Sergie Loobkoff

Sergie Loobkoff Is a graphic designer, illustrator and musician from Berkeley, California. His claim to fame is being the drummer who knocked off the first 1-2-3-4 stick clicks at Gilman Street Project as his first band, Soup, opened that clubs first show. He was also one of about 10 people at Operation Ivy’s first show in Dave Melo’s parent’s garage. None of that means shit to anyone outside of the Bay Area, but he still brings it up any chance he gets. Since the 90’s he has designed packaging for numerous bands, mainly in the punk and indie world. He is the recipient of several gold records…sadly, not for playing on them, just for designing their covers.

Sad Bear is part of a series of drawings he’s done since 2008 where he uses only ‘borrowed’ media and time from his corporate design jobs. The concept is a vague, half-assed statement ‘against the man’ while willingly (and hypocritically) participating in the corporate structure. Said media being highlighters, common felt and ballpoint pens and butcher paper. In 2011, while designing old pal Tony Sly’s then new album he convinced him to use the drawing for the cover. Sly liked the title so much he appropriated it for his album’s title. Now, across the world many tattoos of Sad Bear adorn chubby and hairy No Use For A Name fan’s limbs.

He’s participated in about 15 group art shows in the US and Europe, but not recently. Recently he has been very lazy. Which brings to mind another claim to fame (or namedrop): Robin Williams bought a print of an illustration of an orangutang playing the drums at an art show in San Francisco. The thought of Robin Williams mounting it in his bathroom to be seen while ‘Mork’ did a no. 2 … although a far-fetched thought, this fantasy gives Loobkoff much pleasure.