Full Q&A with Rob Jones

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7th_son
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Full Q&A with Rob Jones

Post by 7th_son »

White Swirl is extremely proud to present the following Q&A with the incomparable Mr. Rob Jones. Enormous thank yous are in order to both Rob and to Kevin (kevron6), who organized and carried out all aspects in this process.
kevron6 wrote:As most of you already know Rob runs Animal Rummy design studio out of his house in Austin, TX and is the primary artist for The White Stripes, The Raconteurs as well as The Dead Weather. His design work includes gig posters, album artwork, and artwork for various other band ephemera. Rob has worked with various other bands during his career but is widely known for his designs for all of Jack White's bands.

We would like to thank Rob for agreeing to do the Q&A because as you all know he is a busy man with a Dead Weather tour going on right now.
The full Q&A will follow below with links after each question to a thread devoted to discussion of the relevent question. We all very much hope you enjoy this rare opportunity.
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7th_son
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Joined: Tue Apr 21, 2009 1:17 am
Location: Citadel Hill

Re: Full Q&A with Rob Jones

Post by 7th_son »

1. What do you think about all the poster geeks that collect your posters? Do you think they are a bunch of obsessed nut bags or can you relate with their passion for collecting?

Rob Jones: I can relate. As long as it remains a healthy hobby, it’s a fun thing to do.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=671
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2. Rob do you have any obsessions and or items you like to collect besides the normal print media?

Rob Jones: I collect a lot of various things. I guess my oddest one revolves around ephemera from the movie Cruising. I haven’t inventoried in a while, but I probably have over a hundred pieces. I chose Cruising as a collecting focus because the items are generally cheap and I’m pretty much the only market (as opposed to Cool Hand Luke which would drive me to debtor’s prison if I tried amassing a collection, although I do have a full CHL photobusta set).

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=672
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3. Favorite movie, television show, book and album?

Rob Jones:
Seven Samurai

Deep Space Nine

Moby Dick

Universe of Geoffrey Brown


For albums, here’s a few more:

Supertramp: Indelibly Stamped
John Entwistle: Smash Your Head Against the Wall
Danzig II: Lucifuge
The Cramps: Big Beat from Badsville
The Dwarves: Are Young and Good Looking
Eno: Here Come the Warm Jets

For movies, here the rest of my top 5:

Cool Hand Luke
Seven Brides for Seven Brothers
Shock Treatment
Cruising

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=673
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4. What is your favorite motion picture soundtrack and why?

Rob Jones: As far as what I play the most, I award that honor to the soundtrack for Shock Treatment. I’m not the first to observe that O’Brien’s songwriting here completely outshines his excellent work on Rocky Horror.

After that I’d probably nominate Cruising because it is awesome. You can thank Friedkin for getting that many more Germs songs recorded for the world (although only one, “Lion’s Share” is featured on the album). The Clash submitted a wholly inappropriate “Somebody Got Murdered” even though the title fits the movie. It turned up later on Sandinista!, an album that took many years for me to appreciate.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=674
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5. What are you listening to right now (i.e. what is on your turntable/cd player or Ipod?

Rob Jones:
My turntable has Paul Revere and the Raiders “Alias Pink Puzz”

At this very second I’m listening to “Unholy Passion” by Samhain on CD.

My iPod was set on Dresden Dolls’ “Yes Virginia” when I went to sleep this morning.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=675
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6. What made you decide to do your first White Stripes poster?

Rob Jones: I had a great idea that wouldn’t apply to anyone else and the means to pretty much perfectly execute it. It’s never been that easy for any other project since.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=676
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7. Does it amaze you how much people are willing to pay for your posters? How do you feel about the people who buy your prints just to flip them?

Rob Jones: For my posters? Yes. For White Stripes, Raconteurs, or any other band’s posters? No.

I really don’t have any feelings at all about flippers.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=677
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8. What is your favorite poster that you have designed and your least favorite poster that you have designed?

Rob Jones: My favorite is usually whatever I designed last. My least favorite would be a horrible flier I made for The Hard Feelings. It was so bad I apologized to Schooley for it upon meeting him for the first time.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=678
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9. How do you come up with the edition size for each poster?

Rob Jones: For White Stripes they are all divisible by 3 (although I might have forgotten that on a couple under the rush of a deadline). The size of a run depends on how well posters performed for a particular city or region in the past.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=679
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10. Have you ever thought about doing some reprints of your really rare posters? How do you feel about reprints in general?

Rob Jones: No.

If it’s a reprint of something I want, and it’s done well (not some miniature inkjet bullshit) then I’m for it. Otherwise it would be difficult to have Universal monster movie posters hanging in my bedroom.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=680
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11. What artists do you admire? Is there an artist you would like to collaborate with?

Rob Jones:
Anyone with ideas I wish I had thought of.

Bosch

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=681
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12. What made you decide to get into designing gig posters? When starting in this business who did you admire, how did they influence you, and have you ever sought out their advice?

Rob Jones: My friend Dirty Steve Sanchez started a band called Pink Swords and asked me to make all their posters. Since they were the Dead Boys in a blender, I readily agreed. That’s how I got started.

I admire Frank Kozik first and foremost. His primary influence was that his work forced me to give a shit about gig posters (although you can see more of a direct visual influence in my early flier work for the Swords).

The only advice I’ve petitioned from him concerned his thoughts on creating posters for Japanese shows (he said to keep them small, and I obeyed).

Jermaine Rogers also has a strong influence. His work made me feel comfortable incorporating more esoteric imagery, personal philosophy, and narrative themes across several posters . The lobby card series for the Raconteurs has a direct debt to Jermaine’s work.

I’ve asked him for a lot of advice early in my “career” that I try to pass on to others (credited to him of course).

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=682
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13. Were you creative as a child, & when did you know you'd become a poster artist?

Rob Jones: My brother (12 years older than me) entered a creative field (music) and had an initial rough go at it (although he has enjoyed considerable success for quite some time). My parents could see I was going in an artistic direction and did their best to dissuade me from pursuing it for fear I’d have similar rough times. I remember in 7th grade getting a speech in stereo from them about the horrors of an artist’s life after I became too wide-eyed watching an air-brush artist. I basically had to lower their expectations over the course of 8 years until I could try my hand at something I was more passionate about.

When I couldn’t think of anything else to do art-wise that might pay the bills. At the time I started I was doing a lot of storyboard work for ad agencies (I was a go-to guy if things were behind schedule). It was horrible work (seriously, I had more enjoyment waiting tables. Working at the cracker factory and the tire factory are about the only jobs I’ve had that were more life-draining). That said, I was still thankful for the work.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=683
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14. How do you get your inspiration?
What drives or motivates you to pursue this activity?
What is your philosophy regarding your work?
What is the same every time? What is different every time?
What's your biggest struggle when starting a new assignment/job?

Rob Jones:
From whatever I’ve stumbled upon during my brief dusty existence.

Bills/fear of neckties/delusion that I’m suited for it.

Make sure that you are happy and that the band is happy with the final result.

Not enough time. Every time? Nothing.

Lack of information.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=684
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15. If you were not designing posters what would you be doing?

Rob Jones: Sleeping.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=685
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16. What is a perfect day for Rob Jones?

Rob Jones: A full pitcher of tea, half a pizza on the stove, and an office with a moderate temperature.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=686
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17. Do you ever miss the days of doing gigposters in Austin for bands like Stinky Del Negro and the Pink Swords?

Rob Jones: Those were slim days that I hope I can avoid returning to, but I did enjoy them. I owe a lot to folks like the Swords and Stinky.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=687
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18. You have quite a reputation of putting out consistently great posters, do you ever feel like there is a high expectation for your design work and how does it influence your creative process?

Rob Jones: I hate to disappoint, but the clock hinders as often as it spurs. The main influence that expectation has on my process is that I smoke more as time runs out worrying if the direction I’m headed will yield a satisfactory result.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=688
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19. You are a smart businessman. Where do you see animalrummy in 5, 10, 20 years? How about gig posters in general? Do you have a master plan or are you flying by the seat of your pants here?

Rob Jones: I don’t know, but I hope I have all the sets piled up in my living room sold and out of the house within 20 years.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=689
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20. Can you comment on the point at which a bands visual aesthetic begins to take on a life of its own? Particularly with your work for The White Stripes, it's very clear that your 'vision' for the imagery surrounding their music has become a force of its own. Is the assumption correct that your initial ideas for imagery would have come from listening to their music or did certain visual ideas you had already just 'fit'?

Rob Jones: The White Stripes had an established visual aesthetic before I did any work for them. I’m not sure it’s taken on a life of it’s own. I don’t think too many folks wear White Stripes shirts that aren’t fans as opposed to people wearing Iron Maiden apparel because they think Eddie looks cool.

Imagery generally comes from the music and magazine interviews and how it interacts with what’s already in the skull.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=690
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21. When working on a poster series under a tight deadline or with several deadlines, are you usually seeing the design of one poster image through to completion one at a time or are you typically multitasking on several designs at one time at various stages of completion?

Rob Jones: Usually one at a time with sporadic exceptions.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=691
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22. When I finish my artwork there always seems to be one little flaw that I cannot take my eye off. Are there any flaws in one of your posters that drives you crazy?

Rob Jones: Yes, but I’d rather not draw attention to them.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=692
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23. How much collaboration between you and the bands is there in designing a poster?

Rob Jones: A lot even if they don’t say or write a word.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=693
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24. Which hand drawn poster were you most satisfied with; and do you foresee yourself incorporating hand drawn elements into future prints?

Rob Jones: Probably the Australian/NZ tour poster I did for the Stripes.

No, it takes too long and time is a commodity with the deadlines and projects I thankfully get during a tour.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=694
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25. There seems to be a deeper underlying message in most of your posters. You have used Kanji symbols, Masonic cryptograms as well as Alchemy symbols in many of your posters. Is there some type of hidden meaning in the use of these symbols or do you just use them where they seem appropriate?

Rob Jones: seY. Well, they wouldn’t be used appropriately if I discarded the implications of their meanings.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=695
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26. Outside of TMR, if given the opportunity to design an extensive gatefold sleeve for any band or album (past or present), which band/album would you choose?

Rob Jones: The Cruising Soundtrack, but I wouldn’t change the cover or back cover as they are pretty perfect.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=696
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27. If you could design any film poster(s) past or present, what would you choose and why?

Rob Jones: Cruising because I have a great cliché idea for it. I had an opportunity to do one for Alamo, but other deadlines forced me to pass the job on to Jeff Kleinsmith whom I decided would be someone I’d really want to see a Cruising poster from. Jeff didn’t disappoint.

Maybe “The Man Who Fell to Earth” too as I’m not a big fan of the primary artwork used for it (although I love the Japanese poster and the photographic one that later became the cover for Bowie’s “Low”.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=697
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28. What is up with the eye patches on many of your posters?

Rob Jones: Usually it denotes good or evil for a subject. Left eye covered basically means they’re empathic at heart (they see only one point of view, through the right eye), and right eye covered means they are generally of a sinister nature.

An exception to this might be the Wednesday X poster which was meant to convey a duality (the covered eye for Odin (The Wednesday of the title) and the rabbit for Christ (the X of the title). Odin is favorable to the strong, and Christ is favorable to the meek. Both died on a tree of sorts and came back from the dead after 3 days as the stories go.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=698
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29. The common denominator in the lobby card film references is Steve McQueen? Why?

Rob Jones: Well, it wouldn’t make much sense if the common denominator was Jessica Tandy.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=699
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30. You often leave a hidden message in your posters or use a variety of symbols. One of the treats of seeing one in person is searching for any sign of under printing or symbolism. Some references are pretty clear like the wolf on Providence 03. Which hidden message is your favorite, pink sword posters aside?

Rob Jones: Of things that are underprinted? I’d say the ace of spades in Death’s sleeve on Racs Providence 06. I was a big Cliff Burton fan in high school.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=700
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31. The Raconteurs cowboy prints still have most people confused as to if there is common theme to the posters. Most people know by now that the NSS numbers all refer to Steve McQueen films but is there something else going on here? Can you enlighten everyone or give us a hint to the meaning of the whole series? How would you describe the plot of the film represented in the lobby card series?

Rob Jones: “That would be telling.” From a pure plot standpoint, it’s fairly direct. It probably will make more sense if I ever get to complete the final posters for it.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=701
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32. Your images are very detailed and layered with SO many different meanings and pop culture/historical references. The Raconteurs "little cowboys"/NSS series come to mind as being particularly complex. How much time do you spend researching and designing the images before they go to print? Also how do you keep track of all the references you make and cross references between all of the images? It seems like it would be so hard to keep straight after a while!

Rob Jones: I spent a lot of time up front working out what would happen (the storyline) so I could have symbolic elements that call back to each other (like fire and water symbols).

I’ve been casually studying that stuff for a long time so it’s not terribly hard to keep straight (for now). However, I do keep notes for each one just in case I forget an idea of what to bring over for later posters.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=702
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33. Can you clue us into what the statue holding the wrench in many Raconteurs posters symbolizes?

Rob Jones: It’s pretty straight-forward. The clues are all there (especially in the dodo button set).

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=703
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34. Many of the poster geeks that collect your poster are always looking for hidden meanings in your posters. They seem to almost enjoy trying to solve the puzzle more than the image at times. Does this drive you crazy or do you get a kick out of all the sleuths that try to look for something more than meets the eye?

Rob Jones: It’s entertaining but I get the feeling that if something’s not on the web, then most people aren’t going to unravel or deduce it. Keep in mind I have a lot of books.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=704
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35. Have you ever had a psycho stalker fan experience?

Rob Jones: No, only bizarre emails.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=705
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36. What are 3 things that scare you?

Rob Jones: Swimming in open water by myself, cutting my foot open while swimming, my cats clawing out an eye while I’m sleeping.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=706
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37. Will you post a picture of your studio for us?

Rob Jones: My “studio” is my tiny back bedroom which basically has shelves all around it and through it creating a labyrinthine sweat box.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=707
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38. How often do you attend shows that you have created prints for?

Rob Jones: When I did Pink Swords posters: all the time. I’ve only seen the Stripes once (I didn’t do the poster), the Racs five times (I did the posters for 3 of those), and a Turbonegro show at Emo’s.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=708
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39. You are all out of inspiration, you're tired, pissed off, but you have a deadline looming for a series of prints. What do you do, where do you look to get the ink rolling?

Rob Jones: I smoke and wait.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=709
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40. You used to live in Savannah, what were your favorite and least favorite parts about the city? (I live here now and have a love/hate feeling towards it).

Rob Jones:
Favorite: The buildings
Least favorite: The amazingly shitty drivers. Really, really shitty drivers plunked into a death maze of one-way streets.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=710
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41. What is the meaning of life?

Rob Jones: Enjoy what you can of it and help others to enjoy it too when you can.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=711
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42. Have you ever entertained the idea of releasing a book (or just on your website) a collection of unaccepted poster ideas? If so could you show us a sneak preview?

Rob Jones: There would need to be a lot of lag time before I’d consider it.

Discuss this question here: http://www.whiteswirl.com/forum/viewtop ... f=36&t=712
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