S2E6: Poster Artist Lil Tuffy

Film photography by Michelle Kilfeather

Prolific AF poster artist Lil Tuffy moved to San Francisco in the late-1990s, as the city was about to experience its first tech bust. He came mostly for the music, although the company he was working for in Pittsburgh decided to relocate around the same time.

In Part 1, Tuffy shares his story of moving to the city and immediately immersing himself in the music scene here. He goes on to talk about a couple of bartending gigs he's had in San Francisco (at Thee Parkside and Pop's)—his main gig until he gave that up to do what he does best—create show posters.

You might not know it, but somewhere in your house/apartment/flat/garage lives at least one or two posters from shows you certainly remember. They're there with other show posters, but what makes these distinctive is the artist who created them.

In Part 2, Lil Tuffy shares how he got into the art of making show posters. He talks about the people he met and was influenced by, how his style changed over the years, and what he's up to these days.

This podcast was recorded at Tuffy's studio in the Mission in December 2018.