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Getting to know Bob Calvano…
(in 10 questions or less)
Interview by Laura Herbert
Q: What is your full name?
A: Robert James Calvano
Q: What’s your date of birth?
A: September 25, 1969*
*Author’s note: This makes Bob a Libra--so if you’re into that sort of thing, it’s kind of impressive. After all, astrologers regard it as the most desirable of zodiacal types because it represents the zenith of the year.
Q: As a kid, what was your original career plan?
A: I wanted to be a rock star--but a drummer of course, not some pretty boy front man.
Q: And your first job was…?
A: Working for a landscaper, cutting grass and doing all the crappy work. And then some more (and more) of that crappy work. It was great for keeping in shape, but my allergies nearly killed me.
Q: When did you first know that you were a designer?
A: This goes way back, but it wasn’t about being a designer--it was about being an artist. When I was in grammar school, in around the third grade, I realized I really loved art class and it showed in my work. As the years went by, I would catch myself making sculptures out of kneaded erasers in math class, and endlessly drawing pictures in my notebook.

In art class, if we had to draw a shoe, I was the only kid who would actually take my shoe off, put it on my desk and draw it. It just made sense to me… unlike math. Little did I realize that I was on my way to a Fine Art major… after all, I was equally interested in football and making out with girls.

I realized I wanted to be an artist the day I was willing to tell my father that I wanted to pursue a fine art major. My dad is an IBM business type of guy and I knew this would freak him out. It was either a fine art major or a performing art major (my rock star dream was hanging on). So fine art major it was, and I found myself embracing life as an art student - it was great. The funny thing was that none of the classes taught me how to go out and make money. That’s when I became a designer. I focused on advertising design and page layout and got my first job as a graphic artist for Panasonic.

Q: Okay, so what’s your favorite thing about design?
A: Easy. My favorite thing about design is that design is a communication tool. I love the freedom design offers to communicate messages, and how effective it can be when done well and with purpose. There are traditional design rules that we all learn in school, but I love that those rules can be broken.
Q: Interesting. What’s the grossest food you've ever eaten?
A: Does smoking a dried-out frog leg count? If not, I’ll go with “live goldfish”—and a lot of them, at that. Like, one after another.
Q: Snazzy. So, aside from that, any other career highlights you’d like to share?
A: Well… some days, I’m just proud that I still have a job. When the dot com bubble burst, I had no idea if my ID card would still work, or if my office would still be there in the morning. Aside from that, I’m really proud of my work ethic. I work hard and hold very high standards for all of the work that I do. I’m proud that I value precision--consistently paying close attention to the details of my work, right down to the pixel. It’s non-negotiable—a necessity.

I’m also proud of the awards that I’ve won, especially the Addy. There’s nothing like being able to hang in the room with the big dogs--especially when you weren’t necessarily expecting (or even trying) to get in in the first place. Plus, it feels good knowing that I’ve got a few fans out there that really like the work that I do and see the value I have to add to each and every project I work on.

Q: What about your non-career life? What are you proud of about your non-work life? Any favorite projects?
A: I’m proud of the fact that I just celebrated my eight year wedding anniversary. I have a wonderful, beautiful and supportive wife who also happens to be a great mother. I’m proud that I am the father of an incredible little boy, who challenges me on a daily basis. And I’m proud to be the son of the greatest parents in the world (in my eyes, anyway). I’m also proud of the friends that I have – some of them go back as far as first grade, others go back only a few years, but all of them are great.

As for individual projects and accomplishments, let me think… Well, for starter’s, I built a monster jeep. Not like “Big Foot” big, but BIG. And I certainly consider the time I owned my own business one of my favorite projects—wow! What a learning experience. There’s also my house—we’ve redone just about everything in it, but somehow the project goes on (and at the risk of bragging, the faux finish paint job I did in our dining room is flawless).

I’m also currently working on a series of digital paintings that’s stirred up a lot of passion in me. Hmmm… does my career count as a project? I’ve been working on it for a long time now, so it better be one of my favorite projects. Y’know what? Maybe not everything I do is necessarily “my favorite,” but I’m exceptionally lucky in that I really love my life and what I do--even the shitty projects have their good points.

Q: Awwww… You’re such a nice boy. And a helluva designer! Last Question: Do you have any hidden talents we’d never know about you from just perusing your resume?
A: Well, aside from playing ice hockey and the drums, I can paint a faux finish better than most highly-paid professional painters.
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