In The Know: Adam Johnson

How long do you see Vibralux lasting?
~Vibralux will last forever because the people associated with it aren’t going anywhere. Look at all the other clothing companies from back in the day that are still around…

When do the Haffey jeans come out?
~The Haffey jeans are getting fixed right now. We will be set to approve the sizing on September 1st then it should be another month or two.



Any plans to release a jean similar in cut to the JD2's in different colors?
~ Yes, we are currently working on some, but need to clear up the name issue since we were sued and we need to focus on the Broskow’s and Haffey’s.

Who will actually save rollerblading?
~ A strong customer driven skater core who will sacrifice money and stop shopping at Wal-Mart and buying non-skater owned products.

Shoot heroin?
~ Never, I am afraid of addictions.

How tall are you?
~ 5 foot 6 on a good day.

And can I make a design for Vibralux?
~ Everyone can make designs, whether we use them or not is up to Alex for the most part.

When are you bringing me along to cover your tour?
~Jero would kill me. Sorry boss. ;)

No but really, when are you swinging through Philly?
~It is hard to go to a place where so much talent has come from and still lives in and get things done. The focus of the Vibralux video was skating spots that hadn’t ever been seen. Besides I was there last year.

How does it feel knowing that Killgore still drives that van?
~ It feels good knowing that he is getting his $1,000 worth.

Not talking about myself, but when are you going to sponsor people in my country?
~ To be truthful we would probably start in Germany and Austria, then the UK, then Russia based solely on sales figures. However, considering our current state of debt it doesn’t make much sense monetarily. Hopefully next year we can start to flow more people.

Marc will have a section in VX team video?
~ He is busy filming for 2 Faded, I would rather him focus his energy on that project. I hope to get some clips of him though since he reps hard.

What's your new real job?
~ I am working up to become a store manager for Family Video. Thanks film degree.

Why did Brenton Wheeler stop skating long time ago, and then started again?
~ Personal reasons. I think it is important in anything that you are passionate about to sometimes step away, see what life is like, and then come back. It helps to give perspective on where you are and what you want to accomplish. I think Brenton is far better having left skating, pursued other passions, and came back to something he loves.



Do you have a girl, AJ?
~ Sure do, her name is Jenna.

What's your camera and computer setup?
~ Sony HVR-V1U with a century lens, Dual 2.5 Ghz PowerPC G5 with Final Cut Studio 2.0, and a little black laptop called “Hooker1” for tour.

What’s the Vibralux mascot?
~ A zebra painted Chevy van that smells like whiskey, cigarettes, and mustard.

Maybe a best of kfc DVD?
~ How about a new KFC video…

When is the best of Chris Haffey going to be made?
~ We talked about it on the last tour. Coming soon after we get all the wrinkles figured out.

FAVORITE MOVIE
~Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen

FAVORITE SKATE TAPE
~ Concentration

FAVORITE PAIR OF SKATES YOUVE EVER RIDDEN
~ Latimer Psirisus

FAVORITE COMIC BOOK CHARACTER
~ Gambit

FAVORITE TYPE OF FACIAL HAIR
~ I liked my handle bar



Looking back on "Collective Consciousness" does it give you a sense of pride and accomplishment because you obviously put allot into it, or is it more of a wtf was I thinking braH!? Kind of feeling.
~ I really liked that video and the concept and how it came out. However, I wish I had spent more time on the production quality of “dreams.” Everything was first or second take, there was no planning in the camera angles. The whole thing came about from rocking the darkside of the moon as I drove across the country 3 times that summer. I think the work done in postproduction was good, not great. I also think it was funny how I recorded the whole monologue at 2 am after Thanksgiving dinner from a little 3X4” notebook and recorded the sections in 20 second intervals to make sure what I was saying timed up to the actions. I WISH MORE PEOPLE KNEW THAT IF YOU PRESSED THE AUDIO BUTTON ON THE DVD REMOTE IT WOULD PLAY ONLY THE DSOM AND NOT ME TALKING AND THAT ALL THE ACTING WAS TIMED TO THE MUSIC AND THAT DOORS OPEN AND CLOSE WHEN TRACKS CHANGE.

Also are you going to ever actually use Denim in your next pair of jeans?
~ Like a raw denim. Denim is defined as a course twilled cloth made usually of cotton. There are no denim plants. All our jeans are denim, but with synthetic material added for stretch.

Will you ever do a collaboration project with a well known graphic designer so you guys can get blogged about on hype beast?
~ Who cares about hype beast?

How many girl friends have you been through?
~ 7-10

How old where you when you lost your virginity, how long did you last, was it every thing you thought it would be?


How many girls have you been through in one night?
~ 1, I don’t do the whore myself out thing.




Thinking back when you got into that car accident. Did you ever wish you where Muslim for a split second incase you died. So there would be 43 virgins in heaven waiting for you?
~Nope, but I learned to not regret anything in life. If we weren’t in that car accident KFC 3 would have come out earlier, would have been different, and me and everyone else might be very different people. Who knows maybe I would have continued to spiral out of control, I would have never gotten to go to jail, wouldn’t have learned responsibility the way I know it now, and probably wouldn’t be as focused a person.

How much do you like black metal?
~ Not at all, did you catch which Metallica song I used in KFC3, do you think I know anything about Metal?

What is your magazine of choice when taking a shit?
~ Mexican Maxim

How many more all over print pattern shirts are you going to do?
~ Zero, Alex is over the all over patterns, and he is the boss.

Have you ever gotten a blumpkin?
~ I like the girls I have been with and wouldn’t be able to be with a girl after something like that.

Why do you not edit your videos anymore, or why do you only put energy into one edit per video?
~ See this depends on HOW you like your editing. I just edit different BUT I definitely have a sliding scale of how hard I try PER edit.

Do you like Brenton's band?
~ From what I have heard yes, still haven’t caught a show. Don’t know his BAND, but I like their SOUND.

Where did the name Vibralux originate from?
~ Dave Temple named it after an amplifier that Fenley put out in the 70’s.


Your thoughts on The Fugitive?
~ I said he was great, I’m glad he had done it. He’s drinking good, smoking great.

Do Alex's KFC 3 shorts bring you good luck?
~ They help to keep my grounded and remember who I am, just a regular person from Kansas trying to make it in someone else’s shorts.

Riddle me this
Riddle me that
Do you like pets?
A dog or a cat?
~ Dogs, I would kill a cat to save a dog.

Who did you expect to blow up big in the past few years, but failed to meet your expectations as a skater?
~ To be honest Michael Collins. He didn’t fail to meet my expectations, but I feel partially responsible for him not getting the exposure he deserved and that leads to a lack of focus. He took a little break, Brenton style, and is coming back on some next shit.

When will you stop slacking?
~ I stopped slacking when I was 8.

When I came to Minnesota a month ago I was psyched to get to skate with the Vibralux doods knowing that they were in town, but you failed to reveal your location to us. Why did you crush my dreams?
~ I didn’t crush your dreams because I didn’t know they existed. We are filming a video and can’t have people knowing too much. Perfect example, some punk bitch went to a spot that WE made ready, but didn’t get the trick, he heard about it and went to go do it before we could go back and film. I hate shit like that, and with a Con Artist video being filmed in MN the last thing I want is people going around trying to kill themselves and “1 up” all our shit.

Swedish made Vibralux penis enlarger?
~ I wish.

Who makes the designs?
~ In order, Dave Temple, Todd Blubaugh, MattyPro, Jeromy Morris, Robert Leivanos, Jeromy Morris.

Srsly though. I want another AJ section. Where is it?
~ Broken spine, punctured lungs, elbows that don’t straighten, broken collar bones, broken ribs, lack of motivation. Got a move planned for Vibralux video though.

What skates do you have?
~ IDK, some white razor things.

Do you like sushi?
~ Nope.

What would you have been doing 7 years ago around this time?
~ I would be high driving Alex around so he could murder shit.

In other words do you miss the good old days (and not just the drugs and alcohol, that's overrated)?
~ I miss being able to fall asleep when I lay down at night instead of having panic attacks and worrying about the life I am leading, the future in front of me, and how to put on for my homies.


AJ, please tell us something about VX video you are working on. Who skates, who going to have sections, what's the idea of the video etc?
~ Sections will come from Farmer, Broskow, Haffey, Bambrick, Garlinghouse, Wheeler for sure. Collins is on his way and Fabiola is battling back from injury. Haven’t heard from Mike Lilly in a while. The vibe is going to be that of a unified team on tour, murdering other people’s cities. No over the top editing, good music, and sweet cuts.

Can people contribute clips?
~ Trying to film it all myself, for once, and get some continuity flowing.

Bro's or Ho's
~ Bros, I don’t talk to Ho’s.

Do you still drive drunk? If so aim for trees.
~ Is your alias “trees” Mr. Death Minus? If so I will make one more attempt at drinking and driving and will aim for you. Death by van or M3? And what do you want on your tombstone, cheese or pepperoni?

Am I the only one that gets the newsletter with the dirty stories and noodz of the Vibralux team?
~ Yes, impressive huh.

How does the pricing for the jeans and shirts come about?
~ Great question Franco. When the jeans and tees come in we mark them up 65% typically since they cost too much to markup a full 100% like other companies. Then we ask that the shops only take 100% markup on OUR profit margin instead of THEIR cost. Shirt costs $9.00, we sell for $14.00, shops sell for $24.00 Our markup was $5.00 so the shops is $10.00 and our $5 markup is a percentage of the total cost.

How old were you when you made your first video?
~ I was 15 years old.

Which video are you most proud of?
~ KFC 2 because it is what launched our production company and enabled us to pay rollerbladers for KFC 3 and KFC 4 before the depression started in skating. It also taught me a lot about business, people, friends, and helped out with Vibralux. Also it helped to get Carl Sturgess films out and a slew of other titles into the market.

If you could choose any rollerblader to give a section who would it be?
~ Travis Toms as if he hadn’t ever had to stop skating.

Doesn't it suck when you put a lot of effort into filming and making a video and then kids hate on it?
~ It does and doesn’t, the older I get the more I adopt the Joe Navran mentality and realize that I am more or less making these videos for my friends and me and people can buy them, hate them, or love them.

-Along the lines of this question...is your editing formula simply "Good Skaters" + "Synch the Skating to the Music" + "random effects (colors/swirls inkfc4) or random shots as time fillers (trees in kfc2, mannequin head in kfc3, club/dance shot in Icons)" = done?
~That is the starting base for any good video. The time fillers come when there is a lack of footage, the random effects were products of when I used to smoke a lot and have lots of artsy people around me influencing the video. However, some things like the mannequin head bleeding have significant meaning. The blood out the eyes was MY blood from the hospital after my car accident. The bottle of whiskey Joseph is holding in the KFC section was the bottle I was drinking from. There are hundreds of hidden messages and meanings in the 14+ videos I have made that nobody will get but me. In kfc 3 the bleeding from the eyes signified the realization that the tricks were getting so out of control that shit was being pushed to another level. This new level is why KFC3 is still regarded by a lot of silly kids as my best video, or Alex’s best part.

Is this all everybody ever does?
~ It is all you can do if pre-production plans fall through, you are on a deadline, and people don’t want to co-operate.



Have you ever cared about what music you use for videos? i.e. eminem, metallica (wtf??) all of Icons and a lot more?
~ Before Ego I did a lot of the music selection myself based on what made the skating look good, what mood I was in, what tempo I was trying to set the section at, where the section fell in the video, etc. Then people started wanting to choose their own music, that is when I started to lose control of the content of the video and stopped caring as much. The videos were less about editing and more about showcasing a person’s skating through their choice of music. Unfortunately for me, most skaters aren’t editors and don’t know how to pick a good song. However, I will admit that some songs I used aren’t good to drive around to, but made great sections, and vice versa, some are great to listen to and suck for skate sections.

Also, did the people at Razors have anything to say about the music you used for Icons, legally-speaking? Did they pay for ANY music rights?
~ Nope, and considering how little money I made on that video I sure wasn’t going to LOSE money paying for music rights.

How many times have you been sued?
~ Once.

Of all the videos you've made, who is your favorite skater to skate/film with?
~Alex of course.

Of all the videos you've made, what video section or profile is your personal favorite or makes you most proud?
~ Alex’s parts from KFC 1 or Farmer in KFC3

Up and coming filmers/editors? (The new guy that does the conference stuff and that guy mike torres are looking sick)
~ Mike Torres is pretty good, I don’t really like the conference guys stuff. Too UNIQUE for me. Negrete and Lonnie still get a lot of my respect. Nobody can touch Navran, Bachrach, Reetzke, Temple, and Cottington though. They spearheaded all different movements in editing and were huge influences for me. The only thing getting better now is the camera and footage quality.

When you sit down to edit is there a method to any of it? Like what clips you put back-to-back based on colors in the clips, the skaters, tricks, obstacles, camera angles, etc?
~ Tempo, timing, make things look not so awkward, good cuts, and fun to watch. I really haven’t gotten the chance to TRY and make a great video since KFC3. KFC4 was a tour video, Ego a team video (but not a Vibralux Video) in which the pre concept failed and we ended up in a hotel room the final week before its’ release, KFC member’s only I was in jail, Icons again wasn’t the VX video so I didn’t want to use any of my fire ideas on it.





Do you put less/more effort into certain sections in your videos? If so, why?
~ Yes I do, imagine working with 8 plus people for over a year and having intense dedication from half and not that from another half. Why then would I spend as much time on someone who didn’t care about the quality of their section when I could really try for the people who busted ass?

What makes you want to put more or less work into one section and not other another?
~ If not for the above reason then because of the song I “have” to use. Once I am done with a shitty song, and I can’t imagine anything else working, I consider it done.

It seems like some sections you really put in the time to make it rad but others, it seems like you just throw it together?
~ Yep, sure do. You have to realize that I am the only one making any of this work. Sometimes I get a bunch of homie cam footage, a shitty song, and I am working on a video that has blown its’ whole budget. Sometimes you get halfway through a production and you want to quit, like with Icons. I wasn’t getting co-operation from some people and made a few trips where people didn’t even come out skating. Waste of my money and time, however I made Don a promise that if he worked hard on his section I would make sure he ended up pro. In the end the only reason I didn’t quit the video was because I had made a promise to Don. People got pissed because I couldn’t pay them, but most everyone got raises for their parts or promoted in some way. If I asked you to pay for 6-8 plane tickets trying to film someone a part because things weren’t working out would you do it, even if it meant sacrificing your budget, your ability to film others, and your potential to do cool things with THAT money for the video? Nope, sometimes you have to choose what is best for the rest of the team and the project itself.

Why do you call yourself Jesus?
~ Jesus saves, and I went to a Catholic high school. There is a level of irony if you knew the ‘old’ AJ.

A.J., What sub shop has the best bread?
~Goodcents, hands down ;)

Also how does it feel to be able to do what you have always wanted to do?
~ Well I always wanted to work at a bank, so it feels shitty to not be working at a bank. For all the bitching I did a second ago I wouldn’t change it for a minute. I don’t have a 401K, health insurance, I owe the entire cost of my car, I am in $18,000.00 personal debt and far deeper in company debt, but I have all the assets to make it go away. I have had the wonderful opportunity to travel around the world, create lifelong friendships, help some of my friends get sponsorships, exposure, and in some cases have even been able to cut some checks. I have paid out over $100,000 to people between distribution, royalties, and the like. It is pretty wicked. Also I have helped our industry by creating products that actually sell in shops which generates revenue for them. 10 years of making videos and a college degree gave me a healthy resume for Family Video.


Was there a time you just wanted to say fuck it and give up on your dreams?
~ Everyday when I got to bed and everyday when I wake up. Then I remember working at McDonald’s for years to finance the videos of the past and build up a name for KFC. I think about everything I would be throwing away, and I think of how unfair it would be to the riders whom I actually have the savvy to help. I have lots of plans for the near future, and the mounting debt is scary, but you can run or stay and fight. I’ll take the black eye.

How alienated do you feel from skaters when you make something you put your all into and you get bad responses back from the majority?
~ I just think it is funny how many opinionated skaters there are. Everyone likes different music, different skaters, and different editing styles. It is now impossible to make everyone happy. NEVER back during Hoax 2 or VG9 did anyone say THAT video was whack. The songs sucked, editing was different, camera work terrible sometimes, heads were chopped off and there were lots of ass angles, but that was all we knew. Videos used to be interesting BECAUSE skating was progressing. It has since plateaud and it takes a lot more to make a video interesting, but nobody is quite sure WHAT that formula is, so everybody just ends up with a lot of hate.

Side note: you said the skaters get bigger and start picking their own music and how their sections should be done. You need to make them realize it’s your job to make them look their best. A lot of the times people see themselves for who they are not. And as a director it’s your job to show them for who they really are. So you need to tell them you’re the one getting paid to make the video not them. Ha-ha. Directors are allowed to be dicks.
~ Sucks trying to tell grown men they don’t know what makes them look like, especially when you respect them and they are friends. Creative differences. Besides I am still rocking the Roots and the Doors.

So when you are "directing" do you tell the skaters to pull from past experiences for the emotion you are looking for in the scenes?
~ Yep “remember that one time, at band camp…”

KFC2 - What was the story behind doing your own version of Dark Side Of Oz?
~ I drove across the country many times that year, listening to that album on 20 hour driving binges on aderall. Just starting coming to me.

How many hours work went into it and do you think it's your best piece of work?
~ One day to shoot the acting (bad idea) and 4 months to edit it so that the acting timed up to the album. One night to SPEAK and WRITE and EDIT the monologue to the footage. (It was written AFTER the video was edited.

Who do you look up too?
~Alex Broskow, Jeromy Morris, my parents, and my brother.

Will Mike Lily ever get his Pro denim shorts?
~ Nope.

Why haven't you been to Scotland yet?
~$$$$

How many Faint records do you think you are responsible for selling?
~ At least 1,000

Why are you so fly???
~ Not afraid of falling flat (how else could I rock Broskow shorts from KFC3).



What do the circumstances have to be for you to override a skater's choices and say "no? im the one producing/filming/editing/marketing the video and this is the way it's going to be" ?
~ If the song REALLY ruins a section. Like that slade section in Farmer’s DVD. I wouldn’t have used that except he was making all the money from the video, so I didn’t care.

Have you done this?
~ Ski wanted to skate to Brittney Spears.

Will you do this?
~ Working on Farmer’s part right now, he has too good of tricks to ruin it with a song, if it doesn’t look good I will ask for another song and use that one as a remix bonus edit to make him happy

You are into Doors a lot. What's your fav song/album?
~They are all good. Cop out answer.

List your current top5 songs (not only Doors, everything).
~Diamond Life
~Hood Nigga remix
~Helter Skelter
~Can’t Nobody Hold Me Down
~Here Comes the Highstepper

How is the money made from your videos distributed? What percentage goes to you, the skaters, etc?
~Before the days of budgeting and traveling I could give skaters anywhere from $500.00 - $1,000.00 a section. Now we usually spend $16,000.00 by the end of a video with duplication. People keep stealing and bootlegging and sales have gone down to the point where if I tried to pay anyone else I wouldn’t gain anything from 9 months of work. Before KFC 3 all the money went back into the next video since I worked at McDonald’s. Better equipment, computers, travel.


Who was the drunken girl skating in the parking lot in KFC 4?
~ Some girl from SLO, Peter D’s girl.

Did you fuck her?
~ Nope

What happened to the Razors podcast with Dom Bambrick you mentioned you were filming for in an online edit you made?
~ He hyper extended his elbow the next day.

Would you rather fuck your mom? Or jerk off your dad?
~ Adopted.

I know I ask a lot of people this, but do you ever consider taking a trip down to south Florida? I mean it is one of the places Broskow grew up skating, and it seems that no one ever wants to come down and skate.
~ Not really as we just don’t have the budget to travel everywhere.

What is your favorite thing about Alex (Broskow)?
~ His undying dedication to himself. He doesn’t care what people think. He skates for himself, he doesn’t drink or smoke for HIS reasons, he dresses how he thinks is cool, and couldn’t care less about many people’s opinions. It takes a strong person to dedicate themselves to staying true to what they set out to do and Alex has always been on the forefront of style and progression and has never compromised himself by using drugs or drinking. So Broskow being Broskow regardless of what I think of say or anyone else is my favorite thing about him.

Your favorite designer in the industry?
~ Morris

What was the last time you skated?
~ A curved rail, royale, the sesh ruled, I got my trick and still filmed Alex’s.

Any flow riders?
~Not really

Why is your leap of faith post in my sig next to bape?
~ Because the plans to redo it fell through and you are a hater?

Why is it that you don't put much effort into finding a cool/original song for the sections in your videos?
~Because cool, hip, and unheard usually equals failure for a mainstream video. These things are being watched all around the world, Europe, Africa, South America, Asia, Australia. It is a global audience and most mainstream music is mainstream for a reason, it is good and has a catchy beat/ hook.

I remember you once said that you just choose whatever's popular at the time and aren't really picky about it. I enjoy your videos but I think they could be a lot better if you strayed away from Kanye, Sage, and Jay-Z a bit.
~Again this is personal preference. Some of people’s favorite sections are the eminem and doors ones.


How can you sell so many videos and so much clothing, but still claim to not make any money?
~ Shortly Vibralux/KFC/Straight Jacket turned over $140,000.00 last year, and we spent $120,000 +… This $20,000 profit margin was the result of many things. Rent, interest rates on a $50,000.00 revolving line of credit that sucks out $6,500.00 in interest a year, paying out royalties to Farmer, upgrading editing systems, HD camera (some still don’t upgrade), eating, Icons’ blown budget including a $4,000 trip to Reno to get 15 tricks, a $3,500 finishing touches tour that was too hot to film on, etc. etc. etc. Since we have 50% deposits on our clothes for up to 6 months at a time we have interest charges accruing on that as well. Pay for designs, car insurance, bills, phone, Internet, boxes, advertising, and tradeshows. Then out of that $20,000 profit I gave $7,500 to Alex and reinvested the rest in paying off credit card balances.

NOW, take into account items that flop, Cat Eat Dog, Road to Nowhere, Regs, Henley Tee, Hollyweird Tee, Geoffrey Collins tee, Red and Gold full print tee, this kills the profit margin on products that OVER perform like the JD1 and 2’s and Farmer Jeans. Break even on video projects like Ego and Icons, pay out all the royalties on Through the Looking Glass, Use profits from Generic Tour Video and MY cut of distributing other titles on Lawyer fees and court costs. Above all take the fact that we put in the designs for the Haffey jeans last November and they won’t come out until THIS November. Can you please explain to me how to get out of debt when you have $15,000 tied up in product development for a year accruing 14.3% interest and NOT A SINGLE BIG TICKET ITEM TO SELL? We aren’t some bullshit clothing company that can live off of t-shirt sales.

These are the facts that led me to get a job and stop making videos and traveling. Yep Vibralux video MIGHT just be the last video I make, but hey I have been saying that since KFC2, no lie.

if you don’t like the answers or aren’t satisfied just make a reply or post.

Peace and support Vibralux as we support some of the best in the world.

Photos by Jero

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