The Russ Pope Interview (Issue 05)

Russ Pope is one of those people who is hard to pin down. Skateboarder, marketing guru, artist, bike nerd, beach guy, family man, business owner, never ending ball of energy….etcetera, etcetera, etcetera. But more than anything I find Russ to be an inspiring human. The kind of person who picks up a cold call. Always has a well measured opinion on most topics. Always has patience. Three qualities I personally struggle to possess. 

I was introduced to him via our mutual friend Art (a lovely human in his own right). I was looking to have him do some graphics for POBS which he agreed to, including the drawings that adorn the POBS Retrotec klunker. Aside from being super easy to work with, going waaaaaay above and beyond the original brief, he was also just someone I ended up talking to a bunch. So I thought we might document one of said conversations. So without further ado, I give you Russ Pope.

HOKEM

When / how did you start drawing?

RP

When I was five or so and we were living in Salinas I had this teacher who asked us to draw stuff for Easter and I drew a bunny. She told my mom “Russel is an awesome artist.” It was on from there.

My uncle was a painter so I was always around it. I got to hang out with him around jr high times. Had a big influence on me seeing that it was a job. Something that you could do as a profession.

When I got to high school there was this ROP (regional occupational program). It covered a bunch of stuff, printing, drafting, photography, art. I did a senior portfolio and art show that won me some scholarship money. Nothing much monetarily, but it was really encouraging. 

HOKEM

I know you were skating and surfing by this time. Did those cultures push you in a creative direction too? 

RP

For sure, Natas was a pretty big influence there. We would skate with his brother Jules in San Louis and Natas would come to town and hang out. His vibe / shoe art grip tape art etc. was amazing. Just to see someone being that creative in every aspect of their life was huge. Mark Gonzales too. Lucero, Swank, all those guys were a big influence.

HOKEM

What about fine art influence?

RP

As a kid I was obsessed with Dr. Seuss. In high school I was pretty into Picasso. I know it's a blown out answer, but if you look at how prolific he was……But also at the same time I was super into Raymond Pettibone. I loved all the Black Flag album covers but I had no idea there was an artist behind it all.

CR Stecyck too. Toulouse-Lautrec

Thomas Campbell was great too. I met him when he came to SLO to shoot photos. He was one of the most inspirational people on how to do creative as a career. We hung out a lot and he was really helpful in sharing his creative process. He helped get me my first art show outside of school too. 

HOKEM

So you hit adulthood. What’s the first job you get where you are hired for being creative?

RP

Good question. I kinda cut my teeth doing artwork at Small Room skateboards. Louis Carlton was the main force behind art creation there, but he allowed me to be helpful and make some drawings that became board graphics and I always participated in making their zines when I was a team rider.  I had no idea on the technical process at that point, but I was doing drawings and design that would get handed off to someone that would make it workable art.

But I really got to see how to do it when I started to work at NHS. They were doing so much in house and I got to be around all of it. Especially the screen printing process. 

My job there was calling bike shops to try and convince them to carry skateboards. It was pretty dry, but I didn’t care. Just being in that work environment was life changing. I ended up becoming the team manager for SMA & Speed Wheels. Roskopp sat across from me. He was the team manager for Sims while he still had a pro model. G.O. Santa Cruz (skateboards). This was 1991 or 1992?? 

While it was rad to be around all the creativity in the graphics department there, I knew that I didn’t want to be a graphic designer. I wanted to be a painter.

HOKEM

So how did you get into bikes? 

RP

Bikes were a freedom tool in the early days. Latchkey kid mode of transportation.

I blew my knee out skating when I was eighteen. The doctor prescribed riding a bike to rehab it. I bought a Schwinn MTB from a local shop in SLO. Me and my wife Jenn (girlfriend at the time) started riding together.

Then when I got to Santa Cruz I would ride with Roskopp when he was starting to get into Mountain Bikes. I got to be a test rider on the first Mag 21 Rock Shox. Got to ride prototype SCB early days as a tester. That’s when I got hooked. Bontrager was in the cannery building too so I was around it a bunch. Ibis was in the mix too. 

HOKEM

Where would you ride?

RP

We lived in Aptos so I could drop into Nisene Marks and ride everyday. We literally live on the border of the park. The Post Office jumps were right there too. Santa Cruz is really small though so I ended up riding a little of everything. Wilder, campus, Demolition Forest. 

HOKEM

Did you ever race?

RP

I did all the first Sea Otters - first ten years. I started riding road bikes to train for MTB racing and fell in love with it. Then I found cross. I used to call it the “Hour of Power.” Loved it. Raced for probably twelve or thirteen years. My last race was a masters division cross country mountain bike race, which I won. All the races I did were small time, local series sorts of events. Just for fun, I never took it too seriously.

I was gonna get back into it when I moved to the east coast. I had just turned 50 so I was ready for the Masters class. I ordered my Bread Winner and then Covid hit and the race season was cancelled. 

HOKEM

I love how you just happened to be around all that good riding and the early days of Santa Cruz Bikes. Skating was pulling you in a direction and then bikes were just part of the mix organically.

When did the art shows start to kick in? Did you get representation or a manager to help make that happen?

RP

Well, it almost kicked off when my buddy Thomas (Campbell) was helping to link me with Aaron Rose, but I dropped the ball and ended up going on a Creature tour instead of following through on that conversation. 

Around 2000 I moved to Orange County and that’s when things started to click. Just being in LA and around so many galleries and people who were in shows and putting on shows was really helpful. Pat Tenori and Jimmy Arrighi were a huge help, looking out for me and arranging art shows and wallpaintings, etc.

That’s also when the whole RVCA & Artis Program was hitting too. Got to meet and hang out with (and be in art shows with) so many great people.

HOKEM

When did you connect with Antoni Colombo and his gallery in Milan?

RP

Zio Ziegler, who is also a bike guy, had done a show there. AC wanted him to come back and do another show with more people. I had worked with Zio on some stuff when he was just getting started. A mutual friend had introduced us and we had a good connection while I was at Vans.

So he pulled me into a show at the AC gallery. We all traveled there together and stayed at Antonio’s apartment in Milan.

Made a connection and have been working with Antonio ever since.

We did a super fun project together at Bar Basso when I did a show at the gallery. The owners are super sweet people who have been really supportive of me. I have a lot of love for that city and all the folks I get to hang out with when I go.

HOKEM

So……..What’s next?

RP

Working on a show for HVW8 Berlin that should hit around September of this year that I’m super excited about.

I did a book called “Life Lines” awhile back that was super fun. Life Lines 2 I have been working on since. I’m trying to figure out if I’ self publish or work with a partner to get that published. Still figuring it out but I’m hoping that hits this year.

I'm also trying to be more thoughtful about my commercial work. I’d love to get something into the New Yorker or the Times. I love the commercial side of things as much as I love the “Fine Art” gallery stuff.

I worked with Type 7 on their Milan city guide that launched at the Milano de Salone furniture fair. They were really great to work with. Andy from House Industries suggested me for that project which was huge since we had never met.

I love the fine art stuff, but I also care about the commercial stuff too… It’s fun to work on collaborative projects with folks and see them be amplified and shared through their channels as well.