get your ideas? Joseph: I usually think of an overly dramatic
situation, or some kind of absurd line of dialogue, and try to
visualize how people would act or respond in those situations.
u SB Do you collect anything? Joseph: Since I was young, I’ve
been collecting something; comic books, action figures, trading
cards. u SB Do you keep a scrapbook? Joseph: I have a collection
of found images on CDs. u SB What are your interests outside
of illustration? Joseph: I absolutely love baseball. I also play
Frisbee Golf quite often with friends. u SB Who are your art
heroes? Joseph: Andy Warhol was the first artist I really ‘got’.
He just made complete sense to me. From there I discovered Roy
Lichtenstein, Jasper Johns, Robert Rauschenberg, Alex Katz. u SB
Who are your illustration heroes? Joseph: Mostly comic artists.
Jack Kirby, John Romita Sr., Jim Lee, Frank Miller, Bill Watterson,
Charles Schulz. u SB Who are your design heroes? Joseph:
Charles and Ray Eames. You can tell they really enjoyed and had
fun with everything they created. I secretly wish they were my
parents. u SB If you were not an illustrator, what would you be?
Joseph: Probably still working in a museum . It was such a great
feeling to be surrounded by art five days a week.
Joseph McDermott’s Favourites
Café Monk’s Cafe, Philadelphia (www.monkscafe.com)
Gallery Collab Gallery at the Philadelphia Museum of Art
Drink Yard’s Pale Ale (www.yardsbrewing.com)
Art Equipment Wacom Bamboo
Shop Repo Records, Philadelphia (www.reporecords.com)
www.illustrationweb.com/josephmcdermott
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