DailyMood.it interviewed Danny Casale Viral digital creator and artist

DailyMood.it interviewed Danny Casale (aka Coolman Coffeedan) to discuss his upcoming capsule collaboration with the hugely popular streetwear brand RipnDip, which will be launched in early September. Here’s what he told us!

DailyMood.it: Hi Danny, when and where did your passion for art come from?
Danny Casale: I started doodling when I was growing up and actually felt like an outcast for it. As I got older, I started to make new friends from my doodles. I realized that people actually took a liking to these doodles and it sort of became my thing – suddenly I was that artist kid. 

DM:You are followed by millions, and this somehow makes what you publish take on a certain responsibility. What are the messages that you convey through your animations?
DC: I always make sure my characters preach kindness, self love, mental health awareness, and sometimes even a small nice reminder. Reactions range from euphoria to relief to a well needed laugh, and maybe even a well needed cry. I want to make sure my characters, although they are not human, celebrate how awesome you are as a human. 

DM: In your latest book “UR Special”; you have introduced a new character and a new difficulty to face. In your experience, does it work to express important and delicate concepts through art/animation?
DC: I use simple characters to get across deeper messages about complex emotions. For instance, blue dude, a simple, blobby, blue character, always calmly explains issues around depression and anxiety. At the end of the day, these simple characters make complex topics easier to digest.

DM: Do you think the new generations are more receptive to this way of communicating with them?
DC: Cartoons have always been a part of communicating our world. I’ve found that this form of communication is receptive to not only younger people, but people of all ages. 

DM: In your opinion, how important and at the same time dangerous is social media?
DC: I always said the internet is dumb, amazing, and scary. My first viral animation, “Snakes Have Legs,” was about how the internet is an amazing tool to do amazing things. However, many people use it for the wrong reasons too. As with any powerful tool you can either use it for good, or for bad. My goal is to try to help people to use it for good. 

DM:How did your collaboration with the popular streetwear brand Ripndip start?
DC: I’ve been a fan of Ripndip for years now. Ever since I moved to LA in 2020, I was super impressed with how popular their store on Fairfax Ave was. I remember telling some friends at the time it would be cool to have my own store one day. Fast forward to one year ago, I started working with the RND team on some potential designs. And everyone fell in love with them right away. Fast forward to this weekend, the popup shop on Fairfax Ave opened its doors. 

DM:What are you most excited for with this new collaboration? Do you have a favorite piece from the line?
DC: With a brand as iconic as Ripndip, I’m stoked to introduce my art and message to many more people in the fashion and streetwear scene. My favorite piece is the black hoodie with the all over print. It’s a beautiful Keith Haring style mixture of my characters and the Ripndip characters. 

DM: Is there a theme to this collection? What types of garments are a part of the Collaboration?
DC: The garments all fit together to tell a story of Spesh and Nerm becoming friends. To really tell the story right, we collaborated with Ripndip to make a special animation to debut the collection and tell the story of how Spesh meets Nerm. The collaboration features three tee shirts, two hoodies, a hat, a jacket, and pants, all connected to bring the story to life.

DM: When does the collaboration officially drop, and how long will it be available for?
DC: The collaboration dropped on Saturday September 3^rd.

DM:Any last words you’d like to share with our readers of DailyMood.it?
DC: Ur Special 🙂

Special thanks to Danny Casale from DailyMood.it for this wonderful interview!

di Emma Mariani per DailyMood.it