One wonderful thing about horror conventions–aside from meeting my favorite filmmakers–is the opportunity to form friendships with many other excellent people. One such person is Robert Whitus, sole proprietor of Drink With the Living Dead. I met Rob when I first met Andrew Divoff, and Rob had etched custom glassware to promote Andrew’s appearance at the event. Needless to say, I purchased some of his glasses at that event and at subsequent conventions.

[Pictured above: Rob showing off his glassware at Texas Frightmare Weekend; front and back images of limited edition barware adapted from art by Mirthquake and based on the film Wishmaster. Pictured left:limited edition barware adapted from art by Mirthquake and inspired by the films of George Romero.]

Rob has collaborated with other artists and brands, including Olivia De Berardinis, Metallica, Rob Zombie, Rue Morgue Magazine, and many others. However, his work isn’t confined to the horror genre and its artists. Rob will also take custom orders and will personalize glassware to suit his customer’s needs, making his work ideal for wedding gifts and other special occasions.

Another thing I like about Rob’s work-aside from the quality of the etching and the glassware itself-is the fact that Rob does EVERY aspect of his business  by himself. Meaning he is the sole proprietor of Drink With the Living Dead, and he is solely responsible for etching his glasses and fulfilling orders. In a culture that is cluttered with corporate jargon about “teamwork” and other equally nauseating metaphors, or that outsources production at the expense of quality, artists such as Rob are a proverbial breath of fresh air.

The official Drink With the Living Dead website is under construction, but you can see other examples of Rob’s work and contact him at his Facebook Page.