Interview by Bob Foster, for Vice Magazine ( Little Big Vice ) - November 2008

Bob: Why did you start the blog?

Nicky: I’d been tagging stuff on Delicious for a while as a kind of a scrap book of interesting ideas, styles, and people. But you don’t get any images. So, i’d be wanting to blog for ages but felt like it was supposed to be this incredibly philosophical and analytical experience. And being a designer you always get hung up on how to visualise yourself. You’ll find designers are the last people to ever get down to finishing their own logo, website or blog, because it’s never quite perfect ;)

In the end i just thought, stuff it, i’m just going to get stuck in, and make it up as i go along. Which seems to work pretty well as an approach to most things as it turns out.

Also i’d just got addicted to Ffffound.com and felt like i needed an outlet to rant about all the good stuff i’d seen.

Cookie helped me get set up. He’d been doing Made-In-England.org for a couple of years, and met so many interesting people through thinking out loud in public. I thought, this is a great way to keep inspired, and keep me thinking.

Bob: Does anyone else contribute?

Nicky: No, just me : ) Although i get sent a lot of links from friends and Monster Munchers.

Who do you reckon looks at it?
What type of people ? A few Americans, but also Russians and Lithuanians for some reason. I’m big in the eastern block ;)

From people who’ve written to me or blogged about Monster Munch, i’d say graphic designers, typography geeks, character designers and illustrators, plus the odd crafter, and general web doods. ( And me mum ). People who like making things.

We have a little Making Things Club gathering, where we sit in the pub and do just that. They’re a pretty good source of inspiration. We had a monster making workshop in the candle lit catacombs under London Bridge. We got 30 or so people each night, mostly blokes in fact. Everyone loves a good Monster, especially when there’s beer involved.

Bob: What do you make yourself?

Nicky: By Day: Web stuff. By Night: Monsters!

I’m not sure when, but at some point i got a bit bored with TV. I’d seen a sock monkey somewhere, and thought i’d have a crack at making one. It’s evolved from there into a strange addiction for making mad creatures of all shapes and sizes. I love the fact that it’s properly creative. You can do what ever you like, take it in any direction, change your mind, it doesn’t matter. Make it up as you go. Whatever works, whatever looks good.

Having a creative job, you don’t always realise how small a window your ideas have to fit within sometimes. So i think it’s really important to stir your brain, by messing around with things that have no limits, or guidelines, or expectations. And where the results truly don’t matter. Keep creating things, and using your imagination as much as you can, but most importantly having a good old bit of gratuitous self absorbent fun.

I think having fun is incredibly important to having good ideas.
It makes it a lot easier to face a blank piece of paper with a sense of excitement.

Ps.
Lots of things i’ve made here:
http://www.monster-munch.com/category/things-ive-made/

Bob: What’s the best thing you’ve made yourself and why?

Nicky: That’s a hard one. What do you judge it by ?

I think the thing i like the most, or i’d be most upset about if it got burnt in a fire would be either Jack or Eddy. Jack is a vacant yet mean looking, goofy toothed, orange lipped, monster. He reminds me of the psycho Raving Rabbids on the Wii. He doesn’t take any shit.

Jack: See Jack here.
Eddy: See Eddy here.
And the most worthwhile thing i’ve made is probably, the Global Rich List. ( http://www.globalrichlist.com/ ) This is an idea that Nik, Iain, and i created at Poke, years ago. It shows you your comparative position in the Rich List, but there’s a slight twist. I love the idea. The simplest things are the best.

Bob: Why are people into knitting, it seems a lot like hard work?

Nicky: I actually learnt to knit specifically to try and knit the pixel cash pattern i made for the Global Rich List. That and space invader cushions. I used to create pixel characters for shockwave games when i worked at Deepend. I love a bit of closeup pixel pushing. Knitting and games design have a lot in common. If you’re a pixel artist, and you were born back in caveman times, i can guarantee you’d have been knitting.

There’s that guy that’s knitted the whole of a level of Mario World as a giant scarf. Pretty impressive, but slightly unhinged.

Why are people into knitting? Because we live in England and it’s always flippin’ cold!

Bob: What drives you/anyone to create?

Nicky: Boredom!
Why read a book when you can make up your own story. More fun isn’t it : )

Bob: What’s your day job?

Nicky: Design Direction at Poke. We’re a little digital creative agency who try to make good things. I design stuff, and help other people design stuff too. Having interesting ideas is more important than pure visual fluffery.

Poke:
http://www.pokelondon.com/

Bob: Do you think you like to create because modern life is rubbish and everything’s given to you on a plate?

Nicky: I used to live in a homogenous suburban place where all the shops and all the people were the same. That’s an awful state for civilisation to be in. I think it’s important for people to have choices and be free to use their imagination. Things are more interesting that way! It’s more satisfying making something for yourself than just buying it too - whether that’s a digital, or a sock based product ;)

Bob: What do you think of video games in general?

Nicky: Brilliant. What’s not to like? I’d love to design one. Designing games is definitely one up from designing toys and webstuff. Rex who i worked together with on the Never Ending Webpage, has been designing Little Big Planet. ( Playstation game about a knitted monster ).That looks like the most fun you could possibly have in a day job.

The Never Ending Webpage: Roam around and play with it here.

Bob: What do you think of the word ‘twee’? is it just the negative nancies harshing your mellow (so to speak)?

Nicky: ‘Twee’ .. hmm that’s something to do with Grannies isn’t it ?
What’s twee about Monsters with big teeth ?

Have a play with Little Big Planet and then ask me that again!

—–

Nicky
x