Collaborations

The Los Angeles Kings have deep, long standing ties to their hometown's local culture. From the classic caps worn by all residents of the city to the their iconic former practice facility (the Forum), the team is a vital part of LA's creative scene.
In celebration of the relationship between the Stanley Cup champions and the city of Los Angeles, legendary tattoo artist Mister Cartoon has re-imagined the Kings' classic iconography for a history-making collaboration. [Click here for more info..]

Renowned tattoo artist/muralist, Mister Cartoon, was recently tapped to design a billboard for the crime film, Gangster Squad, starring Josh Brolin, Ryan Gosling, Nick Nolte, Emma Stone, and Sean Penn. The Los Angeles icon also unveiled the billboard, as well as blessed one of the walls at Platinum Motorsports along with a piece/mural of his name. [Click here for more info..]

Mister Cartoon is back with an art-inspired collaboration with Diesel for its upcoming men’s cologne, “Only The Brave – Tattoo edition.” Directed by friend and collaborator Estevan Oriol, Cartoon explains: “We feel this video piece gives the viewer an inside look at my life, my world in L.A. From shots of where I grew up in the harbor area, to my car collection, to my graff brother RISK here is a slice of the real L.A.” Working with such an international brand, it was imperative that the portrayal of the culture was kept to Cartoon’s standard and that nothing was lost in translation. Diesel Only the Brave Tattoo is currently on shelves in Europe and is set to hit stateside sometime in 2013.

To raise awareness for the global fight against cancer, Nike Sportswear has re-designed eight of its most coveted and iconic collaborations from the last decade and will re-release them as part of this exclusive LIVESTRONG Collection. Split into two installments, the first four-shoe pack drops in July during the Tour de France and features what can only be described as ‘holy grails’ of the sneaker scene.

Never released publicly, the original Mister Cartoon Air Force 1 was only available to select friends and family of Los Angeles’ most celebrated tattoo artist. Immediately acknowledged as an instant classic, die-hard collectors paid upwards of $3,000 for the limited pairs that made it outside. Comprehensively re-worked by Mister Cartoon for this release, the new look AF1 again deploys Laser technology to provide the gritty graphics reflecting its city of origin.

100% of the proceeds from this release go towards the Lance Armstrong Foundation in the fight against Cancer. The Nike Sportswear x Livestrong x Mister Cartoon Air Force 1 will launch at Midnight on July 2nd exclusively at Mister Cartoon’s tattoo shop in Los Angeles, with a wider release on July 4th celebrating the first day of the Tour de France.

United by a common love for custom low-rider cars, music and Los Angeles, Mister Cartoon and Barton Perreira have combined their unique styles and come up with one seriously cool frame that reflects the heart and soul of both designers. Designer Patty Perreira says: “I am a huge fan of Mister Cartoon, I love his unique style and how he is mad about details just like I am. Somehow I feel a sort of design affinity towards him and I wanted to bring his magical touch to a sunglass design. I think the outcome is amazing and you can feel the luxury as soon as you put them on.” Mister Cartoon responds in kind: “I like Barton Perreira’s originality and style. I’m a car guy as well as a tattoo artist, so sunglasses are an essential part of lowriding and driving on the west coast…. The glasses have to be original, strong, and a quality that makes them standout from the rest – and the darker the better.” The resulting pair uses a hand-polished Japanese Zyl frame with Nylite lenses in an ode to the luxurious artistry of Barton Perreira and Cartoon’s street art. The shades will retail at $595 USD, limited to 400 pairs.

Mister Cartoon and Diesel are certainly no strangers to one another. The duo has worked together fairly recently on the extensive Only The Brave initiative video, shot by Estevan Oriol. Today brings the news that Mister Cartoon and Diesel have aligned once again for a limited edition watch collection – a project which is Diesel’s first-ever collaborative timepiece venture.

The special project sees Cartoon curating two unique timepieces, the DCMC0001 and DZMC0002 – each watch customized and designed by Cartoon himself. The designs feature a range of applications from Cartoon’s iconic portfolio, including his iconic clown face, typographic roman numerals and a reinterpretation of Diesel’s famous Mohican icon.

In addition to the collaborative project, Cartoon also recently spent three weeks in Thailand tattooing some of the country’s most influential people and tastemakers. Cartoon and Diesel invited Estevan Oriol to document the trip in a four-part series the trio have titled “Time 2 Ride.” Catch the first installment by hitting play on the video below.

Casio G-Shock and Mister Cartoon will host an exclusive media event to celebrate their recent collaboration, the DW6900MRC-8 as well as showcase the G-Shock line and unveil their custom G-Shock for the upcoming Juxtapoz Art and Culture Magazine 15 Year Anniversary Event, hosted by Upper Playground.  The media event will take place at Mister Cartoon’s famously located personal studio, SA Studios, located in downtown Los Angeles. This will be followed by the Juxtapoz Art and Culture event which will take place on November 14th at the Factory Place Arts Complex.

“G-Shock is pleased to collaborate with such a recognized artist as Mister Cartoon,” said Shigenori Itoh, Vice President of Casio’s Timepiece Division. “With the release of the DW6900MRC-8, we are offering a unique fusion of timekeeping technology with an aesthetic appeal to street culture.”

This collaboration with the LA native is true to Los Angeles culture, the watch utilizes a Dodger blue and grey and a case back engraved with Cartoon’s epic styling.

Earlier this year G-Shock unveiled a “first look” at the collaboration watch with the world famous tattoo artist, car customizer, illustrator and designer at the Shock the World Tour 2009 event in NYC.  Now, G-Shock is bringing the launch of this watch back to the stomping grounds of its inspiration – Los Angeles.