From The Desk Of: Michael Marcelle

Nov 29, 2016

We first met Michael when he came to us to create a book of his photography and folded card mailers, we were instantly taken by his uniquely looming imagery. Through a very successful Kickstarter campaign he is now able to publish his first book, Kokomo! We're very excited for him and the upcoming release with Matte Editions, so we sat down with Mike to learn more. Read more about Kokomo at The New Yorker and Vice.

What’s on your desk?

Some old issues of Fangoria, a bunch of pictures of Marilyn Manson, and a tangerine La Croix

Fill in the blank: "I don't show up at a meeting without _________."

Altoids

What's on your reading list?

Swim Through the Darkness

I'm a true believer in... / Major skeptic about...

good vibes all around / being negative

Fear conquered... / Not quite there yet...

speaking in public / speaking on camera

My proudest accomplishment is... / The next goal on the horizon is...

Making the photos in Kokomo / Turning it into a book

Subject I won’t shut up about lately... / Subject I avoid...

The election results / The election results

Constantly craving... / Don't see the appeal of...

Guacamole / Coffee

Describe your personal aesthetic in three words:

Hallucinatory, Intense, Technicolor

Describe the creative space at your company:

Lots of special effects and props and mood lighting

What are your design inspirations?

Horror films and ambient music

How does one tap into their creative side?

For me, it goes deep and dark

What’s the motto/life philosophy/advice you live by?

If you get stuck, just make more work

The paper product I can’t live without is and I use it to _.

My annual mailer - get the word out

Describe a typical day at work:

Have a bunch of weird ideas and photograph them into reality

What is the best professional lesson you’ve ever learned?

Really, just be a nice person

What are the most exciting developments in your industry?

The increasing ubiquity of photography in our lives makes it that much harder to make truly unique images, which I think is a great challenge

How do you start and/or end your day?

Hanging out with my dog George

Tell us about your latest printed project:

I'm currently in the middle of a Kickstarter campaign to publish my first book of photographs called Kokomo

What was the inspiration behind this project?

Family, horror films, and alternate realities

What brought you to Paper Chase Press?

I needed mailers and book dummy, and PCP had the best of both

How often do you use printed goods to promote your business?

I send out a mailer once, maybe twice a year, and of course business cards I use all the time

What's the response like to these printed goods?

The mailers are a hit!

How does this project fit into your design philosophy? Your branding? Your overall objectives?

I try to be as minimal with my "branding" as possible and let the images speak for themselves

What is your favorite aspect of your job?

Being able to get as weird as I want

What career moves and/or aspirations brought you to your current role?

Getting an MFA, figuring out exactly what I wanted to say and figuring out how to say it

When do you feel like you’re at your best?

When I'm shooting or at Chipotle

What websites and blogs do you read regularly?

Just a lot of ridiculous instagram memes, especially if they're about Guy Fieri

make your own

Handmade hardcover books starting at $9 each

50 cards for $1.80 per card

#Folded Cards #From The Desk Of #Hardcover Books