Talking shop with ESPO

    

    Words and photos by Nathan Hutsenpiller

Hey there! Super delayed on getting you these questions, skateboarders right?  Ok here goes...Whats your best memory from growing in Philly?

Super delayed on getting you these answers, artists right?  It's funny to look back and remember kids playing in the street, like from 7 to 18 thats all we did.  I drove through my old neighborhood recently and everybody is inside.

Is it even worth it to get a Philly Cheesesteak  anywhere other than Philadelphia?

No, its barely even worth it there.  That said, if the person making the steak shows some love in the creation, and they have the right roll, its really easy to make an excellent cheese steak.

Now I'm hungry.  Who or what inspired you to start writing graffiti?

A desperate need for attention, and a lack of musical ability.

Were you ever chased by the cops?

The best chase I was ever in was because I drunkenly rolled a tire down a steep street late at night.  It just missed a police cruiser and they ran me all over my neighborhood.  It was the first time I was really drunk and the first time running from the cops, so there was a couple rookie mistakes on my part.  One was, don't zig zag down streets, its what people do in panic mode.  The second was don't stop and help a cop after he slips and rolls down a hill.  The cops bagged me but told me the error was my of my ways and let me go because I showed compassion.  I was maybe 16 at the time.  Those cops were in their 40's, thats never happening again haha.

Hilarious.  Fast forward a bit and these days you're reading reviews about your work in the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, whats that like?

Great, unless I'm out of articles this month.

How/When did you first get involved with RVCA?

Pat just showed up one day in New York and took me out for a great meal and told me about a thousand and one things he was into.  He makes me want to make work that he is psyched about.  I'll do anything for him and its disappointing when he doesn't like anything I make for him, and this is coming from a guy that doesn't care what people think haha. 

Thats amazing.  What is your favorite project to date?

They are all good, but the Philly project was a new level and a homecoming all at once.  Very strange.

I'd love to hear from your point of view the similarities between graffiti writers and skateboarders.

Oh in Philly they are just opposite sides of the pillow!  The skaters are the cool side!  The commonalities are that we stay in the street all day and night and we see possibilities where people see problems.  I guess fame that doesn't get you fed applies to both groups after we retire.

If you could make up your own answer to what KCDC stands for, what would it be?

Kids Can Dads Cant 

YES! Any words of wisdom to all the up and coming artists reading this?

Live cheap and don't be a jerk.