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Skateboarder Mike Gigliotti Reinterprets Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants for Vans

Story by Indigo Smith

The Vans X Mike Gigliotti collab is a Gigliotti twist on Nickelodeon’s SpongeBob SquarePants using his grungy, out-of-the-box style. Gigliotti keeps the original SpongeBob SquarePants outline, but adds his own artistic spin. The doodles Gigliotti adds are yellow outlines of skulls, chains, barbed wire, flames, and much more, giving a more edgy vibe to the classic childhood cartoon. The collection features Gigliotti’s work on Vans favorites like the Slip-Ons, Old Skools, and Sk8-Hi’s and select apparel pieces such as hoodies and shirts. 

The artist, Mike Gigliotti is more than a Spongebob doodle enthusiast; he is also a skateboarder and the owner of Lotties Skate Shop in Los Angeles. Gigliotti’s art style from an early age has been inspired by cartoons and skate companies such as Baker, as well as skate graphics. An attraction of Mike’s are weirdos, which you can definitely find in his art and in skateboarding. His artwork is scattered throughout Lotties Skate Shop and flows perfectly with the skate community feel in the shop. Classic skate shops like the one Mike created, contribute to keeping the LA skate community thriving. What better artist for a collaboration with a No. 1 skateboarding brand like Vans than a skateboarder dedicated to keeping skate culture alive in his everyday life. 

As Gigliotti said, “Growing up drawing all the time and watching cartoons, I loved the cartoons with weirdos,” said Gigliotti. “SpongeBob is exactly that, in a good way! He’s hilarious and so are all the characters on the show. Being able to work together with Vans and SpongeBob is special to me— it’s a combination of my favorite things: skateboarding and drawing.”

The Vans x SpongeBob x Mike Gigliotti collection is available now, online and at select Vans retail locations. For more information, visit Vans.com/skateboarding

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