Confessions of a Graphic Designer

Written 5 August 2010 (Note hyperlinks in orange) Two weeks ago I had the opportunity to talk with entrepreneur Ben Huh , of I Can Has Cheezburger , Fail Blog and other memes. When I asked him about his ambitions, he responded without hesitation: “I want to lead a life worth living.” And since that day, his comment has continued to resonate in my mind. Recently our oldest son, Andrew, was home from Germany to spend time with us before his one-year deployment to Afghanistan begins next month. It was a joy for all of us to be together. Whenever he’s home, we make a pilgrimage to Hood River, Oregon , the breathtakingly beautiful place where my paternal grandparents settled after they immigrated from Japan in the early 1900s. As a teenager, Andrew spent summers working in the orchards during the cherry harvest. He is the only fourth-generation ( yonsei ) kid in the family to do so. Beside learning the ways of a new country, my grandparents' early days were physically tough—...

Ben Huh, CEO, Cheezburger Network I was going to write about some of the many innovative companies in Seattle, but when a friend helped me set up an interview with Ben Huh (@BenHuh) fearless leader of I Can Has Cheezburger (ICHC) and other memes, my plans changed. So this piece is all about Ben Huh, the big cheese of a company that makes the world laugh. Questions are in bold. 23 July 2010 — Cheezburger Network, Seattle, WA Everyone has already written everything imaginable about you and ICHC. So I'd like to show you a Dewar's profile and a Playboy bunny interview from 1983. These are the inspirations for how I want to talk with you. I thought this would be more fun. So, is that OK? Fantastic. Dewar's Ad: Community Live Journal ; Playmate interview, Sept. 1983 Playboy So, basically, you’ll be like the Playboy playmate of the month. [laughs] First question—how do you pronounce your name? It’s “Huh.” Some pronounce it "Hugh," but it’s “H...