Meet Reese H: Graphic Designer, T-shirt Dealer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Reese H and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Reese, maybe we can start at the very start – the idea – how did you come up with the idea for your business?
I was at my day job and a friend sent a link of artwork by Xavier Payne to our group chat. I looked through his pop culture graphic design work and I really liked his posters. I got to one page where he took a screenshot of him working. I noticed he was using a program like photoshop and I thought, “Hey I can do that”. This was very arrogant and not exactly true at the moment. I researched the program, Adobe Illustrator, and found out it was $800. “Oh well dream deferred” I thought as I didn’t have that to spend on a whim. Later on, on my car ride home talking to my best friend Steve, I mentioned all this. He reminded me that we had a friend in common that worked for Adobe and could possibly get me the program for cheap. I gave the mutual friend a call and he said “sure, I can get it for you.” Reluctantly I said well how much, “$40” he said. Well I spend that in the club so why not. $40 later, Surly Shirts was in the making.

Alright, so let’s move onto what keeps you busy professionally?
So, I started out doing graphic design posters. I started there after buying a few and one artist, I won’t mention, messed up my order , offered to do custom work, then got mad and withdrew his offer. I then set out to do my own thing, I guess my store is a spite store, lol. Shortly after releasing a few posters someone said “ya know I don’t buy posters but that would be dope on tee”. So I started doing tees. I think what sets me apart from others are my concepts. I like to do mashups where I combine two seemingly unrelated things that create a whole new image that everyone can relate to. I want to always be clever and witty. I am most proud when a customer posts themselves in one of my tees and they are so happy and report “I get so many compliments when I wear this”. That’s amazing to me, that people not only buy but they get my sense of humor. Along the way I have also had a chance to do tees around a lot of very power cultural moments. I take pride in shining a light on social injustice and things in our society that need to change. Overall if you follow me on social media my tees tell my story as an African American man, husband, father, etc. Whatever I am into or impacts me will be reflected in my work. The journey to this point has been pretty easy because I am into designing. The art skills took a while to get to the point where they were as crisp as my concepts. I enjoy the challenges of seeing if I can get the image in my head on to the canvas in a way that resonates with people. I guess I would do this even if people weren’t into it and buying. It’s a happy plus that they are into it and buying.

If you had a friend visiting you, what are some of the local spots you’d want to take them around to?
I can’t help it. If anyone comes to the ATL I’m taking them right to the AUC. Morehouse College means so much to me. I have a wide network of friends doing big things in the world and all those connections were made in the AUC. There is so much culture and history on the campuses. It’s also a vibe like no other. It really feels like home and family when you are there. You can’t go anywhere else and see so many HBCUs clustered together and promoting Black Excellence. I guess if I had to extend it to eating and drinking I would hit up JR Crickets for some wings. Maybe the Bucket Shop. Oh I would have to take them to my Morehouse Brother’s restaurant the Beverley. If it’s my best friend, well we might go to Magic City, their kitchen is excellent. As much as it pains me to say I would have to end the trip with a trip to the Waffle House, I don’t like it but when in the A. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
I would like to shoutout my friends and family. When I first started my business naturally they were my first customers. However long before I got to the point I could sell something they were the ones that encouraged me and said they thought I could do it. Specifically my wife Kemba, my best friends Steve, Ish, Dc, and Sleet. My extended Whitney Young family and the AUC (Morehouse College, Spelman College, and Clark Atlanta) and my Chicago family. This wide yet very close and connected group of people tell it to me straight, they support, they post and repost my work, and they shop. This has been a collective effort, I could not do this alone. Hell even my sister Whitney recommended me for this interview. I appreciate them all.

Website: www.surlyshirts.com

Instagram: www.instagram.com/surly_shirts

Twitter: @BigSurlyReese

Image Credits
Big Daddy Kane Scottie Beam