1. Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm afraid it will just bore you, but here it goes: My name is Justin Kamerer. I'm 23 & from Louisville, KY. I've got a band, I am a web designer by day and do art by night. Ooooh... so exciting. ...only not.

2. What inspired you to become and artist?
I don't know if anything initially made me go "Hey Pa, I'm gonna be an artist!", but I've always loved comic books, cartoons & animated movies. For a while, I wanted to be a comic-book artist, but realized that I don't have the patience for sequential art.

3. Who and/or what are your inspirations as an artist?
Life. Ok Ok. That's a lame answer. Music is what inspires me most. Without it, I can't function. Even checking my email without music is pretty strange for me. As far as inspiring artists go, that can change from week to week. Anyone's work who can make me think, "why the hell do I even bother?!" is inspiring. Thanks to message boards and art communities like DeviantArt, I can see a lot of new work that makes me push a little harder.

People who have done this in the past are Jhonen Vasquez, Frank Kozik, Egon Scheile, David Carson, Derek Hess, Todd McFarline, Sam Keith, Dale Keown, Stan Lee and Erik Larsen in his spiderman days

4. What are you opinions on art as an expression and art made to just look pretty?
I think any art that causes a reaction is 'art as an expression'. I don't think you have to make a statement with every single piece. As long as it strikes someone as clever, you're good to go. With some of my pieces, I'm not 'saying' a whole lot at all. What can you really say when you're drawing marionette skeletons, bunnies with chainsaws, gremlins, robots on stilts, etc. Though, I've usually got something more personal invested that I'm not really bringing to the surface.

Sometimes expressions just aren't pretty. I personally don't care for drawings of flowers or Monet landscapes, but it all has it's place.

I'm not sure if I answered you. In summary, I think that most things that cause a reaction (of any sort) are art

5. What things do you do to try and push your self father as an artist?
Get intimidated. I'm terrified of being stuck in a rut. I'm terrified of being compared to someone or labeled as a certain type of style. I want to be flexible and try to approach things in a new way or just do something I've not done before. I'm about to start a series of small screen prints on materials like woodblocks and tile for a 'fine art' sort of result instead of just doing shirt designs or poster art.

6. You mix traditional media types with digital media types, how did that come about?
First and foremost, I've always drawn. I think it's important to have a foundation of natural media to open your mind a little when you get to the digital platform. It helps with problem-solving and depending on the project, it can provide a more fluid result.

I've always loved album art, flyers, posters, etc. I wanted (and still want) to be a part of that and realized that I needed to pay attention to the design side after I found myself playing with photocopiers late one night trying to make 'cool' packaging for a really bad tape an old band of mine had

7. What are your views on current art communities and where they are headed?
I think that the intent is really good. It's great to see so many people producing and so much encouragement thrive in online communities, but depending on what you're looking for, you might end up unsatisfied when it comes to constructive criticism. There are a lot of learning artists out there trying to get better, but it can be tough to retain an individual style when entrenching yourself in a community where people are doing similar art. This happens in classroom situations just as much.

8. How did you get into mixing traditional styles with digital?
Is this the same question as #5?

9. What does the future hold for your website and artwork?
I'm working on a redesign. I've had a little trouble juggling jobs and overbooking myself so when I've had the free time recently, I've been working on art for other people. Hopefully, I can get this under control and work in some time to finish my redesign, launch my e-store thing and get back to making more art.

I'm doing a series of pictures this winter for friends. I'm trying to get used to giving away originals and pushing myself to do some 'cuter' drawings that aren't all splatters and gristle. Paintings, watercolors and screen printing are on the way. I'm working with my girlfriend's mother on ideas for a children's book. They will either be illustrations of some of the old Grimm's Fairy Tales or something in that vein. I thought that the suggestion was exciting. In brainstorming for that, I've also thought about doing some religious-themed art. Other than that, I've got my band's website I'm trying to get some ideas together for.

10. Lastly thanks for doing the interview, any thing you would like to add?
I've got a lot of friends who support my hermit-like existence and continue to support me in spite of it. I appreciate them a lot.