Clutter Magazine Cover Artist Brings Us A Monster Battle

Here for his debut RUN with us is Clutter Magazine cover artist Jeff Lamm. His latest RUN London Face Punch was designed for the cover of Issue 15 of Clutter Magazine.  Read on for our Exclusive Interview with Jeff Lamm and his upcoming RUN.

1xRUN Thru Interview

London Face Punch by Jeff Lamm

1xRun: Is the original still for sale?

Jeff Lamm:   No, it’s been promised to a certain magazine editor. Just need to get it shipped! But I do sell pieces of original artat my website, everything from toy production drawings to album cover art.

1xRun: When was the piece drawn/created?

Jeff Lamm:  Over a period of days in early February 2011.

1xRun: Anything immediate you would like us to highlight?

Jeff Lamm:  This illustration was very fun for me to draw. I was excited to be asked to do it. I enjoy icons of mid-century modern architecture, in this case the London Postal Tower. Such a strange phallic symbol piercing the sky, covered in a weird array of antennae. I did the original in pencil first on marker paper, did a light box transfer for the inks and added colors digitally. I’m pretty sure I did not make monster noises out loud whilst drawing it. All three monsters in the illustration are also toys I have in production. Greasebat (on the left) M5 Bravo (hugging the tower) and Stee-Gar (on all fours).

1xRun: Tell us how the idea and execution came about?

Jeff Lamm:  I like to use my own characters for illustrations, it’s impossible to draw them wrong since I created them!  I like to have a lot of action in my drawings, combined with confused/surprised looks. Since it’s original purpose was for a London based magazine cover, I was happy to research and include a local icon, the Postal Tower.

1xRun: How long did the piece take?

Jeff Lamm:   From idea to final image, probably about a week working on it when time permitted.

1xRun: What is unique about this piece?

Jeff Lamm:  It was made for Clutter Magazine’s Issue 15, which was the first issue printed in the North America with a bigger format.

1xRun: Why should people buy this print?

Jeff Lamm:  So you can look at it every day and reflect on how grateful you are that no giant monsters are stepping on your head?

1xRun: Describe the piece in one gut reaction word.

Jeff Lamm:  Fun.

1xRun: When did you first start making art?

Jeff Lamm:  I knew I could draw when I was a little kid. I used to draw these stick figure people in giant battle scenes. Later lots of cartoony stuff, usually poking fun at my friends. Then I went to art school to try to turn it into a career. That was a mistake, I ended up dropping out to spend time with my punk band. After a long break which included three years in the Army Infantry, I started doing gig posters for friend’s bands, and now here I am.

1xRun: What artists inspired you early on?

Jeff Lamm:  Ed Roth, Al Jaffee, Don Martin, Hergé, Richard Scarry and Robert Williams.

1xRun: What artists inspire you now?

Jeff Lamm:  Nobody super obscure or anything, but I love the work of Coop, Frank Kozik, Tim Biskup, Paul Kaiju and several other vintage and modern Kaiju toy designers. I’m a huge fan of the cartoon modern style, I can look at that stuff all day long.

1xRun: Do you listen to music while you work? If so what? If not then what is your environment like when you work?

Jeff Lamm:  Yeah I usually lean toward classic jazz stuff. I never liked it when I was younger but now it seems to just fit my life perfectly.  Right now my in-home studio is in limbo while we do some renovation, so I’ve just been drawing at the dining table. My home is a mid century modern Scholz home, I’m trying to get it looking like Don Draper’s apartment.

1xRun: If you could collaborate with any living artist who would it be and why?

Jeff Lamm:  Coop, so I could visit his studio and peruse his large collection of Japanese toys. My nine year old daughter is a talented artist, I’m hoping she wants to do some stuff with me someday. She helps me with ideas for the Kaiju toys.

1xRun: If you could collaborate with any deceased artists who would it be and why?

Jeff Lamm:  Martin Schongauer , that dude could draw some sick hell spawned beasties! If not him, Richard Scarry or Hergé! Love both of their art.

1xRun: What was the first piece of art that you bought? Do you still have it?

Jeff Lamm:  When I was a little kid I bought a river rock with Snoopy painted on it. I do indeed still have it!

1xRun: What was the last piece of art that you bought?

Jeff Lamm:  I consider vinyl toys to be works of art. The last one I bought was a Marmit Jirass figure, which is like Godzilla wearing an Elizabethan collar, like a dog anti-lick device.

1xRun: What else do you have in the works ?  

Jeff Lamm:  Right now my main focus has been toy production. I currently have four different figures out, produced by Monster Worship and Unbox Industries. Both of these organizations have been great to me, and both of them have allowed me to make pretty much whatever I want. I have several more figures in the planning stages with them now. It’s going to be fun.

As far as more traditional art, I’m still doing gig posters for bands, which is one of my favorite “”jobs”” along with the occasional album cover. I sort of took a break from painting but I’ve been practicing a new style that’s similar to what you would see on old toy header cards or exploitation movie posters.

1xRun: Anything else you’d like to add?

Jeff Lamm: I am truly appreciative of the support I get from people. It has been quite an experience and I am very thankful for it.

1xRun: Where can people find you on the internette?

Jeff Lamm:  Website – Facebook – Flickr –

To find Clutter Magazine

– Website – Facebook – Flickr – @ClutterMagazine

-1xRUN.com