sandwich zine issue # 13 : march/april 2011

www.sandwichzine.com 1 Issue #13 :: March/April 2011

Mustache Printing & Sandwich Zine Interview

You meet the most interesting people in Portlandia, but I’m not here to parody… Instead, I am here to seriously recognize two dudes that know how to rock a mustache better than anyone I

know… well in addition to my Pap Casciato -- but my Pap hasn’t figured out how to make a business of his stylin’ ‘stache like

Kevin Willrick and Whit Stearns have.

Immediately intrigued by their tag line, “Keep Portland Hairy,” I had to talk to theguys more about their endeavor.

Without any further delay, it is my great pleasure tointroduce the men behind the mustaches, Kevin & Whit.

Interview: Alexa Raquel CasciatoPhotos: Erik Ursin


Sandwich Zine: Hello men! How’s your facial hair been treating you since I last saw you both in Portland?

Mustache Printing: Well it’s raining now in Portland, and mustaches as you know are waterproof and bulletproof.

SZ: Well if that’s the case, I certainly hope all the dudes in Pittsburgh hear this information. I’m sure you would save many a’ faces with that piece of informtion! Now, would you please give the readers an introduction of yourselves? And your mustaches/beards if they have names…

MP: Well, we call each other “W” to save time and space.

KW: I’m from Florida/Vegas/Maine originally, sort of. I trace my roots back to Iceland (Viking blood pillages through my veins) As for my Stache… It goes by many names from cookies duster to lip plumage.

WS: I’m a Maine/Alaskan. But I trace my roots to the big bang.

SZ: Well I would assume you were both a MAINE-attraction with your mustaches!! But the real question is, when did you start getting facial hair? Yeah that’s right, SZ likes to get up close and personal… Or I guess it might be better for me to ask when you got interested in mustaches and such?

MP: We were both born in the same unusual way.

We simply skateboarded out of the wombin tuxedos with top hats. We already had mustaches, jobs, competitive portfolios, and vintage motorcycles.

SZ: Brothers from different mustache mothers, perhaps? Would you consider your-selves more of mustache-men or beard-men…

or a combination of both? Do these things come in stages?

MP: A beard will always have a mustache, a mustache will not always have a beard.

SZ: You put that beautifully, MP!

KW: The mustache is a great representation of my fun loving personality and has actually been the catalyst for meeting great people, leading us on many great adventures.

WS: It’s fun to be lazy sometimes and grow a beard. I typically sport the beard until I knock over a 7-11 and need to change up my look.

SZ: I wish I had that luxury of changing “face,” Whit.

Kevin and Whit, if you had to choose one mustache to describe yourselves, which one would you choose and why?

KW: BILL THE BUTCHER from the movie Gangs of New York. His stache is not only an exquisite specimen but a representation of the perfect mustache in my eyes.

WS: Picture Eugene Hutz of “Gogol Bordello” meets a tornado.


SZ: Jealous of you both right about now. Sand-wiches can get stuck in mustaches, so that’s what we’re going to have to hope for here. But I digress. Moving right along... let’s hear a bit about the background of Mustache Printing… what was the inspiration behind MP?

MP: We have seen thousands of typical Portland postcards that feature your basic downtown Portland skyline or bridge with some cheesy Photoshop effects. We want to represent the true Portland spirit and show the character and characters of the city. This is why so many people love it here. Its not because they just love a building or a bridge, it’s because they love the city, style, and characters that go with it, as “weird” as they all are.

SZ: Why did you choose postcards in particular to display your sweet ‘staches?

MP: Everyone loves a mustache in their [mail] Box.

KW: We wanted to share our love of funny and great things with the masses. All of our mustache postcards are interactive, they’re printed to scale so you can simply hold it up to your face and have a mustache like the great explorers of days of old.

SZ: Sandwich ‘stache! I can’t wait to try an interactive postcard. That’s pretty genius. Who has been an influence or mustache mentor to you?

MP: Anyone who ROCKS a beard or mustache (you too ladies)

KW: The people of Portland are my greatest influence. The high concentration of quirky fashion and exuberant facial hair among Portlanders makes it easy to spot a magnificent face of fur. Everyone we have taken pictures of for the postcards was really excited and supportive right off the bat. Portlander’s enthusiasm for what we are doing is what makes me love making these postcards.

WS: When I first grew out a giant mustache a lot of strangers would laugh at me in the street, I’ve since come to realize they’re laughing WITH me… or at the guy behind me. Their laughter was the inspiration for the postcards.

SZ: How do you find your facial hair models and what was your experience like working with them? Do they request certain colored M&Ms or have any special dietary restrictions?

MP: We roamed the streets in a jeep for days… long hot awesome days.

We found the most effective way to find award-winning ‘staches was to post an ad on craigslist offering a peanut butter and jelly sandwich with a PBR to anyone willing to give us a 30 second photo shoot. We found that people with mustaches were, like us, really intelligent and good looking, and we ended up kickin it with em’.

SZ: Well obviously people were interested when you mentioned a SANDWICH! But on a slightly more serious note, can you sort of walk us through your creative process with MP – with-out giving away your creative genius secrets of course… unless you want to tell!

WS: We skateboard around and think of stupid stuff, and in a pile of stupid stuff there is always one stupid idea that can be broken apart and made into a different idea all together, then we drink beer and think about that for a while. Eventually we just steal good ideas from other people because were stupid.

KW: What’s not what happens.

MP: We love this interview!


SZ: We do too! What do you enjoy most about working with Mustache Printing, and what makes it different from other companies?

KW: “Everyday is a holiday. MP is a great way to get to know the real unique characters of this city. My favorite part of it is going out with W in the jeep, hunting for the elusive mustaches of the Pacific Northwest. Capturing them on film is the most exhilarating part of the whole operation.” -Kevin Willrick : National Mustache Geographic

WS: Well we own it, which is pretty great, and makes it different from most other places. We really both love getting out into the city and seeing the really nasty awesome bits! Even if we “work” all day and get nothing done, the day is never a waste.

SZ: Any artist at heart with that last comment, and I fully support you in it! In addition to facial hair, your postcards also represent and feature

Portland. Your Facebook about page states, “Mustache Printing is a Portland, OR local company striving to represent TRUE Portland(ers) through postcards.” How would you describe a TRUE Portlander?

MP: A “True Portlander” just does his/her own thing at their own pace. And some of those things are hilariously unique. Here are some our favortie Porlanders to keep an eye our for if you ever find your self in Portland.

KW: Burnside[skatepark] Locals, L.B.O.B.s in droves(Librarian Babes On Bikes)… bearded homeless men and women, Buskers, Hipsters and the people in Hipster denial. Skaters, Lurkers, Punkers, and the potpourri of individuals that make this town unique.

WS: Tall bike riders, the moped army, zoo bombers, the fenbi international superstars, the bag-piping unicyclist, and the snarky card chick are maybe my favorite true Portlanders.


SZ: How does being located in Portland affect your company? I mean you don’t just “put a bird” on a postcard and call it art (to paraphrase “Portlandia”), but I am sure there is something about the city that adds a certain dimension to your work. Could you talk about that a bit?

MP:Portland is a veritable quandary of hilarious shit. An arsenal of unique things that make Portland what it is. The day Gresham, OR gets a postcard company I’ll retire.

SZ: What are some avenues/projects/events/etc. that you would like to explore with MP?

MP: Mustache and beard competitions around the world! Gogol Bordello concerts, all concerts for that matter, any theater that has a Daniel Day Lewis movie playing for less than $4, any place that serves breakfast all day for $3,Skateparks, etc. etc. etc. We like to work with other mustache aficionados like Rex Wax and MansFaceStuff who are proprietors of mustache waxes in Portland. We strive to keep it local, but that doesn’t mean we wont take the party to other cities. Keep your eyes peeled for a mustache-a-day calendar!

SZ: What kind of audience do you hope to reach with MP?

MP: Not everyone can grow one, but everybody can appreciate one.

KW: Anyone who will find joy in what we are creating and sandwich zine readers!

WS:I just want people to laugh at what I’m doing.

SZ: What is your best mustache story/ experience? I am sure with style like yours, people are often admiring your mustaches...

KW:People ofton spark up mustache related conversations out ofnowhere that can lead to

amazing adventures and friendships, W can tell you the story of the Queen of Shiva

WS: One time W and I were at a party in downtown Portland and a girl by the name of Shiva walked by and said “that’s an amazing mustache” the next thing we know Shiva, W, and I were camping in Crater Lake National Parkafter knowing Shiva only a few hours. We spent 3 days hiking around jumpingin freezing rivers and eating fireside gourmet food prepared by a (nearly) total stranger we had befriended. Now that I think about it I think the firsttime I met W I thought he was cool

because he had a rad stache! So if it wasn’t for the mustache all of this would never have happened!

SZ: What kind of advice would you give someone trying to start his or her ownbusiness?

SZ: How can we show our love and where can we buy your creations?


MP: Etsy is our main deal but we also sell wholesale to businesses and to private parties on Ebay. Go on the book of faces, search MUSTACHE PRINTING, and like us. We send out free postcards every now and then.

SZ: Now for the traditional Sandwich Zine interview questions!! What is your favorite Sandwich?

KW: Capriotti’s “The Bobbie” OR In-N-Out “Double Double” animal style! Look them up if you haven’t had them.... Now I am hungry!!

WS: Classic BLT with avocado

SZ: If you had to create a tag line or postcard for Sandwich Zine, what would it beand what kind of mustache would you use to describe us?

MP: Grow a mustache.

SZ: Nice.

KW: Just do what you love and have fun doing. Surround yourself with positive people with different skills and backgrounds. Work toward a similar goal and together you can accomplish anything! Also grow a mustache. Grow long and proud. Then strap down for whirlwind of good times!

WS: Have a lot of time, money, and a lucky egg. After you grow that mustache say goodbye to burritos.

SZ: Any advice on growing a stellar mustache or beard?

MP: Follow this diet: ·A burrito the size of your head from the Los Gorditios on SE 50th and Division

·Drink lots of beer(stronger the better)... out of a stein!

·A living porcupine

·Seafood, including Lubstahs gawdamit!

·Fight and alligator, Bear, and a whole frickin mess of gawd damnwattlesnakes!

·Then bathe in Motor oil and brush your teeth with metal filings and glass.

·Wash, condition, rinse and condition again.

MP: We would give you a postcard. a classic Salvador Dali style mustache to keep it out of your sandwiches. Artful and stylish. or this...

SZ: If I were a dude, what kind of facial hair/mustache/beard would yourecommend for me?

MP:You don’t need to be a dude to rock the face garden.

You’re very much a lean mean type of face style, so maybe a really wide wire-thin pointy one that goes out past your ears. But we don’t

want to remove your face fuzz autonomy, grow it how you want it and rock it like you own it... because you do!

SZ: What do you think of bearded ladies?

MP: Theyre beautiful! We demand more of them. DOUBLE MUSTACHE RIDE!

SZ: Last but not least, I just want to say thank you so much on behalf of SZ for takingthe time to interview with us! Keep printing away and send us a postcard with somelove anytime

MP:We love you!

your sandwiches. Artful and stylish. or this...


Keep it fuzzy, and watch your [mail]boxShow your support for Mustache Printing by...

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sandwich zine issue # 13 : march/april 2011

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