Sticky Rick Peel Magazine Interview......interview by Dispossable Hero....Photos (zine) by Sticker Traders, pages 72 & 73.....
Stickers. What purpose do they hold? The first time I remember using them was in the early 90’s. It was a fast way to get up. I could draw hundreds of them. Quick, elusive and semi permanent if placed in the right spot. Hand drawn, Printed, Stenciled or Vinyl. With so many options how does one choose? That is the beautiful thing about being creative. You always have choices. Exploring options brought me to the prince of adhesive, Sir Sticky Rick.
Over thousands of stickers and countless hours on the phone our relationship began.
Sticky Rick Interview:
Good afternoon Senor Sticky One. How are things?
* S.R. very good. Thanks!
Well let’s dive into this shall we??
* S.R. ready when you are , Fire away…………….
1- Where does the legend of Sticky Rick begin and what was it that got you started?
· I opened Sticky Rick’s in 2005 – the name “Sticky Rick” came about over dinner and drinks with my wife Rosanna, my friend Joe Cepeda (incredible illustrator for Scholastic Books) & his wife Juana (killer ceramicist). We wanted to address the stickiness of stickers in the naming of my company. Joe was sketching as we started talking and telling stories about kindergarten & grade school, spit wad throwing, finger painting, etc. and not long into our brainstorm the name “Sticky Rick” emerged along with the image of what I looked like in third grade materialized. I was the gangly, big eared, big head, goofy-toothed, Alfred E Newman, freckle-faced kid. I was Sticky Ricky – I even ate paper! Don’t ask.
The image has been fine tuned a bit since then. The logo though still cheesy, is not as adolescent looking as in the beginning. Sticky Rick is a bit more mischievous looking now. He is looking to the left, which can translate to be rebellious (very much like me) with a smile ala James Cagney…Sticky Rick has that look that says “I know something you don’t”. The letter “F” on his cap stands for the little league team I was on – the Falcons. Some have suggested changing it to L.A. or S.R. for Sticky Rick, but we decided to stay with ‘F’ – it’s a nostalgic thing. People seem to get a chuckle from it. Besides, it is very easy to remember. We are in the midst of branding it now.
2- All though the commercial gigs pay the bills, where does the modern sticker enthusiast fit in your plan?
· Your right. The commercial gigs do pay the bills. My relationship with the modern enthusiast is very personal. Many artists that come to me to get their work printed on vinyl have become my very good friends. Much of that is due to my love for the art form. I am attracted to the boldness and also the rebelliousness of the entire process of making art for the purpose of public viewing – whether you like it or not. It says “I am here & you are looking at me! Whether you invite me into your gallery of not – I am here!” I dig that. Believe me, we make very little money to no money on these small jobs (how un-American). But, when you get quotes like, “You Rock”; “Rappin’ with the Sticker”, “Every one Loves the Stickers” or “Oh Man, I had no idea they would be this ILL”. It works for me. You see, every one LOVES stickers & Sticky Ricks gives every one a place to get quality work at an affordable price.
Which is exactly why PEEL HERE came to be. PEEL HERE is a vehicle for the sticker enthusiast. A place to be a part of something fun & have your art hanging with some pretty heavy hitters in the scene. You don’t have to be a “heavy weight” to hang around here but you are the STAR. Plus you may just meet one of your favorite street/graff artists. Besides, the kids today are the heavy hitters in the making.
3- You have some pretty heavy hitters in the sticker art realm as clients. Can you tell us how those relationships started?
· I live in L.A. East L.A. to be exact. When I jump in my car and drive ANYWHERE in my neighborhood, I am surrounded by legends of the street art scene in ELA dating back to the Early 70’s – ‘The Streetscapers’- David Botello, Wayne Healy, Tito Delgadillo, Paul Botello, Barbara Carasco, George Yepez, Willie Heron, Ernesto De La Loza, Josephina Quezada, Frank Romero, Chaz Bojorquez, ManOne. Living in L.A. it is not uncommon to run into one of L.A.’s own leaving the local coffee shop, giving a ‘WUT UP’ on the way...East L.A. is so close to Echo Park where many of other well known artists frequent be it Gagjin Fujita, Mear One, Saber or Asylum. So you get the opportunity to chat it up. I spend hours on the internet looking for potential clients. I get many replies to the unsolicited email. Dialogue always ensues. This along with phone calls, sending or delivering samples, more phone calls, walk in w/ or w/out appointments & did I mention more phone calls? Much can be said for ignorance and an enthusiastic attitude. You still need to know what you’re doing . haha…I mean if you provide good service & find those who will listen, the rest seems to follow in time. Since there are so many people to get at, I seem to be at it all the time. Getting to know Shepard was a matter of persistence & quite a bit of luck. Meeting people face to face is a must. I think people tend to forget that. Sure we live in the information age but your blackberry or keyboard cannot shake someone else’s hand. Sure it can be a little intimidating meeting someone whose ‘famous or known’ but you “gotta just go for it”. You may never get that chance again, you know. Regret is a killer. After a couple jobs for Studio # 1, I received, calls from Robbie Conal, Kevin Mora of Swift River Production who produces the Henry Rollins Show on IFC Channel. Shepard & Robbie were two out of our twenty artists featured in our first PEEL HERE exhibit (2005). I would drive by the Crewest Gallery (when they were in Alhambra) almost every day& decided to drop in one day. Met Man One & have been their “go to” sticker person ever since. Through that relationship, I have met Logan Hicks, & Lesley Reppeteaux, both whom I have not only printed for but are friends as well. Just walking into a local art store, or stores like Monkey House Toys or BENT (apparel), you never know who you’ll meet. Besides, it is important to support & to never forget where you came from & how you got to where you are & those who help support you on the way. Its pretty cool because some are more than just clients & have been very supportive.
Yeah, the internet is a must today but people don’t forget that personal “one to one” attention that I know I like. They tell their friends & they tell their friends. It is amazing how small the world really is.
4- Walk us through a day in the life with Sticky Rick.
· S.R. checking the basketball box scores is a must. First call of action every morning: Coffee & Music! SHIP. “If you do not ship”, “you do not get paid”… then read the answer to question 3 – it’s all there.
5- Peel Here was the first show of its kind. An event focused purely on Sticker Art. How did this event come to be?
· I appreciate you saying that.
John Q (Antimarket, Echo Park) & I were talking about a way to have an event in L.A. that would make some noise. The idea was to have people show off their collection of stickers such a garbage pale kids. We thought it would be fun to make it interactive. Damon Robinson (DMN & Praise the Lowered) who hosted @ the Ghetto Mansion, came up with the name PEEL HERE after we rummaged through his vintage sticker collection. It’s amazing how many people collect. PEEL HERE was in the “right place” @ “the right time”…just like the recharged skate board culture has been revived, stickers as a street art is here to stay. Shoot! Skating, music, parties & STICKERS are a pretty easy fit.
Why is it called the Ghetto Mansion you ask? AS Damon puts it, “you’ll know why once you get there” ( lol) The mansion has a feel as no other palace you have ever stepped into. People walk in & want to stay, it the artists paradise. It’s more of a club house for me. Hahaha. The mansion is one of the best kept secrets in town but we mean to change that. PEEL HERE is not a museum to view stickers but an experience in interactive “getting up” be it the now infamous STICKER TREE or this past years interactive wall, trading stickers, grabbing as many FREE stickers from our sticker bin or getting to hang with one of your sticky hero’s. And if your lucky enough get to walk away with an affordable piece of art. PEEL 05’ sold five pieces of art. One of which was bought sight unseen because as the buyer put it, it’s a “Chaz”…
It was also very important to attract an eclectic crowd with out making it too polished. So we were calling it Fine art meets Street Art. What a mix. Needless to say, not everyone was down for it. But due to its success, we have been asked to take PEEL HERE to New York, San Francisco & Atlanta.
Talk about not knowing what we were doing or what we were getting into, we put out an “open call” to people starting with stencil nation (thank you to INK for all his help) Within five weeks time we received. Over 300 submissions from Sri Lanka, Australia, Belgium, Brasil, Netherlands, Germany, Tokyo, Russia, France , Italy & not to mention the US. I worked on getting the featured artists. Many of which had been clients. John Q & Ink took care of the Open Call , while Damon hooked it up with Juxtapoz & geared the mansion for what turned out to be over 800 people. Featured artists were: Logan Hicks, OBEY, Robbie Conal, Chaz Bojorquez, Olive 47, Alayna Magnan, Lesley Reppeteaux, Damon Robinson, Man One, OG Abel, Kinsey, Persue, John Q, INK, Josh Mintz, Richard Beltran, Robots Will Kill, Evil Dave (elevated zine) Brandy Flower, Oscar Mallagnes, JREP. Live art done by Mad One…..
The show was EPIC, simply said. We continue to receive emails asking when is the next show, how do I get involved, heard I missed out & when you bringing PEEL HERE to our town. There has been such an outpouring of love & respect, not because of who we are but because PEEL HERE gives a place for someone to share in the “Sticker Art Culture”. Check out the video short (JOEL KUWAHARA) from December 05’ on www.peelhere.net
6- You are very adamant about Peel Here being a Sticker based event. Does sticker or adhesive based art have a place in the so called “gallery” scene?
· I do not see why not. With galleries like the HIVE, CREWEST, Melt Down, Monkey House Toys, Think Space, The Project & others. There certainly is an audience. If people put value on collecting a particular sticker from an artist, then there is a market. The generation that is collecting and trading now is getting older. I think it’s a natural progression. With the right medium, a sticker can last forever….we sold over fifteen pieces of art from PEEL HERE 05’ & 06’. Not a big deal some might say. My reply, “give it time”. It is a hard sell right now but with right the people involved & the commitment to see it through, it is only a matter of time. It took RAP years to accepted to the mainstream & I can see the purist not wanting the sticker culture going mainstream but, lets face it as my friend AKO says, “friendship does not pay the light bill”. This type of art is the livelihood for some. Many artists who have made it big today by there street work understand this more than just the buyer, but we’ll see. Sticker art also gives a great meeting ground for parents & their kids. With galleries willing to take the chance on emerging artists, not trend watching, then the answer has to be a resounding YES, adhesive art does have a place in galleries. I just hope the “young guns” Sticky Rick’s is working with remember to send me royalty checks when they become rich & famous. Haha..
Events such as PEEL HERE & others will be a reason for the road being paved.
7- Behind the layers of vinyl and die cut machines. Aside from the adhesive that makes Rick sticky…What does the future hold for Sticky Rick?
· Not exactly sure just yet. With branding of the Sticky Rick logo we are adding to the name - Sticky Ricks Productions. We seem to be growing into somewhat of a production agency. 2006 was a busy year for Sticky Rick’s. we sponsored a few events from the Crewest Gallery in Downtown LA, to the Methods NYC & Peel Magazine party in NY, Evil Monito (Mr. Rickey Kim) of the Social Trust, all the Los Angeles URBAN MEDIUM events & most recently The Buff Monster Solo show @ Gallery 1988 – February 2007. Last October, Sticky Rick’s was invited to sponsor a very cool Halloween party along with Julio Douglas at the abandoned and soon to be demolished Sunset Plaza Hotel on Sunset Blvd in Silverlake (Los Angeles). The theme was very cool, a monster-fest for sure “Norman’s Mother’s Halloween Bash at the Bates Motel”. Every room was taken over by artists who could create any kind of setting they could think up. The Scene was bumpin’ with DJ’s, a Crime Scene Photo Room, A tropical Rain Forest with Head shrinking Natives (my favorite), Live Bands, Many unusual art installations. The idea for a Sticky Rick’s sticker theme was discussed but with PEEL HERE in a about a month I tried something different. Wheat paste the rooms with those posters you see all over in L.A. No big deal to have a room pasted but being able to “get up” & not get a ticket or go to jail? “ITS ON”!!! I called many of the leading street headz in the area to send us posters. Others were given 8’x 4’ panels to do their own thing. We had three rooms and the entire hotel to ‘blow-up”; we called it Hallow-Wheat Paste at the Bates Motel. Check this line up OBEY, Urban Medium, Ambush, YEM, Buff Monster, Olive 47, Kofie One, 20 mg, Seizer, Justin Kees, 14 bolt, 2 Cents, AKO, Disposable Hero, Mad One, Branded, Restitution Press, Phantom, EyeOne, EnikOne, Hit & Run & many more…..for the next week, people were stopping by to photograph, especially the ill aerosole hit by MearOne. Sticky Ricks is working with Hit & Run, Urban Medium , Crewest, Mr. Kim & The Social Trust. We are working on something that I cannot talk about right now for 08’, stay tuned.
8- With so much competition in the sticker game, what sets Sticky Rick apart from the herd?
· There are many very good sticker companies out there. It’s good for people to have options, you know. To put it another way, better the competition here than overseas. I hope to get an AMEN on that (lol). We provide more service than just a sticker. We produce apparel labels (woven & printed), digital murals, art design, packaging labels (flexo & digital) & large format printing. Also, I have spent years as a Sales Rep & have created a cliental that has followed me. It’s nice to be needed, knowing you are doing something right. I take a very personal approach in dealing with my customers. Finding out what their needs are and pointing them in the right direction is what I enjoy doing. Living in L.A. does seem to help. I’ll go out & support a clients show or event or sponsor someone’s party. Again, people remember or at least you hope they remember what was done for them. For my local customers, I will hand deliver most of my orders. This is only when time allows or in the beginning stages to establish a relationship. Funny but & yet weird story. I was an independent rep for a company which will remain nameless; The owner became so jealous that customers would and ask for me by name – I was becoming the face for the company - I was told that I could no longer make personal deliveries or go out to meet potential clients. I left to start my own company not long after. Service is KEY. People want to feel important. Gotta follow up. That is the one area that needs “daily self denial”. Thinking of your clients needs before you own. I have referred people to Sticker Guy because I could not do the quantity or meet the price. Hey lets face it, we all need to watch the pocket book. Sticky Ricks does not compete with other companies when it comes to “can you beat this price”? We provide a service. We’re not always the cheapest but, when you get a Sticky Ricks sticker or label you are getting the highest of quality & personal service.
Bonus Question: It’s 2am after a long day. You are packaging your last order for shipment. As you seal the last box you realize that you misprinted the PEEL stickers to say FEEL what do you do?
* S.R Put a post-it note in the box with instructions reading “Place stickers on pant pocket” plus a free Sharpie in every box…..haha
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