CHRIS SHARY
Having followed your output closely via social media over the past several years, I've been struck by how you release artwork as a musician might release singles, and compile your art for shows and bigger projects as bands might create albums. Do you agree?
That’s a very interesting way of putting it, but trust me, nothing is planned that much out in advance. I don't tend to work like that with an end goal. A lot of times I will be producing art for nothing more than my own amusement. The color block portraits I have been doing these past couple of years were never intended to be anything more than a fun way for me to make portrait. Since starting them a few have been used for things but that wasn’t the goal at all. I'm just happy people want to use them, but I'm not doing them for anyone but me usually.
Your artwork is iconic and you have established various genres or motifs within what I would consider to be the "Chris Shary style". It conveys an individuality that I also find similar to a songwriter's personality. How did you come to establish your overall aesthetic, and what has motivated you to pursue continue the "series" approach alongside your other projects?
I guess if I have a style or styles it's due to having a lot of influences and things that appeal to me visually. I'm a very, very visual person. That’s kinda why Instagram is so appealing to me - it's mainly pictures. I guess I just absorb a lot visually everyday and sometimes I try and make sense out of those things with my art. My influences are fairly easy to identify if you study what I have made.....John Byrne (X-Men artist from the 70's/80's), Raymond Petitbon, Andy Warhol, Hanna Barbera cartoons, its all there in my work.
Something that comes across very clearly in your work is your love and deep familiarity with the subject matter - which is often music and specifically punk rock. There's a bit of historian in you, do you agree? Do you find that part of your inspiration comes from this instinct to archive and remind your audience of that which has inspired you?
YES, 100%. I know writers are always encouraged to write what they know, I just draw what I know and what I love. Since none of this is my full time job I can do what I like and ignore the things I don't care for. I suppose in that way my work is only about what I like. Music, and as you noted, punk music, is what helped mold me into who I am and I always want to pay that back and draw attention to it. When I first got into punk I did my homework and research on all the bands that had come before, so there has always been a historian in me. If I love something I want to know everything about it, where it comes from, how it came about, whatever. Once I have a hold on that I wanna pass it along.
You are arguably best known for your interpretation of the Milo and Allroy characters which have been featured extensively on Descendents/ALL merchandise for over 20 years. How did this relationship begin, and what has this journey taught you as you look back on your work for them? Is there a favorite project or piece you've done for each band?
I started working with Bill, Karl and Stephen in 1991 but with the band ALL initially. I had drawn a flyer for them when they came to Ft Collins where I was going to school at the time. The band really enjoyed the drawing I did, and I asked if I could send them work for a tour shirt. They were up for it, and used it for the ALLROY SAVES tour. I kept sending them stuff and never stopped. They never stopped wanting me to work with them, so here we are almost 30 years later. I don't know that I have any favorite pieces for either band, I'm really happy with just being able to continue to work with my favorite band and people.
Another motif you're well known for is the cartoon illustrations that you've done for album covers, which has a unique comic style to it that accurately captures the essence of the real people portrayed. To what extent have you been formally taught as an artist, and at what point did you begin to recognize that you did have a unique individual style? Was there a turning point where you not only understood that you have talent, but also personality as an artist?
Well I moved to New Jersey in the 6th grade, and I recall that my drawing was the first thing that got me noticed as a new kid. You know kids try and quickly figure out what you're good at, and most seems to think I was good at drawing, so I kept at it. I'd get bored in class and do cartoon versions of my teachers which kids really liked. I loved MAD magazine so I was trying my hand at that. 11th grade year I was asked to do some for my school yearbook, which seemed insane as some of the drawings were not the most kind in regards to my subjects, but there you go. I study the people I draw a lot and I guess that accounts for capturing suitable likenesses. I always want people to know when they see a band I drew that I know who they are and I have seen them play. That’s why I take so many photos at shows. I'm doing research on posture and gear. It's all work and research.
I've noticed that you also have a deep knowledge of skateboard history and culture - did you ever consider doing graphics for a board company or working as a designer in that industry? I could see your work easily being embraced in the same way as that of Sean Cliver, Mark McKee, Jimbo Phillips, etc. Also, do you still skate? Who are you all time favorite skaters and which eras of skateboarding do you relate to the most?
I was a hardcore skater in the 80's and tailed off as the big pants and small wheels started becoming a thing. I still skate on occasion, and I have a board always around and ready to go. I do totally identify as a skater, even though it's not totally my lifestyle any longer. During my high school years I for sure wanted to do skate graphics, but I didn't think that would be easy to crack into, so I guess I never pursued it. Also I never really wanted my art to be my main job. I always thought it would somehow cheapen it, or dilute what I was doing. Cab, Neil Blender, Mark Gonzales, Chris Miller, Kevin Stabb have always been my favorite skaters. Having met and gotten to work for some of them has been a dream come true.
You recently re-released a 7" that your former band put out some years back. What is your track record as a musician, and what has your experience been with songwriting specifically? How would you compare the disciplines of songwriting and illustration? Can they achieve similar goals as art in your opinion?
My high school band put out a 7" a couple years ago on Alona's Dream Records in Chicago. Tommy Stupid (my old skate buddy an drummer for the Stupids) had originally recorded the 7" in 1988 in London, and always wanted to put it out. It was meant to come out on Vinyl Solution Records in England but the band broke up when I graduated and moved to Denver so the single never happened until just recently. I'm really, really proud of the Evel Knievel Rice 7" and can't really believe it’s actually a thing now. I was all set to going the Stupids in 1988, but the band dissolved when I moved to the states in ‘88 and that was that. I "sang" for Pilot Car and Sizewell in Denver during the 90's and both bands put out singles but not much. We played a lot but never really went anywhere or were heard outside of Denver. I only ever wrote lyrics, never music as I can't play any instrument. I don't really think of myself as a singer or a musician at all even though I have done those things. I'm mainly an idiot who does not suffer from stage fright and am perfectly ok with making a fool out of myself.
Something I've always admired about you is that you seem to have achieved early on a very clear sense of identity and have prioritized your life accordingly. Whereas I often struggle to balance my regular life with my passion for music and the world of punk rock, you seem to seamlessly combine your professional and family life with it in ways that appear completely natural. Has this ever been a source of tension and stress, or have you always found it manageable?
Well yeah of course it’s been stressful and the cause of tension from time to time. There are periods throughout the year where I cannot go to shows often, travel or take on many big projects because I'm working on a play or a Haunted House or something school related. It's my main job being a teacher so I try to not grumble about it. However, I have missed a few big things because of work, but I couldn't do a thing about it. When school started to affect my family life because I was gone too much I purposely took a giant step back and asked myself what's more important. My son and wife will always win, so I had to stop doing as many plays and reduce my outside of school commitments. It was time.
Your personal style is as recognizable as your artwork. You've cultivated a look and persona that people can easily identify - colorful, animated, and energetic not unlike the art you're best known for. Has this been a natural evolution, and to what extent are you picky about your own outward appearance as a form of self-expression? Would it be difficult for you, for example, to just dress like a boring adult who's given in to wearing "Under Armour" gear and Costco khakis?
I don't care much for boring living or boring people so I have never looked much like one. Punk was always about doing it your own way, and making what you like. That’s what I've always done. I'm colorful because I love color, and I don't particularly want to blend in. It's kind of funny to me how unusual that seems for most people but not me! Plus I always want to make sure you can find me at a show if you are looking for me. Why dress all in black at a punk show? It's just too normal to me.
The Sharpie portraits you do are very unique and that series seems to have caught on with fans in a major way. When did you begin doing it? Your approach of just putting Sharpie to paper and completing the portraits quickly is not only impressive, but also reminds me of the DIY punk rock approach to writing and producing music. What have you gained as an artist from keeping this approach going and continuing to seek out new subjects? Is there a sense in which the choice of subject also makes a significant statement?
Well I was proctoring a standardized test at school one year and was totally bored out of my mind. I had some computer paper and a Sharpie on my desk so I thought, “OK why not do a drawing to help pass the time?” I did Abe Lincoln, and had so much fun using just the Sharpie that I decide to do Ian MacKaye. That was quick and fun, so I kept drawing punk icons with the lamest materials I could find, Sharpies and computer paper. Nothing fancy, nothing special, but I wanted to turn those things into something special. I hope I have to some degree. The economy of what I do is very punk and very appealing to me. I don't know if I've made any kind of statement but it's a fun exercise that I keep up with on a regular basis.
When I approached you about this interview, you were reluctant based on your feeling that people may not be interested. Are you able to at least recognize and appreciate your own place in punk's history as an iconic artist? Having the "Shary brand of approval" does carry weight in our world, and I'd say that any band lucky enough to work with you has gained a higher level of recognition themselves by association. What are your thoughts on your current portfolio, future works, and the legacy you'll be remembered for?
Well I think you're being too kind. I'm always suspect of people who think too highly of themselves so I try to avoid doing that. I'm fairly sure that I have made my mark and it's nice to be recognized for that. I guess more than anything I 'd like people to think of me as someone who proved you don't have to be a self centered asshole to do something noteworthy. Do good work and keep at it, maybe someone will notice.
You and I discussed the idea that creative folks who establish routines and discipline themselves to continuously put out work and prioritize being prolific often find higher levels of success later. What is your own philosophy with regard to creative routines and plugging away even when life makes is more challenging to do so?
Well I gotta say I have learned a lot from the early SST work model. You know do it for yourself, work hard, do your work, don't bitch about what you want, make it happen, and don't act like anyone owes you anything. I think if you just keep at that and keep working, eventually you'll look back on a body of work that might be worth something. I try to never rest on my laurels and not pat myself on the back for what I have done. That's in the past. I'm more excited about what I'm GOING to do.
