We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Munk One a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Munk , thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. Can you talk to us about a project that’s meant a lot to you?

Working from home mainly as a freelance artist running an online shop, I’ve found The Colour Haiku Poster + Art Fest to be a huge project for growth outside of what had been my day-to-day. It started as a conversation between myself and my good friend and former co-founder Rachel Boell, who played a huge part in getting the initial concept off the ground.

From the start, the goal in my mind had been to continue the vibe of great, established gig poster events like the TRPS show in San Francisco, where the artists involved are really taken care of, and everyone is having a great time being part of what feels like a thriving art community. Bringing that kind of experience to Southern California felt natural, given how many artists we have in the area. Certain fields can be more solitary by nature, especially with much of the work communication being done digitally. That makes in-person events, where artists not only get to interact with supporters but also with each other, feel very special. A much needed outlet to refresh our minds and be inspired again.

Putting on a grassroots-level show like this was completely new to me, so the learning curve was steep. The only way it could become reality was through the support of so many people. Friends, family, and sponsors, volunteers all played a huge part. My wife Lia really stepped in on the latest event, taking on more of a production role after Rachel had moved on to other projects. Another friend, Mikey Sabatella, and his team at ILMD have provided incredible support in countless ways. Again, in what can often be a very solitary field, seeing how many people have invested time and energy to making this event happen, has been a very touching experience. I am very grateful for every single one of them and look forward to each new event with excitement.

Awesome – so before we get into the rest of our questions, can you briefly introduce yourself to our readers.

I’m Munk One, a California-based visual artist and founder of Invisible Industries.
My career began in the merchandise industry over 25 years ago. Over the years, I built a reputation for striking imagery and concepts creating designs for many major label bands and clothing lines. I have done tattoos, fine art, political art for editorials at Juxtapoz Magazine, among other projects. At my core, I’m an explorer, inventor, and problem-solver. Always learning, always searching. What keeps me driven is the freedom to keep pushing into new creative territory.. These days, I mainly use traditional illustration and digital techniques to design limited edition screen-printed gig posters for bands. For me, gig posters (or rock posters) are the perfect outlet for my somewhat rebellious nature: a space where I can push concepts, styles, and techniques without the usual restrictions or anyone heavily dictating the outcome. The collectible and nature of the the product, and how its tied to a memory of each event, is a fun community to be part of.

What started as a single artist’s store has grown into our main online shop: Invisible Industries. Together, my wife and I run this platform where artists can sell their work online. We handle limited-edition print drops or “launches”, having sold and shipped thousands of prints worldwide. Beyond posters, we develop limited-run projects like artist-designed puzzles and collaborative designs that bring unique creative visions to life.

As mentioned, we also produce the Colour Haiku Poster + Art fest, a music print and art festival that connects creators with collectors, and have a new podcast hosted by Erica and Mike, providing an ongoing audio platform for artists. We also run a creative agency working with freelance artists for other types of projects.

One of the toughest parts of being an artist can be cutting through the noise to make your voice heard. Some may see this as a call to become aggressively competitive. However, I am not a fan of the zero-sum game mentality. It has its place, but most things in life don’t work that way. I know that we can all grow and succeed together. As I build out platforms and projects for myself, it makes perfect sense that I make them available to others.

What sets me apart? I would hope it’s my active pursuit of quality and care in what I do. Promising less and delivering more. I’m proud of building an independent brand, supporting other artists and their rights, and the trust of collectors. I’ve tried to take cues from others I’ve worked with who have earned my respect over the years.

How about pivoting – can you share the story of a time you’ve had to pivot?

When concerts shut down during COVID, the projects we were used to working on disappeared in what seemed like overnight. Instead of waiting it out, we pivoted fast, launching artist-designed puzzles and other non-band projects like a collaborative artist print series. That meant diving headfirst into new production methods and scrambling for shipping supplies while everyone else was probably doing the same. It wasn’t easy, but we pulled it off. That scramble and collector support not only kept the business alive, it opened up new lanes and proved we could expand far beyond what we’d done before.

How can we best help foster a strong, supportive environment for artists and creatives?

There are leaders in this industry who genuinely honor and respect the work of creatives. That gives me hope. But the rise of A.I. across the so many creative industries including the arts has also revealed how fragile our protections can be when others don’t share those same values.

The good news is we’re not powerless. Visual artists can, and should probably unite through a strong, capable unions to protect against overreaching NDAs, unclear contracts, and the unchecked use of our work to train models. Together, we can create safeguards that keep creativity in human hands.

For collectors and supporters, buy direct as much as possible. Actively support living artists.
Ask Before You Buy. Make sure you know whether you’re purchasing human made or machine made art. If companies can’t give you a clear answer, think twice.
Credit the Artists is a big one. Recognition is not only respectful, but also plays such an important role in keeping an artists work alive.
These actions may seem small, but when practiced widely they build a culture that values human creativity.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://invisible-industries.com
• Instagram: @invisible_industries
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@invisible-industries

Image Credits

2011 Signing Prints Photo of Munk One by: Boosti/TSURT
2017 Studio Photo of Munk One by: Lia Jocelin
2025 3 Portraits of Munk One by: Wallace Media – https://www.wallacemedia.co/
2007 Glow Photo of Munk One by: Roberto e. Lepe – https://www.futuredaysstudio.com/