INDUSTRY
HEMISPHERESMAGAZINE.COM
•
NOVEMBER 2012
81
IN AN INDUSTRIAL POCKET OF DOWNTOWN L.A.,
a ta oo artist by the name of Mr. Cartoon admin-
isters his empire. It occupies several buildings
fronted by steel garage doors, behindwhich resides
a small fortune in customized cars. Adorned with
bespoke art in the front and fi edwith hydraulics
in the rear, most of them date back to the 1960s
and all are shinier than the day they were made.
Upstairs, in a cozy studio, Cartoon ta oos clients
like Snoop Dogg, Justin Timberlake and Beyoncé.
His address and phone number are unlisted, and
for non-celebrities the waiting list can be six months long. “When somebody comes in for an appointment, I
congratulatehim,” says the 5-foot-5 artist, who sports a shavedheadandmanicuredgoatee. “Hehad towork for it.”
Ta ooing is whatmade the 43-year-old Cartoon (bornMarkMachado) initially famous, but he has leveraged
that into something far greater. Working with photographer Estevan Oriol and marketing man Mark Suroff,
Cartoon formedSAStudiosGlobal, whichdoes advertising, marketing, event planning andproduct development
for clients that includeMetro PCS, Vans, Nike andDiesel. Earlier this year, he designed both a wristwatch and,
unlikely as it sounds, a cologne for a fashion house. His own artwork, in the form of a tricked-out ice cream
truck, has been exhibited at the Los Angeles Museum of Contemporary Art.
For his next act, Mr. Cartoon is teaming upwithA icus Firey—formerly the president andCOOofMeguiar’s,
one of the world’s largest makers of car-care products—to launch Sanctiond Automotive, a line of washes and
waxes. Meant to upend a $2.2 billion segment of the car-care industry, the venture promises to
INK INC.
HOWAN L.A. TATTOOARTIST BECAME
CORPORATE AMERICA
’
S GO-TOGUY
FOR THE URBANMARKET
BYMICHAEL KAPLAN
