It's Not That Deep for Atticus Torre

When Atticus Torre copped a Daffy Duck t-shirt imprinted with the phrase “I can’t take it anymore!” back in 2016, inspiration hit the Brooklyn-based artist. What he describes as “the foundational shirt that made [him] want to make clothing”, Torre was struck by the tee’s simplicity, solely showcasing a cartoon character and quippy caption. For the latest HYPEBEAST Diaries entry, Torre takes us inside his creative abode, loaded with an array of collectibles, books and magazines, to share more about his creative process and inspirations.

“Cartoons are supposed to signal people like ‘you’ve seen this before’”, Torre shares of his desire to leverage the universality of cartoon characters, having also garnered ample inspiration from MAD Magazine’s distinctive illustrations. “Mickey Mouse, Felix the Cat, Pepé Le Pew… they kind of act for me as the vessel for my propaganda machine.”  He’s leveraging these familiar concepts with a goal to “undo our settings” and things we’ve already accepted about the world.

Torre doesn’t need (or want) to use many words to complement his characters. He can get it done in just five or six. “These simple phrases that almost boil down the human experience are a lot more powerful than trying to be insanely deep and use tons of words and overexplain yourself.”

“The outline is the most stressful part,” Torre admits, as he carefully curates the beginning stages of a tank top. “When I’m painting the outline, it feels like I’m on COD and doing the steady aim.” Torre then hits Star Team in the East Village to drop off his new shirts – where coincidentally he runs into a supporter perusing the store.

“I have one of your pieces,” he tells Torre before purchasing two shirts. “I did just meet this man. For the record, he is not a plant,” a genuinely excited Torre clarifies. “We did not pay him to be here.”

Watch the latest installment of HYPEBEAST Diaries above.