When Elvis Presley was chosen to be a new subject on a U.S. postage stamp, I was caught off guard. I was one of seven artists working on a stamp series call Legends of American Music. The Post Master General at the time announced that he would commission an Elvis stamp before he left office. All seven artists were asked to drop what they were doing and submit their "best" Elvis impression for the stamp advisory board to review. Over 60 pieces of art were submitted, leaving the advisory board with a huge dilemma; YOUNG or OLD Elvis? Their indecision lead to a brilliant and first-time promotional campaign for the Postal Service. They would allow the public to choose their favored stamp after narrowing the field to two versions. One, was my humble submission of a young depiction of Elvis.
Over 800,000 ballots were cast and the young Elvis reigned supreme, taking two thirds of the vote. Following the stamps issue, it broke all records, selling more than any other commemorative stamp. Following my Elvis' selection, I was then awarded the Rock 'n' Roll Legends series to fill out a set of four stamps.
A more recent endeavor I've taken on is designing playing cards that are popular with magicians and card players who take an interest in unique decks. For the most part, they are an affordable collectible. This art form allows for fully customized decks that can use foils, embossing and inventive die-cuts.
I still create all my decks with traditional mediums using ink, scratch board, brushes, and pens.