Q&A with Todd Radom
Goat Jerseys sits down with Todd Radom, a super cool, extraordinary talented graphic designer and author, oh and he’s also from my hometown! Let’s get to know him…
1. Where did you grow up?
I grew up in Yonkers, NY, ten miles due north of Yankee Stadium.
2. Were you a big sports fan growing up? If so, what was the first athlete and team you fell in love with?
A huge sports fan. I am a Boston Red Sox diehard (a long story, explained in detail here: https://www.toddradom.com/blog/2018/10/20/boston-red-sox-caps-logos-world-series-7sc25 ) My lockdown favorite player was Carl Yastrzemski-he shared a birthday and the same first name as my late father, and he also wore the uniform so well.
3. As a teenager in High School (and yes Todd and I attended the same HS, Roosevelt HS, Yonkers NY) what does Todd Radom want to be?
I come from a family of artists-I am fourth generation working artist, so while that wasn’t necessarily encouraged, it was never discouraged either. Here I am decades later, having landed in the right and proper place.
4. When was the moment you realized Todd Radom was a brand?
Not until now? Seriously, though-I started specializing in sports design back in the early 90s, when there were something like ten people, maximum, who were doing so. I’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge and a lot of war stories along the way. I feel like I am a better strategic thinker here in my dotage, doing the best work of my life.
5. I’ve admired your work for a long time. You’ve worked with countless sports franchises through the years. Designed logos for the Super Bowl (XXXVIII), NBA All-Star Game (2009), what piece of work do you look back now and say, “Holy sh** I can’t believe I created that?”
Gotta be the Super Bowl. IT’S THE SUPER BOWL. Just having navigated the process of creating the thing gives me elite street cred of some sort.
6. You recently published a book entitled, “Winning Ugly”. How did that come about, and what was the best part about making the book?
The roots of the book lay in the fact that the New York Times came to me in April 2017 looking for an editorial piece about baseball uniforms. It turned into a personal essay, and was very well received. It caught the attention of Skyhorse Books/Sports Publishing, and together we made it happen.
7. All-time favorite uniform in sports?
A totally loaded, unfair question! I will name a few. Give me the Detroit Red Wings, stoic, truly iconic, timeless. Give me those Astros rainbows, singularly unique, ambassadors to a certain place and time, gutsy and groundbreaking. Throw in the Montreal Canadiens and we have a trifecta of goodness.
8. Your resume speaks for itself, you’ve worked with the best of the best. One classic story of someone famous you worked with that you can share?
I have, as you can imagine, enjoyed working with a number of high profile folks over the years. Dave Winfield immediately comes to mind; classy, inquisitive, a positive and genuinely nice person. Over the past few years I have worked on a daily basis with Ice Cube on everything visual for his Big3 basketball league, and it’s been a terrific experience-the guy knows and understands design and is a joy to work with. Bill Lee struck me out on three pitches, the last of which was a filthy 12-to-6 curveball or something, in a charity softball game. I have a few Bill Clinton stories. And yes, as you can probably tell, I will stop right there…
9. One person in the world living or deceased that you could have 15 minutes to sit down with and pick their brain, who would it be?
Benjamin Franklin, without question. A fascinating human being of varied interests and talents. When he died in 1790 he left a good sum of money to the cities of Boston and Philadelphia, stipulating that it not be touched for 200 years, Today that money is being used to fund scholarships for area high school students to learn a trade, for women’s health, and disabled children. Can you imagine? AND he’s the founding father that we’d all like to have a beer with.
10. Where does Todd Radom go from here, what does 5 to 10 years down the road look like for you as a brand?
I see myself working with enlightened clients, helping them build durable visual identities and marketing platforms. I see myself writing, illustrating, lettering, designing, doing public speaking, and traveling. I’m way closer to the end of my career than I am to the beginning, excited about the future, always. I’m also heavily involved with my alma mater, the School of Visual Arts in New York, where I serve as Chairman of the Board of the SVA Alumni Society.
11. What’s the biggest piece of advice you can give someone who’s coming up in the game?
Be inquisitive, don’t be afraid to ask questions, be inspired, and be ready to work. Work intelligently. All-nighters are not good and are usually unncessesary. There are 24 hours in a day. In an ideal world we should work for eight of them, sleep for eight of them, and devote the additional eight to family, things that make us happy, whatever, Travel. Be open minded and optimistic. And read a damn book!
Thank you to Todd. Great insight, we look forward to catching up with him again in the near future!
Toddradom.com
Twitter/Instagram: @ToddRadom