Beetle Bob - James Gomez 

“Escapism is at the forefront of why I create. It's good to distract from the complexities of daily life and bring forth something interesting that didn't exist in life before.” - James Gomez (Dweeeeb)

Interview:

We interviewed James or as you may know him from Instagram - Dweeeeb. Yes, it's ok to call him that.. It's a nickname he's had for years.

IFP (Instant Film Project) - Was it hard wearing this costume out on the town? How did you get in a car?

James (Dweeeeb) It was incredibly hard. I wouldn’t be able to walk alone without a friend unless I open the shirt to look out of. I couldn’t look up or down either, as the head could fall forward or backward.

IFP - What were people's reactions to your costume?

James -People loved it surprisingly! I wasn’t prepared for how many asked for photos or how many times people would shout "BOB!"At me.

IFP - What is your artistic process like? Do you work on it a little at a time/ long hours/ last minute/ ect...

James -It varies from build to build. Knowing I had 1 month, I went at this steadily without changing things last minute.

IFP - You are a great artist, how did you learn to do this type of art?

James -My self-taught love for painting is what started it all. I kinda fell into prop making and fabricating through my desire to paint. Researching and watching others paint/ build just helped me be handier.

IFP - What inspires you artistically?

James -Challenging myself to see if I can do it & If I can’t then at least I tried. Very much a “reach for the stars and if you can’t then at least you can rest on the clouds.”

IFP - Thanks for being a magical part of the Instant Film Project, we have featured you every year since we started and look forward to your artistic Polaroids.

James -Thank you. It warms my heart to hear that and I’ll try to keep’em coming.

IFP - What sparked your love of Polaroids?

James -The need to document people I need to remember. Once I got deeper involved and noticed how much creativity can go into them.

Thank you James! Can't wait for next Halloween!!