the legacy issue
manifold
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the
art. music. fashion. profiles. a unisex magazine for the independent age.
the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
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Legacy
mer young
letter from the editor When Jermaine and I first partnered up, we discussed what we wanted this magazine to be about. And while we came to an agreement on the subjects and undertones our main goals were to inspire and motivate our readers to make a difference in the world, stay true, and to ever change the boxed in idea of beauty. So we’ll never write a story about a band that’s “too cool”, put a celebrity on the cover who’s famous for being famous, or have the same models gracing our pages. ‘Das not our style! We want to breathe more art in your life, keep your iPods full, and motivate you out to get of bed in the morning with images that fuel the adventurist in you. This is our LEGACY. When we came up with the theme for this issue we had no idea what would result but putting this issue together showed us what we were made of. We were honored to have a talent like Arto Saari showcase his photos, stoked to talk to a Son-of-a-L*gend, Seven Adams, and excited to get some truly great stories to you. While we like to keep our pages clean and crisp there’ll always be a colorful personality throughout, we hope you hear and see it and continue to support our humble publication.
We are happy to give people the chances that we were rarely given, in doing so we feel this makes us a true manifold, which is defined as a whole composed of diverse elements. So please, if you want to creatively collaborate with us, don’t hesitate to reach out.
the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
-- Napua Camarillo TheManifoldMag@Gmail.com
masthead
Editor-in-Chief napua camarillo
themanifoldmag@gmail.com
marketing/ad sales jermaine fletcher jermaine.themanifoldmag@gmail.com
copy editors jasmine mancos travis hancock laka sanchez
contributing writers napua camarillo jermaine fletcher travis hancock christopher martin (cmart) jasmine mancos
Contributors 5 Mer Young:
Los Angeles-based artist Mer Young has created and exhibited a mid-size body of art work manifested in paintings and drawings. She received Associate Degrees in Fine Arts and Liberal Arts from Long Beach City College in 2011 and is currently working towards her BFA at The University of Southern California. Her art has been exhibited nationally and internationally since 2008 and her work is owned by private collectors. In her practice she explores what matters to her the most, marine biology, ocean conservation and cultural preservation.
Vanessa Mancos :
contributing photographers
Stylist: Los Angeles-based Vanessa Mancos was raised in the Midwestern United States, and was introduced to fashion at a young age by her great-aunt, who worked as a milliner. She has worked as a stylist for major celebrities and musicians, and her work has appeared in publications worldwide. Additionally, Vanessa has contributed as a fashion advice columnist and brand ambassador for websites such as Joonbug.com and Handbago.com. She is represented by DG Reps (www.DGReps.com).
contributing illustrators
Christopher Walter Martin:
thank yous go out to everyone who helped make this
Photographer, skateboarder, business owner and the nicest dude you will ever meet. Born and raised in Maine, living in Brooklyn, NY.
scott alexander liza boone jonathan brousseau napua camarillo sean davey sara lee kyle kiff christopher martin (cmart) john oliveira sierra presscott
mer young
issue possible.
contents 4 Qs
Skate
Fashion
Music
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Son of a... L*gend. We ask Seven Adams 4 quick Qs
Pro Skater Arto Saari tells and shows us what he’s been up to.
We found our new IT girl, Marie Louise.
Zig Zags are noted as L.A. Weekly’s number one band to blow up in 2014 ,and with an upcoming collaboration with Iggy Pop, we jumped at the chance to get all up in their grill.
A skater, a surfer, a musician, an artist We asked a few legends a few questions.
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Keep an eye out for her videos on our website.
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Profile
Fashion
Skate
Art
Alison Teal country hops in hopes that traveling and educating will change the world.
Step right up ladies, and check out the bearded man in LA.
Skate pictorial by “Silent John� Oliveira
Kevin Franz, winner of our annual design contest, tells us about his characters.
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Fashion She sells seashells...
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w o r d
word “There are certain things that are fundamental to human fulfillment. The essence of these needs is captured in the phrase ‘to live, to love, to learn, to leave a legacy’. The need to live is our physical need for such things as food, clothing, shelter, economical well-being, health. The need to love is our social need to relate to other people, to belong, to love and to be loved. The need to learn is our mental need to develop and to grow. And the need to leave a legacy is our spiritual need to have a sense of meaning, purpose, personal congruence, and contribution.” --Stephen R. Covey
the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
Taurean Medeiros
Photo: John Oliveira
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Questions
photo x kyle kiff
Son of a L*gend.
We asked Seven Adams son of legendary Lords Of Dogtown skater Jay Adams, 4 Questions on how he plans to make his mark on the world.
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Being the son of Jay Adams gives you awfully big shoes to fill, how do you feel you’ll make your mark on the world?
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The best advice was never worry about anyone else, just worry about yourself in or out of the water. Try and focus on the positive things in life and always be looking forward.
Ya, you’re right they are. I just have always focused on myself and doing what I love in life. I try and ignore any negative shit.
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I see you’re more of a surfer. Was that always the case? When I was younger I skated more. I used to skate at Santa Cruz skate shop Jose Ave all the time till I was 12, then I was hooked on surfing and from then on it was just surf, surf, surf. It just felt right, like I was finally doing what I needed to do.
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What was the best advice that your Dad gave you?
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If living and surfing in Hawaii has taught you anything what would you say it is? Hawaii has taught me a lot of stuff but most importantly it’s taught me to respect and try and understand the ocean and its power. To try not to be naive and paddle myself out somewhere I dont belong. To make sure you’re always ready for the worst and hoping for the best.
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by holly smith
MILES HANSON smith grind
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13 bullets
What will be written on your tombstone?
We asked people how they want to be remembered, or what they want etched on their tombstone. Here are the 13 most original responses (compiled via twitter, text, and in person).
Adam Krager
Orchastrated the merger between UNICEF & Smith and Wesson
Yup... I’m finally stoned!
Rob Money Stop looking at me.
Callie Prado
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Kyle Smith
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I’ll be right back for the zombie apocalypse.
Erik Owen
Steven Munroe
Lorane Gordon
Wish my family would’ve sprung for a sarcophagus.
Truth teller.
Currently serving time in Hell.
Smile...at least YOU’RE alive.
Grant Tucker
China Burns
Sean Reilly
Bryanna Thomlin
Be Good. Do Good.
Scientist. Physician. Hung over.
Was true to spirit.
Enjoyed the little things in life.
Liam Ford Flip me over every few years.
B u l l e t s
Nicole Franco
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Ar to Saari
interview x travis hancock images x arto saari
When everyday people hear the name Arto Saari, they probably aren’t sure if they heard it correctly, or if what they heard is even a name. But when skaters hear it, they think of a solid professional who has consistently delivered on every aspect of the job title. And increasingly, photographers have him in mind for spreads in mags and the walls of galleries. Because Arto is a badass, and it might just be easier to leave it at that because he is always evolving, trying and mastering new things. And like a fine wine or a hot Finnish mustard, he keeps getting better with age. When I personally think on Arto, I think back to my friends reciting his entire introduction verbatim from the éS video Menikmati, and about the lady on eBay named Sandy Saari from whom I purchased a grind rail as a kid because I thought she might be his mom or something. Or I think about the time I randomly saw him carrying his baby while on a flight from LA to Hawaii a few years ago, or the mind blowing demo he and the whole éS team did at A’ala park, from which my best friend snagged Tom Penny’s discarded cigarette butt that’s probably still hidden in a signed Andrew Reynolds Emerica shoe at his mom’s house on the North Shore… Cute, yeah? I know, which is why it sorta misses the mark.
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The Manifold: Your world seems to be full of new horizons, not limited to a slew of new sponsors, from a semi-recent return to Flip Skateboards to joining forces with New Balance Numeric, WeSC, and the Side Mission project. Do these changes play into anything greater? Some kind of evolution? A new lease on life or just letting in fresh air?
AS: Yes, for the last year or so there has been a lot of stuff happening, for the better for sure. The NB [Numeric] and WeSC have been excellent to work with and the Side Mission show finally came
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together, not sure if this is all happening cuz I took break from drinking, or maybe am just more willing to have more responsibility on my plate at this time.
TM: Everyone likes to talk about your transition from professional skateboarder to professional photographer, but you did drop some heavy clips in the recent NB Numeric team videos. Do you still have a lot of goals or unfinished busi ness on the board? AS: I am not planning on transitioning anywhere. Let’s just say my obsession for photography has grown bigger. I still have few battles to pick on the board. TM: But photography is clearly a big part of your current interests too. Do you think skating and photography will go always go hand in hand from here on out? AS: Yes, that is how it started and I believe it will remain the same way. I just started surfing too and that has been a whole other experience of other-worldly radness! TM: Do you feel more drawn toward capturing tricks and skate culture? Spontaneous moments? Scandalous Ed Templeton-style teammate shots?
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AS: I love capturing the actual tricks while I am on the sessions, but I love the culture and lifestyle of it and sometimes I am more psyched on a lifestyle photo than the actual trick in itself. There are so many ways to shoot anything, and there is no right or wrong way really. It is up to you and what looks good; you are the creator of the image and it’s same thing when you actually skate, you are the one making it happen on the board. I love that. For me photography feels like a blank canvas and anything is possible at this point. I love Edna; he is one of the greatest inspirations! TM: Friend of The Manifold, Sam Muller, told me he has helped you with printing and postprocessing and stuff– a difficult, and expensive, learning process. Would you say you are a perfectionist or you just wanna learn it all the right way? AS: Yes, Sam is an absolute epic human and one of the greatest shooters out there right now. He has given me a lot of pointers and helped me out a lot. Printing is a whole other ball game and scientific process itself. There is no reason to print a crappy print of an image you care about if with a little work it can be done proper.
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" Better to bur n out TM: Shifting gears a little... I’ve seen you in Hawaii a handful of times on tours and vacations with Dylan Rieder and Mark Oblow. How do feel about the islands? Any plans to return?
AS: One day I will live there, hopefully.
TM: You have explained Side Mission elsewhere, but it seems to be a bit of an evolving term, given the mission at hand. I know you recently had a Side Mission show in LA. So what does it mean at the moment? AS: Side Missions started as innocent getaways from regular tours to shoot landscapes or bounce out for a night of camping somewhere. It has kinda evolved from there on to different projects and now my life consists of different Side Missions and makes it a whole. TM: I hear you like mustard, fine Finnish mustard, and that you have been known to give the gift of mustard for holidays. What’s the story there?
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than fade awa y.” AS: I absolutely love Auran Sinappi—can’t get it in States—and I love the graphics so I decided to get in touch with the peeps over in Finland and make few board graphics. They are super into it and it’s a big hit in Finland at the moment. TM: Any shout-outs to people in Hawaii or potential readers in outer space? AS: I would like to thank the people of Hawaii for allowing me to come and enjoy paradise once in awhile for a visit and anyone who hasn’t had the chance to visit should go there since it is a life changing experience. Mahalo! TM: Going off this issue’s theme of “Legacy,” when it’s all said and done, which of your possessions will they put on display for you at the Finnish National Museum? AS: If I was ever going to reach that kind of recognition, it would probably be my ashes. It’s better to burn out than fade away.
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Back
in
Black photography x napua camarillo hair x andria lopez styled x jasmine mancos modeled x marie louise hiedelwohl
Inspiration: While putting together the mood boards for this shoot we were finding more and more that we couldn’t get away from black. It’s never going anywhere and no matter how hard we try to pop color in there, black is and always will reign supreme. While we love clothing trends and style we’ll never be one of those magazines who shoots in a studio. There’s simply too much beauty/chaos/wonderment in the world that we feel is the perfect accessory for our photos. In this way we feel like the clothes never stand alone instead they accompany a feeling, a lifestyle, and a person. For us, it’s never just about the clothes...
To see more of Marie and her beautiful outtakes please visit us at TheManifoldMag.com for the extra photos and each issue’s fashion vid. Be the next Manifold IT girl. Submissions welcome!
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stylist’s own Blondie shirt, shorts x sewtrendy.etsy.com; lace tights x F21, $7.99; boots x Doc Marten, $156.00; model’s own jacket
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lace crop top x Nordstrom, $36.00; lace pants x Free People, $168.00; platform sandals x Urban Outfitters, $29.00; model’s own jewelry.
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vegan leather corset top x Express, $41.00; stylist’s own skirt, kimono x TopShop, $125.00; stylist’s own mary janes; bracelet x Ragstock, $8.99
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crop top x Soprano, $34.00; jeans x 44-jeans, $176.00; boots x Doc Marten, $120.00; models own jewelry
interview & images x Christopher Martin (CMART)
Early Metallica, the Stooges, Black Sabbath and “stoner” rock takes on a life of it’s own in Zig Zags. Get on board with a band that’s going to blow up in 2014. The first time I saw Zig Zags was at a gnarly little dive bar in Los Angeles called The Kibbitz Room, a narrow dark hang out attached to the legendary 24 hour Canters Deli. The bar smelled like stale citrus and booze. The lighting was out of some B rate horror film with flickering low wattage lights. I felt I could be in some backwoods bar in central Maine or something. Looking around I saw recognizable pro skateboarders, killer street artists and sexy ladies all taking shots while the band was tuning up...okay so I am in Los Angeles... but I felt right at home. The vibe was rad and the bartender was on point, remembering everyone’s drinks and most importantly pouring heavy with the Mezcal. There was an energy in the air and I was excited to see what these guys where all about (full disclosure my brother plays drums in Zig Zags) ...little did I know that Zig Zags were about to flip the place upside down! During sound check the audience was at a stand still and when they hit, the room blasted off! Their songs pulled us through a vortex, each one was a serious jam. The sounds were heavy, intense and driving. After their last song everyone erupted with chaos! It was madness! They were a mix of all the best parts I liked in bands like the Stooges, the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
early Metallica, Black sabbath and stoner rock. They crushed the place and everyone there was super hyped on the jams. The smoking banter out front was positive so they got a stamp of approval. Authentic? Yes, but you may still be asking, who the fuck are Zig Zags?
ZIG ZAGS are : Bobby Martin (BM), Patrick McCarthy (PM), Jed Maheu (JM). The Manifold: Where are you all from and what’s your jam? BM: Zig Zags is guitar, bass and drums. Jed plays guitar, Patrick on bass and Bobby drums. Jed is from Washington State, Patrick, Florida and Bobby is from Maine. What are our jams...deep cosmic grooves... deranged psychotic antics while hanging with pranksters! TM: How did you all end up forming the Zig Zags? BM: Zig Zags was formed four years ago in Los Angeles. Jed and I were not working and I just moved in to the house, living in the maids quarters. Jed asked if I wanted to play some music, so we started jamming...Both playing guitar... stuff sounded like Spaceman 3 stuff. Eventually we started jamming in a practice space. I eventually jumped on drums because we could not find a drummer. Patrick joined a year
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later but he engineered our first 4 track demo. TM: If there was a slogan or some sort of saying to represent your band what would it be ? BM: We are releasing a full album this coming Spring. We will release a 7 inch single. The B side is a song called “So Stoned” I think our slogan lies in heart of that song’s energy. Pick that up and give it a listen! TM: So what’s up with L.A. Weekly giving you the #1 band in LA for 2014 and how do you feel about that? BM: We were really happy to see the L.A. Weekly would support us in that way. We work pretty hard at Zig Zags and getting a nod like that feels great. Who knows what the future holds in that arena. There are a lot of great bands here, many more coming I am sure of that! We are excited for the full album to come out... we will let the record speak for itself! TM: You guys have been playing a lot in the skateboard scene. How did that come along? I saw you featured in a Vans promo and the 7 inch split was on Volcom Records. PM: It all just comes from word of mouth, being friends with people and people seeing us play. We all grew up skating in the 80s/90s and continue to push around here and there. But coming up on all the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
the Bones Brigade films, Santa Cruz, H-Street, and later with Stereo videos, those were big places to hear music that was totally new to you. So to do shit with Vans and Volcom now is pretty cool. Hopefully some young’ns get stoked on it. TM: You have played some amazing venues so far (Mercury Lounge, Fillmore West, etc). What ones have been the best or your favorite and why? PM: Playing the Fillmore in San Francisco was rad. Sold out. All these kids and the ancient hippie roadies that work there were awesome. Seriously, ancient hippie union dudes carrying your SVT for you. Never give up, kids! But some of my favorite shows are all ages and not at real clubs. This backyard show in El Monte a year or two ago was a rager. Full on backyard circle pit. Hesher kids, dude cooking tacos on a grill. TM: Zig Zags rolled out to NYC for CMJ. How was your first College Music Journal (CMJ) tour? Any highlights? Yeah it was our first time as a band playing out of California. Was super fun. We just partied and ate tons of pizza at the Alligator Lounge and watched you, Chris, be crazy. Highlight was the taxi ride from Mercury Lounge. We waited for Cmart for like 45 minutes after he wandered off after the show. Then just as we’re getting in the cab he comes skating across Houston and like slides across the hood of the cab. Jumps in and immediately turns up the radio (AC/DC or something was on?) and is head
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banging in the cabbies face. Screaming too. Then starts taking photos and yelling at the cabbie, “do you know who these fuckers are??? ZIG ZAGS!!!”. Cabbie was just stone face looking forward. That was a highlight. TM: Do you have any future plans to tour the states anytime soon? PM: We’re looking to go out to SXSW this year but nothing confirmed yet. Maybe hit some cities on the way there and back. Still focusing on finishing the record for In The Red right now though. We want to go out with Ty for a bit, at least we’ve talked about doing that. TM: How about over seas? JM: We’ve gotten a lot of response from Europe. And Japan bought all of our small shirts but you gotta go in the spring or fall cause everyone fucks off there during the summer so, right now we’re working on a fall trip with some booking agents over there. TM: It’s not everyday a band gets to collaborate with Iggy Pop, what was the creative process and how did that come along and what was he like to work with?
“It was amazing to work with him (iggy)...his legacy is massive!” BM: Working with Iggy just happened to fall in our lap so to speak. Light in the Attic Records contacted us after seeing a few early shows. I mean we were only playing together a year and a half or two by that point. LITA asked if we would be interested in being a part of their anniversary series. We were pumped and they explained we could choose from their back log library. We chose Betty Davis’s “If I am in luck I might just get picked up!” The groove was in the pocket! We were told one side of the 7 inch would be us doing our version and on the other side would be the original version. Once things were moving Light in the Attic asked if we would be cool with Iggy coming on board to sing! We were in shock to say the least but of course said yes! We worked up our jam and sent it to Iggy who was in Florida. He would send notes like key changes and all that. We recorded the take in Los Angeles and Patrick went down to Florida to record vocals with him. Iggy straight up said, “I am only going to do five takes...” And he did. That is how he works. He did his thing. Iggy was really on the ball and super down to earth. It was amazing to the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
work with him, his legacy is massive! I think doing that so early made us really feel inspired. I still can’t believe we made a record with Iggy!!! TM: You guys have a great sound that gets your audience hyped. Is there any other bands that do this for you? JM: Locally, we dig The Shrine, Endless Bummer, Fuzz, Criminal Hygiene, we played with Dirty Fences in New York and they were rad. I’ve been listening to Uncle Acid and The Deadbeats from the UK but as far as music in general we listen to everything good. That means Public Enemy and Led Zeppelin. No Radiohead shit or Arcade Fires. TM: What can we expect from you this year? JM: LP out on In the Red Records hopefully before summer, we’ll also have a single that goes along with it. Bunch of music videos, new t-shirts and then maybe another record by the end of the year. I think we want to just do as much as we can. Make as much music, play as many shows. Everyone works, this ain’t a trust fund band. We got shit we gotta take care of so when we get together twice a week, we try to fit in as much shit as we can.
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VS
For this session of VS we talked to legends across the board. Surfer, skater, musician, and artist...
image x sean davey
If you were to give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be? You have more time than you think.
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NOAH JOHNSON Noah Johnson is a respected professional surfer who in 1999 won the Eddie Aikau Invitational (pictured right). Whether it be riding massive mountain sized waves or stunt doubling for mainstream television, Noah will go down in the books with a legendary status. Name: Noah Johnson Age: 40 Profession: Stuntman Years in your field: 10 Hometown: Hilo, HI How do you think others would describe you as a person? People either seem to love me or hate me. So I’d say most people think I’m nice. The rest, well.. Who were the legends that shaped your existence? I always really looked up to my mom and dad. As far as surfing, Darrick Doerner, Tom Curren and Eddie Aikau.
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On that note, what was the best piece of advice that you received? Life moves forward not sideways. What do you want written on your tombstone? I don’t think people who are burned and scattered to the sea get to have tombstones? But if I did I’d hope it said something like “Here lies a good person who had a really good time”. What do you think the future of the world is? I’m sure that I have no idea what the future will be like. It looks dark, overly secure, and probably not much fun, hope I’m wrong about that. What worries you? Not much. What album would be the best soundtrack for your life? It’d be a single- Ride On 76’ AC/DC. Life is so varied, it’d be hard to make one album fit. Led Zeppelin I or II. Maybe that Radiohead album with weird fishes and house of cards on it, In Rainbows? Or Black Sabbath Paranoid. Who or what has motivated you most? My family for sure. They showed me that with hard work you can get what you want out of life. What would you like to see, that you’ve never seen?
Peace on earth.
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FREDRICK GALL Fred Gall has been described as an all-time great. His legendary status is soaked in PBRs and switch crooked grinds. Check him out.
Age: 35 Profession: Skateboarder Years in your field: 20 Hometown: Sewaren, NJ How do you think others would describe you as a person? I think most people would consider me a nice guy that’s kind of crazy.
image x christopher martin (cmart)
advice what would it be? Pay your taxes and put some money to the side. On that note, what was the best piece of advice that you received? To pay my taxes. What do you want written on your tombstone? Frederick J Gall R.I.P Rip in Peace What do you think the future of the world is? I see it being full of DIY skate spots all over the world. What doesn’t worry you? What people think about me. What album would be the best soundtrack for your life? Black Sabbath; Sabbath, Bloody Sabbath.
Who were the legends that shaped your existence?
Who or what has motivated you most?
Mark Gonzales, Natas Kaupas, Sean Sheffey, Matt Hensley, Guy Mariano.
Heineken.
If you were to give your younger self one piece of the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
What would you like to see, that you’ve never seen? Hawaii and Alaska.
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I’d have to say, John Fogerty, Brian May, and Johnny Ramone. If you were to give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be? Save money! Ha. On that note, what was the best piece of advice that you received? Be yourself, be an innovator not an imitator.
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image x scott alexander
Greg Hetson has influenced punk music forever. He’s formerly of the Redd Kross and Bad Religion, still with the Circle Jerks and now currently with GFP (General Fuckin Principle) which combines members of Suicidal Tendencies and DFL, formed by Tony Alva. Name: Greg Hetson Age: 52 Profession: Musician Years in your field: Hang on, let me count on my fingers...35 years Hometown: Hawthorne, CA How do you think others would describe you as a person? Quirky. Who were the legends that shaped your existence?
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What do you want written on your tombstone? Hmm, I’ve never really thought about it. Maybe just -- Anonynmous-What do you think the future of the world is? Oh man, that’s so vague. Good days and bad days. What worries you? Sharks! What album would be the soundtrack for your life? I always have something kinda cheesy in my head. So, maybe Herb Alpert and the Tijuanna Brass’ Greatest Hits. Who or what has motivated you most? I’d say myself and anyone that said that anything I’d do would fail. What would you like to see, that you’ve never seen? Hair growing back on my head?!
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Sirin Thada Sirin Thada lives and works out of New York City. She’s been featured in various publications and on HBO’s Girls. Her witty and colorful illustrations earn her thousands of reblogs, retweets, and likes. She is a legend in the making... Name: Sirin Thada Age: 36 Profession: Artist/ Illustrator Years in your field: All my life, in one way or another Hometown: Baltimore, Maryland How do you think others would describe you as a person? Their description would be really short. Seriously, I’m about five feet tall. Who were the legends that shaped your existence? My dad with his kindness and compassion, my mom with her spunk and determination. I also always loved Bill Watterson’s “Calvin and Hobbes,” and Gary Larson’s “The Far Side.” I grew up on the Sunday comics, and as a child, the best thing about the weekends was sitting
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next to my dad as he drank his coffee and read the paper, while I ate my cereal and read the funnies. If you were to give your younger self one piece of advice what would it be? I hesitate to say “be confident,” because I think it has too much of an aggressive connotation and can end up seeming fake. Rather, learn to be at ease with yourself, comfortable with all your awkwardness, with all your nervousness, fears and uncertainty. Don’t run away from yourself or unpleasant situations; aspire to be present, compassionate, and be able to laugh at yourself along the way. Because even once you’re older, you probably still won’t have it “all figured out,” and let’s face it, life can be crazy. But you learn to accept it, and work with it, and make the most of it. And that is a beautiful thing. On that note, what was the best piece of advice that you received? Underpromise, overdeliver. Learning how to keep your word is an invaluable skill in all areas of life. And squint when you’re drawing from real life -- it really helps you see the more crucial shadows and highlights, what to emphasize, what not to, etc. Also useful for real life -- learning how to pick your battles, how to focus on what matters. And something that I was lucky to have instilled in me by my parents, all my life -- just remember, if someone else can do it, that means it’s humanly possible, and therefore you can do it too. Sure, you might not be the best or fastest at it, and you might not even want to do it. But once you make it part of your mindset, that you really can do just about anything, it’s really empowering. Don’t ever let anyone tell you that you can’t. Finding meaning and being happy with your life, is something only you can do for yourself.
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What album would be the best soundtrack for your life?
A lovingly made MIXTAPE for sure!! Or, the soundtrack to The Royal Tenenbaums. Who or what has motivated you most? Pizza and/ or tacos. And fresh guacamole. What would you like to see, that you’ve never seen?
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Northern lights. A starling murmuration. The future in a
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What do you want written on your tombstone? “Thanks for visiting! Now go live your life with every ounce of passion before you end up like this too.” What do you think the future of the world is? Who knows. Hopefully, people will still be enjoying the heavenliness that is pizza. Or
good fresh guacamole. What worries you? Did I lock the front door? Will I ever find true love? Am I doomed to get zits until I’m dead? Do I have enough food in the fridge to last me until tomorrow because I don’t feel like leaving the apartment and engaging with the outside world today? When will we finally have a female president already??
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Magic Does Exist Alison Teal is teaching not preaching how to live the good life. The way she looks at the world makes us believe that magic really does exist.
Alison Teal may be young, but she’s already working on leaving a lasting legacy. The modern day storyteller documents her journeys across the globe, sharing the tales of her local guides in a relatable and oft comical tone through Alison’s Adventures, her viral series. She believes that “travel heals the soul” and truly practices what she preaches. Armed with only a camera, her pink surfboard and her trusty madefrom-recycled-goods bikini, the ambitious filmmaker aims to spread her knowledge on remote cultures, sustainability and the human ties that bring us all together. the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
text x jasmine mancos images courtesy of sarah lee small image x deborah koehn
Alison’s crazy cool mission grew out of her completely unique upbringing. Homeschooled around the globe by adventure photographer dad David Blehert and acclaimed yogi mom Deborah Koehn, Alison got her first taste of adventure at just two months old when the family skiied the highest peak in southern Peru. Traipsing to the most inaccessible corners of the globe with her parents and connecting with the indigenous people allowed her to “become part of an ever-growing global family.” After graduating from the film school at the University of Southern California, she used her experiences to produce and direct the internationally recognized films Rita and Snaked! And that was just the beginning. Alison continued to excel at every dimension of filmmaking, all leading up to the creation of her current pet project, Alison’s Adventures.
Alison’s Adventures, in her own words, is “dedicated to enlightening and educating the kid in everyone through entertainment that leads to action.” She believes that storytelling has long been the way of “passing on ancient wisdom” to
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the next generation, and this has inspired her throughout her entire life. Alison says that growing up, she didn’t know she “wasn’t normal.” After experiencing some undergrad normalcy she decided she wanted to share what she had seen, to share the “magic and mysteries of the cultures of the world” and encourage people to take action. And she leaves that action up to the viewer, a create-your-own adventure of sorts; talk to a stranger, buy a ticket to Morocco, or maybe just get out of the city and back to nature for the weekend.
Just like her parents, Alison is a pioneer in her own right. When she began Alison’s Adventures, she was literally a one woman team; writing, directing, producing, hosting and editing her journeys. Her team has since grown, but not by much. Sara Lee and Tamara Rosenfeld have joined, bringing up the count to three. Sara and Tamara are volunteers, just like everyone else who has helped with her videos across the globe. She has “traveled the world on the kindness and hospitality of a global family,” which truly highlights the universal appeal of her mission. She says that her pink the manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
51 surfboard opens doors, and this rings true; she has been able to connect with people across the world and has even filmed some unprecedented experiences. In one instance, she was accepted into a lost village in the Andes that had thrown stones at every other film crew that had tried to record their teachings. Pretty amazing, right? Alison’s legacy won’t just be her videos and stories. She is also deeply committed to sustainability and ecological consciousness. This is another trait passed down from her parents. Way before ‘green living’ became a trendy buzzword, her father David was charting unexplored territory in reducing his family’s carbon footprint. The family’s home base is a “Robinson Crusoe style grass shack” on the Big Island of Hawaii that they call their ‘Hale Kai’ (Ocean House). The house is completely powered off a solar grid her dad constructed, fueling all the kitchen appliances, washer and dryer, lights and power tools.
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53 David also converted his huge F350 truck to run off of recycled vegetable oil. The Hale Kai has an organic garden full of vegetables and tropical fruits, which the family naturally composts with their available waste.
Alison prefers to teach rather than preach, and encourages people to “dig deeper and ask questions.” Her parents raised her to see everything as part of the same story and really consider “what it’s coming from and where’s it going.”
Her surfboards are made from sustainable soy products, and her signature pink board is actually “green to the core.” She’s also an ambassador for Sustainable Surfs and helped develop their Waste to Waves program, which showcases the process of packaging waste being transformed into surfboards. The Odina Eco bikinis she lives in are an “epic combination of everything a girl could want in a bikini and they are made from 100% recycled materials.”
We have no doubt that Alison will leave a lasting mark on the world. With her passion for storytelling and education, her ability to connect people worldwide through her videos and her commitment to environmentalism, Alison is truly inspirational. It’s amazing how grounded she’s managed to remain, another legacy passed down from her parents. She told me her dad’s saying “stay wood,” or in other words, stay true to yourself. As Alison’s works continue to gain recognition, she says she is most interested in using the power that comes with fame to benefit her global family by remaining a voice of reason.
I’ll leave you with some advice Alison told me she would have liked to give her younger self: “Magic really does exist. Have fun and don’t care what people think of you. Respect your elders. Eat dark chocolate -- you’ll thank yourself later. And love is all there is. Love is not just what you say, it’s something you pass on.”
For more information on Alison’s Adventures, her past work, the causes she supports and the planet friendly brands she loves, check out alisonsadventures.com. Her videos are truly incredible, and you’ve got nothing to lose but a few minutes of your time.
The Bearded photography x sierra prescott modeled x matt klette
Inspiration: We were inspired by the non baby faced men of the world, the hairy, the less groomed... the bearded. This is our homage to bearded men.
An adventurer in the purest sense of the word, Matt Klette is a champion for social change. Currently at work on his first documentary, the L.A. based actor is a fiend for secret beaches and seldom hiked mountains.
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Jacket: models own, pants x mossimo; model’s own shirt
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jean jacket x Ralph Lauren pants x Levi’s, model’s own boots; model’s own shirt
Silentology
text x napua camarillo images x john oliveira
Now a days it feels like everyone’s completely sidelining photos (in Hawaii anyways) and making a full commitment to video but we still want those tasty stills that make the crew howl. So we asked “Silent John” Oliveira of APB skate shop to go on a skate adventure for us with his camera. His assignment? Photos that capture what being a Hawaii skater is like.
“Silent John” Oliveira is true to his name. And when asked to write something about the photos he responded with “typing and talking is one and the same. I’ll let the photos tell the story.” Always on a mission to get those photographs that make us double tap our screens on Instagram, Silent John likes to get those dreamy shots of skaters with that shallow depth of field. He says it “creates a magical look and is a bit more challenging to get a moving object in focus. It’s so awesome when you get it dialed in.” He went on to say, “In Hawaii, new spots are hard to come by so we’re always on the search.” For Silent John, being a Hawaii skater means great weather and good friends. We hope you enjoy what he’s captured as much as we did. You can follow him @Shizukanijohnny on Instagram.
Who’s in these shots: Kaikea Kimura, Conor Mcgivern (treevisions.com), with Elliot Saito and Mark Johnson, Miles Hanson, Ryan Ota, Shota Kubo with Kale Kaaikala (mokelife.com) and Chad Hiyakumoto (downwithapb.com)
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Want to contribute to our skate section? Email your ideas/story to TheManifoldMag@gmail.com and be sure to keep up with Travis Hancock’s weekly blog: Dispatches from Skater Island at TheManifoldMag.com
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“Talking and typing is one in the same
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63 for me. I let the pictures tell the story''
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65 Updates at TheManifoldMag.com
kevin franz interview x jermaine fletcher & napua camamrillo illustrations x kevin franz
Winner of our annual design contest, Kevin Franz talks to us about his art and style.
When we first stumbled upon Kevin Franz’s work through Tumblr we were charmed by his playful drawings and colorful depictions of heroic demon fighting characters. It made us want to be the hero of our own stories. Find out more about this young designer and why we hope his art will leave a legacy of it’s own.
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Age: 24 Medium: Mostly ink & watercolor Years in the field: Officially around 5 or so, unofficially as long as I can remember. Job: Sign artist and crew member for Trader Joe’s The Manifold: How did you get your start in art? Kevin Franz: I’ve been drawing and doodling as long as I can remember. My first art teacher when I was 4 or 5 would always tell my mom I was going to be an artist. TM: Who are you most influenced by in general and from an artistic standpoint? KF: In my daily life my parents, my older brother, my teachers, coworkers and friends all influence me. I can’t really pinpoint any one person who has impacted my life much greater than anyone else. If I had to pick I’d honestly say my mom and dad. I respect both of them so much for so many different things. Plus they both birthed and raised me so I guess that gets them some points too. For my art there isn’t really a specific person who influences me. I read a lot, I watch a lot of movies, listen to a lot of music and that’s more or less where I get a lot of my inspiration from. There is a lot of self reflection and just an overall collection and observation of daily life.
TM: Is there one piece of imagery that you are particularly proud of? If so why? KF: My work revolves around day-to-day life, at least as I see it and so none of them really stand out as a piece much more than
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any others. Some days will stand out more than others, but in the end it’s just another day and it’s just another drawing. TM: When you go onto KevinFranzIsAMonster.com you have a few different categories of illustrations. Tell us about each. The categories, for the most part, ended up being more for my sake than anything else. They don’t differ a whole lot outside of their actual imagery; the messages are more or less the same all over. “Adventures in Scribble Town” had actually started as being drawings or representations of people I’ve actually known or met and I was planning on making it a lot more in depth in their actual interactions in scribbletown as a real place, but as time went on I left most of the plot idea behind and just continued to make more disassociated drawings of regular(ish) people. “Year of the Monster” was my “drawing a day” project that really got me going more than any project I’ve done before. It was 365 drawings for 365 days all with the imagery of the generic monster character. It ended up being more of a illustrated diary more than anything. “Spooks” is just a category involving new, more elaborate monsters, ghosts, etc. “Robot parts” is the most recent one that involves, you guessed it, robots. That’s actuthe manifold magazine issue 5: legacy
ally the category I’ve been most excited about. We live in a very technological age meaning we are integrating technology more and more into every aspect of our lives. Years and years ago robots were such a generic science fiction-y idea, but in recent times they’ve become a reality in a lot of ways. This reality brings me to the point that I believe we can sympathize with technology and find our place in technology rather than finding technology’s place in our lives. TM: A lot of your illustrations have text. A lot of it inspiring, what motivates that? And on that note, which comes first, the image or the text? I see a lot of the text, especially the more inspirational of such, reminders to myself. They are things that I really want to or even need to hear at that given time. My characters are people that I want to be, doing things that I want to do. They’re drawn from things I read, see, or tell myself, what others have told me, or what I may have said to others. As for which comes first: it can go either way, I’ll usually have a general idea about what I want the drawing to be about and the words will become more solid based on the image. We just ran a story on a guy who did a different design for a year, and I see that you did something similar with your monster series? How hard was that and did you hit any hiccups?
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Yeah, about two years ago now I started the “Year of the Monster” series where I did a drawing every day for a year. It was hard at times, but after awhile it felt really natural to just keep going with it. There were nights where I came home late, came home drunk, fell asleep early, felt really sick, even went through surgery. There were days I really, really did not feel like drawing or talking about how I was feeling at that time, but I still managed to drag myself to my desk and do one, even if it was quick or lacking in quality I made myself do it. It got to the point where it just really didn’t feel right not to draw. This has ended up being a great practice for me though. Once you have a good momentum it is a lot easier to keep. Even if I don’t draw anything relevant or if I draw something I don’t think I need to post, at least I’m drawing, at least I keep going. Do you listen to music when you create? If so, who are you listening to right now? There’s always something going on, if not music then I at least have the TV (well, Netflix) on. The bands I’ve been listening to the most for the past month or so are Southtowne Lanes, Rookie Town, Sufjan Stevens, Free Throw, This Town Needs Guns, Bulldog Eyes and Broken Social Scene. I’ve been watching a lot of Adventure Time, bad horror movies and early 2000’s cartoons.
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What exactly inspires the youthful touch you put toward your art? It’s almost as if you’re drawing in a fantasy world. How do you go about entering your creative zone?
71 My art is my fantasy world. More and more I’ve been gravitating towards making things and people that I either wish I had in my life or wish I could, myself, be. Not that I don’t think I can be like my characters, but they are where I want to be. Like I said before, these are mostly reminders to myself. At least when it’s positive. If a piece ends up taking more of a negative approach it is more of a vent, a way to get something out and into a physical form. Legacy is the theme for this current issue of the magazine. What comes to your mind when you hear that word? In addition, are there any values or influences that you feel were handed down to you from your family or artistic predecessors that have shaped the artist you become and hope to be in the future? I already touched a bit on influence, but artistically I’ve taken a lot more from literature than I have any visual artist. My favorite authors are Kobo Abe, Franz Kafka, Kurt Vonnegut, CS Lewis, and Haruki Murakami. Our legacy is everything we have to leave behind. We live in very frail very temporary bodies, but what we do with our lives and what we create for those after us is our legacy. What we make is what we are and what we leave behind. All I really want to leave behind is something positive.
...By the Seashore photography x liza boone (www.lgrayphotography.com) styled x vanessa mancos @ DG Reps (www.VisforOlive.tumblr.com) hair/mua x phoebe dawson @ DG Reps, using Sigma Beauty (www.PhoebeDawson.com) modeled x india oxenberg
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Inspiration: A warm overcast day at the ocean... just when spring is about to hit full force. There’s still time to go get your feet wet and reflect on the new year before the whole beach is covered in towels and umbrellas.
L-R: (L)Sweater x BooHoo; Jeans x Mavi; Belt x Just Cavalli (R) Bikini Top x Giejo; Sweater x Quinn; Jeans x Mavi; Necklace x Garage Gypsy Jewelry; Belt x Rachel Comey
Bikini Top x Giejo; Shorts x Topshop; Sweater x Quinn
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On this page from L-R (first look) Tie-front shrug x Rachel Comey; Sweater x Quinn; Bikini Bottom x Giejo; Bracelets x LaRuche/Free People/H&M; Rings: Stylists’ own. (middle): Sweater x Quinn; T-shirt x Quinn; Shorts x BooHoo (last): Jumpsuit x BooHoo; Necklaces x American Apparel/H&M/LaRuche
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On the next page from L-R (first look): Sweater x Quinn; Bikini Bottom x Giejo, (middle) Bikini Top x Giejo; Shirt x Quinn; Pants x Quinn; Vest x Issa; Bracelets x Free People (last): Tie-front shrug x Rachel Comey; Sweater x Quinn; Bikini Bottom x Giejo; Bracelets x LaRuche/Free People/H&M; Ring: Stylists’ own
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last word Let it be the reminder of our flaws that push us forward Symbolic of perseverance with no borders Let it be our diligence that forces obstacles to yield Even when we doubt, let our dreams be our shield In the physical we are here only brief Souls become transparent although characters remain unique Comparisons don’t heal and our crafts are one-of-a-kind Through us being us, we inevitably shine So as long as we stay at it, time and time again Our prints are forever marked on this great earth’s skin Legacy
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text x jermaine fletcher
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the manifold magazine create. submit. expose.
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photo x jonathan “skillet� brousseau