Peter Loo
www.guru3.com
location: Hono "freakin" lulu

What's your background?
I was born into a family of Hungarian gypsy circus performers where I performed my role as the lead ostrich wrangler. A disastrous freak accident involving a clown, Pat Morita, and 30 canisters of helium brought my performance days at the circus to an end. After trying to earn a living as a whale clairvoyant on the streets of Budapest, I decided that moving to the land of milk and honey, the United States, would be my best move. I quickly found out that the milk and honey was not free as my cousin Larry had suggested. I was apprehended by a cadre of uniformed men two blocks away from an Albertson's with a cart full of milk and honey...and a pack of Sheik condoms.

After a short job stint as a prisoner and Disney employee (hmm, those two jobs are actually the same thing), I was told of an island paradise called "Hawaii" far across the sea. It was a land of mystique, exotic women, swaying palm trees, and sun-kissed beaches.

Using my whale summoning powers, I hitched a ride on the back of some indiscriminant orca. The journey was long and arduous and my ride had the most dangerous habit of submerging itself in the deep blue for long stretches of time. Thank God, I can hold my breath longer than most. I finally reached Hawaii where I for a short while communed with a native Hawaiian species called the "Beach people." I got into print design after laying out a few of their sovereignty banners and flyers. These beach people have certainly worked themselves up into a tizzy...always "unlawful US land takeover" this, and "independent nation" that. It was enough to drive me absolutely batty. Anyway, there wasn't any dough to be had associating with the beach people so I got out and found a job at this place called Honstudios. Now I can buy milk, honey and condoms every month.

Design education:
Design education? What? Throw a picture there, throw some text there. Pow! You got your stinkin design...why you gotta go gets an edumacation in design? ehehe. I went to a small private liberal arts (and expensive) college called PLU in Tacoma, WA. Gotta throw in some well-rounded edu-macation to get a well-rounded designer.

How did you start out as an artist and designer?
I've always been an artist and designer. I came out of the womb with a rapidograph behind my ear and a set of Grumbacher oil tubes in my hands (those mini ones). That shit about whales and circus perfuming...that's all bullshit. You know that right?

What inspires you?
I inspire me. hohoho...okay if you must know...all the beautiful women of the world. Oh and unicorns.

Describe your style of design:
I do not know. I don't have a definitive style. For now, ripping people off should suffice. naw naw...I dont do that. I do rip off a few photo elements from Getty from time to time. Oh, come on now, like you never did it yourself?! My style is pretty much all over the place...one day I feel like I'm in a Bauhaus mood, the next I'm gonna get all April Greiman on the mutha.

What are your bad design habits?
Trying to leave things well enough alone. I tinker too much when I should let it go. Just let it go, they say to me, as I reluctantly pull my hand away from the trackball...my eyes brimming with tears, my heart heavy with the burden of regret.

What are your thoughts on today's New Media Designers?
They are all a bunch of whiny wussies, with their fancy codes, and 72 dpi images. Lets see how your new Mac chokes on a 1200 dpi drum scan image...eh. Yeah, that's right, fools! ehehe. Nah...I kid, I kid...today's new media designers are a talented bunch...I regularly find my jaw dropped to the floor with the likes of Billy Bussey and Marc Ebalaroza. They have so much energy and unbridled talent...for me to poop on.

What do you do besides design?
I'm a rogue, a scoundrel...aye, I be a pirate. They call me Pantone 8420CBeard...arr! Raise the swatches, today be the day we keelhaul the bloody lotta yeas... Okay...now that the requisite bullshit bit is over...I am a naval reservist and a communications program graduate student. Yes, there is a serious side to all this nonsense.

How would you compare today's Graphic Design Styles from 40 years ago?
Hmm..more diverse yet not so diverse. Everybody's got something that emulates another guys something. I mean, I know borrowing elements is all part of the game, but some people have gotten really lazy...Aye, there be pirates in our midst.

What is more important for a designer, artistic qualities or design education? Choose one:
I believe neither. As long as you have a superpower, such as my whale whisperer power, you can find ways of bending it towards the domination of others. I have a long standing 'agreement' with Seaworld where their designers do my work in exchange for me not convincing their killer whales to go nutso during their performances.

Ahh...thanks Marc for allowing me to ramble! Okay. The question at hand...I believe you gotta have both. Artistic talent and solid design experience and education work symbiotically...you cannot have a successful designer without both of these qualities. A lack of either is readily apparent even to the most casual observer.

If there was one thing you could change about Adobe Photoshop what would it be and why?
How about making the file browser, quicker and more responsive...it moves like molasses when I'm viewing my high-res naked pictures of myself. Ho! Is this thing on? Okay, seriously the extract tool sucks! Improve that and add a naked Britney Spears shot to the splash screen, and I think we have a winner!

How would you describe a flash website that's overdone:
Umm...how about overdone? ehehe...okay, I'm being an asshole. I suppose I could give you more of a description of my reaction to seeing an overdone Flash site. It would involve a slow trickle of saliva from both corners of my mouth, which soon turns into a froth from the vigorous seizure of my body brought on during the first five seconds of an overdone site's intro. Damnit...quit it with the stupid intro's already. If Jackob Nielsen were dead, he'd be spinning in his grave half way to China. I guess I would rate the level of a sites "overdone-ness" based on how many times I have bit my tongue and the time duration of my seizure.

Throughout your life as a Graphic Designer was there any embarrassing moments like sending something to print in RGB or a something similar or worst?
Hmmm...there was that time I sent my design for a gay video box cover, "I Can't Sit Down, part 7" starring Apollo Steed to the wrong client. Okay, okay...so it didn't happen, it would be pretty funny, though. Well, doing a gay video box cover would not be, but sending it to the wrong client...heh. Not that I have anything against gays...its just man flesh against man flesh has as much appeal to me as eating a pig uterus. *shudder* Anyway, nothing of note to report on the "fubar" design front.

Any advice for those just stepping into the Graphic Design Industry?
"Abandon all hope, ye who enter here!" or "Arr, you scurvy dog, prepare to walk the plank to Davey Jones locker!" Okay, okay, seriously...listen to the beat of your own drum. Emulate to learn, after that...use your own creativity to carve out a niche for yourself. The world has enough Eric Jordans or Bradley Groshs.

If someone gave you a stage to the World and said to send a message with less then five words what would that message be?
Hot fun, Call me...

What's your favorite drink?
Klingon blood wine. Oh...my favorite "real" beverage...Its a toss up between Chimay Grand Reserve-Blue Label, or V. Sattui Port wine. Kerplah everyone! Damn, I'm a geek.

Music is a huge influence on designers, what's your choice of music these days?
Hmmm...I prefer to design in a silent vacuum. My co-workers have messed my music tastes up...I don't know what I like anymore. One minute I could be listening to Diana Krall (who I love) then all of sudden, freaking 50-Cent would pop up (who I hate). A couple rounds of this music switcheroo multiplied by 5 days a week, and all of a sudden you find yourself bopping your head to "Its ya birthday, its ya birthday..." Disturbing and frightful. Now if you would excuse me, I'm late for a drive-by.

Final comments:
Marc! Take down the cover! It's poo from the darkest recesses of my poo pile.

Did Dude, I got Edouard Artus' piece up there now, but you know I'll be featuring more of your shiznit very soon.

[b]PDC made an exception with Peter on the status of his website. Being that he used to be my Art Director I have seen enough of of his work to validate his Graphic Designer authenticity. - Marc.

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