Mike Echlin AKA SPAZZ

Bio of - Mike Echlin aka SPAZZ.


After getting kicked out of Fanshawe School of Design
for complaining about the lack of updated computers,
he moved to Toronto to work for a massive apparell
printing company, Actionware. There he designed
graphics for Molsons, Labatts, the Blue Jays, Maple
Leafs & many others.

Snowboarding hit & took SPAZZ by storm in '92. Mike
put together a line of gear called SPAZZ. T-shirts,
hoodies, hats,snowboard jackets & pants. After setting
up distirbution to approx. 40 stores across Canada,
Sweden, Japan & the US,he opened SPAZZ boutique, the
first Snowboard/skate shop in Toronto in 1993.

This ran successfully for seven years. Along with
designing, manufacturing, distributing & running the
shop, SPAZZ started to get design gigs from magazine &
record companies.

In 2000 he decided to close shop & move to LA to
pursue his illustration career. Within a month of
arriving, SPAZZ was asked to turn his illustrations
into paintings & go on a US tour with Ritual Events.
From there he was asked to paint at clubs for special
events consistently in LA. From that came work from
Island Records designing merch for Sum 41, Koch
records doing an e-card for KRS ONE, t-shirts designs
for Ben Sherman, & an animated music video for Auto
Pilot Off
& the Cato Salsa Exsperience. He worked along side the
editor of Stance Magazine, Ted Newsome contributing
illlustration to the mag every month, as well as
painting in their booth for Magic, Las Vegas two years
in a row. From his obsession with skateboarding, he
managed to design deck graphics for Pat Duff, Chad
Muska, Kris Markovitch & the whole Sugar team.

After being asked by Paris Hilton to paint her, SPAZZ
was asked to do his first solo show in Hollywood.
SPAZZ put the painting of Paris in the show .... she
missed a flight & the Jackass guys bought it. She was
pleasantly surprised. The Muska also came & bought a
painting of the "Donger".

SPAZZ was then asked to draw Andy Dick for "the
Assistant". Andy liked it so much, he commisioned it
as a painting, which can be seen behind him in the
movie, "the Artistocrats."

In the mean time, being a monthly contributor to Ramp
magazine, Vibe, Jointz, Shift & many others.

After painting a topless scuba diver at a Fantastic
Plastic Machine show, he was approached by Achy
Breacky Toys to do a
Scuba doll. Christmas 2005, Scuba Booty was released
to the public.

SPAZZ moved back to Toronto at the end of 2005. May
2006, Omy gallery boutique was born. After woring for
so many magazines, SPAZZ decided to create his own.
One year later Omy, minimag hit the streets running.

spazz

http://www.myspace.com/spazzart
http://www.myspace.com/omygallery
http://www.omyminimag.com

Omy, gallery/boutique
1140 queen street west toronto

“One of the 500 Best Gallerys in the World” Leisure Magazine, T + L 500 List 2006
“Most Popular Nightlife - Omy, Wednesdays” ZigZag Survey 2006.