Marc McKee is an American graphic artist known for his stylistic cartoon skateboard deck designs during the 1980s and 1990s. For his work as the lead graphic artist for World Industries, he is recognized as one of the most influential artists in skateboarding history. [1]
Marc McKee grew up in Marin County in Northern California. [2]
Before Marc's Art career took off he was BMXer sponsored by Skyway BMX for riding flatland.He has a riding part in the poplular Dorkin' In York 3 video. Marc went on to do graphics for RL Osborn's company Bully in 1989 and met Steve Rocco through RL.
In 1989, McKee was discovered by Steve Rocco of World Industries and was hired on as designer. In that role, he created Devil Man, Flame Boy and Wet Willy as the brand's mascots. The mascots reached a larger audience in their use on apparel and the brand took off in the mid-1990s and was sold in 1998 for $29 million. While at World Industries, he was also an editor of Rocco's Big Brother magazine, of which he was a part owner. [3] [4] Like other World Industries art, McKee's work was recognized for its uncensored content and themes; [5] something McKee has continued to further in his post-World-Industries career. [6]
During the 1990s, McKee was also employed by Hustler magazine and published a number of his stylistic cartoons for a special "naughty" Christmas carols series. [5]
In 2011, McKee exhibited a portion of his historical work during Milan Design Week. [7]
An illustrator is an artist who specializes in enhancing writing or elucidating concepts by providing a visual representation that corresponds to the content of the associated text or idea. The illustration may be intended to clarify complicated concepts or objects that are difficult to describe textually, which is the reason illustrations are often found in children's books.
Daniel Gillespie Clowes is an American cartoonist, graphic novelist, illustrator, and screenwriter. Most of Clowes's work first appeared in Eightball, a solo anthology comic book series. An Eightball issue typically contained several short pieces and a chapter of a longer narrative that was later collected and published as a graphic novel, such as Like a Velvet Glove Cast in Iron (1993), Ghost World (1997), David Boring (2000) and Patience (2016). Clowes's illustrations have appeared in The New Yorker, Newsweek, Vogue, The Village Voice, and elsewhere. With filmmaker Terry Zwigoff, Clowes adapted Ghost World into a 2001 film and another Eightball story into the 2006 film, Art School Confidential. Clowes's comics, graphic novels, and films have received numerous awards, including a Pen Award for Outstanding Work in Graphic Literature, over a dozen Harvey and Eisner Awards, and an Academy Award nomination.
Mike Vallely, also known as Mike V, is an American professional skateboarder and musician. Since November 2013, he has been the lead vocalist of the hardcore punk band Black Flag. Vallely is the second-longest-serving member of the band, although he has not appeared on any albums.
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A category of fine art, graphic art covers a broad range of visual artistic expression, typically two-dimensional, i.e. produced on a flat surface. The term usually refers to the arts that rely more on line, color or tone, especially drawing and the various forms of engraving; it is sometimes understood to refer specifically to printmaking processes, such as line engraving, aquatint, drypoint, etching, mezzotint, monotype, lithography, and screen printing. Graphic art mostly includes calligraphy, photography, painting, typography, computer graphics, and bindery. It also encompasses drawn plans and layouts for interior and architectural designs.
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World Industries is an American brand that offers skateboarding products, accessories and clothing. The company was founded by Steve Rocco in 1987. In 1988, Rocco was joined by skater, Rodney Mullen, and then Mike Vallely in 1989. As of 2014, World Industries operates under GVS America, a subsidiary of INA Sports Inc. & FGL Sports Ltd. The company also makes and sells longboards.
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Cliché Skateboards was a skateboard company based in Lyon, France, and distributed by the American company Dwindle Distribution. The company was established in 1997 by French professional skateboarder Jeremie Daclin. In 2001, Cliché was purchased by the France-based Salomon Group which in 2005 became a part of Amer Sports. In 2009, US-based Dwindle Distribution purchased the company from the Salomon Group. In November 2016, Dwindle announced that they would be discontinuing the brand.
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Ess McKee is a multimedia artist whose work has been featured in We.The Culture, an exhibit at Newfields Indianapolis Museum of Art. As an artist at the Harrison Center and a member of the Eighteen Art Collective in Indianapolis, McKee's work has focused on activism and education.