Dave Perillo’s designs grace our Fishtown and Ben Franklin t-shirts, but he still can’t believe he gets paid for the same doodles that his teachers used to scold him for.
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How’d you get here? Where are you from, and when and how did you get into drawing and illustrating?
I think it has something to do with birds, bees and maybe a stork. I currently reside a few miles outside the wonderful city of brotherly love, Philadelphia. I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember — I used to get yelled at in school for doodling in the margins of my notebook instead of paying attention. I loved to draw my own cartoons and comics, my first, still unpublished, book was a little story known as “The Bubble Factory.” A real page turner — of course, it was only 3 pages long, but still a great read.
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Lots of your designs have a retro, sci-fi look to them. What are some of your influences, and how do you put your own spin on them?
I am so inspired by design from the 50′s and 60′s, some of my biggest influences are artists like Jim Flora, Mary Blair and Charles Schulz. Recently I discovered a U.K. based artist by the name of Daphne Padden who did a lot of travel poster designs in the 1950′s that are fantastic. I try and incorporate that classic design style into things I grew up with from the 70′s and 80′s, like movies, cartoons, video games and toys.
What’s your favorite Philly street food, and where is the best place to get it?
Soft pretzels are always a must, but if you want to go with the classic Philly cheesesteak, I recommend Jim’s Steaks on South St.
What’s a perfect Philly day for you — what would you do, see, eat, hear?
I’d say checking out a indie film at the Ritz, grab a drink and some tater tots at Sugar Mom’s and maybe seeing a cool band at the Trocadero.
What’s next for you — next project, next city, next job?
I have a few pieces in this year’s Crazy 4 Cult art show at the very cool Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles. There are also some other super-secret, neato projects in the pipeline that you’ll just have to wait to see, and if i can find time I’m planning on beating my all time high score on Dig Dug.
How does helping local charities impact your work?
I think that it is great that the doodles I used to get yelled at in school can somehow help out the local community.
To see more of Dave’s work, check out his website: montygog.blogspot.com.
