Slapstik Skateboard Artist Andrew Thomas was interviewed by What Jasper Said reporter David Bland in his article Pushing Further. David and Andrew discussed his creative process and Andrew's involvement with Slapstik for his guest artist deck release in May 2015. Below is a portion of the interview. You can read the full text here.  

"Andrew Thomas has to be honest. He’s a bit drunk—the ideal state for learning what’s at the heart of a man. He’s in Charlotte about to see Primal Scream, one of his favorite bands since he was young. You learn quickly that Thomas is more than a fan of music—he’s a cultivator of sound culture. He’s just as fast to give up the fact that David Bowie resides as an idol in Thomas’ personal pantheon."

"Thomas’s style consists of scrawled out sketches on a canvas dowsed in spray paint and acrylic. While the color and line work may be furiously formed what the pieces show are figurative and representational.

“I find it hard to hold back from all that stuff,” Thomas says about the frenzied process of his work. “I wish it would be more minimal, but I think frantic’s a pretty good word,” he says to describe his art.

The visuals Thomas contrived for the deck are being put to wood by Slapstik Skateboard Art out of Philly. The company creates skate decks on an artisan level, manufacturing a short run of boards that are probably better fit hanging on your wall than sliding down handrails. For now the board is exclusively available for purchase at Bluetile Skateshop and slapstikskateboardart.com"

Below is the second submission Cyst from our contributing writer Anonymous. 

While working, I usually listen to music. During the summer, how  I get sick of the battles between meand my 13 year old over who controls Spotify.  Her taste is music isn’t terrible, especially considering her age, but there is only so much foxygen I can stand.  Eventually I give up and watch or more precisely listen to movies on Netflix .  Since I can only listen and not always see the images, I prefer documentaries for the lack of plot and characters. “How To Die In Oregon” was one such selection.  I wasn’t so much interested in the subject of assisted suicide but it seemed depressing enough to keep me working and thinking huh liver cancer, well my life could be worse.

Except for currently being alive, I suffer from nothing terminal.  I learned the lesson that life it fatal when my friend and I were candy stripers when we were 13.  As a doctor was walking out of the hospital to take a smoke, one of us must have given us given him a disapproving glance (since 13 year old knows everything and anyone over 21 is a fucking moron). He turned to us and said “all life is fatal; we’re all going to die eventually.” I am sure someone must have just coded. My friend paled and looked shocked and though he was an asshole. I said he did have a point. 

 On my wrist I have a lump. I am pretty sure it is a harmless ganglion cyst. It doesn’t really hurt unless I smack my hand on something or try to bend my fingers to my arm, neither of which of I should do on a regular basis. I also have a lump on my right breast. It has been there at least a year. It has grown slightly and has recently become painful. Most people would make an appointment with a doctor if they had this type of lump. However, I have no interest in discovering my membership status in the pink ribbon sorority.  It isn’t fear of hearing some terrible diagnosis, or undergoing possibly invasive testing or shelling out copay after copay that prevents me from making the appointment. It is I don’t want to step on the scale and hear how I’ve gained 10 lbs in a year. Really that is it and the fact that I am pretty confident that whatever it is, it is as inconsequential as the bump on my wrist. Pretty people; people with talent and skills; people who are loved ;  people who contribute and improve the world; those are the one who get snuffed out at 40. Whiny, melodramatic moms who dream of escape are generally spared.

“How To Die In Oregon” did lead me to think about control. Obviously there is control in deciding when and how you die. But in my situation at what point do you just say fuck it and let go? I am not acutely suicidal but chronically so and without plan. This means I go through life hoping to drop dead randomly without any real effort on my part. I want neither control nor responsibility. It is less guilty that way and incredibly more spineless –the lazy way to die. In this the paradox lies.  I must be in control over every aspect of how I live.

 Every action and reaction is rehersed. My job is so mind numbingly dull that I listen to people  suffer, and cry and pour out their deepest, darkest secrets  while looking through page after page of trademarks with nary a tear in sight.   My daughter crying and slamming doors because she is having yet another text argument with her girlfriend and my only response is “you won’t feel this way forever.” My other daughter is pouting and stomping because her sister isn’t in the mood to entertain her and my response is “entertain yourself.”  It isn’t that I don’t love them or care about them but if I allowed any more of a response, any more emotional investment, the façade that I’ve built will crumble .

Longtime supporter of Slapstik Skateboard Art, skateboarder and artist Tyler Kline was recently featured in an article on Thrasher Magazine's website  Thrasher Canvas: Three Decades of Skate Art. I'm going to spare the words and just show give you the link. Scroll to image 24 of 87. For more information about Tyler visit http://inliquid.org/complete-artist-list/kline-tyler/. 

Figuring out which image to apply to a skateboard can be stressful. Spending hundreds, if not thousands of dollars on mass producing a thing you like, with the hopes that at least 100 others will buy (because your "like" is only worth 1/100 of a buyer's monetary value). I've tried not to let this get in the way choosing which artists and images to work with for Slapstik which has sometimes cost me a lot of money for a small learning experience. However, I've learned that  my missteps have taught me how to accurately judge the market value of other designer's work on a skateboard. All of this brings me to Andrew Thomas. When given the opportunity to design a deck graph for Slapstik Andrew was a bit intimidated by the size of the logo he had to work around. No matter how much freedom I expressed to Andrew that he had over the direction and use of the logo it just couldn't get going until a series of text images back and forth over the span of a week. Below is that process from Andrew's perspective on how the final graphic came to be. It was a pleasure working with Andrew and seeing the ideas and planning come to life. For more of Andrew's work visit his site at www.henryandrewthomas.com. 
sb

Most of the skateboard industry knows David Clark as Krooked's most stylish am, but it's David's life off he board that is on the verge of making bigger moves with his woodwork. Earlier this year I invited David to join the Slapstik Skateboard Artists and produce something, anything of his choosing to be featured in the next exhibition. David's immediate excitement translated to  quickly to the hard work and innovative and creative thinking shown in his repurposed skateboard decks and parts. Below is a series of email exchanges between David and I about this process. 
sb/ssa

SSA: Could you describe the process you took when you starting treating skateboards as an material for woodwork?
I got the idea after DeckSpecks started, and Skateraid was holding their annual benefit. At Skateraid, artists would contribute their work using a skateboard deck as their canvas, then sold them for charity. The second year I contributed, I decided to cut my skateboard into a rocket ship, and painted it. So, I guess that's where it all started for me.

SSA: How was the response to your rocket ship at Skateraid? Did you continue making things from skateboards following the fundraiser? Were you more interested in reusing skateboard as decorative art or objects intended for use?
Hah I don’t really know.  I didn’t stand next to it and talk to people about it, but I think people were stoked.. Flynn bought it!  I remember seeing some that looked thrown together the day before, so that might’ve helped mine look better.  
Yes, I made different shaped cruisers for a little while.  I made another rocket ship so I could skate it.  I didn’t put as much time into that one, but it still worked out. 
 It depends. If I spent a lot of time on it, I would like to see it as decor.  If I just cut a shape and threw a paint job on it, then I intended it to be skated.  

SSA: I see what you mean. From the looks of it, I get the impression that you're taking your current project pretty seriously. Did anything in particular change with the new pieces you're making?
Yes, I started making stuff that was useful in everyday life, such as cutting boards and clip boards. 

SSA: How has the transition been going from decorative objects to useful ones, and how have they been received by others?
With the decorative objects, I usually work on a piece until it is finished. I've worked on the useful objects in groups of 5-10 pieces at a time. It's more efficient that way, but it's definitely time consuming getting the materials. I try to get boards off of my friends, as well as use the ones I ride. I've only shown a handful of people the useful objects I've been working on, and everyone seems pretty psyched on it. 

SSA: That's good to hear because I'm definitely excited to see that they look like. Who do you see using your products? 
Do you have plans for making more things from skateboards, or anything else?
I could see anyone that conducts business on the go. Being in the film industry, we use clip boards often. We're constantly taking notes, filling out paperwork, checking in/out equipment. It's a good way to keep organized. 
Absolutely. I'm still brainstorming what is possible. Even the simplest idea can become difficult to follow through with.

SSA: That about wraps it up. Thanks for taking the time to let people know what you've been doing and for being a part of the show at Bluetile this May. Is there anything else you'd like to ask or add? 
No problem, thank you for involving me! 


David's clipboards can be purchased at Bluetile Skateshop on May 15th, 2015 at the Taste The Rainbow product release or direct at [email protected]

Filmmaker Wes Mahon was kind enough to take some time  and document the creative process and fine art influences behind Slapstik Skateboard Art. Wes is a very talented artist that enjoys balancing his daytime jobs with projects like this one. Take a few minutes and watch the short doc., and spent some more time checking out Wes' sites at http://www.wesmahon.com and his vimeo page at https://vimeo.com/wesmahon.  

The Slingluffs at Forage Space Gallery in Scranton, PA will be hosting Slapstik Skateboard Art's April Showers Pop Up Shop on Friday April 3rd, and Saturday April 4th, 2015. Soft goods for the Spring 2015 including umbrellas and dress ties will be available as well as shirts and decks from 2014. Selected signature wheels from Pusher will also be available at the event. Come out and support your local Pennsylvania businesses. 

Friday, February 13th marked the first Slapstik Skateboard Art Show featuring the work of Clarence Emmons (@gotime), Chris Hall The Original King of Painting, and Shawn Beeks (Slapstick Skateboard Art) at The Arts Exchange in Atlanta, GA. Months were needed to plan the event in preparation for set backs in printing, venue locations, and various other unexpected expenses.  With all the things that could have gone wrong, it ended up being all right. I want to thank everyone who came out to support Clarence and Chris by simply attending the event and showing them your support for the work they've put into making you laugh when you needed it. Some of you bought a piece of art for the first time. Some were avid collectors and patrons, while others enjoyed the new experience of meeting the people behind the work hanging from friend's walls or on Instagram. Whatever your experience was, I'm glad you shared it with us to make the Clarence Emmon's Motorboat release a success.