RD: When did you start painting? Graffiti? Tattooing??

Mike Giant: I've been drawing and painting since I could hold a pen. I started writing graffiti fresh out of high school, in 1989. I started tattooing in 1998.

RD: Where are you from??

Mike Giant: I live in Albuquerque, New Mexico. My family moved here in 1979 from upstate New York. I grew up here, and moved to San Francisco in 1993. I lived in the Bay Area for 10 years, then came back here to settle down in 2003. I love it here.

RD: Main art influences??

Mike Giant: Commercial illustration and lettering from the 1890s to 1920s is a big influence. Artists who's work I admire: Aubrey Beardsley, Alphonse Mucha, Charles Burns, Alberto Vargas, Jean Auguste Dominique Ingres, Kara Walker, Wes Lang, John Copeland, Mike Davis, James Marshall, Doug Cunningham, Arnau Alemany, and Ed Hardy among others.

RD: Do you have to get in the "zone" to paint, or do you just jump right into it??

Mike Giant: To go out and write graffiti, especially at home, I have to be in the zone. I get more pumped to bomb streets when I'm in big foreign cities, which is pretty often luckily. As for drawing, I'm always in that zone because I draw every day. Sometimes the creative process rolls smoothly, and other days I'm pulling out my hair. Either way, I've always got a lot of things to draw so I just push right through the difficult times.

RD: What kind of Music do you listen to??

Mike Giant: Everything from classic rock to dub to house to hip hop. Right now I'm listening to the new Nebula album. The new Sepultura was on before that. And I warmed up this morning with a mix album called Ambient Luxe and a few bong hits.

RD: How did you develop your style??

Mike Giant: It's just an expression of my influences and lifestyle. It's not something that's conscious. I just draw in a way that feels right.

RD: Do you have any crazy art gallery moments??

Mike Giant: Not really. The gallery scene is pretty tame.

RD: What's your biggest accomplishment in terms of Art??

Mike Giant: No one thing stands out. I've had so many amazing projects thrown at me at this point that I couldn't narrow it down to just one thing.

RD: Do people ever send you pictures of tattoos of your work??

Mike Giant: Yes. Sometimes they look great. Sometimes they're horrible.

RD: How has tattooing affected your Graffiti and Vice Versa??

Mike Giant: They're distinctly different worlds to me. I have many friends that tattoo and write, but I don't think one thing has much to do with the other. I think a lot of men and women that aren't down with the status quo are attracted to the outsider qualities inherent in tattoo and graffiti cultures. The similarities are based on mentality more than anything visual.

RD: What do you think of porn??

Mike Giant: I enjoy porn. I'm all for watching sex, as long as it appears as though everyone involved is having fun. I don't like to see people getting hurt. I don't find violence entertaining. Sex can be quite entertaining though.

RD: What kind of girls are you into??

Mike Giant: I love girls, all kinds of girls. I'm attracted to the way a girl talks. The way a girl laughs. The way a girl can catch me staring at her ass and just smile. I have fucked so many beautiful women of every size and shape, and all of them have taught me the greatest things in life. Nothing but love for the ladies.

RD: Do you have any "art groupies"??

Mike Giant: I sure don't think so. But as a single man, I don't care so much what angle a girl is coming from. I don't departmentalize the various ways I meet girls. I try to consciously leave it up to the flow of the moment.

RD: Any Crazy Sexual Exploits to brag about??

Mike Giant: I don't think I've done anything that we haven't already been doing since the beginning of human history. I feel like I still have a lot to learn sexually, and spiritually, and I'm eager to learn more. I'm especially interested in finding a partner that I can help me learn more about how to synthesize sex and meditation practice. I feel like the energy in sex is the same base creative energy that all life springs from, and I'm interested in knowing more about that. I'm searching for "truth" and "reality" in this life, and I know sex has the potential to remove the veil of our false perceptions.

RD: What do you think of razordolls.com??

Mike Giant: Cute girls with tattoos? That's a no brainer. I dig it.

RD: Who's your favorite razordoll??

Mike Giant: If I had to choose from just a photo, which is the case here, I'd choose Adrianne. But, she could be a total bitch, or the sweetest girl in the world, and I wouldn't know.

RD: Do you think Porn will ever be an accepted art form??

Mike Giant: It already is. Many artists today are showing work that is intended to make the viewer horny. That's pornography by definition in my mind.

RD: What upcoming artists should we look out for??

Mike Giant: My buddy Usugrow from Japan rules. Check his shit out. Usugrow.com.

RD: Do you like Horror Movies? If so Whats your Favorite??

Mike Giant: Can't watch that stuff. I practice Buddhist meditation, and I'm quite aware of the things in my mind that cause me suffering. I believe all the information in my mind is subject matter for the rambling noise of internal conversation going on constantly at various levels of my consciousness. I don't find merit in visions of malicious violence between human beings, so I try to limit my consumption of such things.

RD: What's your opinion on the art scene today??

Mike Giant: It's working out just fine for me. No complaints. I wish more gallery owners had their shit together. I'm showing in better spaces now, run by competent folks. But I've put in years working with art crooks and slackers.

RD: What would you say is the biggest problem with society today??

Mike Giant: Apathy. In many ways, the American form of capitalism has made slaves of many of us. I recognize that and consciously fight against it. I evade taxes whenever possible by doing cash business and trades for goods I regularly need. I choose to not eat meat or smoke cigarettes because I would rather not support those industries. I drive as little as possible for the same reason. Cars are evil. Bicycles are here to save the human race. Go get one.

RD: Anything you want to plug, do it here: ??

Mike Giant: www.mikegiant.com and www.rebel8.com