DESIGN, ART DIRECTION

In addition to art directing and managing our MobyFox smartwatch product portfolio, I occasionally still get the chance to dirty my hands, so to speak, and design products.

For this pair of smartwatch bands, I wanted to create designs that celebrated the 1970s and '80s era of Marvel comics. Those books were formative childhood staples for me, with much of my youth spent pawing through dusty crates in comic shops or poring over artwork by the likes of John Romita Sr., John Buscema, Walt Simonson, and others. But I wanted to do more than just create another retro-inspired product. For these original designs, I took inspiration from the Marvel black light posters produced by Third Eye, Inc. in the 1970s. The company had taken Marvel artwork and re-printed them larger, in bold neon inks meant to glow when shown under black lights, a staple of many college dorm rooms of the era. Those acid-bright colorways and commitment to wild comic-book visuals drove my design decisions on both a Captain America band and a Spider-Man version. In producing these designs, I chose Pantone neon inks and silicone colors that would yield fashionable, wearable products while also capturing that black light party vibe.