I was able to link up with graphic designer, Jonny Newbrand, and he gave me some insight on some of his history of graphic design, working musically with Macklemore, and some of his future projects coming out. Read the interview below to see what he had to say!
B. Opt: Tell us a bit about yourself. Who is Jonny Newbrand (Jonny Haines) ?
Jonny Newbrand: I’ve spent most of my life trying to figure out the answer to that question. I guess you can just call me Artist Arsonist, I like to start fires with my creative endeavors. Sometimes to watch it burn, other times to start a chain reaction.
B. Opt: The Artist Arsonist is a dope name. Is that the name we need to look out for in the future?
Jonny Newbrand: Probably not. It is just one of my many pseudonames, I will always go by JonnyNewBrand. That is the brand that I have built up these almost 8 years and it carries weight.
B. Opt: For those who don’t know much on your origins, let them know when you realized you had a gift for this and who inspired you.
Jonny Newbrand: As far as art goes, I started drawing at a very young age, I loved drawing Star Wars and Transformers characters and making up my own characters as well. When I turned 15 I got involved in the (then popular) gaming social network 1up.com and used my skills with a computer to design web banners for users to help brand themselves and stand out amidst the sea of samey profiles. It was around that time that I discovered my creativity could be a profession so I went off to college to pursue a degree in Graphic Design. In my senior year of school I dropped out before graduating because I ran out of money, so I hit the road hard and started freelancing, at that time I was becoming obsessed with the underground hip-hop scene, especially the guys in Seattle, so I reached out to the Knowmads and it all came together from there.
As far as Inspiration, I’ll always site Salvador Dali especially his “Jesus Period” and his ability to have strange and pervasive imagery floating in space, it is def there in my art. Other than that my love for anime and German militant poster design from the WWII period was what gave my artwork the heavily graphic look. I incorporate a lot of Japanese sensibilities and Americana into my personal work.
B. Opt: That’s pretty deep on the inspiration. I can tell you do your research and study your history. So bruh, what is the meaning behind your logo? We’ve been meaning to ask you this for a minute. It looks Japanese.
Jonny Newbrand: The logo is def inspired by Kanji. I wanted to make my signature like calligraphy with strokes and all that noise. The basic break down is simple tho. The top line and center stroke is the Capitol J and the two lines below the top are the letter H on its side. So it is essentially JH. The little stroke on the right is there for visual balance and to suggest growth.
B. Opt: I had no idea it was your initials. You went over my head with that one. Graphic artists have a penchant for creating some of the most famous illustrations ever. With that being said, what was the most outrageous request you got from a client?
Jonny Newbrand: This one guy hit me up one time asking if I could make a drawing of his face on a lion’s body floating in outer space but all the stars would be bullets. I kid you not. I turned down the job,
I told him I preferred more creative control than he was allowing, in all honesty I probably didn’t want to have to make all those bullets.
B. Opt: What are some of your other talents besides making dope graphics?
Jonny Newbrand: I think I’m getting pretty good at rapping. I’ve also started producing instrumentals, something I’ve always wanted to do. I am also a bartender by night and I am one of the best in my area. People come far and wide to sit before me. Fun fact, I am certified in Craft Beer by the Cicerone organization, I know all there is about beer history and styles. I also am a semi-pro Photographer.
B. Opt: Okay, that’s whats up! I never met a creative person who was just good at one thing. Do you get many clients through your time bar-tending?
Jonny Newbrand: I actually do. A lot of my more “business” clients come from my face to face interactions over the bar. Most people take me for granted that I’m just a bartender but once they uncover what I “really do” they are usually interested in working together.
B. Opt: Have you ever created something musically that inspired you to make a graphic or vice versa?
Jonny Newbrand: I actually spend a lot of my idle time making album covers for projects that I want to create down the road so in a way the art feeds the music, vice versa when I record a song and I know it is ill I always get inspired to make a great visual representation of it.
B. Opt: I figured that. What hip hop artists have you worked with?
Jonny Newbrand: The biggest artists I’ve worked with are Sapient from Sand People, Macklemore, Madchild. I’m working on a project with Moka Only right now featuring some really big names, but that’s all I can say. Other than that I could list them all because there are a lot, but you could just go look at my website to see them all. Countless.
B. Opt: That’s some big names you just mentioned. Are you working with those major hip hop artist as a graphic designer, producer, rapper, or some other talent, or all of the above?
Jonny Newbrand: I am working with them as a designer and a rapper. The production is all being handled by one of Canada’s finest.
B. Opt: Do you have any projects out there where you made the beat, wrote the song, rapped on the song, and did the graphic art for the song?
Jonny Newbrand: Yes, actually the project on my bandcamp called “White Black Panther” was a beat I produced (via sampling) and a verse I wrote, recorded and inevitably made the art for. The forthcoming project “Season Seven” will also be entirely produced and recorded by myself and will feature a JonnyNewBrand original cover art.
B. Opt: If you can pick someone famous to work with, who and why?
Jonny Newbrand: I would love to work with Macklemore again, now that he has some exposure, I want to help him new brand himself as a credible rapper again. He sort of lost his edge after XXL. I would also love to work with Anderson .Paak because I love his music a lot. Nobody does what he’s doing. I would be very into working with him.
B. Opt: Anderson .Paak is very talented. It also sounded like you and Macklemore clicked when you two worked together the first time. I’m sure you working with him made the haters come out. Have you had any beefs or haters, or even competition that I don’t know about lol?
Jonny Newbrand: I’ve had more than I care to mention. My first was a guy in Seattle who flipped shit on me for seemingly no reason. There were rival crews who didn’t like who I worked with, upstart kids who wanted free artwork in exchange for “exposure.”
The only time I’ve ever had a true hater hit me up was in regard to my music. A dude messaged me out of the blue saying I made “playground music” or something like that. It wasn’t a very intelligent review. I didn’t dignify him with a response. I have no competition. I am the best there is doing what I do. Ask anyone.
B. Opt: Shit, If i was them other guys I’d hate you for your talents too man (jk)…You’re lucky I can’t draw like I use to lol. With you being the best out there at your craft, have you seen any imitators? If so, how did or do you address them?
Jonny Newbrand: I have def been plagiarized a few times in the past. They will remain nameless. But typically if it isn’t profiting off of my work, I just let them know “I know” and leave it at that.
A few times I have had to threaten legal intervention when money was being made off my work or damn near it. But I believe art is about expression so if somebody wants to share in that, I tend to be easy going.
B. Opt: How has social media helped you? What do you think are some of it’s pros and cons?
Jonny Newbrand: If it weren’t for social media, I never would have had the success I have now. Word of mouth is a powerful marketing technique, and my clients tend to blast my work all over their social network. I haven’t personally used any social media ads to promote my work. I let my clients and friends do the work for me. The pros are def the exposure and constant record of your work. The cons are that anybody can reach out, and sometimes you get a bad client, but you learn from each experience. Also I hate having so many friends in my list, but every one of them is a potential client or audience for what I do. So I just stay away from my news feed haha.
B. Opt: That’s true. You can’t be throwing away potential bread. What should we look forward to from Jonny Newbrand in the future?
Jonny Newbrand: More work with bigger clients. I’m becoming more selective with who I work with design wise, because I am spending a lot of my free time making music now, that is where my creative energy is focused currently. I want to make more personal work but it will probably be in a new medium. Maybe collectible toys, if I am lucky.
B. Opt: Collectible toys? Explain this lol!
Jonny Newbrand: I’ve always been obsessed with action figures and toys, in a way I never grew up past that, and I envy companies like Kid Robot and artists like Kaws and Coolrain who produce “big kid toys” for collectors. I personally think a lot of my characters would make awesome toys, at the very least I want to have 3D renditions of them for my own personal collection. I think that is where the future of The JNB originals lies.
B. Opt: You’re truly talented and I wish you much success my G, but before we finish, any last shout outs or plugs?
Jonny Newbrand: I want to shout out NoEmotion Goldmask from Miami, number one because if it weren’t for him promoting me from the early days and continuing to trust me with his identity I wouldn’t be where I am today. He is a little unusual as far as rappers go, but he has always been true to his style and always allowed me to be true to mine. I also want to shout out my partner in crime Wisecrvcker in Portland because he has pushed me in art and in music and been the best hype man anyone can ask for. Last but not least thank you guys for giving me the opportunity to talk. We go way back and I appreciate you always showing support for artists.
Contact Info for Jonny Newbrand
www.JonnyNewbrand.com
Email: Jonny@jonnynewbrand.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/newbranddesco
Instagram: @jonnynewbrand
Twitter: @jonnynewbrand
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