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

Hi Skape, we’d love to hear more about how you thought about starting your own business?
Graffiti artists are always doing stuff for free, it can be a thankless art sometimes. I’ve always wanted to sell prints, tees and other types of merch BUT – in my years as a Graphic Designer I’ve seen people really get jammed up by printing up a bunch of inventory and it not moving fast (or at all). A friend of mine told me about a print-on-demand website and it was super easy to get started and you don’t have buy a ton of inventory. Having this print-on-demand relationship allows me to focus on what I do best – create and let them handle the manufacturing and shipping.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I started painting graffiti art in the 90’s at age 13 in Washington DC. My dad was in the military and we moved around a lot. In 1997 I moved to Atlanta to study design at the Art Institute of Atlanta. After graduation I began a career in Graphic Design and climbed my way up the ranks from print shops to ad agencies. At a certain point I felt completely removed from my identity as an artist. I needed to get out from behind the computer and express something from deep within myself. In 2016, after a 15 year hiatus, I began painting again.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
When I have friends visit – I love to show off my neighborhood of Chamblee – particularly the culinary gem of Atlanta – Buford Highway. • Nam Phoung – Consistently the best Vietnamese food in the city • Mamak – The curry with fried fish – wOOO! • The 57th Fighter Group – I love some good fried catfish and the 57th does not disappoint. Also it has a huge beautiful patio right on the runway of the PDK airport. On a gorgeous day, it can’t be beat.

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?
Shoutout to Brit Turner. Currently he is the drummer of Blackberry Smoke – which has become a huge success… But in a former life he was the owner and creative director of One3 Creative. A small boutique Atlanta design and print shop that I had the honor of working for from 1999-2006. One3 had a pretty amazing client roster – SoSo Def, Dungeon Family, The Black Crowes, M&M’s, Chupa Chups, Raheem the Dream, MC Shy D, D4L, Lynyrd Skynyrd. It was an awesome place to work. It was a crash course in Graphic Design and printing with a focus on the entertainment industry. As a Creative Director Brit taught me how to talk to clients and how to listen. He has a unique talent for understanding what a client wants. So Big Shoutout to Brit Turner!

Website: https://www.etsy.com/shop/SkapeZillas

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/skape_zilla/

Other: https://soundcloud.com/skapezilla, https://www.etsy.com/shop/SkapeZillas

Image Credits
All photos taken by Skape Zilla

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