HELLOFREAKS
Hellofreaks is a French design studio led by illustrator/designer/motionographer Jerome Castro. In one word, Hellofreaks is illmotiontypographicalstation… Upon initial research of Hellofreaks starting at the site, I was automatically struck by the original type and logo work, stamped in thick saturated pantones. One cannot help but be amused with the aesthetic and livelihood Hellofreaks brings about: Jerome is obsessed with hand drawn lettering and typography, wrapped and fused with clowns and wrestlers gone hyphy. What leaves the biggest impression is the wholeness of the style, and the artist’s ability to tackle such consistency in his motion works.
Interview by Josh Couto
What got you into logotypes and lettering?
I came into typography and logo kind of naturally. I have a strong attraction for early century poster design. Propaganda posters are very much based on typography and strong graphics.
Logo design is a good exercise, because it needs to say so much with a simple shape or graphic element! Well at least it’s supposed to.
Walk me through your studio, and tell me if you are organized or messy… how is that translated into your work?
[Laughs] Oh, the dark side. Well, when I am in a heavy working period, I can go deep into the mess. I don’t really notice, but I can open ten books, leave them there, coffee mugs all around the desk… and then at some point I just can’t stand it anymore and I have to clean the whole thing!
It’s also somewhat a new starting point. When I get sucked into work, I start cleaning my desk and it gives me a break. I get everything off, sometimes clean the whole office and then I can see clearer in my work, and go into some other directions.
But I think I need some “visual mess” – colors, little things in my vision field, like books, CDs, toys… I wouldn’t be able to work in a clean white room.
