Mr. Cartoon Designs Inaugural Title X Wine Bottle

Renowned Tattoo and Graffiti Artist Collaborates on Santa Barbara-Grown Wine

By Matt Kettmann Thu Jul 11, 2024 | 12:11pm

Before ever getting the nickname Mr. Cartoon, a young Mark Machado recognized that collectors of art tended to be fans of wine. He saw the two worlds intersect while attending events across Los Angeles with his print shop-owning parents, who regularly took their kids to arthouse films and galleries.

Title X bottle designed by artist Mr. Cartoon | Credit: Courtesy

Even as his own career blossomed, the renowned tattoo and graffiti artist — whose images now adorn classic cars, hip-hop album covers, and the bodies of stars like Snoop Dogg, Christina Aguilera, and Eminem — never expected that his Chicano-inspired styles would be embraced by the white-leaning wine industry. But that’s exactly what lovers of both can now purchase, thanks to Mr. Cartoon’s collaboration with the inaugural release of Title X Wines, the Paso Robles-based brand owned by brothers Matt and Mark Suroff.

“Lady Impala” is the name of Mr. Cartoon’s vibrantly red, meticulously sculptured glass, magnum-sized bottle, of which only 385 exist. Filled with a Bordelaise blend of grapes grown in Santa Barbara’s Happy Canyon appellation and crafted by winemaker Tyler Russell, the limited release bottles are now on sale for $1,250 apiece.

“The bottle of wine mirrors that candy paint job of the cars that I built over a few decades,” said Mr. Cartoon. “We always called our paint jobs ‘brandy wine’ or ‘candy apple wine.’ We wanted to make a wine bottle that embodied that.” His wife served as the model, and their daughter is also named Impala.

The process proved far more challenging than anyone expected. “Cartoon’s concept was just having one of the girls he’s famous for coming alive, so you want her coming out of the bottle,” said Title X’s Matt Suroff, a photographer and director by career. “This was way before we knew anything about the glass process. There was a bit of a learning curve.” More than 30 glass factories said that the intricate design wouldn’t work, but they finally found a factory in Mexico City that could pull it off.

The release reveals how wine is becoming enmeshed in an urban culture that was once more focused on beer and spirits. “Wine is definitely more out there now,” said Mr. Cartoon. “People are taking a stab at doing their own wines, and guys you wouldn’t think, like rappers and hip-hop influencers.”

That may just be a function of age, admitted Mr. Cartoon. “My fanbase is growing up too, having families and becoming more responsible and seasoned,” he said. “It’s a trip to see how it’s evolved and see people grow up a little.”

The plan for Title X Wines is to collaborate with two artists each year, and they’re already preparing for another fall release, but wouldn’t divulge the artist in advance. Suroff hopes to foster a demographic-defying bridge between the urban art and fine wine worlds. “How can we have our collector culture and their collector culture come together?” he explained of the question they’re trying to answer.

Will buyers actually open the pricy bottles or just keep them intact? “At the end of the day, that’s really up to them,” said Suroff. “But at least if you open it and drink it, the bottle and the sculpture still have value.”

For Mr. Cartoon, the project is just the latest in a string of collaborations with brands as varied as T-Mobile, Nike, Diesel, Vans, and the L.A. Dodgers. “It’s been a passion of mine outside of tattooing and graffiti, making apparel and these gadgets and now these custom bottles,” he said. “It’s always evolving and I never get used to it.”

He’s also stoked that this project, which was conceived of years ago, is finally complete. “These projects take so long to produce that when you finally get to the finish line,” he said, “it’s very satisfying.”

See titlexwines.com.