SPRFKR is a not like any ordinary tee shirt brand. These graphically themed tees firmly cross the line into wearable art — all designed by Art Nouveau fanatic and California native Marco Rashed. With a touch of horror, lots of blood, and plenty of naked chicks, this Rialto Death Brigade is finally bringing something intelligent to the realm of ready to wear. It’s dark, morbid, incredibly sexy and fun. Sure, for some the mere mention of skeletalized women and bleeding skulls would seem to slingshot past the thresholds of good taste, but we couldn’t disagree more. Rashed’s got a way to transform the unsuspected into teasingly erotic. Which shouldn’t surprise, given the skewed take dude has on art, life and Jack N the Box curly fries. Wanting to know more, I had to catch up with Batman t-shirt sporting Rashed to find out about what all is behind SPRFKR.

– Interview by Katy Leonard

How did you get started/transition into making t shirts?

I actually started with screen-printed posters, and my sister encouraged me to do what I was originally doing on paper to tees. Not much to say but thanks sis! Good move. I might have ended up a well-balance healthy and established graphic duh-signer that was stoked to go to SIGA and read designer mags to “beef up my portfolio” fuzzzz… Oh wait! Shout out to Aesthetic Apparatus!!! Cool ass dudes, good work too! He gave me the heads up a la screen-printing 101.

Where do you find the inspiration for the designs?

Eskimotube! Just kidding. No but for reals…wait should I say more? Ok, basically all things XXX, Fast food, Art Nouveau, Ranch dressing + curly fries, Egg rolls + Teriyaki sauce….hmm, oh yeah its all just inside me I got to get it out.

Do you work best under an “influence”?

Oh yea, If I’m under the influence of what I call “A Crush”. If I’m crushing on babes, I work best because they make my brain (not my dick) horny. This is me at my best. The part of you that used to get horny when you were a kid but you didn’t know what an erection was, let alone what to do with it, this is the start of a SPRFKR.

Have you seen a significant change in business volume since your work began being sported by the likes of MSTRKRFT and The Bloody Beetroots?

Not really. We have been kicking ass and making cheese for a while now. I did notice ALOT of people asking me “hey you got that MSTKRFT shirt?” all the time. I got to give it up to MSTRKRFT! Those fools have been rocking SPRFKR all over the world! They could rock anything they want to but they chose SPRFKR and it means a lot to me that they’re down with the underdogs from RIALTO!

Lots more of Marco’s truly unique take on the universe after the Jump! Make sure you peep the gallery below to get a proper taste of all things SPRFKR…

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Do the concepts come easily or take time to develop before the final design is accomplished?

Easy. I swear. It takes longer to get ready for tradeshows, booths and all that jazz than to make my art. I’m stressed out, juggling real life stuff, shit like that. I love it when I’m on top of things or when I have a “just don’t give a fuck” attitude. Either way, I’m drawing, so that’s my favorite chunk of life, no matter what.

Do you feel that you are convincing nudists everywhere to put good clothing on?

I hope I’m not, well wait. Maybe if they’re getting cold. I want shirtless-ism to be more accepted. Why is it ok for us to see dudes walking around showing us their jank chest hairs and everyone gets all giggety when they see some pepperoni nipps on sweet Mexican babes? Yea I said it rub on dem titties.

You use a lot of snakes, blood, skulls, and some female nudity in your designs. How are you going to continue to develop these concepts and are we going to see naked men soon?

Well now it kinda turned into my “thing” to draw babes so I’ll keep that up cause I was doing it before y’all were watching BUT now that I got your attention it’s cock and balls time yo! Cum shots and hairy balls all over print 2009 sucka!

Do you think your designs inspire one to masturbate?

I hope, let me watch–> sprfkr [at] mac [dot] com

If your t-shirt walked into a bar, what would it order?

They would walk in already drunk looking to score but by the time they made out with you sloppily (“shes so soft”) it would lead to rubbing your fingers across her chest then putting her on right there in front of everyone with your eyes closed, then you’d never take her off and your girlfriend would wear her too causing a semi-sexually interesting weirdness between you and your girl and “what you did last night” BUT trust me you’ll only be tripping cause there’s only one shirt, dig? Words of wisdom share the shirt with your girl till its trash and then still wear it more! …Wait was that too personal?

Where did the Rialto Death Brigade slogan come from?

The Railto Death Brigade is deep. For real. Think about it: we have the origin of the Hells Angels, the Klu Klux Klan’s plan for an “Inland Empire” and a higher murder capitol than Los Angeles, all within a 30 mile radius. Trust me. Its thug as fuck, we don’t have a slogan yet.
RIALTO DEATH BRIGADE FORCE
“POOR VIDA”

Are there specific artists that have influenced your work/style?

Alphonso Mucha, Audrey Beardsly. I mean honestly, that whole period of art is something that I’ll always be heavily influenced by. I just can’t shake it off, I wouldn’t even want to! Vaughn Bode, Jim Lee, McFarlane, Eastman, (Erick Larson drew Venom the best! Fuck the haters!) I always end up finding something new in other artist’s works that I crush on, but I know my love. I’ll always be loyal.

Which schools do you identify with and enjoy the most (i.e. art nouveau, pop arts, comics, tattoos, etc)

The NeoNouveau movement’s sick right now NuevoNuevo forefront!

If it’s 1am on a Thursday or Friday night, where are you and what are you doing?

Coming back from Jack in the Box with 2 tacos, gently smother-dipped into a brand new ranch undressing followed by luscious curves, those curly cues smothered in my white sauce. My throbbing hot Jalapeno Poppers pressed against my tongue oozing juices, quenching my desire….

Have there been any movies or musical artists who after you listened to/watched you had to jet back and put something together?

Let’s see; Snagneto the Home Town Guido is still siiickk. Check out that unlucky Funtuckyen, now relocated up to Victemville, California.
Who else did I see that rocked? MSTRKRFT made me think of like devils and bloody ass letters, javelins, metal balls with spikes on them, etc., you know, that medieval ass shit. Some hectic satanic death shit is what I first actually drew when hearing them. Ha! No one ever gets to ever see it but them and me!! Hmm… then again, I also listen to love songs like what 103.5 used to be in the 80’s while I draw this stuff so anything can happen!

What do you wear typically when you’re working on a piece?

What I always wear: my batman shirts and some Levis 501 jeans, the starchy dark blue ones that are clean. Pro Club Boxers and those 24 for $12 pack of stretchy material socks followed by my 8th pair of classic Adidas white, skinny black laces. And that’s everyday all day… oh wait you asked what I work in! Oops I’m usually just naked when I bust, usually between 2 a.m. and 7 a.m. NEXT!

How much of an influence does Rialto have in your product or business?

Rialto is my bed dude, where everything is just familiar and soothing. It reminds me to draw and eat a burger, waste my day shit. You know, start a chess club at random spots and have a bunch of heads show up. Or a drawing Club where artists get to meet like a writers bench but for anyone. We fucking have little kids coming to draw with us! Like seriously, how can I explain Rialto,CA 92377?? Man fuck it, just come over. Seriously come over to Carls Jr. Your treat! –> el_suprfukr [at] yahoo [dot] com

What are your favorite spots in LA?

1. CAHUENGA/FRANKLIN: there is this golden boot, for some reason, glued to a power box on the northeast side of the intersection.

2. I like the $1 section of VHS at AMOEBA where you can switch the $1 sticker and put it on the good VHS that are weird but overpriced… so I’ve heard. + I love to find cool movies there and then download them on my torrent.

Lease favorite?

The 101 Freeway in between Melrose and the next few exits headed eastbound. What the Fuck?! WHY IS THERE ALWAYS TRAFFIC THERE?! Nothing is ever wrong?

When seeing your work at art galleries, it almost looks multimedia in large scale. What type of materials are you printing/drawing on to accomplish this? And do your designs start out large scale and go smaller for the tshirts or vice versa for the shows?

Whats multimedia again? Uhh…I just draw small and make ‘em big. I use plastic cardboard and if I have time, I like to draw on the walls too!
I like PaperMate FLAIR very nice tip + I started doing those when I was a kid! Um, I love those new graffity markers: KRINK and ON THE RUN. They rock! I like them more than brushes! Basketball tips and especially that flat black Krylon smell. Office Depot has a sweet self-printing spot they never check! I get a bunch of shit there too! (Damn did I just burn that spot?)

If you got lost in a supermarket, in what aisle would we find you?

The Magazines eating a Snickers or something small (I am not going to pay for it) OR the freezer isle with a TV and a lawn chair ala Al Bundy. Thanks Al!