?” If you’re asking for your students’ all, you need to show up with all of yourself as well. Your whole self: your problems, your opinions, your successes and your point of view. You need to be a whole person to them, so they can trust you.

What materials do you use for your work? How does the balance of pencil and mouse work for you? Do you think it’s beneficial to not be bound to the computer and experiment with more fine art materials in design work?

I don’t use fancy materials. I use copier paper and a sharpie. I use a wooden pencil with the eraser rubbed down to the metal that holds it in place. I use scissors. I try to use my brain. I use the same software as everyone else. I think my work is less about the aesthetics of the final result and more about the spirit of the idea behind it. (Although, it still matters to me how it looks on the page.)

I don’t care what materials people use. Use what presents you with the least amount of friction. Tools should disappear. They should be seamless and you should have complete control over them. I know that most people get better results from using materials that are more native to them. That’s why I typically have students start projects with pencil and paper, and move on to other tools later. What is more natural than a pencil/pen and paper? If you’re doodling with a pencil, chances are you aren’t thinking very much about what sort of pencil it is and the hardness of the lead. (Although some people care about those things. I don’t fault them. Pencils can be magical things.)

My general philosophy towards tools is: make them nice, good, honest tools. Then, they need to get out of my way, so I can make what I want to make.

What’s it like being a designer in the midwest, and not one from L.A. or New York?

It’s quieter here. Things aren’t slick and sexy here. There are cows and cheese and plains and open spaces. Those aren’t particularly sexy, but I think there’s less hype. It keeps me honest and focused. It keeps me tuned in to what I believe is important. It’s easy to find solitude, so you can get your work done.

On the other hand, there’s less community here. And community is an important thing. People have less of an understanding of what I do for a living, so I have to explain that frequently.

There are benefits to both. At the end of the day, living here means that there are fewer superfluous things fluttering around my work, but I typically have to make that work alone.

What designers/illustrators influence you today?

There are many. I’m fortunate enough to be friends with most of them. I’m hard-pressed to name an amazing designer or illustrator that isn’t also an amazing person. Here’s a roll call of a few of my favorites: Kate Bingaman-Burt, Jennifer Daniel, Jessica Hische, Meg Hunt, Amy Ruppel, Olimpia Zagnoli, Ben Barry, BBDK, Jez Burrows, Invisible Creature, My Associate Cornelius, Tad Carpenter, Ward Jenkins, Aaron Draplin, Lab Partners, Always with Honor, Script & Seal, and a lot of other fine folks.

What is your driving force, what is it you want to say with the work you are putting into the world?

I feel there are lots of things out there that are fun, but don’t provide any substance. And people consume it, expecting to get filled up. It’s like eating as much cotton candy as possible and expecting to get full. I’d like to avoid that, if I could. I want all the benefits of making light-hearted work, but I want to offer something of value. I want substance.

I want to make work that is fun and nourishing. I want to remove any hint of cynicism. I’m tired of that. I want the work to age well. More than anything, I want what I put into the world to have value. I want to be better for that work existing, and I want the world to be better as well.

Does your design style reflect your personal interests or lifestyle? Can you show us any examples?

I think my design style is a better reflection of my values and what I think is important. Sure, those things trickle down to what I’m interested in and what lifestyle I choose, but I think the core of it is about what I believe.

I believe in emphasizing what is important and de-emphasizing what isn’t. I think having fun and enjoying what you do is important. I think playing has a purpose. I think eating well and traveling often is a crucial part of my happiness. I hope these things are reflected in my work.

With all of the design blogs/websites out there, for us and students all over what would you like to see with FISK?

I’d like for you to talk about process. What are you working on? What are you making? What effected your decisions? What didn’t you chose to use? Why? What are you thinking about and what are you doing about it?

If you feel compelled to link and post about other people’s work, why not add a layer of insight into what you think about that work? No more shallow reflagging, please. Original content, please. More substance, please.

What advice do you have for design students that are just starting their design educations and ones that are about to graduate and go into the real world to start their design careers?

Make good, honest, lasting work. Work hard. Don’t wait for permission. Share. Fail. Skip shortcuts. Get better. Love what you do.

Dream client or job? Worst client experience?

In the past year, I’ve come to the realization that most of my dream jobs have come from folks I would have never considered dream clients. Now that I realize this, I’m keeping my options open. I’m looking for jobs where I can make something really interesting that has thick value. I’m looking to make a great idea that benefits everyone involved. Me, the client, and our intended audience. I’m tired of shouting for clients to their audience. Let’s be quiet for a while, and say something worth saying. I want a project with a nice budget and a reasonable deadline. I’m looking for clients whose input makes the work better. (They are out there. I’ve had them. I promise you they exist.) Let’s make something of substance. And let’s make things better.

Can you give a motivational quote or “ethos” for all of us hard-working, tired and starving design students?

You’ve got just this once. Give it your all, but take care of yourself. Go buy or make a good dinner tonight. And take a nap. Just this once, just to remind yourself why you do this. Take a day off, and see if you miss it: you’ll be better for it. And I think you will.

You push yourself so you can get better. We do this work to get happy and to get better. And I mean getting better both in terms of improving, but also in the context of healing. Fill yourself up.

Do you wear patterned/designed socks, plain socks or no socks?

The socks I’m wearing today are argyle. They’re gray and green. I’m shoeless. I wear size 10.5.

Thank you Frank for the interview!

Links: Frank Chimero