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Hey y’all and welcome back to the blog for another post in our Meet The Yetee series. This week I am joined by Yetee veteran and specialist of all things printed and laser cut at HQ’s Print Lab, Orion! A lot of you are probably very familiar with the work that he does for our product launches and monthly sticker club Stickermoon! If you’ve ever ordered anything from stickers, pins, to our acrylic standees, they have at some point gone through Orion’s hands so I thought it would be to invite him over here to my little space here at the company to give you all a chance to get to know him a little better. Without further ado, let’s meet Orion, shall we?
Jacob: What’s your job title at The Yetee and what do you do here?
Orion: Digital Printing Specialist. I edit, prepare, print, cut, and package mostly everything that cannot be screen printed. This includes stickers, posters, and standees. I also create color separations for the screen-printed posters. I am also responsible for most of Stickermoon.
Jacob: How long have you been working at The Yetee?
Orion: This year will be my great eighth year!
Jacob: What is a day in the life of Orion?
Orion: Every day is a little bit different but once I’ve clocked in, I get straight to work. I put on my smock, grab all my tools, check over my tasks for the day, turn on the printers, and get them running. In between all that, I’m checking emails and slack for any last minute additions. Then I’m on the computer preparing files while cycling through print jobs. If I’m not too busy, I fit in a snack lol
Jacob: What programs or hardware do you use to create the artwork and prints we put out?
Orion: Haha, a lot. I bounce between Photoshop, Illustrator, and InDesign mostly. However, I use 4-5 different RIP/cutting software. Hardware is similar. I am constantly running multiple wide format printers. I use a plotter for cutting. If I’m feeling spicy, I’ll fire up the laser engraver.
Jacob: How do you curate the themes for Stickermoon?
Orion: Honestly, I try to make it a group effort. I like to plan themes a year in advance with some wiggle room. So, I’ll ask some of the staff what they would like to see as a theme. I come up with a list and then bounce it back to my Supervisors/Directors. Once I have their feedback, I go back and revise. There are some themes we repeat every year but most of them are fresh and new. It’s really a great experience to work with staff to come up with some really cool themes.
Jacob: Do you have a favorite surface that you display your sticker collection on or do you just randomly slap ‘em all over?
Orion: I put them everywhere. A lot in The Yetee building. Sometimes I place them on or under tables and desks. I think every piece of equipment in the digital lab has a sticker. Every now and then one might end up on the work freezer. It’s life’s little surprises.
Jacob: What are some of your hobbies outside of slinging stickers?
Orion: Haha, Digimon TCG keeps me pretty busy. I’m always trying to come up with the next best deck and strategy. I love food. So whenever I can, I’m trying a new restaurant or dish I’ve never tried before. Otherwise, I love anime, movies, and documentaries.
Jacob: I’ve heard a time or two that you are really big into Digimon and recently started playing some local tournaments and such. How’s that going? Are ya winning son?
Orion: Hahaha, I am really big into the Digimon Trading Card Game! I love it. I found a really cool community to hang out with on the weekends and play in tournaments. I’m definitely winning. I would say I’m probably one of the higher-ranked players in my local scene.
Jacob: What are your most prized Digimon & Pokemon cards?
Orion: My most prized Pokemon card is a 1st edition Dark Dragonite my siblings got me for my birthday. My second is a rare ghost holographic Omnimon card. It’s probably the most expensive card I’ve ever pulled. It’s a fun keepsake.
Jacob: While we are on the subject of games. What are some of your favorite video games of all time and why?
Orion: Pokemon is my go to, but my overall favorite is the Monster Hunter series. It’s fun. It’s exhilarating. The monsters can be really difficult and engaging. The buildouts really make a player think. I’m always down to jump in the fray with fellow hunters.
Jacob: Which of those new starters from Pokémon Scarlet / Violet are you gonna be rockin’ when that drops?
Orion: Ooo, good question. In the past I’m usually a grass starter kind of guy. Sprigatito looks like a lot of fun BUT I think I’m gonna rock this journey with Fuecoco! That little chili crocodile has got me good. Its design really reminds me of my favorite Taito characters, Bub and Bob.
Jacob: So, we recently launched some new Godzilla vs Kong merch, and I heard you were a mega fan! So I need to ask, who would win Godzilla or King Kong?!
Orion: I think that’s the age old question. Who would win? I think Godzilla has a lot of power. The healing factor is really nice. I think King Kong is also strong but much more agile and intelligent. Maybe they become friends. Have a little hug or a peck on the cheek.
Jacob: Do you have a favorite Godzilla film of all time?
Orion: 1964 Mothra Vs. Godzilla. I love everything about that film. It’s just so good.
Jacob: Desert Island Kaiju films go! What are you bringing along to keep you sane?!
Orion: Mothra, All Godzilla films, All Gamera films, The Host(I think that counts?), and Pacific Rim.
Jacob: Heck yeah! Solid choices. Let’s dig into some more personal faves! What’s one of your favorite musicians or albums?
Orion: That’s really hard. My taste really changes from day-to-day. I think I go back to Alabama Shakes, WaggakiBand, The Weeknd, and Snail’s House the most.
Jacob: Sweet or salty snacks?
Orion: Both. Always both. You can’t have one without the other. Good snackage has balance.
Jacob: What's your all-time favorite food?
Orion: Lasagna. It’s a simple dish but also very experimental. Because it’s so simple, there is so much that can be done to the recipe. It’s really a forward thinking dish. Lasagna, it’s the dish of possibility. Garfield would tell you so.
Jacob: Garfield would be so proud of you right now! Do you have any favorite recipes that you like to cook?
Orion: I really like making a Brazilian stew called Moqueca Baiana. It’s a fish stew made with a white fish, onions, yellow/red peppers, lime, and cilantro. All of that simmers in coconut milk, oil and tomato broth. Very good. Very refreshing. Very filling.
Jacob: Do you have any pets? Are they a big part of your life?
Orion: I currently do not have any of my pets living with me. I do have one cat that lives with my parents. Her name is Kitten. She is wonderful. No one will talk badly of her or how she picks fights with the dogs, steals freshly made sausages, or pokes her head where she doesn’t belong. I love her, she is an angel, and she’s perfect. She actually is a pretty good cat. Huge cuddler.
Jacob: What has been your favorite memory while working at The Yetee? Any cool con stories?
Orion: It was probably the day I was hired. I had just left a terrible job at a summer camp. I went to The Yetee for an interview. I was dressed in a suit. Met Mike who was not dressed in a suit. We sat down in his office. Talked for a little bit. He looks at me and goes, “You really dressed up for this interview. Well, you’ll never have to wear a suit working here.” I have not worn a suit since. It’s really nice being able to come into work feeling like myself and not some suited persona. Looking back, I think it was that moment, I knew I was gonna be working for The Yetee for a long time.
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I want to give a huge shoutout to Orion for taking the time to sail all the way from Sticker Island in order to do this interview! I know that he is often super busy with all of the stickers, standees, and other printed items that we have in production and coming down the pipeline so it was nice to catch up and chat! It’s always awesome to sit back and talk with friends and co-workers about some of their favorite interests and see how much of their passion for what they love carries over into the work that they put into making all of the awesome products that we release and get to enjoy as fans!
If you’d like to stay up-to-date with what Orion has got cooking up over in the Print Lab next, sign up for Stickermoon, or keep an eye out on the YeteeMart’s Secret Stage & Sticker collections for any and all new acrylic standees and stickers that we release!