Hello World of Bongs Community, enjoy this interview with Jordy Minnick (Family Dog Glass), a talented creator of impressive heads: 

WHAT GOT YOU INTERESTED IN GLASS IN THE FIRST PLACE?

I was 14 when I first dipped in and the glass scene was pretty young and I sorta just was at the right place at the right time. Especially for being a kid in Indiana. But from the first moment I got a torch fired up I was fascinated.

WHERE DID YOU LEARN YOUR SKILLS?

I’m pretty much entirely self taught. I have picked up a ton from friends and just observing but most of what I make is entirely trial and error. Which I think gives my work a unique quality

DO YOU CREDIT ANY OTHER GLASS BLOWERS WITH HELPING YOU ACHIEVE YOUR SUCCESS?

Lone wolf as fuck. I got more friends in this game then ever but when I was growing up, we didn’t really even have the internet community, it was a ghost town as far as other glass workers go. I got my roots guerrilla vending on the street and hustling my gun case anywhere I could open it. I did grow up near a major glass supply shop and in hind sight it was a real blessing to have access to all these tools and materials so early on. My dad was a steel worker so the idea of having tanks and regulators was kinda a none issue.

TALK TO ME A LITTLE ABOUT YOUR STYLE.

Ive been developing my style in art my whole life. I was a weird kid and always expressed myself by creating. I’ve drawn my inspiration from growing up reading graphic novels, low brow art zines, sci fi novels, and the street art scene. All my life I just wanted to be an artist, just back then I wanted to be a hood rat with a backpack fulla rattle cans and now I make characters out of molten glass. I still read a lot of pork mag, the creep, 2600 and heavy metal for my art intake. 

WHAT MATERIALS DO YOU MOST LIKE TO WORK WITH?

I primarily focus in glass, but I have a background in oil paint/spray paints, ink, watercolor, clay and metal fab. I’ve done a ton of different art mediums but now I try to find ways to incorporate new types of material into my glass. Like my use of gold, bismuth and gallium.

WHAT’S THE MOST FAVOURITE PIECE YOU’VE EVER MADE?

My favorite piece is usually one of my most recent. I’m just out here grinding out concepts and trying to make the new one better then my last shit. I’m rarely satisfied and I’m a staunch critic of my work. But if I had to pick my favorite work, it would likely be one of my Japanese mythology pieces. Or the killer clown series. Or the dog eaters…..

WHAT WAS YOUR WORST MOMENT ON THE PATH TO “MAKING IT” AS A GLASS ARTIST?

I’ve hurt myself in so many stupid ways. Last winter I was on a live feed and set my new Levi’s jacket on fire reaching for something, during a live feed. It kept catching on fire and took like 10 minutes to quit reigniting, what a shit show.

AND WHAT WAS YOUR BEST MOMENT?

I’ve been lucky enough to be able to travel a lot in the past few years and I’ve met some of my hero’s . I’ve had collectors fly from foreign countries to meet me and see the work in person. My collectors and supporters are nuts, and I owe a lot of my drive to those people. Having the realization that my work had an audience really changed what I had to say. 

WHAT ADVICE WOULD YOU GIVE TO NEW GLASS ARTISTS?

If I can offer any advice, I’d try to push the new guys to not try to buy a setup, then immediately the next day try to make money on yet. Take some time and find what you wanna do and what you enjoy making. I’m not throwing shade on the proto guys of the world, but i think the best way to hit a wall and burn out in this game is to try learning this hard medium, all the while compiling it with the stress of being a business and having all that baggage. Take some time and do it because you love it, then when you have some foundation under you, I think you will find the work will come to you. And practice till you’re about to hit the floor. 

IF YOU COULD MAKE YOUR “DREAM” PIECE, WHAT WOULD IT LOOK LIKE?

I’ve got a list of artists I wanna work with, the list takes about both hands. I’ve got a few concepts rolling around in my head that you will be seeing pop up in the next year that will just blow anything I’ve done out of the water. I also really just wanna work with all the different artists I can and see where my style can be taken. 

WHO WOULD YOU LIKE, MOST OF ALL IN THIS WORLD, TO HIT YOU UP FOR A PIECE, AND WHAT PIECE WOULD YOU MAKE FOR HIM/HER?

I know Action has smoked my pieces but I wanna make him one and I’d deliver it so we can hang and talk rap and food. 

WHAT DOES THE FUTURE HOLD FOR GLASS ARTISTRY IN THE CANNABIS INDUSTRY?

I’m gonna go out on a limb here, but I think we’re going to witness the next year see us go back to some roots. I think the heady piece with a push bowl is due to see some revisitation. I think the pocket onie is getting to a place nobody saw coming a decade ago. Shit that should, or has been simple could get new life pumped into it. There’s a lot of constant fluctuations in this game, but a lot of the turmoil right now is because a lot of artists got comfortable and fell into a rut. The guys that not only survive, but thrive will be the ones that tread their own water. Versus just chasing whatever the latest high price ig auction was. The days of just copying whatever someone else is having success with is a losing proposition. The competition has never been more stiff, you gotta push your self, and go hard if you wanna get noticed in this jungle.

IF YOU WERE SHIPWRECKED ON A DESERT ISLAND AND YOU COULD ONLY HAVE THREE ESSENTIAL PIECES WITH YOU, WHICH WOULD YOU CHOOSE, AND WHY?

A helicopter, loaded with machine guns, a cigar smoking chimpanzee and some Korean beef.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE MUSIC TO WORK TO?

My top 3 artists in rotation in the shop would be Aesop rock, run the jewels, Danny Brown

Take a look at his Trap Rick!