Mr. Bingo found success in art by learning to say 'no'
- Text by Huck HQ / Samantha Maine
- Photography by Olivia Bohac
#26 – Mr. Bingo
“My name is Mr. Bingo and I’m an illustrator and person. I’ve worked with people like the Washington Post, Byron Burgers, Jimmy Carr, The Mighty Boosh and Doritos, but what I’m really good at is drawing dicks on postcards and sending them to strangers; that’s my Hate Mail series which turned into a book. Some people say I’m the Justin Bieber of drawing; others say I fuck about for a living.
‟You definitely have to be fairly thick-skinned and cynical in this industry; in the last four months I’ve been offered (and lost) over £150,000 worth of work, where for various reasons the jobs have just gone away! You can never get too excited when a great sounding job is in the pipeline. Saying that, I’ve also learned to say “No” to clients. In the early stages of an illustration career, you feel like you have to say yes to everything that comes your way. You say yes because you kind of feel grateful that someone is actually offering you money for this fun thing that you do, and you say yes because you’re afraid to say no.”
This is just a short excerpt from Huck’s Fiftieth Special, a collection of fifty personal stories from fifty inspiring lives.
Grab a copy now to read all fifty stories in full. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss another issue.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
Latest on Huck
How trans rights activism and sex workers’ solidarity emerged in the ’70s and ’80s
Shoulder to Shoulder — In this extract from writer Jake Hall’s new book, which deep dives into the history of queer activism and coalition, they explore how anti-TERF and anti-SWERF campaigning developed from the same cloth.
Written by: Jake Hall
A behind the scenes look at the atomic wedgie community
Stretched out — Benjamin Fredrickson’s new project and photobook ‘Wedgies’ queers a time-old bullying act by exploring its erotic, extreme potential.
Written by: Isaac Muk
“Welcome to the Useless Class”: Ewan Morrison in conversation with Irvine Welsh
For Emma — Ahead of the Scottish author’s new novel, he sat down with Irvine Welsh for an in-depth discussion of its dystopic themes, and the upcoming AI “tsunami”.
Written by: Irvine Welsh
“Struggle helps people come together”: Sharon Van Etten & The Attachment Theory
Huck’s February interview — To hear more about the release of the indie darling’s first collaborative album, we caught up with her and Devra Hoff to hear about the record, motherhood in music and why the ’80s are back,
Written by: Isaac Muk
Nxdia: “Poems became an escape for me”
What Made Me — In this series, we ask artists and rebels about the forces and experiences that shaped who they are. Today, it’s Egyptian-British alt-pop shapeshifter Nxdia.
Written by: Nxdia
Kathy Shorr’s splashy portraits inside limousines
The Ride of a Lifetime — Wanting to marry a love of cars and photography, Kathy Shorr worked as a limousine driver in the ’80s to use as a studio on wheels. Her new photobook explores her archive.
Written by: Miss Rosen