- The brothers Shannon, as cliche as it may sound, are one of a kind--or rather, two of a very different kind. Cut from the cloth of an artistic family, the two have veered in very different directions with regards to their creative enterprises but are nevertheless constant collaborators. Their combined artistic efforts first drew attention in September 2005 when, at the ages of fourteen and twelve respectively, Louis and Jack had the opportunity to display their work in a group show benefit for New York skater Andy Kessler--a skateboard adorned with a screen print of Andy's x-rayed hip by Louis, immersed in Jack's line-drawing wonderworld--amid that of skateboarder/artist legends like Mark Gonzales and Wes Humpston. Unbeknownst to most, they had already been working together on numerous shirt-printing projects in the Shannon Laboratories, i.e. their kitchen, where a rudimentary silkscreening facility had been taking shape since the previous winter. Since then, their assorted projects have spawned a clothing company of sorts--which they have tentatively titled "Louis and Jack"--and their laboratories have grown to include a large mechanical silkscreen press. Most recently, they have designed tees for KC/DC skateshop in Brooklyn and for RVCA's own Modrocket.
- Jack, now a fourteen-year-old towering above even his older brother at 6'3" whose drawings provide the basis for most of the company's shirts, has been developing his style for years and it continues to evolve as his wild imagination, incredible spontaneity, and growing artistic maturity take his trademark labyrinths of comical characters to new levels. Louis, who tends to act as the glue holding the company together, works meanwhile on eclectic projects of his own, fueled by a passion for circuit bending electronics, and multiple music groups. But even as the two brothers grow more independent, especially with regards to their art, they nevertheless form what can only be called a dynamic duo, and, whichever direction they choose to go in next, the future can hold only bigger and better things for both of them.
