Over the last few years Ryan Smith has been inspired by the artwork and aesthetic of ‘80s skateboarding graphics. Smith recalls that when he started skating, how fun this era of skateboarding was and how distinct all the graphics were that surrounded it. He even got a tattoo on his forearm of a skull with a skateboard smashing through it that draws from his nostalgia for this era of skating. When Ryan made the decision to incorporate those ideas into the Smith 2.0 shoe, legendary skate artist Jimbo Phillips was the clear choice to undertake such a graphic art project.
Taking tutorship from his father Jim Phillips (screaming hand Santa Cruz logo), Jimbo has grown to be one of the leading skateboard graphic artists in the industry today. His work, first introduced by Santa Cruz skateboards and Speed Wheels in the ‘80s, played a major role in shaping the look of ‘80s skateboarding graphics. It’s a creepy world that Jimbo creates with his art. Monsters. Slime. Drooping eyeballs. Spider webs. Psychedelic colors. Things exploding out of things to create an air of chaos. It’s a world that Smith felt right at home in.
Here are a few quick questions with Jimbo Phillips about this unlikely collabo with DC and Smithers.
How did you get into doing skateboard graphics?
I started in ‘88. My father (Jim Phillips) was Art Director for Santa Cruz Skateboards. I was pretty much fresh out of high school, and he kind of apprenticed me on small projects—you know, lettering and small logos. Some stuff wouldn’t even get used. Then, NHS did a skateboard comic book where I had a couple of pages… that was kind of like my first paying job. From then on I started doing small logos and stuff, kept with it, and eventually worked up to t-shirts and skateboard graphics.
Where do you get your inspiration?
My dad was a huge inspiration obviously because I grew up looking at his stuff. But also Mad Magazine, Marvel Comics (I was a huge comic book collector as a kid), old monster movies like Frankenstein and Godzilla, and Saturday morning cartoons. And, other skateboard graphics.
What do you like most about doing what you do?
The good thing about skateboard graphics is that there are no real limits or boundaries to what you can do, so there are a lot of graphic possibilities. Pretty much anything these days is an acceptable board graphic, to an extent. I just like the broad range… a lot of fields are limited [due to] conservativeness or market but skaters really seem to embrace the whole graphic element. They like the whole radical subject matter, or sometimes not even radical—just pleasing to the eye.
What project throughout your career are you most proud of?
I wouldn’t say anything in particular. It’s just kind of cool when you go down to the skatepark and you see a kid on your board, just having fun. It’s always rewarding to see your stuff around a little bit.
How did the project with Ryan Smith come about?
Ryan Smith apparently was a big fan of the early ‘80s Speed Wheels and Santa Cruz graphics. Real bold lines and bright colors. We just went from there.
What was the creative process like?
I relayed info and we worked on early preliminary sketches that Ryan would approve. It was a lot of fun to work on!
Did Ryan let you have free reign on the graphics?
Yeah, I had a lot of freedom. The subject matter was great because it was really straightforward and eye-catching [with] bold imagery. That’s what I liked the most. What he wanted and what I like to do worked really well together.
Is there anything else that you wanted to do graphically with the Smith graphic?
Just a biker-type image that’s really cool looking with a little rock & roll. Pretty much just make it badass looking. We got all the little elements Ryan wanted in there, like the snake and skull and everything, and I think Ryan was stoked on the outcome!
HAVE A LOOK AT THE DC SMITH 2.0 WITH JIMBO'S ART WORK OVER IN THE BUYERS BLIPS
