“What Is okPANTS?”

Illustrator. BRANDING. Graphic designer. Artist. COMEDIAN.

My nickname is Pants, a name bestowed upon me ~25 years ago at art school. The name followed me into the real world where I cut my teeth at a string of day jobs in the publishing and music industries as an illustrator and graphic designer. Adults that paid me money called me Pants, at that point I figured I was Pants for life.

In 2008, out of a sense that I owed more to myself as an artist than to the whims of employers; I waved good-bye to salaried day jobs and went freelance full-time. In an effort to launch a simple and unique URL to host my design portfolio, I secured “okpants.com”. 

A name should be the least interesting part about you. It’s what you create and how you connect with people that matter.

I would love to tell you there’s a deeper meaning there behind the name but that would be lying. It folds my nickname into it and that’s about it. I did not spend days and weeks crowdsourcing opinions on it. I made the decision and marched forward with it. I knew it worked.

To that end okPANTS spells out my philosophy on art, branding and design: Keep it bold, simple and in such a place that they’re intrigued to learn more.

That’s been my approach since day one and it’s not changing any time soon.

Photo: Casey Rearick

FEATURED CLIENTS

Epic Games
Cleveland Cavaliers
Matt Braunger
Josh Gondelman
Kyle Kinane
Patton Oswalt
Island Records
Cleveland Marathon

Hasan Minhaj
Wyatt Cenac
Fall Out Boy
Complex Magazine
New Times Publishing
American Greetings
Condado Tacos