Jim Mahfood, aka Food One, has been making a living off his drawings and scribblings since 1997, amassing a huge international cult following and a healthy mini-comics collection. Best known for his work with Kevin Smith on the illustrated version of ‘Clerks’, Mahfood’s work has appeared in comics, books, magazines, music videos, skateboard decks, t-shirts, and album covers all over the globe. A popular name at live mural paintings and various DJ/hip hop events around the country, he recently finished a series of cans for Colt 45 and painted up the walls of MTV studios in LA.What came first for you? The music or the art? Did you go to school for art?
The music came first. My mom always played really good records. That’s what started it for me. I soon discovered drawing after that at a very young age. I’m not a great dj. My little brother, Dan, aka DJ Mahf, he’s the superstar dj in the family. He’s in a group called the Earthworms. They’re amazing. I do all their album covers and art. You can check them out at www.myspace.com/earthworms. I spin records casually at art shows and with my brother, but I can’t mix or scratch well. I went to art school at the Kansas City Art Institute from 1993-97.
Your recent hardcover sketchbook, “Mixtape Vol 1”, is full of music references - compiling stuff you’ve done for album covers, concert fliers and even artist pinups...
What’s your favorite piece in the book? When is Volume 2 coming out?
I don’t have a favorite. All the stuff in there is different and they all have different styles of technique and execution behind them. Mixtape Vol. 2 drops on Sept. 3rd. I just got a copy from the printer and it turned out great! I might have advance copies for sale with me at San Diego Comic Con in July...
How did you hook up with Slug & Murs to work on Felt: the comic? How was the writing process like with those two?
I met Murs years ago when we both lived in Arizona. We’re both comic book nerd/hip hop fanatics. He introduced me to Slug and them around 2002 and the rest is history. I didn’t really write with those guys. They gave me an advance of the Felt 2 album and I listened to it about 300 times and then wrote and drew a comic about it. Those dudes were cool enough to give me creative freedom on it.
Anything new coming out soon or in the near future?
I’m doing a new comic book series called Kick Drum Comix. It’s two issues, they’re all new art and stories in blazing full color! I’m lucky enough to have two colorists, Justin Stewart and Anne Masse, that are working with me to make this stuff look tight as hell. The first issue drops on Sept. 10 and the second is Oct. 29th. It’s the best stuff I’ve ever done. You can see a preview of it at: http://foodoneart.blogspot.com/2008_05_01_archive.html
If you could write or draw a book about anything in the world, what would it be?
I’d like to do a fully illustrated history of funk and hip hop hardcover coffee table book. Maybe Fab 5 Freddy could write it with me or something.
What’s your favorite subject matter to work on? color or b&w?
I guess favorite subject matter is whatever i’m into at the time. Sometimes i like to make comics about music or politics or hot chicks with guns selling weed and blowing shit up. The new stuff, Kick Drum Comix, is all short stories about characters that are all involved with music in one form or another. I’m doing both B&W and color these days. They’re both equally important to me.
Do you see a summer full of Comic-based blockbusters having a positive effect on the comic industry?
No. Movies have no impact on the comics, unfortunately. The masses enjoy spending their money on over the top, big budget summer blockbuster comic book movies, but they don’t go into comic shops. They don’t read for fun or support underground art like comics for the most part.
Do you feel the mainstream population in the US is ready to embrace the comic medium as a legitimate and powerful art-form like they do in other countries?
Not really. There’s too much ignorance and short attention spans here. Comics have the stigma of being kid’s stuff in America and it will probably always remain that way. It’s a bummer, man.
Any plans to release any music? Any mixtapes of the musical variety?
I’m in an experimental group called Sound Proof Closet Noise. You can check out stuff out at: www.myspace.com/soundproofclosetnoise
What do you listen to when you draw? Who are some of your favorite bands/acts right now?
I have thousands of albums so I always listen to a wide variety of stuff. Right now I’m really into anything by Clutchy Hopkins, Shawn Lee, Gary Wilson, I dig that new Santogold album, Budos Band and El Michels Affair are the shit, anything by Sun Ra, Madlib, Jay Dilla, James Pants, Cortex, Atmosphere, the list goes on and on...
Who would be on your ultimate desert island mixtape? And what would it be called?
It would be called, “How to Stay Funky” and feature cuts by James Brown, Parliament, Curtis Mayfield, Funkadelic, Clutchy Hopkins, Gary Wilson, Shawn Lee, Miles Davis, Coltrane, Beasties Boys (Paul’s Boutique), Prince Paul, Madlib, JayDee, David Axelrod, yadda yadda yadda, you know the deal...
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