We're so thrilled to announce the latest in our Tiki Designer Series: Doug P'Gosh's Ol' Scratch Tiki Mug.
Barrel into tiki hell with this punchbowl-sized mug, available in three devilish designs. Each package also comes with a limited letterpress cocktail card, devised by Mattias Soberon and designed by Gabe Chicoine.
Red - Approx 7.25" Tall. 32oz. Art by Doug P'Gosh. Sculpt by Tufan Sezer. $49.
Black - Approx 7.25" Tall. 32oz. Art by Doug P'Gosh. Sculpt by Tufan Sezer. $49.
Orange - Approx 7.25" Tall. 32oz. Art by Doug P'Gosh. Sculpt by Tufan Sezer. $49.
The letterpress cocktail card is limited to just 2000, so make sure you scoop up your tiki today.
And, as an added bonus, we also talked to the artist and designer Doug P'Gosh (Retro-A-Go-Go) about tiki culture, his style, and favorite dives.
Mondo: What was your initial introduction to the world of tiki?
DP: Tiki has been a part of life as far back as I can remember. My dad was in the Air Force and served overseas during the Korean War. We had a bar in our basement (standard for homes built in the 1950’s and 60's) and the bar was decorated with tikis, bamboo and other accoutrements from my Dad’s travels. I remember there were match books and swizzle sticks from bars my parents had visited in there, too. My imagination ran wild with what it would be like to visit one of those exotic spots. I didn’t know at the time that those places were already long gone.
Mondo: What will be the first cocktail you make to drink out of the Ol' Scratch Tiki Mug?
DP: As long as it has plenty of rum and a fire in it, I’ll be good! But it’s gotta have fire!
Mondo: Can you give us a brief history of your art career?
DP: I’ve always been into art, from as early as I could hold a paint brush or crayon. I stuck with it throughout grade school, high school and eventually graduated from The American Academy of Art in Chicago. I did the corporate art thing for about 15 years, working on many, many licensed products from companies including Disney, Warner Brothers, Marvel, Mattel and properties including Harry Potter, Star Trek, It’s a Wonderful Life, Rudolph, Classic Disney and The Wizard of Oz.
Meanwhile, my wife had started her own gift and decor business, Retro-a-go-go! It grew to a point that I had to quit my corporate job and joined her team full time. That was about 10 years ago. In my spare time, I also started painting for my own enjoyment, mostly pop-culture-related subjects and pop surrealism. I’ve shown in quite a few group shows and galleries and have created a bit of a following with my work. Eventually I hope to switch to painting full time. But right now, Retro-a-go-go! needs me and I’m still having fun creating stuff I love, like our Ghoulsville line of giant 3-D wall decor, Mini Monsters and Tiny Terrors. There’s still lots to make!
Mondo: Where do you call home? Was there much of a tiki scene there?
DP: We moved a few years ago to a small town in Central Michigan -- too small for a tiki scene! However about 90 minutes away is Grand Rapids and one of the all time greatest (and also newest) tiki bars has opened recently: Max’s South Seas Hideaway. Two floors of amazing tiki-packed with eye melting art and decor. Great drinks. Great food. Well worth the trip wherever you are coming from.
Mondo: Is Max's your favorite spot?
DP: As mentioned above, Max’s is my new fave. When in Vegas for trade shows, Frankie's and The Golden Tiki are stand outs.
Mondo: Favorite Tiki Drink?
DP: Mai Tai at the Bali Hai on Shelter Island in San Diego. A great drink after working a booth all day at Comic Con.
Mondo: What's your all-time favorite mug design?
DP: It’s gotta be the Ren Clark Severed Head. It appeals to my love of mixing tiki with creepy. It’s from the first wave of tiki bars and, in-person, it’s cooler than any photos I’ve seen online. Sure, it’s not a classic tiki shape - but you asked!
Mondo: What mediums do you work in and what are your favorites?
DP: I have two styles I tend to bounce back and forth between: traditional painting in acrylic with brush on illustration board and a more drawing-based, mixed media approach that I like to use for capturing likenesses.
I mix a tight pencil drawing with loose colors and airbrush. There’s lots of happy accidents and surprises. The traditional brush approach is more methodical and is a bit like planning and building a house. You have to go step by step or it doesn’t hold up in the end. I don’t like to stick with just one approach. I use the one that will work best for the painting I’m planning on creating.
Check out Doug's personal art work on his site and more of his design work at Retro-A-Go-Go. You can also follow his latest on Instagram @dougpgosh.
