Subjective: Jerome McCaskill of Deluxe

In this ‘Subjective’ interview we chat with Jerome McCaskill, a NW skater and artist currently working at Deluxe in SF.

Special AB artwork by Jerome McCaskill.

What up Jerome! Thanks for being down to chat art & skating with me. Let's run through some basic info about you. Where did you grow up? What was it like growing up there?

Hey, thanks for reaching out and giving me an opportunity to share. This is a two part answer for me. I’m from Anchorage, AK and spent the first part of childhood there. My mother, sister and I moved to Seattle in the summer of ‘99. Both places shaped who I am today. AK is a great place to grow up. The long summer days, winter festivities, and nature gave me lasting memories. Also the Alaskan Native culture was so cool to me. I had great experiences celebrating and learning as a kid. AK is a creative place for sure. Growing up there I had a lot of free range and independence. I was a teen by the time I moved to Seattle. There were a few similarities, I still had freedom, but now I was relying more on making friends and being less independent. There was a lot more rebelling, staying out late and kicking it.

Alaska is really big and beautiful, but not exactly an easy place to skate. How did you end up getting into skating? Tell me about those early days.

This one is kinda blurry but it was because of a neighborhood friend. His parents got him a board, a Nash. Cheap plastic trucks, barely spinnable wheels but the hardware was strong. Haha it had rounded tops that rose above the grip. Basically I saw him push up one day and I was hooked. Probably asked him a million times for it once he stopped “skating”. I never looked back once he gave it to me. At this time I was still living in AK, I’m guessing it was summer. I took that board all around the neighborhood, my favorite spot was my school. Those first couple months I was so isolated because I thought I made up so many tricks. I must have pushed that thing to the limit and soon began hounding my mom to get me a new one for my birthday which was in the dead of winter. She gave in and took me to buy a complete. It’s crazy thinking about this, I remember it was a Think board with Grind King trucks and Spitfire wheels. I was so stoked. So when I got this new setup it was winter and the only place I could skate was in an underpass close by. It was dark and always smelled like piss. It was pretty sketchy. I guess looking back skateboarding gave me confidence and a little fearlessness or I might have been so hyper focused that I didn’t have time to think about being in a dark, smelly space without supervision. The next summer, I found out that a hockey rink was repurposed as a skate park. It had a 10’ or 12’ ramp and street section. All I remember was a few small quarters and banks. I’ll never forget that place because it’s where I learned how to drop in and eventually I forced myself to drop in on the half pipe. I ate shit twice but not so badly that it shook me. No helmet, dropped in, kick turned on the other side and slid out. It was a full on rush. I was so relieved. And never did that shit again. The only other memories I have from skating in Alaska was when I went to Northern Boarder to buy random skate stuff. It was a ski/snowboard shop that carried skate goods. Most of the time I’d find something I liked that was on sale and slowly started to learn about skate culture.

It is funny how we end up hanging out in weird strange spots as children due to skateboarding, and never even really think about it. It’s really kinda wild. So where does art come into the picture? How did you get started with that?

I don’t really know when I started, it was just in me. At school I would draw a lot. At home I would play with my toys and create worlds in my bedroom. Using whatever I had lying around. I’d make ziplines and  parachutes for action figures, bow & arrows with sticks and shoe laces. The bags of leaves I raked would become makeshift targets. I think these things connected me to my creativity. My mom was encouraging and introduced me to different types of creative people. They were multi instrument musicians, crafters and diy’ers. Being around these people helped me understand that creating wasn’t about one specific thing. Over the years I’ve noticed that I enjoy creating with my hands. I love to doodle and illustrate but pieces you can touch or see the inconsistencies of what went into creating the work, things like that, are what I’m drawn to. Like if we go to a museum or something I really like to see the layers of strokes applied to paintings . If there’s a selection of an artists’ sketches, I usually get more excited about those than the final piece. I guess I’m drawn to many forms of art.

That’s dope. It shows that when a parent helps guide and support creativity. It can really make all the difference. When you were young, did you visualize a path into art? Or skating? Or were even thinking about that shit?

I guess I knew I could get a creative job but never as an artist and for damn sure not skating. I thought yeah that would be cool as hell but, how? How would I ever get into that? There was a short period of time while I was taking visual communication class at Foster High School, that I thought I could be a video editor for something skate related. So I tried to make a skate video but yeah that didn’t work out. Someone ended up losing the edit I had going. I wish I could watch that now. I know I’d be hyped and probably inspired to try and finish it.

Ishod Wair Thunder gear. Photo courtesy of Thunder Trucks.

Oh woah, that’s cool. I didn’t know you dabbled in video stuff. I do a bit of filming/editing myself, although I mostly just make stuff for fun. Did you know anyone growing up who "made it" in skating or art of any kind from your zone?

That’s a funny one too. I guess I was around the wrong kids in a way. I never really seemed to link with the people I admired for skating. I was too shy or scared to insert myself. The only people I can think of that “made” it were these dudes Eric and Kyle, they were brothers. These guys were so smooth and natural on a board. They were friends with this guy named Rashad and he was so sick. Whatever tricks they were doing I would try and learn. Anyway, I know Eric went on to produce beats for some heavy hitters. I guess that’s it for people I knew of. Oh, there was this ripping dude named Soren. I heard he had some involvement with local brands but at the time it was all second hand info. So I suppose that’s a no, haha.

Word. What about artists? Who were your favorites growing up?

I’m realizing a little more about myself as these questions go. I’m sure I’ll overlook so many influential artists, but thinking back, I’m realizing that I looked up to the artists around me. I had friends who were into graffiti so they were an influence. Sasha Barr’s work always caught my eye even when I had no idea it was his work. I like his storytelling through minimal, bold lines. I guess a lot of artistic exposure was through skating. Whoever made the graphic’s and logo for Manik. I have to mention Evan Hecox, Todd Francis and Sean Cliver. They all made impressions on me. Marc McKee as well. I’ve always enjoyed art and music, but when I was younger I never really dug deeper to know who was the creator or seek out more work from them. As I’ve gotten older I’ve realized that that’s important. Social media and personal websites with portfolios makes it much easier for me to learn more about people I’m into. 

Dude, I love Sasha’s work too! Someday we may have an interview with him on AB as well.. How did skating influence your style and direction as an artist? 

It taught me how to dress, accept people, and carry myself. I try to keep my artistic style fun, tough/impactful and “cool”. I skate for me and create for me. It’s more about the process and journey of learning new skills or ways to approach problems as well as challenging myself. If I make something and others dig it then that’s a bonus.

Push Equality Forward capsule for the Harold Hunter Foundation. Photo courtesy of Tactics.

Love that, it’s very admirable. I’m interested in helping breakdown unique paths in to skateboarding for kids (or adults) who maybe won’t be a pro skater, but who still want to be involved in some capacity in skateboarding. Can you share how you got your foot in the door of the skate industry?

I was just speaking about this the other day with a coworker. It was really by chance. I hit the lotto ha. I was finishing school in Seattle and had planned to move to the Bay Area to be with my now wife, once I graduated. At that time, I was somewhat removed from the skate world because of an injury. I had a torn ACL that I had been living with for 5 years so I wasn’t skating. I applied for a position at DLX early on after moving, but skateboarding was starting to become more of a thing I used to do. It was tough. At least a year had passed, I had made the move to SF and was pursuing a design gig anywhere I could. To make ends meet I worked a warehouse job. That didn’t last too long. Eventually I landed an entry level design job for a small print business. It didn’t last long either but I learned a lot. I was losing confidence I would secure a design job. I was down, but tried my best not to give up. Interviewing here and there until one day I got an email from one of the best dudes at Deluxe. It was really crazy to get that email it came at the best time. I told myself I’m not blowing this chance and put everything into preparing for the interview. Looking back I’d say in some ways they took a chance on me but I seized the opportunity and I never looked back. I wouldn’t be there without a little bit of help though. I have to say thank you to Dave at 35th Ave. He vouched for me and I’m forever grateful. Working at DLX changed my life really. I got my dream job. I was finally able to get my knee fixed, and most importantly got a second chance to skate again. It’s a trip when I take a second and reflect. I’m extremely grateful for everything. It drives me every day.

Wow, that’s really beautiful. It has the full arc, man. Highs & lows. Plus the good guy wins haha. And shout out to Dave man! We can’t give him enough love. So once you had your foot in the door at Deluxe, what did the next steps look like? 

I had to quickly remember what being a skateboarder was again. Ha, Deluxe is a unique place. Skaters are fucking wild. I had basically been training myself to be corporate and adapting to that type of environment. But once I was at DLX I was given the room to be myself again. I quickly learned how to work in an office and conduct myself proficiently and execute my tasks. I studied all the talented artists and managers around me, taking little bits from each of them and applying it to my daily routine. I learned what it takes to get things done in a chaotic setting without losing my mind or letting others down. The first year was mostly creating assets for web and mobile. Reworking art from boards, wheels, and trucks to create promotional images you’d see on most devices. Then as I was able to show I understood the brands more I was given more tasks like printing posters, creating video titles and animation, designing graphics for trucks and then eventually wheels and boards. Now I can say I’ve made and contributed to a little bit of everything we make at DLX.

Real’s Ishod Wair Detonate capsule. Photo courtesy of Real Skateboards.

So sick. Thank you, there’s some really great takeaways in there for aspiring artists, study up! Now coming into the present, what are you doing now? What does it look like day to day?

I’m still at DLX working as an artist. Most day's for me are super busy. I support Spitfire, Venture, Krooked, There/Unity and so many other things in between. It’s an honor to see how I’ve grown personally and creatively. Just knowing I’ve become valued at a place I’d dream about as a kid, it’s amazing. Also, I’m preparing for the next Deluxe Artroom Art Show. Mark your calendars for early April ‘24. I’m also in the middle of updating my portfolio.

Oooh shit, exciting. Maybe we can come down for that!? I know most skaters want to be pro skaters when they grow up, but realistically there's not a ton of money in it for most. That said, there is room it seems for skaters within a lot of these brands and companies. How could these brands, companies, etc make more room or be more accommodating for skaters in creative positions? And how can skaters make themselves more indispensable for the brands?

From my perspective I’d say it helps to be well-rounded and flexible. I subscribe to the philosophy that in life you should strive to be a sponge. Soak up as much knowledge from quality people around you and apply that to your strengths. I just heard today how an amazing skater is also into filming. That type of person is always going to get the upper hand when it comes to who’s thought of for positions. I’d say at Deluxe we do a good job encouraging people. Skaters are well known for being self starters, being motivated, so it’s important as an individual to build on that. Most importantly, having your priorities straight is huge. I think the days of skaters being users or hard partiers is phasing out. I see so many talented people bubbling up everyday. Bringing something to the table is also highly coveted. You skate, that’s great. But being the person that skates, edits videos, writes columns, makes music, or organizes community events is the one that will catch a brand or companies eye. The more experience with real life situations and providing solutions the better suited you’ll be to handle a variety of pressure's.

Agreed. To quote Jeron Wilson, “Shout out to people that are multi talented” haha. What are a few of your favorite projects you have worked on?

For sure the 35th Ave. x Venture truck. That project ticked a lot of boxes for me. The pieces I created for the first DOOM’s Day celebration is another one I’m proud of. I made three custom paper DOOM masks. Then there are the couple board and truck graphics I’ve made for really amazing skaters. 

35th Ave X Venture collaboration. Photo courtesy of Venture Trucks.

All the homies rock that 35th x Venture truck and shirt, we loved it! If you watch the latest video I made, that shirt is in there an obnoxious amount. I’ll send you an invoice for the promo 😉 Any advice for young skaters / artists, that you wish someone told you when you were a kid?

Yeah, push yourself to grow in as many ways as possible. Academically or hobbies, try to experience all that you can. Ask questions and listen. It seems simple but looking back I think I was inquisitive and I believe it helped me get where I am. The earlier you figure those things out the better. I caught on late, so be better than me.

Perfectly put. Anything I missed? Anything you want to expand on? Shout outs? Shots to fire? Haha.

I think I should wrap it up before I share too much (more ha!) I want to thank my amazing wife Brooke who’s my biggest inspiration. Thank you Mom for everything. Shouts out to the good people I’ve known from the greater Seattle area. Support skate shops and local businesses. Big love to 35th Ave, Atlas Skate Shop, and Deluxe Distribution. Go skate a pair of Ventures Trucks!

Yeeeee, thanks again, super grateful to have you be a part of the series. Let's go skate next time you're in town!

Thank you Alex, this was cool. It was sort of therapeutic to share my story. I’ll for sure reach out the next time I’m up visiting. Peace.

Go cop the gear Jerome designs for all the Deluxe brands and follow him on Instagram.