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How did this collaboration with DODOcase come about?
"I am contacted every once in a while about working on a collaboration, but most people just want to reuse the Ork designs and just slap them onto Product XYZ. Since the beginning, it has been my prerogative to keep the Ork maps protected as wall art and not let them become logos or ‘stock images’ by putting them on just any and every product out there. I’ve never done any sort of Ork related product or off-shoot of the designs. So when DODOcase approached me, I responded with a scripted, 'No, but thank you for asking.' But they replied again, clarifying that they were interested in a new and collaborative design for the case, maybe related to the Ork designs or maybe not, and I learned a bit more about exactly what kind of a company they were. The quality product, the hands-on nature of manufacturing and the attitude of the business partners aligns so well with what Ork Posters stands for. I got to see it first hand when I went out to visit the DODOcase headquarters. And the people there were so great to work with!"
What was the concept behind the case?
"We decided the Ork DODOcase had to be very San Fran-focused, literary-related, either historical or present day, and we had to make sure it was visually interesting because, at the end of the day, the case is going to be something you look at over and over."
Do you think S.F.'s literary history is often forgotten?
"Maybe it is sometimes over-looked, but I would hope that through pieces like this we can help to make sure it's not forgotten. While I'm not going to pretend I'm an expert on Bay Area literary history, there certainly was a whole lot that I learned during this project that I suspect most San Franciscans are unaware of, as well. Generally, if you're interested in that information, you'll seek it out, but I don't think it hurts to hand it to people in a new form like on the Ork DODOcase. Most designers would dub the purpose of an iPad case design to be decorative, but why not make it informative, too? That same equation—decoration plus information—has given such success to our neighborhood posters."
Who is your favorite literary icon in San Francisco?
"I like short and sweet, so I'm drawn to the poetry of George Sterling. I don't think anyone's coined a better description of San Francisco since he dubbed it "The cool, grey city of love."