{"id":4139,"date":"2009-10-07T14:38:09","date_gmt":"2009-10-07T22:38:09","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/drewbrophy.com\/?p=4139"},"modified":"2009-10-07T14:38:09","modified_gmt":"2009-10-07T22:38:09","slug":"the-big-sell-out-question","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/drewbrophy.com\/the-big-sell-out-question\/","title":{"rendered":"The Big Sell-Out Question"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"tiny-turtle-by-drew-brophy\"<\/a>I knew this day would come.\u00a0 In the twenty years of Drew being an artist, we hadn\u2019t heard anyone call him a sell-out.\u00a0 Until now.<\/p>\n

SELL-OUT.\u00a0 The words make me cringe.\u00a0 Usually uttered by uninformed or jealous people who don\u2019t know what it means.<\/p>\n

The accusation was on a blog that chooses one poor soul every week to be his \u201cSELL-OUT OF THE WEEK.\u201d\u00a0 And every person he chooses for that column just happens to be successful. <\/span><\/p>\n

It really irritated me.\u00a0 (Drew, of course, laughed it off.)<\/p>\n

The article implied that Drew is selling-out because he allows his art to go on boogie boards for kids.\u00a0 But that\u2019s always been a part of our plan \u2013 to make Drew\u2019s art attainable to everyone, even those who can\u2019t afford his originals.<\/span><\/p>\n

\n

\"Keith<\/a>

Keith Haring Sigg Bottle<\/p><\/div>\n

About 8 years ago we signed our first deal with Wham-O to use Drew\u2019s art on boogie boards.\u00a0 We questioned it back then \u2013 will this hurt Drew\u2019s art career?\u00a0 We decided to go with our gut, which was telling us that this was the best way to make the art available to kids, affordably.\u00a0\u00a0 And quite frankly, we don\u2019t usually care what other people think.<\/p>\n

The only opinions we care about are those of Drew\u2019s fans; <\/span><\/strong>and his fans are excited for his art to be printed on things like skateboards, water bottles and t-shirts.<\/p>\n

Keith Haring<\/a> felt the same way \u2013 in his generous manner, he wanted his art to be available for most everyone, affordably.<\/p>\n

Most people don\u2019t know what selling out means.<\/strong> Here\u2019s one of the formal definitions:<\/p>\n

“SELLING OUT” REFERS TO THE COMPROMISING OF ONE’S INTEGRITY, MORALITY AND PRINCIPLES IN EXCHANGE FOR MONEY.”<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/em><\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n

In other words, if you do anything that goes against your personal principles just for money, \u00a0you are a sell-out.<\/strong><\/p>\n

If you sign on with a major record label and you agree to write music that you really dislike, you are a sell-out.\u00a0 However, if you sign on with a major record label, and you agree to write new music that you actually like, you are NOT a sell-out.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to BE WHO YOU ARE, even if others don\u2019t get it.\u00a0 Stand firm on that.<\/p>\n

Every now and again we\u2019ll hear that someone somewhere thought Drew was too commercial.\u00a0 But Drew is completely true to himself \u2013 HE HAS ALWAYS BEEN WHO HE IS.\u00a0 He is a guy who wants everyone to be able to enjoy his art, regardless of their financial status.\u00a0 And anyone who doesn\u2019t get it, well, they just don\u2019t get it. And that\u2019s okay.<\/p>\n

Drew Brophy has NEVER sold-out.\u00a0 He never does anything he doesn\u2019t believe in.\u00a0 Ever. <\/strong>So don\u2019t try to get him to paint something that he doesn\u2019t want to paint, even if there\u2019s a lot of money in it.<\/p>\n

Many people wouldn\u2019t turn down a six digit deal, but Drew did.\u00a0 He was offered big bucks from Mattel to create the new Street Sharks.\u00a0 Boy, we would have loved to have the money.\u00a0 But we turned it down.\u00a0 It didn\u2019t fit in with what Drew wanted to paint.<\/p>\n