Some of the absolute highlights of my life have been moments of mutual appreciation with artists I admire. Nothing better than finding out that someone who inspires me is also a fan of my work.
So when I stopped by the merch table for my favorite folk punk band Rent Strike after their Portland show last year and John said “Wait, you’re an artist right? I love your art!”, I was elated. And I had to follow up to see if they were interested in collaborating.
When we started talking specifics, it was immediately clear what I should draw for them. I asked if they had any ideas in mind, and they started describing something that was already in my sketchbook as a concept. My propaganda poster style was an ideal match for the aggressively abolitionist and anti-capitalist lyrics of Escape from Möbius Strip Mall, Pt. 2.
Inked in Rent Strike’s signature color palette with a great deal of reverence for the existing visual language of the band, I set out to create a composition that bridged the gap between my style and theirs. I ended up making a few versions of varying complexity to be used in different scales and contexts, and they all turned out very cool in their own ways.
They’re on t-shirts and patches! Get ‘em on the May/June tour! If Rent Strike is playing your city, you're very lucky.
