Apr 29, 2014 Stay Wild with Scrappers Morrison
Last Thursday, I drove over to Space 15 Twenty in Hollywood to attend the release party for my friend Justin “Scrappers” Morrison‘s new magazine. It’s pretty bold for anyone to start a print publication these days, but that’s how Scrappers approaches his life, art, and work. He just goes for it. And Scrappers has had some pretty choice gigs (art directing for Weiden+Kennedy as well as weeklies in Maui and his home base of Portland, OR) so it isn’t like he doesn’t have more stable, more sensible options.
Stay Wild is an oversize newsprint quarterly with a dual focus on nature and art. The debut issue features articles on surfing, skateboarding, and camping with gorgeous photography infused with a touch of cool illustrations. So it made sense that the party would include big-screen videos of surfing and skating with the the freakishly lush forests of Canada as backdrops. Jaw-dropping ripping and scenery. Did I mention there was free beer?
Scrappers and his family were actually halfway through a massive road trip, hand-delivering stacks of the magazine to surf and skate shops, coffee joints, motorcycle garages, and other drop spots in Southern California. Talk about the personal touch–and a cool way to get around the price of postage. In addition to the inaugural issue of Stay Wild, Instagram-savvy visitors could walk away with T-shirts, artwork, and other goodies. (I got a Titanium spork and Eloise now has the coolest lunch kit in kindergarten.)
Scrappers says that he won’t be able to deliver every issue of the magazine, but I kind of wish he would. It’s one thing to get stoked on articles about shredding off the coast of British Columbia, camping in the Sierras, and riding mopeds in L.A. It’s even better when you can introduce your respective families and then pitch an article idea for the next issue.
Keep up to date with Stay Wild magazine and check out the videos, too.