Today we’d like to introduce you to Shawn and Aaron Brauch.
Founded in Sept. 1992 by Aaron & Shaw, (formally with Rap-A-Lot Records as General manager and Art director respectively). With start-up capital of only $1,000.00., one computer and a dining room table. The Brauch brothers grew their start up an annual average of 560% for 9 years straight. Pen and Pixel Graphics became the third largest graphic design firm in Houston.
Employing 27 full-time personnel and became largest music and entertainment specific design house in the US. Totaling $18.5 million in revenue over 11 years. Pen and Pixel was the most influential entertainment promotions company in modern history as it forged the look of the nineties Hip-Hop generation. No graphics studio has generated more controversy, satirical humor or sheer visual impact with its work than Houston’s own Pen and Pixel Graphics.
From it’s meager start in 1992 to its pinnacle achievement of completing 19,180 CD covers for 6,000 musical artists.
Pen and Pixel Graphics influence as the original ‘Kings of Bling’ spanned a generation and worked with a roster of clients including Cher, Chris Rock, Lil Wayne, Master P, Destiny’s Child, Boston, Cash Money Records, No limit Records and countless others. The legacy of this unique business is documented in several TV documentaries, hundreds of magazine and newspaper articles, museums, galleries and the National Archives in Washington, DC.
The company closed its doors in 2003 after a dramatic downturn in the music market attributed to online downloading and 9/11.
Has it been a smooth road?
People and Technology! My brother Aaron, was really more responsible for assembling a winning team. We started out small and brought in experts in their fields, we paid them well because we knew without that kind of experience we would not be able to grow.
Aaron was a motivating force and plain and simple had the long-term vision and business savvy to organized us into a very well rounded promotions company.
We went through 78 people in 11 years. There was a family culture at PPG if you broke that trust in the family you were out! If you gossiped you were out! If you did not meet deadlines you were out! But we paid very well, with a monthly bonus structure that would put some large corporations to shame. We shared the wealth and the management direction with our staff, they were very hands on, but we expected a great deal from them.
The technology was changing so fast that we had to keep 3 steps ahead of it and continue to update our training programs. We would go through manuals and work through the fastest most efficient way to get around the roadblocks, then we would write them into a work/training book for our staff to use. We also cross-trained every staff member to in case a replacement was needed.
Then there was the massive data storage issue with hundreds of CD covers, Posters and associated art files being backed up on a day to day basis. We used DAT tapes first, then moved to CDs. These were duplicated and stored off-site in a bank safe deposit box… well boxes really! Lots of them!
So, as you know, we’re impressed with Pen and Pixel Graphics Inc. – tell our readers more, for example what you’re most proud of as a company and what sets you apart from others.
There are many stories about Pen and Pixel Graphics, some are true some are not. What is true is that my brother Aaron worked at Rap-a-Lot Records from the beginning. He was the general manager there and helped grow that company into a multi-million dollar business.
Rap music was in its infancy at the time, in fact, Two Live Crew, Run DMC and Royal Flush were the first real commercially viable rap entities. My brother and I talked to James Smith – the owner of Rap-a-lot Records about using Rap-a-lot’s computers to generate these new covers and give Rap-a-lot a cut of the action, but an agreement could not be reached.
So long story short, my brother an I made a business plan and looked at the demand for the artwork as well as all the other services that could be offered… and decided to leave Rap-a-lot and start Pen and Pixel Graphics, Inc. It was a risky venture, but we were confident that we had enough clients that we would survive. Little did we know how big it would get!
Pen and Pixel was born out of demand for the covers. The first cover that showed photo special effects was “Willie D- Goin out like a Soldier”! This was Rap-a-lot’s first release with heavy special effects, plus the album featured the White House burning down… always popular when trying to jolt yourself above the mainstream. It was the response to this cover that lit our light bulbs… “We have something here’ … the tip of the iceberg!
The inspiration behind the Pen and Pixel style came about from comic books really, I was always fascinated by their ‘larger than life’ style. We wanted to convey that perspective and ‘over the topness’ in Pen and Pixel covers. That was the impetus for what you see today! We put a great deal of thought into the composition of the covers.
We want the viewer to visually ‘participate’ in the album cover, not just to attract attention in the store, but to ”live” with the music and lyrics!
Let’s touch on your thoughts about our city – what do you like the most and least?
Houston was like an expanding slow-motion explosion for us. In the 11 years we spent there, the city took on an organic pulse. Things were starting to rumble in the music industry in the 1990s, Selena, Destiny’s Child, The Geto Boys, and countless country artists came to Houston for studio time and to start their careers. Rap music was getting traction as well, a lot of traction!
Houston was centrally located, easy to get around and offered great business incentives for new entrepreneurs. It was a great city to grow our company, the people were warm, the prices for services and rent were right and the taxes low. On the flip side, that rapid growth brought with it traffic, crime and a general disrespect for other Houstonians, it was sad to see that aspect.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.smartfacemedia.com
- Phone: 941 761 1311
- Email: sbrauch@smartfacemedia.com
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Pen-Pixel-Graphics-66683562651
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