James: Well, to tell you the truth, I don't really recall any particular moment or time period...it was something that just always was, y'know? I remember my teachers and my parents always encouraged me to draw...I think my mom encouraged me the most though, she always bought me art supplies, paper, drawing books, drafting tables, etc...my dad was a dental technician and he liked to paint for fun (mostly when he was younger), so he would encourage me quite a bit too...hanging my drawings up on the wall at work, lining up sign painting jobs for me, etc.

I never even considered doing it as a job though...that didn't happen until the mid 90's...about the same time that people started seeing my stuff out in the world is about the same time I decided I wanted to make it more than just a hobby

Once you started utilizing your talents, were there any influences that made you do what you're doing today? What I mean were there any specific artists or record covers from bands that further pushed you into this field?

As always drew the stuff I was into, whether it was comic characters, Star Wars characters, etc...so when I was in my very early teens and got into punk music, it was just natural for me to start drawing what I was into once again...

As far as artists that influenced me along the way, there are several. Underground artists like Pushead, Mad Marc Rude, comic artists like John Byrne (X-Men), Bill Watterson (Calvin & Hobbes), Jack Davis (Mad, old EC horror comics), etc., etc...but I recently discovered one that I never even really realized had such a powerful effect on me. I never even knew who it was until about a year ago...her name was Shawn Kerri, she used to draw for a hotrod comic book magazine in the 70's, 80's and early 90's called 'CARtoons' and did work on several underground comics...she was also a hardcore LA punker girl who designed some of the greatest and most beloved illustrations in punk rock history...the Circle Jerks 'skanking kid' is probably her most well known work, but she also created several designs for such bands as The Germs, TSOL, Bad Brains, and Bad Religion....I never knew it at the time, but I think Shawn Kerri had more of an impact on me than almost any other artist from those years...the eyes, the big feet, the weird kinetic cartoony style...it's a shame she has passed away from her long battle with drug addiction...I would've liked to have told her how much her work inspired me as a cartoonist.

I was always a big fan of Jeff Gaither's work too...I was really into the band The Accused in the 80's and used to love all the crazy shit he did for them....Ed Roth (Rat Fink) was a favorite too...Sergio Aragones (from Mad Magazine, Groo the Wanderer), the list could go on and on...I loved all kinds of different cartoons, comics, anime, manga...I ate it up and ended up developing an odd style that is a mish-mash of several different influences.

The name of your art studio is Rabid Badger Studios. Why Rabid Badger and when did you officially open for business?

The name Rabid Badger started almost as a joke...it was badger in the sense that you are annoying someone or antagonizing someone...and rabid in the sense that you were doing so in an insane, vicious manner...I sort of liked the idea of being a ferocious, slobbering annoyance in the art world, so in 1994 I went with Rabid Badger Studios as the official name that I would do my freelance artwork under. I thought it was unique and kinda goofy...the kind of thing that people would remember because it was odd.

Since I started up the art studio, I have found several other companies using the name Rabid Badger, one is a record label, one is a bead maker and there are two others that are graphic designers.

I am planning now on changing the name to Skeletoon Studios and focus more on the spooky/horror side of my artwork (which seems to be the only thing I really do these days, haha).

After opening Rabid Badger Studios, who were the first bands to show interest in acquiring your art?

I have always been involved in producing artwork for bands on different levels...ever since I was a teenager I had been making flyers and such for bands I was into. I did flyers for punk and metal bands while growing up in California and I did flyers and logos and stuff for bands when I moved to Tennessee in 1990...some even went on to get quite big (Full Devil Jacket, Saliva)

I'd have to say that The Misfits were probably my 1st 'big' contract though, they were really the ones that helped me get my artwork out there to a much larger audience. The band was cool about spreading the word about my artwork to friends, other bands etc too, so that helped...they even did a multi-page Rabid Badger gallery/interview on Misfits.com one year.

Shortly after I hooked up with the Misfits on some projects, I designed two t-shirt sample graphics for The Vandals and sent 'em off to them...a few days later The Vandals merchandise company called me up and bought both designs....one of which went on to become a best selling design for them.

You have quite an impressive portfolio here James. Out of all the bands you've down artwork for, who would you say you've done the most for?

I would have to say Mister Monster...I've done a large amount of stuff for The Misfits though, so it's hard to tell....if we're talking about published work, I'd definitely go with Mister Monster....the only published Misfits stuff of mine was a few flyers, the Famous Monsters digipack/colored vinyls and a Halloween tour shirt.

Stepping a side from the many horror rock bands you've done work for, I see Static-X is a band you've done work for. How did the meeting of Static-X and Rabid Badger Studios come to be?

Well, going back to the question above this last one...the merch company that called me about The Vandals shirt designs mentioned a large list of other bands that they handled merch for...Static-X was on that list...a couple of my friends really dug them and I had heard some of their music so I told the merch guy that I would be interested in submitting something for Static-X...I drew up the little Wayne Static head in like 30 minutes and sent it off...even though it was just a quick sample drawing, Wayne wanted to use that exact drawing with only one change...he wanted his hair on fire.

I never even met any of those people, it was all done over the phone and online...a good friend and associate of mine went and saw them live one night and got a chance to meet up with them, he said they all dug the art (he showed them the 'Keep Disco Evil' design I did that night too) and treated him really well, so I guess they're cool guys, I just never met them myself personally.

....I came really close to doing some stuff for Papa Roach and Incubus around the same time, with the same company, but it ended up falling through...I wasn't really into it anyway.

Currently your website says that you have a stack of "new projects currently in the works". What kind of projects do you have going on or are planned for sometime soon?

I've finished quite a few projects since my website was last updated. I'm hoping to get it updated soon...I have new art for Crypt of Blood Records upcoming CD compilation, I just did a Mister Monster tour shirt, a t-shirt for the band The Other on Fiend Force Records, I did a panel on the interior of the new Accused CD "Oh Martha", I drew a greaser zombie guy for the front of the new Cryptkeeper Five CD and helped with the entire layout, I designed a skateboard deck for a company in Ohio called Five Points Skates, I just finished a t-shirt design for Bill "Chop Top" Moseley and I'm getting ready to do a shirt for his (and Buckethead's) band The Cornbugs, I did a shirt a few months back for the band Calabrese that hasn't been posted on my website yet, I did some logo designs for Living Dead Recordings a while back, I did some caricature designs and a logo for Bats Blood Music, I did a new t-shirt design and a poster design for the comedian/magician The Bucky here recently too.... ah, the list goes on and on....stuff done, stuff half done, stuff in the works, stuff I'm wanting to do and stuff I hope to do someday soon....

I'm also working on a new caricature project called 'Custom Creeps'...so all you crazy kids out there can pay me some of your hard earned $$ to draw some silly little picture of you as some kinda zombie, vampire, mutant tentacled thingy from beyond the grave...or something like that.

I plan on launching it under my new Skeletoon Studio name sometime later this year...I hope it takes off, but the way I look at it is this: if I get 2 or 3 orders in 10 years, it's still 2 or 3 orders I wouldn't have gotten if I hadn't done it in the first place....and if I have a couple hundred orders in every few weeks, then that's even better!

I know that you take great pride in every piece of work that you do. In the mind of James Rowe, what is your pride and joy? What's your favorite piece of art you've created?

Oh man, that's like being asked to pick your favorite child! I have several favorites I guess....I'm pretty pleased with myself over this new The Other t-shirt I did...things like the Mister Monster zombie logos and the Skeleton Crew screamin' skull logo...the Blitzkid bat logo I did a few months back is a particular favorite of mine too, I really dig how that turned out...I'm also really proud of The HorrorPops 'Psycho Bitches' design too...I dunno, I honestly don't think I could pick a favorite...

I usually tell people that ask me that question that my favorite is the one that I'm working on next.

In the same token, what artwork that you've created has given you the most problem and taken you the longest to create?

Hmmm, not really sure on this one...I had quite a bit of trouble with the Mister Monster "Murder 4 Hire" design, it was a pain in the ass trying to fit four hulking cartoon greasers into a little cartoon convertible, but I really like the exaggeration on that design. The Independents Halloween tour t-shirt design took me a long time to draw, I ended up re-drawing it 3 times too, so that made it take a lot longer....each design seems to have its own set of problems though, haha

Of the many impressive bands you've worked with, who has been the most pleasant to work with and who wouldn't you want to work with again?

Mister Monster, Blitzkid and Cryptkeeper Five have all become close friends with me and my family and have stayed with us several times while on tour...bands like the HorrorPops, The Other, The Nekromantix, etc have all been extremely cool to work with...pretty much every band that I've done stuff for has been very, very cool to me...I can't say that I've had too many bad experiences (except for not getting paid a few times) I can't think of any band that I wouldn't want to work with again though.

Being a man of art, who are some of your artists and what are your favorite pieces of art (painting, statue, etc.)?

I never really considered myself 'a man of art' y'know? I'm more of a low brow artist...I grew up on comic books, horror movies and cartoons...so most of my favorite artists & pieces come from those worlds....and probably always will.