Joker’s 20 on 20 -- Please Hide--

If anything is extremely fascinating about blogging is the variety of people we come in contact with. We've had posters from India, (yes we remember you instinctive traveler), from canada, all over the US, caribbean, brazil, italy, portugal, trinidad and tobago, malaysia, kenya, vietnam, australia, argentina, chile, and even Romania, which is where our next 20/20 victim is from. If you want a great reference page for incredible artwork, random bands and a different perspective on things, then Please Hide is a blog you might like to check out. Without further ado though, 20/20


1 How do you consistently find such great artwork?

It’s not easy, I’ll tell you that. For any one artist I decide to feature, I get to review at least 5 other artists. Now don’t get me wrong, I think it’s great, as I love art, no matter how controversial it might prove to be at any given time. I receive links from people with similar tastes, I use stumbleupon, I read all the nice art blogs that are in my reader. These are my tools.

Very cool. I'll just use your blog though hehehe.

2 What inspired you to write your book and how long did it take you to finish it?

From the first word until the last word, it took me a year to complete it. But the bulk of it was written in two months, while unemployed. I just felt that my head will explode if I don’t spill it down on paper, and that’s what I did, and for two whole months I’ve only exited the apartment to buy food and water. It was pretty hard, but it had to be done. As for the first part of your question, I don’t have a clear answered. Things happened, and I had to write about them, even if they weren’t real ;).

Very interesting. Who knows, I might go for that approach one day but for now I use my lunch hours, late nights and whenever I can to squeeze out a few pages.

3 How do you think working in advertising in Romania different to Europe or the US?

It’s a young field of work and, as such, you have more opportunities to go wild, but you also have to struggle with clients that never read anything else other than Koetler. Local businesses, especially, are pretty hard to work with. It’s not a firm rule, but most of the times that’s what happens. I think Eastern Europe has a greater potential to awe, since we’ve got different cultural backgrounds than the rest of the world. We’re thirsty for recognition, great results and eternal advertising glory. Kidding.

May glory be on its way to colliding with you then :D and by glory i mean success not some ship or plane with the name glory painted on the side. that would just be irony doing its shittiest.

4 What are the best live concerts you've ever gone to? Why were they so great?

The two best concerts I’ve ever been to were Radiohead and Muse. Because of the energy the bands knew how to transmit, and because their music is absolutely great. Radiohead leaves you empty inside for a couple of days after the concert is over, and you can’t stop thinking that you’ve been in the presence of greatness, and nothing else matters anymore.

Have yet to see either. For me though, the options are Pearl Jam, Nine inch Nails and Rush. There are also a ton of great concerts I've gone to.

5 Describe your overall experience in New York City and what were your first reactions to the Big Apple?

The first reaction, on the way from the JFK Airport to Manhattan was: „wait, this is it?” I was disappointed about the little houses and the overall atmosphere of desolation. Then we went through an underground passage and lo and behold! Manhattan, in all it’s splendor. My jaw dropped, I felt like I was high. The rest of the days spent there found me vibrating in the rhythm of the city, feeling safer than ever. I know, I know, NY isn’t safe, but I swear that’s how I felt. I was walking alone, at 3 in the morning, exploring parts of the city I’ve never been to, and I never once feared for myself. Try to do that in Bucharest, see how far you can go without being mugged (in the less reputable parts of the city, that is...)

The first time I got to NYC I was also shell shocked but the second time I was able to live through the splendor wearing off the big city and how I got used to huge buildings, bright lights, a city that never sleeps and more Starbucks than you could point your caffeinated finger at.

6 In the world of Eugens, what are the pros and cons of working in advertising?

Pros:
- people think you’re cool
- you get to be spoiled by everyone (if you’re working in the creative department)
- you don’t have a dress code
- the money is great (especially for Romania)
- I finally get paid for my writing :)
- lots of nice, interesting people to meet

Cons: - some clients
- some AE’s
- some CD’s
- some shitty work you’re made to do
- the long hours
- the lost weekends

In regards to your pros, not always get the oh so cool you work in advertising. Don't get spoiled as much as a bunch of people I know from advertising, what balls. Do enjoy the dress code. Money could be better but it is better than average. I get paid for client's writing and my proof reading, the people have been rather stellar I must admit.

the cons, I agree, I agree, I agree, I agree and I agree,

7 Ten things you want to do before 2010.

Visit Amsterdam.
Visit Chernobyl.
Finally take my university diploma exam, and pass it.
Finish my second book.
Win a big advertising award.
Make more money.
Learn French.
Learn Dutch.
Make more money.
Make more money.

I want to retake French, get better at Serbo Croat, and hey, I just need enough money. how much is enough? I don't know but once I get there I'll be sure to send you a grand piano for christmas.


8 What makes you write?

My brain. As another brilliant artist said, „he’s my creative dictator”.

Hehehe, nice line.

9 What is Romania Cuisine like and what locally specific food, candy or drink do you recommend?

Well, Romanian cuisine is a mix of Balkan, Turkish, Slavic and Latin influences. I don’t know if I’d recommend something specifically, but you should try „sorici”, which is pig skin, and „slanina”, which is salted pig fat (+skin) and garlic. If you didn’t throw up a little in your mouth yet, it’s pretty cool. When I was a kid, and my grand grand parents cut the pig for Christmas, I used to eat pig’s tail and ears, they were delicious.

Didn't throw up at all, then again I could go on that show with the crazy fuck who tastes all the weird shit from the world. not sure about pigs ears but hey, you never know until you try and with alcohol anything will eventually go down... the problem is if it comes back up :D

10 If you could work in any ad agency anywhere in the world, where would it be and why?

W+K or Fallon. Because they’re the best, period. Nothing compares to those two agencies in terms of creativity.

11 What factors work into making an account shitty to work on?

Impossible deadlines, boring products (I know that boring products aren’t supposed to exist, but come on, let’s be honest here), bad AE’s.

12 Where do you want to be in 5 years?

In NY, in Advertising. If that’s not possible, at W+K Amsterdam or London or at Fallon. If that’s not possible, then a CD at a top agency here, in Romania. I also want to have at least 3 books finished until then.

What would the 3 books be on???

13 How was your experience with the book tour?

It was pretty good, people liked the book. It was a tour in Romania, as the English version is self-published. If anyone knows of an available publishing house, I’m up for it :P

I'm looking into self publishing, but will see what happens by next year.

14 Are they any super kick ass Romanian rock bands? If so any chance to send me some links so people can have a listen?

Hmm, let’s see now. There are some pretty good new bands, bands like The Pixels, The Amsterdams, Israel Lights. I’ll send you some songs, and I think The Amsterdams also have a myspace page.

The Amsterdams sound pretty cool man.

15 How would you title your autobiography?

„Panic – an oral biography of Eugen Suman”, if you’ve read Palahniuk, you’ll know what I mean ;)

I have read Chuck and he's fucking batshit so look forward to it.

16 Are you currently working on any other book projects?

I’m working on my second book, which will be pretty fucked up. I’m also working on a graphic novel, but it’s going pretty slow (you know how Art Directors are – lazy as hell).

I'm working out the story to a graphic novel, two concepts, and working on the book plus the WAS one. We'll see which one comes out first.

17 Finish this sentence: The problem with getting drunk is…

... that you can never get drunk enough.

18 Dumbest thing people ask you when you tell them you're from Romania?

They don’t ask me anything. They just make The Face. They put their fingers in front of their mouths, so as to look like they have fangs, and then they start making a noise similar to „Hssssss”. Then they say „Romania!” with a certain pride in their voice. It’s rather stupid. Yea, fucking Dracula, fucking Vlad Tepes, get over it already.

Lol, fucking please. People are hillarious. I was asked if there were McDonald's were I come from and if we had roads and lived in huts. fucking nice. But hey, pig skin and garlic wouldn't be too friendly for a vamp.

19 What does your blog mean to you?

It’s like a personal memory. I want to look back at it over the years and say „oooh, look at what I was listening to when I was 20” or „look at what ads I loved back then”. I might start another blog, a content rich one, but I don’t know when or what’s it going to be about.

Let us know if you do bro.

20 Ask anything, and you shall receive an answer.

What was the name of your first agency? The one you based your internship blog articles series on.

First agency was Ogilvy, but also did stints in Grey and JWT, but the blog posts are based on that and what I've seen students go through apart from all the intern pepole I've met along the way. The amount of random crazy shit I've heard is insane. The thing is just to listen to what everyone has to say.