Mister Cartoon

Source: Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.
For former local children's television show in Huntington, WV, see Mr. Cartoon.
Mister Cartoon
Born
Mark Machado

1969
LA Trade Tech (dropped out)
Occupation(s)Tattoo artist
graffiti artist
Known forSoul Assassins studio, celebrity tattoos
Notable workThat Cat Bronson[3]
MovementChicano art movement
Websitewww.mistercartoon.com

Mark Machado, better known as Mr. Cartoon or more commonly just Cartoon or Toon, is an American

airbrushing clothing and lowrider
custom cars. Machado then moved on to working in the music industry doing album covers, tour merchandise, and later tattooing recording artists and other celebrities.

Machado's style of art is part of the Chicano art movement and cholo culture, which he became part of in the late 1980s,[1] using various mediums. His other work includes hand painted signs, screen printing, wall murals, clothing, and toy sculptures of cartoon cats. He adopted the "Fine Line" prison tattooing art style, alongside Old English lettering, which historically was developed in the California prison system.[3]

Mister Cartoon has been described by the New York Times as an "instrumental figure in the

Beyoncé Knowles, Danny Trejo, Melanie Griffith, Shaquille O'Neal, Lewis Hamilton,[6][7] and Snoop Dogg. Machado designed logo's for musicians and record labels including Cypress Hill, Eazy-E's Ruthless Records and Eminem's Shady Records.[8]

Machado's work has been used in the realms of fashion, hospitality, technology, and sports, by Nike, Toyota, T-Mobile, the Los Angeles Kings, the Los Angeles Clippers, Modelo, and in Grand Theft Auto.[9][10]

Early life

Machado grew up in the harbour area of the

art house films and introducing disco and psychedelic rock music at home. At age 10 while learning to draw Machado got in trouble at Catholic school for drawing Jesus naked on the cross.[2] As a kid Machado would go into the streets with friends and write on the side of school walls and handball courts[14] emulating the quality of art he saw at his parent's shop. His nickname 'Cartoon' came from drawing all the time, the 'Mister' was added later in late 1980s[14] to give the appearance of being older than people would expect.[15] His first paying job was at age 12 doing illustrations for a client of the print shop his parents owned, which lead to his father regularly giving having him work on logos and menu designs for local restaurants.[2][16] During his youth at elementary school Machado was once featured in the Daily Breeze local newspaper for his illustrative talents.[12]

Machado attended

banners and newspaper of the school.[12] An early inspiration were the graffiti artists LEE and Fab Five Freddy from New York City, after first seeing their work in the music video for Rapture by Blondie. As a way to practice his craft he would offer to create murals on large walls that had lots of graffiti to residents in poor neighborhoods, the murals would have imagery like Egyptian hieroglyphs or people sporting a handlebar moustache.[14]

Due to

swap meets.[12] Machado would design for boxing gyms or car audio shops and barter his services or use the money earned from airbrushing to trade for car parts so he could build his own lowriders.[18] While hanging out at the auto body shops Machado learned about pinstriping and how to paint custom cars.[12]

One of his first breakthroughs came as a fluke when a photojournalist from

juvenile hall as he pleaded guilty, instead going on probation for $3,000. In one of his earliest commissions, to cover the expense, he did a mural for a boxing gym.[13]

Career

Machado attended

trade school he learned to use a lettering quill alongside gold leaf and enamel sign graphics.[12] He lasted only one year at the school and was removed due to not following the school's rules or the academic deadlines given.[19]
Growing up in the 1980s and 1990s Machado saw the worlds of hip hop, tattoo culture, and street art in Los Angeles all fuse together.
Hustler Magazine, while doing cartoon drawings for Southland hip hop artists album covers on the side.[13]

Machado first big break into the music industry came after approaching Eazy-E at a car wash. Eazy-E then requested Machado to do some work for artists on his label Ruthless Records which included tour merchandise and three album covers; Paid the Cost, Kizz My Black Azz, and Black Mafia Life.[21][12] The two would go on to travel together for work.[7] In 1992 as Machado got further into the world of hip hop, at an album release party for Eazy-E's group Penthouse Players Clique at the Hollywood Athletic Club, through a friend Donnie Charles he met Estevan Oriol who was managing the rap group Cypress Hill.[17][2][22] Oriol invited Machado to go on tour with him and Cypress Hill, and design an album cover for them. As Oriol was also their tour manager at the time, Oriol would document their travels and work through photography he would capture.[3]

By the age of 22 Machado was in Tokyo, experiencing car culture there,[23] experimenting with drugs,[2] and getting recognized for his clothing designs as the awareness for streetwear overseas was quite high due to the demand and Japanese street fashion culture there. During his time in Tokyo, Machado became familiar with the local tattoo scene getting tattoos, going to local tattoo conventions, and also worked at a shop called Scratch Addiction in Harajuku on Takeshita-dori. [24][25] Cartoon was doing murals on lowriders in Japan and Oriol would take the pictures for a local magazine called Fine, which would pay them $400-800 every month for shots of the cars.[22]

After seeing friend and fellow graffiti artist

2008 financial crisis.[26][17]

Machado started getting more tattoos during this period and Oriol encouraged Machado to transition to doing tattoo work as well. Machado would practice sketch ideas on Oriol, other friends, and himself with a homemade

tattoo gun.[7] Working alongside Cypress Hill brought Cartoon further attention eventually Oriol suggested to the Cypress Hill members and other co-headlining tour acts like Goodie Mob and Outkast to get tatted by Mister Cartoon.[13] By the mid 1990s Machado was working as a tattoo artist, he would do clients designs in garages and nightclubs[27][11] and eventually got a gig working at Spotlight Tattoo on Melrose Avenue in Hollywood alongside tattoo artists Baby Ray and Charlie Roberts.[12] In 1997 Machado was promised to be mentored by Baby Ray[13] only if he quit drinking and smoking.[27]

In 1999 after working in the field for less than five years of tattooing, with his same homemade tattoo machine, Machado cemented his reputation as a tattoo artist doing Eminem's famous tattoo of the portrait of his daughter Hailie titled Bonnie and Clyde on his upper right arm and the R.I.P. for his uncle on his left shoulder.

Santa Monica in the early 2000s. [3][24][25] By 2003 Machado charged $100-150 minimum per session[7] but would go on to charge minimum $1000 for a tattoo and prices in the tens of thousands upward to $20,000-$50,000 for stars like 50 Cent and Eminem.[13][29][27]

Machado appeared in the 2003

Mass Appeal Magazine during the mid 2000s.[30] Machado designed posters for the 2008 film Righteous Kill and in 2009 he was commissioned by Universal Studios to do billboards for the Fast & Furious movie.[13] In August 2009, Cartoon designed a customized watch for Casio's G-Shock line.[31]

In 2012 Mister Cartoon partnered with Snoop Dogg to start a automotive car care product line called Sanctiond.[32][15] In 2013 Cartoon designed custom hockey jerseys for the Los Angeles Kings NHL team.[33] Machado was an executive producer for the 2016 film Lowriders, which was created over a 10 year process with 8 years of script revisions. The film started over meeting Brian Grazer by chance at a Nike event.[34]

In November 2019 Cartoon designed special edition basketball jerseys for the Los Angeles Clippers NBA team in Old English font, the process took over a year,

NFT collection of 3D animations.[41][42]

In March 2023 Cartoon designed special edition jerseys for the Los Angeles Dodgers.

October's Very Own and Major League Soccer for three of the league's teams.[44] In June 2023 Machado had his first solo exhibition titled Just My Imagination in Hollywood.[3] Machado also collaborated in June of 2023 with Turtle Wax doing a custom logo and line of car cleaning products.[45] In July 2023 Cartoon released a book of past sketches and drawings.[46] Machado opened a barbershop called Master Deluxe with longtime friend Arturo Arce in 2023.[37]

Personal life

Machado is married

atheist, having joined Agnostics Anonymous.[16][2]

Artistry

The style of which Machado's work is based of originated in the prison culture of West Los Angeles, the streets of East Los Angeles during the 1970s, emerging scenes of

Sorayama, and Irezumi.[24][25]

Machado uses typography like Old English text for tattoos most notably "Southside" on the backside of rapper 50 Cent's body.[5] His imagery notably contains clowns, angels, and fantasy settings with themes surrounding poverty, violence, addiction, and the energy of Los Angeles.[14]

While painting, Machado often listens to

Parliament Funkadelic and Rick James.[3][18] He is also inspired by classic rock bands Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd, and The Doors.[24][25]

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "The Gospel According to Mister Cartoon". Art in the Streets. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g Ryder, Caroline (2021-06-01). "Mister Cartoon". Beyond the Streets. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h Vankin, Deborah (2023-06-09). "Mister Cartoon, tattooist to the stars, draws on 'memories and fantasies' for first solo show". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  4. ^ Kenigsberg, Ben (2020-04-10). "'LA Originals' Review: How Two Artists Shaped a Hip-Hop Scene". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  5. ^ a b Hobbs, Thomas (2022-08-18). "Will tattoos finally be accepted as art?". bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  6. National Public Radio
    . Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  7. ^ a b c d e f Newsome, Melba (2003-11-02). "Tattooist to the Stars". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  8. ^ Acclaim (2013-08-23). "Watch: Snoop Dogg talks about meeting Nate Dogg while getting tattooed by Mister Cartoon". Acclaim Magazine. Retrieved 2023-02-23.
  9. ^ "Mister Cartoon Draws Brand Interest". Brand Week. February 13, 2006. Archived from the original on May 22, 2008. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  10. ^ Kingston, Anne (January 24, 2008). "Gracious living and the tattoo". Maclean's. Archived from the original on March 6, 2012. Retrieved March 12, 2009.
  11. ^ a b Guzman, Richard (2023-06-01). "Los Angeles tattoo icon Mister Cartoon opens his first solo art exhibit". Daily News. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  12. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l Stecher, Nicolas (2023-10-30). "Mister Cartoon On Art, Tattoos, Streetwear & Classic Cars". Maxim. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  13. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m Lee, Chris (2009-04-04). "In the world of tag, he's it". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  14. ^ a b c d e f g "Mister Cartoon Talks with Brian Grazer". artinthestreets.org. 2011-08-08. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  15. ^ a b Ahrens, Ronald (2013-10-09). "Mister Cartoon - Modern Muralist". MotorTrend. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  16. ^ a b c Verini, James (2019-05-10). "More than skin deep; Rappers covet Mister Cartoon's tattoos". James Verini. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  17. ^ a b c d e Moayeri, Lily (2020-04-10). "Estevan Oriol and Mister Cartoon, a Pair of L.A. Originals, Tell Their Story". LAmag - Culture, Food, Fashion, News & Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  18. ^ a b Baltin, Steve (2023-06-17). "Saturday Conversation: Mister Cartoon And Roger Gastman On Street Art And More". Forbes. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  19. ^ "Street Art Cities · Mister Cartoon's Favorite Spots in L.A." guides.apple.com. 2021-12-08. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  20. ^ "West Coast Artist's (WCA) Crew Opens First Major Group Show in Chinatown". LA Weekly. 2012-06-18. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  21. ^ "Mister Cartoon: "Nothing In This World Is Given To You"". XXL Mag. 2011-11-01. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  22. ^ a b "In Conversation With Estevan Oriol". Hotel Figueroa. 2018-07-24. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  23. ^ a b Schonberger, Nick (2012-09-06). "Mister Cartoon Talks Lowrider Culture and Chevrolet Impalas". Complex. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  24. ^ a b c d e "MR. CARTOON". Skin Deep. 2006-01-01. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  25. ^ a b c d e "Mr.Cartoon". Big Tattoo Planet. 2009-12-21. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  26. ^ Hernandez, Daniel (2020-04-10). "L.A.'s 'cholo Da Vincis' brought Chicano culture to the boardroom. Now they have a Netflix doc". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  27. ^ a b c d Cardwell, Diane (2010-11-22). "Mister Cartoon, Tattooist, at the Marcel at Gramercy". The New York Times. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  28. ^ a b Norris, Michele (2003-01-01). "Mister Cartoon's Tattoo Empire". NPR. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  29. ^ Debruge, Peter (2020-04-10). "'LA Originals' on Netflix: Film Review". Variety. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  30. ^ Magazine, Mass Appeal (2023-03-25). "Mass Appeal Magazine 39 : Mass Appeal Magazine : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive". Internet Archive. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  31. ^ Rodriguez, Jayson (2009-08-06). "Kanye West Plays Intense, Brooding Set At New York G-Shock Party". MTV. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  32. ^ Vazquez, Danny (2012-11-01). "Snoop Dogg Becomes Global Ambassador to Mister Cartoon's Sanctiond Car Care Products Brand". Complex. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  33. ^ Schonberger, Nick (2013-10-24). "Mister Cartoon Teams With Los Angeles Kings to Bring Street Style to the Stanley Cup Champions". Complex. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  34. ^ Anderson, Tre’vell (2017-05-12). "With 'Lowriders,' peek into East L.A.'s custom-car culture". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 2024-01-05.
  35. ^ Bradley, Michael (2019-11-26). "Mr. Cartoon Talks Designing Clippers City Edition Jerseys, LA Culture & More". SLAM. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  36. ^ Chow, Vivian (2022-09-30). "L.A. Clippers debut new special edition jersey designed by Mister Cartoon". KTLA. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  37. ^ a b Angeles, Discover Los (2023-11-09). "Mister Cartoon's Los Angeles". Discover Los Angeles. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  38. ^ Eng, Eddie (2020-06-16). "NEIGHBORHOOD and Vans Are Collaborating with Mr. Cartoon for Latest Sneaker Capsule". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  39. ^ “Topps PROJECT 2020 Card 400 - 2011 Mike Trout by Mister Cartoon - Print Run: 12452,” Topps website. Retrieved Jan. 15, 2022.
  40. ^ "Modelo TV Commercial, 'The Fighting Spirit of Mister Cartoon'".
  41. ^ Powell, Jon (2021-12-06). "B-Real and Mister Cartoon will release a limited collection of NFTs on 4/20". REVOLT. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  42. ^ Release, Press (2021-04-20). "Cypress Hill's B-Real To Release Double A-Side, Mr. Cartoon NFT and more on 4/20". orcasound.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  43. ^ Moreno, Matthew (2023-04-01). "Dodgers Collaborate With Mister Cartoon On Special Release For Opening Day At Dodger Stadium". Dodger Blue. Retrieved 2024-01-04.
  44. ^ "Toronto FC, NYCFC & LAFC announce collaboration with OVO and Mister Cartoon on new clothing line". mlssoccer. 2023-05-19. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  45. ^ Wax, Turtle (2023-06-14). "World-Renowned Artist Mister Cartoon and Turtle Wax Bring the Art of Car Care™ to Life with New Partnership". prnewswire.com. Retrieved 2024-01-03.
  46. ^ Parkhouse, Arthur (2023-07-15). "Mister CARTOON Releases 180 Page Sketchbook with BEYOND THE STREETS". Hypebeast. Retrieved 2024-01-04.

External links

Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Mister_Cartoon&oldid=1215861855"