I Went To Meanville and All I Got Was Stabbed By A Cartoon Knife!

Marvin Velasco aka @Muttermilk has spent the past four years painting, drawing and amassing a large following. It's easy to see the appeal of his work, even in the confined squares of Instagram. Playful, irreverent, and a little unhinged, his art couldn't possibly be more aligned with the Pemulis ethos. 

I was curious about how Marvin manages to give so much life and attitude not only to his individual characters, but an entire cartoon universe. Welcome to Meanville.

Q: Lets get right down to business! When did you first start making art?

A: Around 14 I really started to explore drawing as a hobby. I was inspired by Tim Burton's drawings he was doing of monsters and other scary things. Then I sorta stopped around 17. When I turned 21, I went back to drawing as a way to express myself. But, might be only way I was inspired by underground comics from the 60’s and 70’s, classic animation, and graffiti. I wasn’t very good but I was determined to get better.  

Q: Did you ever go to art school or have any formal training?

A: Apart from a few art classes in high school, I am entirely self taught. I just draw so much I have gotten better than when I started. 

Q: What were you working on before you created the Muttermilk moniker and whats the story behind your avatar as a dog?

A: I was doing a lot of pop culture inspired work. Things with loud fluorescent colors and familiar cartoon imagery. I was doing a lot more narrative comics as well. I was just trying to find what worked best for me. My “Muttermilk” nametag is just a nonsense name I made up. It was just a way for me to not take things too seriously.

"He said the only way I was going to be confident with my line is to stop using pencil. That advice changed how I approached my work." 

Q: For something nonsensical it certainly captures the sensibility of your work. Who or what are your artistic influences? Both in process and style? 

A: People like R. Crumb and Tex Avery definitely influence how I draw exaggerated cartoons. I also love artists like Barry McGee and Barbara Kruger, artists whose body of work revolves around text. I am always inspired by different things. Lately I have been inspired by vintage t-shirt designs. In terms of process, I work with a straight pen only. No pencil. I picked that up from a good friend of mine who was an active graffiti writer. He said the only way I was going to be confident with my line is to stop using pencil. That advice changed how I approached my work. It keeps me from overthinking and just figuring out pieces as I go. 

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"Above The Law" Illustration and T-Shirt

Q: How do you take an initial idea to a fully fleshed cartoon/drawing with text?

A: I usually start out with some sort of source material. I'm always taking photos or screenshotting things that inspire me. Sometimes it's not even the image itself but the vibe or attitude it gives off. Then I start to draw my own version, things always start to come out that I don't expect. Maybe I add elements that I didn't have in mind at first or maybe I mess up and then am forced to take the drawing in a different direction. Finally I’ll have something that looks like a completed drawing. If I think it’s not quite there yet, I'll give it another go. The last step is the text. I don't do it for every drawing but it’s become one of my signature aspects of my drawings. The text I come up with is always something I choose spontaneously. Maybe it's something I heard in the song I'm listening to, or maybe it's something I think the character would be saying after I finish.   

Q: How did you come up with the concept of combining cartoon imagery (especially from pop culture and advertising) with text? For example, I remember you said that you started getting interested in drawing cars out of nowhere and that (maybe reword to something like "For example, what influences led to your Above the Law illustration?" The referencing a past conversation seems to take us out of the present convo) led to your “Above The Law” Illustration.

A: lot of my favorite artists incorporate text into their work. When I first was drawing I thought I would make comics, but I'm not very good at telling a cohesive story with drawings. I still liked that aspect in drawings that inspired me. Things like a comic panel of a guy firing a gun and a big POW or a rat fink drawing with crazy text above him. I decided I would just keep the text as part of my design language. In terms of that specific drawing, I had started to watch Initial D for the first time and all I could think about was race cars. I began to draw a lot of them. Later on, I was listening to Dr Dre’s 2001 The Chronic album and the opening track is a cutscene of Xzibit hyping up a lowrider to bounce as high as it can. I let my imagination run and began to draw a cartoon lowrider. One thing led to another and I decided to add the cop car and the text after. 

"Ham Sandwich" Oil on Canvas

Q: Your characters all exist in a fictional world of Meanville. What is it like in Meanville? Where did you initially draw the inspiration for the Meanville extended universe?

A: I came up with the idea to use the Meanville name to give my characters all a place to exist in. My work sorta balances rebelliousness and innocence at the same time. Everyone is a criminal or a villain but looks kinda cute sorta. In my mind, it is like a twisted stylized Toontown but instead of funny innocent animals they are all plotting delinquents. It’s fun to think about how that can be translated to what I'm working on now: clothes, toys, and other merchandise. 

Q: You convey a lot of emotion and attitude with just the eyeballs and the mouth. Where do you start first when you draw?

A: It’s different for every drawing. Sometimes I'll start with the eyes, sometimes I'll start with the shoes. I guess it is dependent on what i think is most important in the drawing.

Q: You made a plastic toy out of one of your characters. What was that process like? 

A: That was a lot of fun. My design for it just started as a drawing, and I was contacted by a talented 3d designer who had seen my work on the internet and had actually made a 3d version of my drawing for fun. I immediately bought the file off him and decided I would see if I could make a toy out of it for fun. I had it made overseas. It’s so cool to see your drawing go from 2d to 3d. I’m hoping I can raise some money in the future to do a full run. 

Q: Do you have a favorite cartoon character or mascot? Is there a toy that you loved when you were a kid?

A: I’m a big fan of Garfield. He’s the best. I also really like the McDonalds mascots. How they were designing them at their debut was so funny. I think there's a reason why they still work today. All the Muppets I really like also. In terms of toys I liked, I don't know if I had a particular favorite, but I actually do remember me loving the “Mighty Beanz” toys. They were plastic beans with crazy cartoon designs on them. The early 2000s were so colorful and fun.

Q: Let’s talk about the oil painting series on display at the shop. The oil painting gives the characters a much more maximalist, textured, almost shiny look than the illustrations you typically make. Kind of like if your characters sat for a professional portrait. What was the inspiration behind this twist on the Meanville crew? 

A: I was inspired to create what I was doing on paper but with atmosphere and color. It is interesting to see how my cartoons look without the dark lines and borders. I was inspired by a lot of dark rides from Disneyland and how they looked in photographs. I wanted to recreate that effect but on canvas and incorporate my text so it looks like it had weight and texture. Painting is a lot of work and I have a short attention span. 

Q: If you die in meanville, do you die in real life?

A:  I think it takes a lot to die in Meanville, so I will say no. 

Q: Who is the final boss of Meanville?

A: The Artist himself.

Marvin's work is currently on exhibition and for sale in the shop culminating in a closing show which will be during the Outer Sunset Night Art Walk on November 21st. Marvin will be attending the art walk and we will have some of his new Meanville products for sale at the event.