Interview by Charlie Festa

Hello there, and how are you doing today?

Excellent, I just got back from a COOL Colorado vacation, now back in HOT Austin.

How did you get your start in design?

I always enjoyed art class (sniffing glue (lol), paint, etc...), and I hated math, so that ruled out a ton of majors, including rocket science.

What inspires your work?

Other designers here at threadless, a ton of talent here! And as for my shirt subs, everyday life. It might be a moment in time, a cookie, a transformer, or a polo. Anything I can add a twist too inspires me. I never stop thinking about shirt ideas. It drives my wife crazy. Now hopefully she'll forgive me now that I have a print. (-;

How does it feel to win on Threadless?

Amazing. This was my 24th try in almost 2 years, and two coworkers of mine have 3 prints between them. I'm now in the "club".

What do you plan to spend your winnings on?

Uhhh, should be bills, but maybe something fun like a new mountain bike!

What the heck is going on Tom? Anything exciting?

Just got back from an extreme outdoor excursion. 9 countries in 9 days, climbing mountains, hang-gliding across oceans and underwater bee bee stacking. So just chillin' right now and gearing up for ACL fest (aclfestival.com). However, nothing compares to my design job,
constantly putting out fires, negotiating more time and trying to create concepts everyone can agree on. Needless to say, threadless is my outlet for creative. Whether designing subs, voting on subs, or buying prints... it's on like Donkey Kong. A shout out to my good pal Simon Walker, aka "mikemills" (winner of "e" and "memento arbori") for kicking me in the pants until I got a print. Cheers to you man, and all my good buddies I've met from around the world thanks to this site. Hi to the other Austin threadless addicts: belgrave, joser, froglady77, bortwein, linen, giltastic and g rock.

Did you scoop up a new mountain bike with your Threadless winnings?

Nah, My GT mountain bike I scored a few years back in Boulder is still treating me well. I love it too much to trade it for something more
glamorous, only to crash it into a tree or something. Instead, I'm throwing the money into my "take a nice vacation" fund.

Your design that was printed kicks arse, what inspired you to pop the collar?

I was always a prepped out 80's polo, penguin, izod, kind of guy (collar up And everything). That's until threadless came into my life. Now all I wear are tees. And now, I'll have more of a dressy tee for the next special event I go to. I'm looking forward to seeing all the pics of peeps hopefully wearing, and having fun with "not your average polo".

When you are not at work how do you spend your time?

*Hanging out with my lovely wife, playing with my two crazy dogs (Weimaraner and Whippet), traveling our great nation and in Europe, mountain biking the Austin greenbelt, tennis, hitting the links with buddies, (much like Threadless's own Craig Shimala's golf video: http://www.craigshimala.com/v/2238/k_of_c_golf_outing), movies at the Alamo Draft House, happy hours with coworkers, and last but certainly not least, doing more Threadless subs.

What is your favorite menu item at Mcdonalds?

*It's always been the #1 combo, 2 plain cheese burgers and fries (when you order plain burgers they're made Fresh). But I prefer Steak n' Shake for a good burger, with some thinly cut fries, a cup of chili and a chocolate shake. But these days, it tends to be mostly Whole Foods (or Whole Paycheck as we like to call it.) A healthier alternative to the grease. But then again, grease helps keep the old motor runnin'.

On a scale from one to ten how much do you love bacon.

*When I was a kid (still am really), I'd say a 10. My grandmother would have a pile of it almost a foot high, and I'd clean and lick my plate. Today though, I'd say Bacon is ranked a tad lower, maybe a 2. Don't get me wrong, bacon on a Burger, or in a breakfast taco is great, but here's the thing: when my wife was younger, she lived on a ranch in Colorado. She had a "pet" pig named Peaches. Well, one day her little friend showed up on the breakfast table. She was horrified to say the least and swore never to eat swine again. So ever since I heard that story, I've cut my pork intake in half.

Interview by Charlie Festa

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