Up To Business: Steven Taylor
Posted by WEKetchum | Filed under Apartments Birmingham MI, Apartments Clawson MI, Apartments Ferndale MI, Apartments Royal Oak MI, Apartments Troy MI
Detroit native Steven Taylor is known as “Superhero 4 Hire,” and with his versatile skill set and benefactors, the name fits. In the early 2000s, Taylor interned for Marvel Comics (home of “Spider-Man,” “X-Men,” “The Incredible Hulk” and more) and self-published his own critically-acclaimed comic book “Silent Night,” while freelancing for hip-hop artists around the country. These days, he supplies flyers, posters, business cards and more with his company Green Light Printing, and he has established himself as a go-to source for models’ web sites. In an interview with Urbane, Steven Taylor talks comics, working with beautiful women, and his veteran status as a graphic designer.
You call yourself “Superhero 4 Hire.” Where does that nickname come from?
This can be a bit of a long story sometimes but it mainly comes from my background as a comic book illustrator starting out. I’m often the last person anyone calls on projects, yet I’m always counted on to save the day. I look at myself as a “hitman” when it comes to my projects: you pay me and send me out to get the job done, no questions asked. If you need someone to save the day in a hurry I’m the hero you hire. [laughs]
What project would you say was your “breakthrough” project and why? Which project goes down as your favorite ever, and why?
I would have to say my moment in the sun was self publishing my comic book “Silent Night”. It allowed me to tour 24 states, it got me the fan base that I have today and helped me build business relationships and friendships that I hold dear until this day. It was one of those things that no one believed that I could do it and it was so rewarding to see my dreams come true then.
You do a lot of work with models, which would seem like a dream job for some. What would you say is the most unexpected part of that?
The first thing that comes to mind is the fact that I have that clientele in the first place. It wasn’t something I went after it just fell in my lap. The world of modeling and adult entertainment is like a secret society that very few are privileged to work in but it’s just like any job with it’s ups and downs. I should say that the most unexpected part of it is how the business really works. It’s all about who you know and your reputation means everything moreso than any other business because you are dealing with women that are used to being taken advantage of both financially and socially so you always look but never touch.
You’ve been in the arts since you were 14. You’re 30 now. How have things changed since you were young? And are those changes for the better, or for the worst?
With Photoshop being such a big part of what we do as artists now, it seems as if anyone with a PC can consider themselves an artists and it’s really diluting the quality of work that’s out there especially on the commercial art side. In most schools no one teaches the fundamentals of art and design anymore as the PC provides so many shortcuts but those of us that still have classic training are able to provide the “soul” to our work that allows people to connect to our pieces that much more and you can’t teach that. It’s also more of a business than before. It’s not about how great your work is anymore, it’s all salesmanship and you have to build your brand in order for those to believe in it.
What artists, business owners, etc. have inspired you to do what you do, and why?
Without question the Todd McFarlanes of the world are artists I look up too because they bridged the gap from just being a pencil pusher to a valuable part of pop culture and made a huge impact on Hollywood as well. This may not be all that popular to some but Sean “Diddy” Combs will always get props from me because I remember hearing about him when I was in Junior High School when he was still an intern at Uptown records and you could see his influence in artists such as Mary J. Blige, then discovering Notorious B.I.G, starting Bad Boy Records and using that as a platform to venture into Fashion and now Television. While Russell Simmons has done the same but I saw his rise to fame every step of the way and while we get caught up in his fabulous lifestyle now he went from step A to B to C like most of us so he laid a great blueprint for any young African American entrepreneur growing up in the Hip Hop Generation. I can say the same about Jay-Z as well because I remember when he was just a great emcee that dropped Reasonable Doubt and back in 1996 he told us what he was going to do in the marketplace so the fact that he’s on top is no surprise to me.
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