Have you ever seen a t-shirt that made you Screeeeaaaam? Well there's a dope t-shirt company by the name of "Dance Party Massacre". Alex Dakoulas, the creator and "mad scientist" of the company. Who went on a journey sort of like mine on how he got started making his haunted tee's. After seeing the line, why not inquire a interview for "Antique Flyness", and Alex was ready and up for it. So here is how the interview went.
Alex Dakoulas
- AF-How did you get started with your company?
AD-I am a graphic designer and during school I started printing up t-shirts with designs on them. They caught on and I wanted to start up a conceptual line where all the designs related. Before Dance Party Massacre a lot of my stuff was random - AF-Who came up with the name?
AD-Myself. It's a great wordplay on the fun horror aspect of the line. It's derived from 80s slasher movies like Slumber Party Massacre, a film genre which greatly influenced the start of the line. - AF-What made you decide to do t-shirts?
AD-I've liked t-shirt for a while because of how universal they are. They're like a blank canvas and whatever you put on it changes who it's for. It's also cool to see your art worn around as opposed to hanging up. - AF-What are your inspirations, for the tee's?
AD-Definitely horror movies and horror themes/elements, but I try to give them a fun twist to make them less morbid. Giving horror imagery a playful edge is the direction of the line, and there's a large pool of ideas and themes to draw on that I hope to use as time progresses. - AF-Are you meant to scare people with your line? lol
AD-Ha, no not really. While it's visually "scary" or "horrific", I wanted something that would make a statement, that people would notice. Sometimes I think it turns people away, but I hope just as many people will love it as well. The opposition to the horror/deathly imagery is the reminder that we need to live, because these things exist. - AF-I love the WOLVES VS. WEREWOLVES tee, who came up with the ideal or design?
AD-Ha, thanks! Well, I basically run Dance Party Massacre by myself, so all ideas have come from myself. I wanted to take the current ironicness of indie kids wearing wolf shirts and give it another ironic twist that fit into DPM.
- AF-What other items will be available in the future?
AD-We've done bandannas, and I hope to do those again soon, but with custom product. We also printed on a sweatshirt crew neck for the last release, and I hope come summer we can do a tank-top or other warm-weather piece. - AF-What advice would you give someone who wanted to start there own t-shirt business?
AD-Think really hard if it's worth the time/money, because the market is saturated and the economy is going kerplunk. Do it because you love it. Don't do it to become a millionaire. - AF-I always ask the people I interview, What does it mean to be "Fly"?
AD-Being fly is doing your own thing. Followers are not considered cool, but rather it's the people who make their own style that stand out and are respected.
- AF-Last but not least, what are some words of encouragement? for a up and coming designer like me? and for my viewers?
AD-If you have talent, people will respect that. Financial success does not equal personal success, so if you're making something great you're be doing something right. You'll always have that to keep you going.
So there you have it, another fly interview from "Antique Flyness". Thank You Alex, I hope what you said inspires people to fulfill there dreams like you and I do. Be on look outs for some "Fly Fits" featuring Dance Party Massacre tee's. In the mean while go check out the scary site, www.dancepartymassacre.com.
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