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Rob Reger is the founder, creative director, and president of Cosmic Debris - a design house based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Reger and Cosmic introduced the world to Emily the Strange, now an international icon for empowering young alternative girls (and people of all ages). Reger has been designing Emily and her cats for over two decades and has generated millions of fans of the character. Reger co-authored and co-illustrated four Harper Collins novels, and has been a primary writer for the Emily the Strange comic books and graphic novels published by Dark Horse Comics.
Reger received a Master of Fine Arts degree from the San Francisco Art Institute and his oil paintings, printmaking, watercolors, and collage have exhibited in galleries around the world, including: Tokyo, Paris, Los Angeles, Miami, San Francisco, Berlin, Milan, Hong Kong, Sydney, and Portland, Oregon.
Have you always been creative and artistic?
ever since I can remember. Always making the things i wanted that i did not have (as a kid)... and i guess still to this day! I built a greenhouse to house my homeless plants recently!
How would you describe the style of your work?
I am interested in most all types of design and artwork. I draw influences from a lot of early childhood surrealists like Dr. Seuss, M.C. Escher, Bosch... and all of the punk and metal record covers and flyers I collected. My art tends to mix surreal and abstract images with a pop sensibility and a dark side. I love plants and cats, so usually that is in the mix somehow too.
What’s in your pencil case and what’s your favorite tool?
x-acto knife, gum eraser, bic yellow disposable mechanical pencils, sharpie, glue stick... Favorite tool is either a cordless drill or a nail gun... but in art, i like scissors and long hair brushes...
Who is your favorite superhero?
As a kid I always liked Hannah-Barberra's Hong Kong Fooey (the dog)... In more recent years, I like Hellboy...
If you could have one super power what would it be?
the power to grant wishes
Where do you look for inspiration?
plants, nature, art books, art galleries, friends, beer
Who are your favorite artists or comic book authors?
I love the work of WInston Smith, Jennybird Alcantra, Buzz Parker, Tim Biskup... Historically I like Picasso, Richard Diebenkorn, Pollock, Hieronymous Bosch, Dr. Seuss, Dali... There are so many thousands of fantastic artists that I could not possibly mention how many I have viewed and stored away in my mind to be reprocessed in my own iteration involuntarily someday...
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