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Shepard Fairey is the master mind behind the mass distributing and sticker banging of those obscure and disturbing images of the late and great obey giant. Here are a few words from the man himself, Shepard not Andre, about the history and the future of the Posse:
Who is obey giant?
He was a pro wrestler who was 7’4″, 520 lbs. He was an actor also, was Bigfoot on The Six Million Dollar Man and Fezzick in The Princess Bride.
Why make stickers and posters with Andre’s head on them?
To elevate something absurd to an icon and expose consumer culture’s susceptibilty to propaganda. Making and proliferating my art is a lot of fun also.
How many stickers and posters you have made?
About 700,000 stickers and about 2,000 posters. And lots of spray paint stencils, too.
I’ve seen them all over the country and beyond; how did that happen?
Trickle down, I give them to my friends who travel, and I sell them pretty inexpensively through the mail so people can join the fun.
What else the Posse make?
The Posse makes T-shirts, sweatshirts, hats, skateboards, posters, and videos.
How does skateboarding come into the picture?
I’ve been skating for 12 years and it was the punk skate culture from which Giant arose. I had a mini ramp in my warehouse in Rhode Island.
Why move from Rhode Island to California?
RI was cold and isolated and my friend Andy Howell offered me distribution through his company, Sophisto. Plus the weather is great and the Encinitas YMCA skatepark is 10 minutes away.
What’s in the future for Giant?
I personally will be spending more time than ever on new graphics to cover the earth with Giant propaganda. California will be feeling the effects soon. I also hope to do some West Coast gallery shows. Oh, and skate a lot!
