Hi brother, finally we can talk not only grindcore, haha! How are you doing sir?

Hi man! I’m fine, I hope you are good too. I’m sipping a fresh half litre of Feldschlösschen, as I’m doing every night.

First drawing like the first sex. Do you still remember your first successful art? What was that?

Yeah, more or less the same feeling heheheh. I think that the first stuff I did was, of course, for Insomnia Isterica but it depends on what scale do you mean successful… At first I used to draw directly on white t-Shirts for my bandmates of Brigata Resistenza, my first band back in 2003. The first 7” cover was only for our third release on vinyl record (Split 7” with our side project Gokurtrussell), otherwise I did some ugly drawings for the previous releases on CD-R. I think that all began with me asking to Smith if I could do something for The Afternoon Gentlemen and then I started making ugly drawings also for other bands.
I don’t know if any of the artwork I did was a success or not, still haven’t drawn anything for Agathocles hehehe.

What things inspire you to create new arts? What makes your brain blast? Books, movies, music, sweet donuts?)

Other artists that are way better than I am inspire me a lot! I think that alcohol and the self-destruction culture (basically a grindcore show) are the main inspirations. I’m a huge film and video consumer (different genres but the Post Apocalyptic and Sci-Fi are my favorites) but I also like to be inspired by historical paintings, street art and the punk culture in general. I like to read and watch the drawings in comic books and graphic novels by artists like Robert Crumb, Joe Matt (RIP), Charles Burns, to name a few. Artists like them can be very formative. More than Donuts I think beer and cigarettes are the main substances that I consume when I have to “create” something.

I saw your tribute to mighty Albert Uderzo, and was so cool. So could you name a few icons of yours? Who are your favorite artists?

I grew up reading Astérix, Uderzo was so good in drawing landscapes and his charachters are still unique to me. The first that I have ever admired is Claudio Villa (not the singer), who draws Tex and Dylan Dog (italian comic books). I like a lot Frank Frazetta works and Moebius art for Jodorowsky’s comic books, just to name a few.
My favorite artists of the moment are Claudio Scialabba, Matt Stikker and Daniel Shaw.

You’re not limited yourself with just pencils and paper, you’re also a musician. So tell us about your bands a bit.

I would say that making artworks it’s not even my main passion, I’m for sure better in doing it but I like more playing music. Right now I play only in Insomnia Isterica and running my solo project Huere Cane, in a time that lapse over a year, basically just to produce some new punk songs by myself. The new Tape is out now, hopefully limited to 30 copies and it’s a tribute (or remake) of some songs of my early bands when I was just a teenager.
I had different bands in the past years but sadly they are all dead now. I’m happy that we were able to release something with all of them at least.

What was the hardest work so far? What made you throw markers at the wall and scream? What makes bags under your eyes?)

Hahahah! Hopefully that’s not how I react when I’m making an artwork (perhaps for other things I do…). I had to remake a few drawings to made them better but that wasn’t a big problem so far. I think that the hardest work was the last Lycanthrophy LP cover, coloring it took a lot of time. Some works were even done with a couple of years of break, like the last cover (CD version) of the split between Insomnia Isterica and Civilian Thrower. It wasn’t so bad to let it rest for some time and finish it later with more fresh eyes.

Let’s talk about experiments. I saw that you tried to draw with paint, but you still trying to keep your technique… but did you try a completely different style or genre? What do you feel about that?

That I should do it more! Almost all the time that I’m drawing I’m making something for a band and I’m missing doing stuff just for myself, but this is also a laziness problem. Sometimes I try to do something different and use other techniques, I think that’s refreshing and challenging.
I don’t have the need to try completely different styles thoug, I think it is fun to mix what I’m already able to do with the add of something “new”. For me it’s just like writing and playing Grindcore songs, there is not a very precise rule.

A serious one. A creative crisis or burnout can happen in the life of every person. How do you deal with it? Maybe you have your own formula?

At first drinking (maybe more than the usual) but then you can cope it with music, the arts in general, you can use them as a vessel to flow the burden of life. Having a family and friends that can stay close to you will for sure be a big help. Actually, I don’t know how I could really deal with it. Yes, too much serious questions.

Your main characters are well-rotted zombies, why so? Why do you choose them, but not, let’s say, killer tomatoes or werewolves?)

I don’t know, at a certain point I began to draw only people with skull faces and then I did add some rotten flesh around them. I like skulls because they look like they are always smiling.
My 7 years old son now is giving me different inspirations, with him I can draw other characters and that’s funny because in, let’s say, the last 15 years I didn’t even think about drawing anything else (besides naked women…). Before the skulls I was used to draw caricatures, in comic books style, you can find some in my Instagram page.

Now it’s time to switch to an important theme. What are your criteria/conditions when you work with the band? What the band should know before asking you to make an art for them? 

I prefer to have full freedom on what I should draw but that’s not always the case, of course. Some inputs are welcomed, like some hints taken from the lyrics or only the album title. I did a lot of covers and T-shirts with provided description of what I should have done, if I think that I could do it easily I agree but it also happened that I did refuse to do something that wasn’t in my strings or I didn’t have the pleasure to do. Since this is not what I’m doing for living, but more like a part time hobby, I choose what I want to do and what not.
In the last years I did all the covers for Mortify and they gave me a lot of freedom. I just got some inputs to understand the direction to take and nothing else. This is the reason why I like very much making artworks for them and I appreciate a lot that they still asking me to do it.

I know that you do have not that many gigs in Switzerland, but I need to ask. Are you making some sort of exhibitions, just to keep punks more culturally literate? And do you ever think to make an art-book?

I did exhibit my works only two time in something like 10 years. To be honest I don’t like at all to exhibit my works in places like art galleries. In some ways it’s like taking your old aunt, that listens to shitty music and watches Big Brother on TV, to the Obscene Extreme Festival and explain her what’s going on there. It has no sense. At least this is what happened to me, I don’t think “arts” should be explained or that they absolutely have a message to bring.
I would like to do an art book instead but that is still an expensive project, in terms of money and time. Perhaps in the future, making it like a pro/fan zine, I still have to work on my self-esteem as an “artist” before that heheheh. Right now our Insomnia t-shirts are selling like bread, even people who don’t like at all our music are buying them every year.  Maybe should I take it as a sign? We will see.

What are you currently working at? Can you tell us, or it’s a secret? 

I’m already done with the next Mortify cover for a split, the next Eraser LP cover and two stage banners for the Grind The Nazi Scum Festival in Germany, to complete the already existing backdrop that I made some time ago. The only next work for now will be the new cover for Aerophagic Corpses new album, a local Death Metal band with who we share the rehearsal room. This will be my second collaboration with them.
Maybe finish some drawings for myself that I’m bringing back since too many years…and I would like to make an artwork for a Skateboard one more time.

The last one, does the milk of the Swiss cows help to be more creative?)  Thank you so much for this small talk amigo! Grind on!

Of course! I grew up drinking my grandma’s goats milk and the neighbours cows milk, so maybe that helped. We live in a such beautiful place and I have to admit that I had a lot of inspirations from nature around here. Wild mountains, furious rivers but also the peaceful quietness (increasingly difficult to find lately). Beauties that I would like to share with you in those crazy times.
L’è tütt folklor. Thank you for your incredible dedication. Cheers!

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