Joe Simko

The Sweet Rot

Joe Simko is an American illustrator who has contributed to Topps’ Garbage Pail Kids[1] and Wacky Packages trading cards. He is the illustrator/author of the book series, The Sweet Rot,[2] and he designs artwork for bands, creating album covers, tour posters and concert shirts.[3] His recent project Cereal Killers Trading Cards, 1st Series was released May 2, 2011. The Cereal Killers cards spoof breakfast cereals with popular horror films. Joe wrote and painted all 55 cards for the first and second set and launched the series through his new company, Wax Eye.[4] Cereal Killers, 2nd Series was released through Wax Eye in June 2012.[5] Wax Eye also debuted their first mobile app game for the IOS platform. The game is titled Cereal Boom and is based on characters from Joe's Cereal Killers card series. The interactive game challenges gamers to fun, gross out animations and digital collectible trading card rewards.

Split Kit/ Mixed-up Mitch Garbage Pail Kids Flashback Series 2010
Alternative Press Magazine Article - May 2009

Early life

Born in Philadelphia, Simko was raised in Southampton, Pennsylvania. He graduated from the School of Visual Arts in New York City in 1999 with a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Cartooning. He was the recipient of the Joe Orlando scholarship award from his graduating department that year. Among Simko’s instructors at the School of Visual Arts were Joe Orlando (VP of DC Comics and associate editor of Mad), Klaus Jansen, Sal Almendola, Carmine Infantino and many other professionals working in the field of comics and graphic storytelling.

Career

After graduating from the School of Visual Arts, Simko held a full-time position as an artist for men’s neckwear, creating design pieces for ties. In 2000 Simko was hired as a full-time, in-house storyboard artist for television commercials at GEM Studios in NYC. At this time he also did freelance jobs designing show posters for local bands. This freelance work gained some notice, and he began working for higher profile groups. In 2006, he designed all of the artwork for the large traveling rock tour, The Vans Warped Tour. In 2007, the Japanese rock festival MAGMA commissioned him to design all the artwork for their tour and oversee all the art direction as the managing artist. Two 20 feet (6.1 m) tall inflatable monsters based on Simko's character designs were also created for the Japan Rock concerts.

Simko currently freelances full-time from his studio in NYC and continues production as author and illustrator of his book series The Sweet Rot. An original story showcasing a group of wildly eccentric little kids also known as "little rotters" in the make-believe town of Pollilop Drop, The Sweet Rot is published by Schiffer Books.

Simko has created artwork for clients and organizations including Topps, Ride Snowboards, Sims Snowboards, Outlook Skateboards, The Gotham Girls Roller Derby League, Fangoria Magazine, New York Hardcore Tattoos, Spooky Empire's Ultimate Horror Weekend, Monster Mania, JLO Hangtag for Andy Hilfiger, and the NYC clothing boutinque Live Fast.

Simko was penciller and co-creator, with actor Stephen Baldwin, of the graphic novel series Spirit Warriors, and designer of bottle artwork for Manglaze, a nail polish line.

His list of musical clients includes The Misfits, GWAR, Less Than Jake, Trivium, Murphy's Law, Dwarves, Insane Clown Posse, Sonic Youth, Good Riddance, The Undead, Peelander Z, and others.

In 2006, a Simko designed shirt was used in the film Nick and Norah’s Infinite Playlist. The shirt was designed for the store Live Fast in New York City.

2011 was the launch of Wax Eye,[6] a pop culture art based company formed by Joe Simko and his wife June Gonzales. The company has released 3 trading card series to date (Cereal Killers series 1, Cereal Killers series 2, and Stupid Heroes), a mobile app game title Cereal Boom, and a T-shirt line based on the Cereal Killers brand.

In 2014, Joe formed the independent film production company "Peel Here Productions" [7] along with fellow partners June Gonzales, Jeff Zapata, Sean Tiedeman, and Krystle Dawn-Willing Tiedeman. Under this film company, they will release a documentary film based on the Garbage Pail Kids phenomenon titled 30 Years of Garbage.[8]

Artwork for rock music festivals

Published artwork

One off sketch cards for the 2012 Mars Attacks Heritage trading card series - Summer 2012

Art shows

2014

2013

2012

2011

2010

2009

2008

2007

2006

2005

2004

2000

1999

References

  1. ↑ GPK artist bios
  2. ↑ sweetrot.com Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  3. ↑ sweetrot.com Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  4. ↑ Wax Eye
  5. ↑ Simko, Joe. "It's Called the Music Business", Alternative Press Magazine, May 2009, page 37.
  6. ↑ http://wax-eye.com/
  7. ↑ https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/30-years-of-garbage-the-garbage-pail-kids-story
  8. ↑ http://www.imdb.com/title/tt3711708/?ref_=fn_al_tt_1
  9. ↑ Magma website
  10. ↑ Magma website
  11. ↑ Simko, Joe. Schiffer website, Spring 2010. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  12. ↑ Publisher: Ferndale Press February 2, 2009. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  13. ↑ Miret, Roger. Revolver Magazine, New York,2009.
  14. ↑ Pfouts, Sherri Schiffer website, Spring 2008. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  15. ↑ Doll Magazine, Tokyo, Japan. June 2007. Issue 238, back cover artwork
  16. ↑ Burgess, Aaron. "Built To Last", Revolver Magazine, NY, New York. March 2007. page 101
  17. ↑ King, Dennis. The Art of Modern Rock site 2007. page 61, page 167. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  18. ↑ Jones, Howard. "Kill Switch Engage", Skinnie Magazine, Rancho Cucamonga, CA. November 2006. page 44.
  19. ↑ Baldwin, Stephen. Rosato, Bruno. Amazon purchase site "Spirit Warriors (Volumes 1,2&3)", 2006-2007. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  20. ↑ Rio, Dale. "Derby's Image Makers", Blood and Thunder Magazine Winter 2006, page 44
  21. ↑ Spin Magazine, Spring 2006. page 35
  22. ↑ Swank Magazine, April 2004.
  23. ↑ King, Dennis., Grushkin, Paul. The Art of Modern Rock site 2004. page 483. Retrieved on July 11, 2010.
  24. ↑ Canconieri, Sal. amazon purchase site, "Dark Horse Books", February 2004. page 10, page 50.

Further reading

External links