Totally Stockholm 1
The writing’s on the wall You might not be famili
ar with Martin Ander’s name, but you’re certainly familiar with his work. As Mander, his illustrations can be found on skateboards, concert posters and in record stores in Stockholm and in other cities around the world. Starting out in the Stockholm skate and graffiti scene in the late 80s and 90s, Martin Ander has produced designs for skateboards, tour posters and record sleeves for the likes of Fever Ray, Håkan Hellström and many more. He now has a book on the way. OUFF! is a compilation of some of the best examples of Ander’s work, and we caught up with him to talk about it and his career to date. words: Austin Maloney When you were growing up, how did you get interested in illustration? I kind of grew into it. I’ve always been interested in drawing and art. My dad was an illustrator, so I knew that it could be a job. You’ve spoken about being surrounded by comics as a kid. Do you think they influenced your style? Absolutely, you can see traces of all the comics I read as a child in my work. How would you describe the skate and graffiti scene in Stockholm when you started out in it? I started skating and became interested in graffiti in the mid-80s, when the second wave of skateboarding was booming and the first wave of graffiti hit Sweden, it was an exciting time. Exploring the city, looking for skate spots and memorising graffiti pieces, I didn’t start painting myself until the early 90s. 16 Photo: Hilda Ander