I turned down reality shows years ago right at the beginning of the reality boom, but I think I can benefit from the explosion of reality shows. Tell me how you feel about the corporate explosion of tattooing with reality shows like Miami Ink? Yes I feel too many people are copying my style, but that’s going to happen when something gets big, I can be bitter and angry about it or I can invent new styles.People biting my work forces me to take my work to the next level. Speaking of originality, do you feel that other artists have in a sense "watered down" your style since your explosion on the LA scene? The goal is to do artwork that doesn’t need signing, people will know who did it by the quality, that’s when you know you’re original. The first thing is originality the next thing is consistency of quality over years. Cartoon be different or stand out in a city of artists such as LA?
I have adapted real life stories and mixed the order of events to create a true to life novel. with the graphic novel 'The Lost Angel' that you created?Īll the characters in the graphic novel are real people that I know. So did you incorporate your own life story in L.A. Those type of people believe everything they see on TV and they always judge before they know the facts, they are also the minority not the majority.The majority however love it and embrace and recognise that this is a beautiful art form that came out of the poverty stricken violence on the hard streets of Los Angeles. Some people that are unfamiliar with your work seem to feel uncomfortable and negative about what is being portrayed? Why do you think that is?
Yeah a big influence, all my drawings reflect my heritage and low rider culture. So do you think having a Latino background is a massive influence on your work and lifestyle? My family was disgusted, they felt I was an embarrassment to my race, but they still loved me and encouraged me to do the best I could do. You had a stable and loving Latino familia when growing up, how did they feel about your life on the streets and your graffiti? I was teaching art class in my school by the age of 12 and turned professional at the age of 16. I have been drawing since the age of 6, my mother and father always encouraged me to draw. Yes, yes all the essentials of life but what inspired you to become an artist? Or did you feel that you were always destined to be one? Mister Cartoon was a gang member from the harbor area of Los Angeles, running around muraling low riders, airbrushing t-shirts at car shows, and trying to get laid. Toons, lets start off from the beginning and tell me who Mr. So grab a cold chela, sit back and enjoy this exclusive insight into the world of a unique individual that can be at your aesthetical request with any custom piece, just get in line first and be really patient. High school kids on the importance of learning a trade and visualising your own success no matter what the industry. Instead providing a positive reinforcement back to the community by doing outreach talks to youth prisons and Its still dope, so even though the moneys dope I gota pass on it” he explains. Each one of them will have you punch your old lady in the face. From creating logos for customers at his dad’s small print shop, to defacing public property with intricate graffiti murals, to being asked by motor enthusiasts to air brush their precious rides, Cartoon’s fusion of Hip-Hop, Japanimation, Chicano Low Riding, Old English and Prison Art created a style that’s now become an industry standard.īut even with all the hard earned acclaim and success, Cartoon remains the same humble vato from the barrio, not selling out for the dope feria of beer and cigarette companies - “I don’t see the difference really in selling keys of methamphetamine or selling kegs of beer. Cartoon’s exposure and impatient waiting list has fueled the fan base fire for his expansion of side projects like the limited edition Sidekick cell phones, designer Nike sneakers, a graphic novel for Time Warner and his clothing label JokerBrand which was created with his Soul Assassin’s brother Estevan Oriol.Īn artistic prodigy by the age of 12, it was then he knew his talents would be the big ticket to sell him to the world. to being renowned as the world’s most wanted celebrity tattoo artist dispelling the Chicano ink on clientele that includes Eminem, 50 Cent, Dr Dre, Fat Joe, Justin Timberlake, B-Real, Xzibit, Travis Barker and Beyonce to name a few.
His life (which is soon to be released as a feature film), has gone from the Black Sunday’s of throwing up graff and gang banging on the ports of L.A. and that’s Mark “Mister Cartoon” Machado. There is a single character that defines the heart and soul of street culture in L.A. ART: Mister Cartoon Featured in Freestyle Volume 05 2008.