Cool Dad Job: Artist
Cool Dad Vibe: Streetwear Warhol
Cool Dad Bona Fides: If you watched TV in the 1990s, you saw Brian Donnelly’s work. Donnelly, who goes by the artistic mononym KAWS, used to be a freelance animator, creating backgrounds for Daria and Doug. He then spent time as a graffiti artist and subvertiser before becoming an accomplished sculptor and screenprinter. His non-branded work, which has been creeping onto expensive t-shirts in expensive stores in expensive urban neighborhoods, features pop culture figures with X-ed out. But what’s really set him about is his willingness to collaborate on a host of different projects, including magazine covers, Japanese toys, beer bottles, guitar picks, and sneakers. He’s working constantly, but still finds the time to take his two daughters, Sunny and Lee, to the park.