Sep 09, 2013 8 Questions with: Brian Flynn of Hybrid Design and Super7
Brian Flynn is the comeback for every kid whose parents tell him or her that skateboarding, toy collecting, and listening to loud music leads one on the road to nowhere. He has harnessed the graphics, aesthetics, and energy of his youthful obsessions to launch not only a busy design firm (Hybrid Design) but a boutique shop and brand (Super7) to provide creative outlets. How cool is it to work with Kenner to manufacture unreleased Alien toys from back in the day, collaborate with Skywalker Ranch on designer Star Wars pieces, or bring the New York hardcore band Gorilla Biscuits’ logo to life? Or simply make figures that channel the golden era of Japanese robot and monster toys. I got back in touch with Brian at Comic-Con this summer (above) and we finally got around to doing an 8 Questions.
As a kid, what did you want to be when you grow up?
Like most kids, I had a laundry list of things I was going to be when I grew up. I think my earliest memory was that I was going to be Luke Skywalker, and I was going to marry Princess Leia. Obviously, movie plot lines changed that idea later on, but when I was 7 that was a legit future. I remember also considering being a football running back for a summer. Granted I was 8, but I got nicknamed Sam Cunningham because I could outrun everyone on the playground and I figured that probably meant something. Never mind that I was probably a foot shorter than everyone else. Later on, I was fairly convinced if I kept working at it I would be able to go pro at skateboarding, but one afternoon session with Lance Conklin (back when he was just on Tracker) was enough to show me the fine line between effort and natural ability that you needed to really go to the next level. All along the way, I knew I wanted to do something that had to do with art, but never knew what it really was. I just knew I liked making logos, drawing skateboard graphics, and making record covers.
How would you describe your job?
In a grand overview, my job is to make the work that I enjoy doing. The whole point of building/owning Hybrid Design was to have control over what work I did and for who, and same with Super7. Super7 was originally a hobby project to talk about all the nerdy things I collect that very few other people care about. Over the years, both have exponentially grown and I am involved with all the parts.
But at the same time, I have to step back at a high level and let the execution happen by other people. And I have to take over all the bullshit. Half the job is dealing with health care, taxes, accounting, the city, etc. I have to come to place of peace with that and deal with it appropriately to give myself the freedom to do everything else. If you don’t, everything else falls down around it. My job is balancing the dry technical aspects of running the show with fun part of running the show. Does that make any sense?
What does your average work day look like?
I drop off my daughter at school, so I cannot get into the office before 9:30. Once in, I usually have 30 minutes to catch up on email or whatever before meetings and calls with clients start at 10. I try to have all of it wrapped up by 1, so the afternoon can be spent checking in on projects and going over design work. I hope that Naked Lunch has some amazing sandwich for lunch that day and not a something fishy, and then I try and squeeze in an hour or so of Super7 somewhere in the day before picking up the kids from school, depending on whether or not Dora or I have to leave early. After the kids go to bed, I catch up on email (maybe some Ebay or Yahoo! auctions) and do any of the more personally oriented projects before bed. It’s pretty glamorous.
What are you currently working on?
At Hybrid we are working on Nike pretty much 24/7 but also working on strategy and positioning for Levi’s, Mohawk Paper’s overall yearly campaign, graphics and general stuff for Kixeye, logos and color strategy for Citrix, and a few other odds and ends. At Super7, we just partnered up with Funko to increase our distribution and manufacturing capabilities, so the ReAction line is going huge next year. We have some more Super Shogun figures coming, a new Gorilla Biscuits collab, another Gonz figure, and a couple of top secret ideas. Plus a new book. It’s only been 6 years in the making.
Can you give me a Top 5 of items that Super 7 has made?
I think the Alien ReAction figure has easily been our most successful product, and the ReAction line is just getting started. The Super Shogun Stormtrooper was a big deal. The Gorilla Biscuits vinyl was a personal favorite, also. That said, the Ghostfighter and Mummy Boy are still two of my favorite items we have ever made. It gets tricky, as everyone has their own personal favorites for a million reasons, most of which have nothing to do with whether or not the item was successful or not. Many times that is not the point, though. I like making stuff. That is the first goal —just get it made. We can figure out how to sell it later.
Where do you find inspiration? Anything outside of cool toys, hardcore, and skateboarding?
In all honesty, the things I hold close to my heart, like vintage toys, punk and hardcore, and skateboarding are actually very hard for me to use as inspiration. I am to close to them emotionally, and usually when I try and do something direct to those areas, I can tell you a million other things it sort of looks like or references. I have had a surprisingly difficult time working directly in those worlds, so the things I do best is to have those influences inertly, but work on things that have nothing to do with them. I find that I can be more impartial then and project my interests on to them in a unique way rather than feeling like I am just copycatting or riffing on something I already know. So I guess, the next unknown thing is where I find my inspiration, but it is always tempered with the point of view that my personal interests lend it.
What’s your favorite post-work destination?
I really only have one–home. By the time work is done, the kids are already at home, and I feel it is important to spend as much time as I can with them. They deserve it. That said, if I can trick them into going places with me, well, then it is a double win. That said, they don’t really like going to the record store. They prefer ice cream.
What are you reading at the moment?
Man, I just nerded out and picked up Hot Love, Swiss Punk and Wave 1976-1980 and The Encyclopedia of Swedish Punk 1977-1987 as well as Japanese book on cheap bootleg Star Wars toys of the ’70s and ’80s. So, as you can see, my spare time is filled with academic pursuits of the noblest sort. I just reread both of Sean Cliver’s Disposable books, which are completely different from each other, even though they do appear similar at first glance. That is an amazing archive and quantification in book form. I want to make more books like that, but that requires more spare time. Not sure where that is right now….
Make a trip to the Super7 flagship store at 1427 Haight St San Francisco, CA 94117 or point your browser to super7store.com or hybrid-design.com.
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