Have you ever met one of those people that do really amazing things and just kinda shrug it off like it ain't no thing? Mike Sutfin is one of these total dillholes. I've been lucky enough to get to know Mike and his dillhole ways for a while now, I have no idea how it is humanly possible to create some of the crazy artwork this dude does. You may recognize his work from various punk and hardcore record covers -- Magic: The Gathering cards, D&D products, not to forget Star Wars: New Essential Guide to Characters book for Lucasfilm. Enough to make any fanboy collector loose bowel control.

After moving to San Diego he got involved in designing decks and other hardware for the companies such as Foundation, Hollywood, Legacy and Pig. All this and he still had time to rock out in great bands like Charles Bronson, The Killers (not the ones from Las Vegas) and Alpha Males (shameless plug for the band Mike and I play in). Dillholeness aside, Mike is great and took sometime out of his busy schedual for me to harrass him about being an art fag.

BM: So, I know that the artistic nerve runs in your family, were you born with a paintbrush in hand, or was being artistic something that developed as you grew older?

MS: My Grandma was an artist and my Mom is too so yeah It runs in the family. It's not easy like most people think though, It's not like I put my hand down to the paper and drawings just flow out in some zen fashion...I had to work my ass off night and day developing my skills and get where I am. And where I am isn't exactly where I wanna be just yet. I'm broke most of the time even-though I work my fingers to the bone. Hey, I thought you said this interview was going to be silly? Turn up the silly knob dude.

BM: Besides doing work for Star Wars, D&D and Magic the Gathering geeks to wank too (ohhhhh Padme Amidala, will you be my internet girlfriend?), you have also done work for the skateboard industry. How'd that come about? Do you skate at all or are you just some poser artist dude?

MS: First off, I would never have the nerve to ask Padme to be my internet girlfriend. She's a heartbreaker but she's clearly going out with Anakin already.

MS: I've been skating for 16 years but I have officially retired from any serious trickery. I don't believe it's something you can do casually where you hop on the stunt wood every month or so and pull off the same tricks. A few months ago I was skating everyday. I would go to the Washington Street Skatepark in San Diego frequently and I was having a great time. 'Til I had a few close calls where I could have really hurt myself. My insurance policy is worthless and If I break my hand I can't draw and the bills don't get paid. So I came to the realization that I can't risk it anymore but I feel I will always be a skater. Getting involved with skate graphics is the next best thing and makes me feel like I still have my hands in skateboarding. I moved to San Diego on a whim and one of my main goals was to hit up Tum Yeto and see if I could get some work. Things fell in place pretty well. I had my friend Pushead putting a good word in for me and it turned out my cousin Ron knew Tod Swank the owner. I showed them a portfolio and began working on Hollywood, Foundation and Pig assignments sporadically to this day. I've also worked with Legacy (R.I.P.) and Black Label.

BM: What's your favorite trick, to perform or watch? Faceplants don't count.

MS: I'm old so I have to say slappies are my favorite trick to perform but my favorite trick to watch are just nice clean big gap ollies.

BM: So how did you relationship with Pushead come about? Was it in one of those seedy late night internet chat rooms or maybe a fight over a plaster skull at a rummage sale?

MS: I sent him a classic nerdy fanboy letter telling him how I've loved his art since I was a kid and that he was a large influence on me. Basically just drooling over him. He probably gets 100 similar letters each month but I sent some art samples with my letter and apparently he thought they
were cool. Right after I wrote this letter, Gloom Records owner Nate Wilson roped Pushead into the record cover for my band (The Killers -- not the ones from Vegas) split 7" with 9 Shocks Terror. It was decided later I would do the art for the back cover and he would play art director. So we started writing back and forth over the years and finally met in 2002 at the San Diego Comicon.

BM: OK dude, what's up with all the skulls? I know you, you're not that tough!

MS: I'll kill you.

BM: Touchy, touchy Mike. Calm down. But really now, what's up with the skulls?!!!!?

MS: Blame Vernon Courtland Johnson for drawing the Ripper.
Ripping.
More ripping.
Even more ripping.

BM: Are there any new upcoming artists that you're plotting to "quiet"? You know those cocky bastards that are good at everything, so good that it makes you jealous? Then when the time is right, you corner them in an alley and break their hands? By the way, I'll need payment by the 5th.

MS: Yeah, there's a couple people I can think of...this guy Michael Bukowski. He seems to be able to pull off this vagabond lifestyle when he just tours around the world with bands or on his own, all the while churning out beautiful record cover after record cover. I sometimes wonder if he draws in the fetal position in the back of a tour van, or at roadside diners? Either way he's pretty prolific and he's getting gallery shows now too. If you want to check out his stuff you can see it here.

MS: Another super talented guy I met just a few months ago is Justin Kamerer. He currently has a 9 to 5 design gig but is planning to make the jump to freelance soon. He does a lot of design and Illustration for bands including Gwar, Coalesce, and Slipknot. He's got a sense of design that I wish I had more of. He's a wizard on the computer layouts too. You can see his stuff at www.angryblue.com.

BM: Dude this is fucking boring, any last words? want to go lick that paint that's drying on Mr. Anderson's birdhouse? I hear it tastes like broken glass

MS: Kick ass.