Storyboard Basquiat PUMA Commercial

Storyboard Profesoar (aka Storyboard P, aka Story Basquiat, aka @etherealstory) is one hard cat to come by. Seriously though, penning in a sit-down with this stand-up paper man ain’t no easy feat. And speaking of feet, it’s most likely because he’s a non-stop force of pure movement, destined for unreal ethereal greatness. However, with our luck and a bit of persistence, we managed to tsunami a few minutes of the street-dancer-gone-multi-talented-performer’s time to ask him exactly which planet it is that he comes from and get to the funk rock bottom of the PUMA commercial rumors we’ve heard going around lately.

Actually, not only did we get Story to tell us some tales with his toes, but he further blessed our eyeballs with an uncut, unlisted, unreleased, behind the scenes clip of his freestyle for PUMA, soaked in a deep sepia liquid to keep us entranced as we watched him cook up an indelible performance.

Story, P, Saalim (what to call you?) tell us: what’s your background, where’d you come from?

I’m from the BK and I’m an African Spaniard.

How’d you get the name Storyboard P, and what’s it mean?

My creative process is storyboarding which details creating as I go. P is for ‘Profesoar’ because I teach to soar.

Wordplay all day. So, in your own words (as though we’d have to ask), what style of dance do you perform mostly?

Animation.

Short and sweet and succinct. Aside from dancing, it seems you do some music as well, is this true?

Of course, my music catalog is pure sickness. I listen to everything from classical to trip hop. And yes, I’m starting to experiment with making beats and using my voice.

So besides dance and music, are there any other forms of art you practice?

Art is my life, so of course! I paint, act, design clothing… shit I’m me and that is art in itself.

No doubt, we hear that, go far enough and we’ll be seeing courses at art colleges across the nation for the new Story Basquiat Bachelor’s Degree! And as a part of your art life, style must come into play at times. How does fashion or style effect your work?

I’m a trendsetter so I wear something and before I even take it off it’s on someone else. My style is like my dance, it’s diverse and inspired by the Universe.

In other words: what you rock is animated. It’s alive! Now, would you consider yourself a sneaker head?

I’m a head that wears sneakers [laughs], yes, but I also flex my style and put on the boat shoes or oxfords.

Right, we’ve seen from your past work that you’ve got an intensely varied array of styles and definitely rock everything from street shoes to classy kicks. When it comes to adidas and PUMA, what are your favorite types of sneakers to wear?

I’m not a wave jumper so I don’t just jump on brands, I go with what gravitates to my eye especially colors and prints.

Seriously, no one digs a hype beast, so big up to you for being true to who you are, despite the branding and corporate huzzah about. Let’s say if you were to design your own shoe, especially made for dancing, what would be important? How would it look and feel?

It would be sleek, comfortable to move in, and display my whimsical personality with outrageous colors and prints.

With any luck – and some hard work – you’ll one day have that whimsical kick to slide your floats into. So what can you tell us about your recent commercial work with PUMA? How did this happen and what can we expect to see once it’s finished?

I was picked by the divine order of the Universe and you can expect to see more of me packaged by PUMA.

Word Story, you’re outrageous. Can you give us a synopsis on the shoot?

For PUMA, I just did what I do best: interpretations. Dance charades. Words were given and I interpreted them to the score while still showing my mastery of bringing the actual song to life through the tempo and character.

I guess with Jean-Michel Basquiat’s art already all over Reebok’s uppers, you you put your own Basquiat directly into these German cats’ sockliners. Anything you’d like to add about the video?

Since this is not the official PUMA version, it’s my impatient version [laughs]. You can hear some of the words. Do your best to connect. Helping hand: explore, hypnotize, bro, float, watching, paying, cooking. Enjoy. @etherealstory boo too full wands. Alla kazaam the sorcerer’s bond.

We really appreciate you sharing this clip P, pretty cool to see you working behind the scenes. Lastly, is there anything you want to say to aspiring artists or corporate cash hogs out there? Advice or warnings?

Well, for aspiring artists, just define your market then mark it. And to the corporate cash hogs, in God we trust and everybody else pays cash.

Big ups Storyboard, know that you’ve got support here at eatmoreshoes and we’re lookin’ forward to your further work, whether that be with PUMA, other brands, or independently on your own. And for all you Storyboard P fans out there: stay tuned for the soon-to-drop PUMA commercial with our favorite animation master on it!

written by Dylan Cromwell