SELL OUT, Who Me!

I love fain mail and every so often I get people sending my little notes of appreciation and then I got this one. I thought about it, and had really never considered my self as a sell out. I mean I could have a bullshit job where I work for someone else and clock in and clock out and am fully dependent on the wage I am given in a job I hate and for people I don't like. Trapped under the rules of bullshit to just make ends meet. I recently made a tweet that I had been hired by Red Wolf Vodka to rebrand the company and it's very own product. I am very stoked about this,

ONly this year I was hired by Nissan to launch the Cube automobile in the uk, and I was paid very, very well for it. Not to mention a few other gigs where I was paid for my artwork to use for a company that was not my own. So to read this I never really thought about it, till I had a discussion with some friends whom run Lucha VaVoom and All Tomorrow's Parties over dinner. Here is the little shit nugget I received.

From: ****************** <***********@gmail.com>
To: Henry Hate
Subject: Fucking Sell Out

I can't believe you fucking sell out, why the need to fucking do that crap. You're soulless.
I used to think you were fucking cool, but your just a major tosser know. Your putting your head on a plate. I will never be using your services. You cunt.

Granted sometimes I have a reputation for not always playing well with others. Granted. Yet I din't respond to his email, as I know this asshole will read it here so I chose to share my point with the rest of you too. I am never and not considered myself a sell out,as opposed to the person whom does. To me it's not about the money, and that is never an issue. Yes the money helps in a lot of ways but the fact that a company considers you to help them along, they are not only paying for my artwork, they are paying for my name. I've busted my ass at times for seven day work weeks to get to where I wanted to be. I didn't become a artist to simply hide my paintings in a fucking basement.
I make my own rules and I work at my own pace provided that I have enough time to do it in the frame allowed without any compromise.

To think that at 42 I would be bitching about a bad job i was locked into for means of survival is something I hope never to do. In the 42 years of life I followed a direction that i chose to travel, and yes, the accolade of someone saying can you do this for me , cause I love what you do is pleasure enough. I cloth myself, feed myself, and pay my bills all on the fact that I use my imagination and hands to do my work. Yes, their's a criteria I must follow myself in order to be a success and it's called discipline. So for some fucking butt plug to call me a sell out is a fucking joke. Especially when this shit head poses as an "artist" in a printing job for some bullshit firm making company brochures. Hey buddy your money is paid through the man, what's your fucking name worth?

I like nice things and I intended to be a success from the start when I was working for Durk Dehner at the Tom Of Finland foundation. For anyone whom seriously thinks it's Punk Rock to just simply fucking flip the finger at anything just because it supposed to be anti establishment. I have news for them, You're really not making any difference other than bitching in the corner and resenting me for where you want to be. So yeah. fuck it I will say it, I want to get paid for what I do and I want to get paid well. You will get my passion and my determination in the project. Although I sign a contract it is always negotiated and I get what I want within reason, and that's all I am asking for.

I am also happy that my ablilty affords me to do the things I like to do, and it is ALL ME! So to that little fucker who's called me a sell out. Eat Shit And DIe Moron. I can't stand when a fucking band says I don't want to be a success, and I don't want my music to be used for corporate gigs. Well, what the fuck you going to do since your "fans" refuse to buy your music and just steal it by illegal download. You hate the road and your label wont finance your tour, and you would eventually like to buy a home. Congratulations your still on the outside with nothing to show for your fucking art.
This makes no sense to me.

I am a 42 year old man not some 19 year old angsty asshole trapped in a 36 year olds body. Do you have any idea how pathetic and juvenile that makes you look? You can sit in a fucking pub and bitch and moan all you want. You'll be nothing more than a fucking drunk wishing for the chance at an opportunity. So there you have it folks, my stance. Now if you'll excuse me I have to go run MY OWN BUSINESS, and that feels fucking GOOD!