Blast Skates

Dinosaur Shred — James Jarvis, Jon Boam and Marcus Oakley illustrate decks for new South London skate company Blast Skates.

Blast is a fun new London skate company by illustrator and Stockwell skatepark local Matthew Bromley.

With his new ‘Chronological Board Series’, Bromley picks an important point in history to be illustrated by his favourite artists. The first theme is dinosaurs and rad doodlers Marcus Oakley, Jon Boam and James Jarvis have taken up the deck-decorating challenge.

The series launches this Thursday at the Hoxton Gallery, London, with a specially created zine by Kyle Platts and some other fun Jurassic-themed surprises.

We caught up with Bromley to find out more.

Why did you start Blast Skates?
The seed was planted about three years ago now, I just moved to London and I was freelancing my illustration, in that time I was working on some great little jobs but always wanted to do skateboard graphics but my illustration didn’t seem to fit into any of the brands I liked. there’s also that whole it’s not what you know it’s who you know sorta thing – like in any industry or angle in life. So I guess the reason what I started it was, no one else is gonna give you the opportunity, do it yourself!

What’s the skate scene like in London?
I can’t answer that question for the whole of London, I live in South London and Stockwell is my local. There’s a different vibe in each park or area, I know I’m being biased but Stockwell skatepark has the most welcoming relaxed vibe going. I do skate street at night which is so much fun when you’ve got a good crew. I didn’t grow up in London so again I can’t say, but growing up in a a small village I think gave me a really interesting perspective to look at skateboarding in London from videos and mags it seemed like a lot of fun!

Did you want to add something new?
Of course! Not just another logo board at first, ha, but you have to establish some form of brand and identity. The whole plan and agenda is still massively in its embryo stage. Coming from an illustration background I was seeing so much amazing artwork and
illustration and thinking to myself, ‘Wow! They would do an amazing graphic but the skateboard companies will just play the safe card and produce the standard Popsicle shape with the artists everyone knows and likes.’

Who else is involved in Blast?
Design side of things it’s all myself, I drew the logo and stuff, obviously this CS1 involves the artists: Jon Boam, Marcus Oakley, James Jarvis and Kyle Platts. I have long chats with very close and good friends who feed me their input and thoughts which I’m very grateful for! I guess you could say there’s a crew/mates/collective and Blast Skates will be exploring some fun projects with certain individuals. As for a ‘team’ or ‘riders’ I don’t like the idea of owning anyone, although I understand putting a name to a product or company helps sell stuff and strengthens an identity. Hey, I dunno, let’s just have some fun!

What have been the challenges in bringing it to life?
Money. Time. Impatience.

Were there any inspirations?
Seeing boring crap on boards and people still buying it!

Can you tell us about the Chronological Board Series?
People buy screen-printed posters or artwork for £50 – £70 to a couple of hundred pounds and that’s just on a sheet of paper! So I thought why not put that screenprint onto a beautifully custom handmade shaped board all made in England? These boards are very special and very limited, once they are gone, that’s it. No more re-runs. I’m so happy with all the artwork and so grateful that the artists involved trusted me and gave me the chance to work with them.

How did you choose the artists/why did you want to collaborate with those people?
It’s just being über fans of their work really. I’d gotten to know them a little through doing my personal illustration work and after talks I think they could see how serious I was about making this happen and not just a pipe dream, I can’t thank them enough for supporting the idea.

Can you describe one of your favourite designs in the collection?
They are all my favourites!!!

What are your plans for the future of Blast?
To have a blast I guess!

Come down to the Blast show on Thursday at Hoxton Gallery and keep up with Blast happenings on the website.


Ad

Latest on Huck

Red shop frontage with "Open Out" branding and appointment-only signage.
Activism

Meet the trans-led hairdressers providing London with gender-affirming trims

Open Out — Since being founded in 2011, the Hoxton salon has become a crucial space the city’s LGBTQ+ community. Hannah Bentley caught up with co-founder Greygory Vass to hear about its growth, breaking down barbering binaries, and the recent Supreme Court ruling.

Written by: Hannah Bentley

Cyclists racing past Palestinian flag, yellow barriers, and spectators.
Sport

Gazan amputees secure Para-Cycling World Championships qualification

Gaza Sunbirds — Alaa al-Dali and Mohamed Asfour earned Palestine’s first-ever top-20 finish at the Para-Cycling World Cup in Belgium over the weekend.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Crowded festival site with tents, stalls and an illuminated red double-decker bus. Groups of people, including children, milling about on the muddy ground.
© Alan Tash Lodge
Music

New documentary revisits the radical history of UK free rave culture

Free Party: A Folk History — Directed by Aaron Trinder, it features first-hand stories from key crews including DiY, Spiral Tribe, Bedlam and Circus Warp, with public streaming available from May 30.

Written by: Isaac Muk

Weathered wooden building with a tall spire, person on horseback in foreground.
Culture

Rahim Fortune’s dreamlike vision of the Black American South

Reflections — In the Texas native’s debut solo show, he weaves familial history and documentary photography to challenge the region’s visual tropes.

Written by: Miss Rosen

A collage depicting a giant flup for mankind, with an image of the Earth surrounded by planets and people in sci-fi costumes.
Culture

Why Katy Perry’s space flight was one giant flop for mankind

Galactic girlbossing — In a widely-panned, 11-minute trip to the edge of the earth’s atmosphere, the ‘Women’s World’ singer joined an all-female space crew in an expensive vanity advert for Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin. Newsletter columnist Emma Garland explains its apocalypse indicating signs.

Written by: Emma Garland

Three orange book covers with the title "Foreign Fruit" against a dark background.
Culture

Katie Goh: “I want people to engage with the politics of oranges”

Foreign Fruit — In her new book, the Edinburgh-based writer traces her personal history through the citrus fruit’s global spread, from a village in China to Californian groves. Angela Hui caught up with her to find out more.

Written by: Katie Goh

Huck is supported by our readers, subscribers and Club Huck members. It is also made possible by sponsorship from:

Signup to our newsletter

Sign up to our newsletter to informed with the cutting edge of sport, music and counterculture, featuring personal takes on the state of media and pop culture from Emma Garland, former Digital Editor of Huck, exclusive interviews, recommendations and more.

Please wait...

Accessibility Settings

Text

Applies the Open Dyslexic font, designed to improve readability for individuals with dyslexia.

Applies a more readable font throughout the website, improving readability.

Underlines links throughout the website, making them easier to distinguish.

Adjusts the font size for improved readability.

Visuals

Reduces animations and disables autoplaying videos across the website, reducing distractions and improving focus.

Reduces the colour saturation throughout the website to create a more soothing visual experience.

Increases the contrast of elements on the website, making text and interface elements easier to distinguish.