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1. I have followed your art work for like the past year and a half and love what you do. You have such a wild imagination. I really enjoy how all your characters seem to be a part of one big world. It’s great how you give a little story that goes along with each character or characters you paint. So, what comes first. The story about the characters or the characters themselves?

Most of what I do it’s the art that comes first - rarely does a character idea develop in words before the art - for my toys its more thought out , such as the Stitch Kittens - I thought about what would be a cool line of plush toys that most people would enjoy - well most people love kittens , and I’ve never seen them all strange yet cute - so that there made me think it was perfect- now this idea like all of my ideas , isn’t a long developed idea - or something well thought out over the years - all of my ideas just come to me quickly and I get them out just as fast - I love to create , it feels good to add more artistic unusual things into the world , rather then destroy and want to consume negative things - such as toxins for the mind , body and soul

2. I first noticed your work on Ebay. It really inspired me to get off my lazy ass and get some work done. I followed you, Blinky, and Kettle and was just so driven to get my work out there just like you guys did. I think Ebay is an awesome “testing” ground to see if what we created can really sell. I believe you have totally mastered the power of Ebay man. There is not a day that I have seen that you can’t go on Ebay and do a search for Gus Fink and something not pop up. I think it’s awesome. What is it that keeps you coming back to Ebay and how do you think Ebay has helped in your success??

I love eBay - I remember the first time I seen what it was all about - my friend showed me how much his wrestling figures were going for, and I loved the concept that these random people he never met were bidding his things up to who knows what - at the time I was obsessed with drawing and making art - I knew it was hard for artists to make a living , but I was driven to do it - my first attempts didn’t do me too good - but then I saw where my mistakes were and I fixed them and figured out my own little system - Ebay has opened many doors for me - I’ve met Very successful people from it - such as one of the heads of Cartoon Network who has collected a bunch of my works - as well as many others in the Entertainment business - I’ve also made friendships with many of my collectors - Ebay to me is a way of Advertising my Art , but not paying for it , instead I get paid to advertise! Imagine that! I love to put up quick ideas and see them get quick attention - Ebay always fascinated me and it probably always will - You get to put something, almost anything up for sale and see what the World thinks it’s worth - rather then Putting high prices on it in a gallery , or saying this is what its worth - on Ebay that’s what it’s worth at the time , least to the people who see it

3. You style is very unique. I have been trying to figure out what is your central medium. What is your weapon of choice??? Watercolor?? Pencil?? Acrylic???

haha , I use everything! and I love to try new things out - just today I bought my first wood cutting tools - and wood blocks - I realized its a slow medium and that isn’t attractive to me - I like to be quick, as I think quickly and like things to be fast my range is very wide and usually I just place a bunch of random things all over - so that when I feel like creating I can just grab whatever is close by - I’m often so lazy , or so time thrifty that I wont sharpen pencils or look for better brushes/colors, just because I’d rather get out the idea, pour out the creative flow that’s inside - but yes I’ve used Pencils, Oils, Acrylics, Watercolors, Markers, Colored Pencils, Crayons, the back of paint brushes , white out , paint markers , gel markers , folk paint , house paint, china markers, inks, oil sticks, pastels - and so on and so on -

4. I noticed a book you illustrated titled 13 Thorns written by Gina Ranalli. Did you enjoy doing illustration to someone else’s tales?? That must have been pretty cool. Have you done and other illustration work for any ; other books out there???

Actually I Co-Wrote that book too - every idea in the Book was mine - but I don’t like to write out for a long time , so Gina took my quick ideas (like a decent sized Ebay art story I do) and she fleshed them out more with much more details - then sent them to me for my approval - besides that book I’ve Done my own Illustration for comics , and am currently working on Children’s Books that I’ve wrote and will Illustrate too - I’ve also done a Graphic Novel that was written by Chris Reilly , its called “the Trouble With Igor”

5. When can we expect to see a Gus Fink film??? Have you ever thought about making an animated series or maybe even a stop motion film?

I got a good idea at the gym today to make into a easy low budget film - but I gotta ask the guy I saw who inspired it, if he wants to star in a short film - I’ve been talking to Cartoon Network about a series, they Love my stuff - but since I have no experience the ones who wear the Suits didn’t want to move forward - I still want to talk with other companies and hope my Toy Lines will inspire many of them to want to do Animated Series and or films - I’m loaded with good ideas, and am just waiting for the right people to come to me -

6. I know when I was younger I always got in trouble in school for drawing on my homework, tests, and class assignments. I also remember in taking art classes in school, I was always “reminded” that drawing monsters and cartoons wasn’t “real” art and I would never make it anywhere drawing monsters all the time. When you were growing up did you face similar situations as a kid/teen?? P.S. My old art teachers can kiss my ass now! LOL. Suckers!

Yah I’m very anti-schooling - and I will explain why - when I was in school I didn’t care about history or social studies - I didn’t care about English or science - Science always changes, what they say now will change in 50 years, as what they saw now was different 50 years ago - with History the text books are different in Pennsylvania then they are in Texas - and with English , I have bad grammar and never read a full novel, yet worked on my own - what School Does is trains us to become robotic slaves in a sense - it programs us to get used to the 40 hour work week that the masses get into after school , and homework is to program you to go beyond those set hours - to do what you need just to keep the job - it sets us up in a bad socialist system where we Label everyone ,and feel the need to pick a label that best fits us , or they pick a label for us - Art Schools and Art classes (Mostly) just tell you to copy from what exist - copy styles , copy from life - and when you do something true and original, they say “That’s not Real Art” this is real art - yet those teachers are mostly failed artist themselves - if you want to teach art, teach Creativity and thinking outside the Bubble - if you can teach that, then do! I could go on and on, but I think I let out most of how I feel when it comes to school - there is positive things about it, but its not for people who think outside the norm, its not for those who have an inner knowledge and need to move forward on that, rather then what is being forced onto them to learn -

7. You have recently come out with some really cool ass toys. The Boogily Heads and The Stitch Kittens. They blow my mind. When I heard about you getting into the toy biz I was puzzled about how you would go about making your drawings into 3d figures. They look amazing and I think it is a great accomplishment as an artist. How did you go about getting into the toy side of things? Were you approached by the company or did you approach them about the idea??

well what I did is several things , 1 - I figured out how to sculpt , this helps amazingly! 2 -I got my own prototypes made up - having this is also a huge key towards getting your own toys - 3- I did approach people that I’ve met while doing my thing - one of them collected lots of my art and after 4 years we figured out how to collaborate on doing many many cool toy lines- this year as far as I know , I will have the most created characters into toys , as well as most toy lines by an Independent artist - (so I’m not including Walt Disney and that sort of deal, but he didn’t create Snow White or those characters anyway) the lines include Boogily Heads (which its 4th series is being worked on now) Boogily Bunnies (10 inch odd looking plush bunnies) Stitch Kittens (7 inch Plush toys) all of the above came out in 2007 - and they all include mini comics that I’ve written and illustrated -with posters on the back - in 2008 the new toy lines are Puff Puppies and Bright Eyed Girls - also Keychain versions of the kittens and Bunnies and many other things based on my designs -

8. Its now 2008. What can we expect from Mr. Finkle stein in 2008??

well besides the Puff Puppies and the Bright Eyed Girls (Which I’m SOOOO excited about) you can expect to see my first Children’s Book - a good clothing Line - MANY MANY PAINTINGS! Boogily Heads Series 4 and 5 (maybe more) my own Catalog of toys - a full length CD of music I made and lots of surprises that some of which I don’t even know about

9. I know Myspace and Flickr have been great tools to get me out there in the world and into some really cool shows. Do you believe sites like Myspace and Flickr are good tools to use for exposure??

I haven’t used Flickr much, but Yeah I think all and any site that you use where people check out is a great tool to use to help you get your work out there - the internet is where it’s at for easily getting out into the world without ever traveling

10. This question I think gets asked in every artist interview so….here it goes. What advice would you have to new, talented, artists just starting out in the biz???

good question - I found its best to find your own way - not only that, but also your own style - if you can do these 2 things you will succeed in a MAJOR way - when you copy what others have done its not your own experience , so when you fail by doing what others succeed in, than you feel more let down and give up easier - NEVER GIVE UP! also Believe in your work , Believe in Your Self - I’ve already convinced other Artist to Quit their day job and become a full time artist - 1 of them did amazing after me pushing him for 6 months - His name is Jesse Reno and he’s doing great on his own , he found his own method, and he has his own style - what works for him might not work for anyone else , and what works for me doesn’t necessary work for him - it’s good if you can be these 2 things too - Productive and Profitable - so if you only make 5 painting s a month and they cost you $900 in supplies to make them - unless you find a way to sell those for Big Money on a consistent basis - then your chances of making it are very slim - when I started out I sold some work for cheap - but it still felt good for me to know people would pay money for what I created - its a great feeling when you start out! it starts the fire burning

11. Ok. Last question. What would you say is the biggest driving factor that keep you working. You make more art work that any person I have ever seen. It’s just amazing and really makes me feel like a lazy bum. Where do you find the time and energy to keep it going?

Ambition and the fire within - it’s something you either got or you don’t - the Cool thing is, we all have it - you just got to find the switch inside yourself - being productive is addictive - and it grows and grows like a tree - I started off poor as it gets - but I had goals and dreams to accomplish so I had to work more, to get better, to evolve as an artist - the way I work is unlike most others - I don’t constantly create work, yet in some ways I am always working as an artist - if you think, dream, and feel like an artist 24/7 - then you don’t feel like you’re working - you feel as if you are just doing what you do naturally - so I might go to the gym and get an idea- I’ll then ask to borrow a pen and I’ll snag a piece of paper, that isn’t only an idea , but later I will finish it and sell it - I could always repaint or redraw that idea , but usually I don’t - I just am glad to get it out there - my work has lots of childhood spirit inside, it has primitive nature inside, and some crudeness - but with all that said, it also has something about it that isn’t amateur - that’s an important aspect that turns quick doodles into a sellable work of real Art - I feel the future of Art is more about the Artist selling you their work , rather then many middle men including galleries - that doesn’t mean you should eliminate the gallery - but you should use every and any way available to you - that way you get all sorts of surprises and goodies