Skateboard Echoes; Skateboard Graphics Series Books. A Native Interview!

We’ve recently had the second instalment of the Skateboard Series books, a book celebrating skateboard graphics from years gone by. We thought it’d be cool to hear more about it from the creator himself, Ben Levaux, and learn a bit about him and his inspiration behind the series, so we fired some questions his way; 

“For those who may not know, you’re the creator of the skateboard Echoes and Series Books, can you tell us a little bit about yourself and the books?”

“Well I’m 49 years old, I live in France and I skated in Paris from around 1986 to 1991. That allowed me to experience the shock of discovering the world of skateboarding (Powell Peralta, Santa Cruz, Vision…) and then to live through its first graphic revolution, with the explosive arrival of World Industries, Blind, New Deal etc. It was an incredible period deeply etched in my memory.”

“Skateboard Echoes was your first book release right? Can you tell us a bit about that and what inspired you to make the books we all know now”

“I created the book Skateboard Echoes released at the end of 2023 thanks to the positive influence of Manuel Fuentes who single-handedly created the great books 92ish and 93ish.

But also thanks to the negative influence of other skate books that I found poorly made or full of mistakes. 

After those two experiences I told myself “Hey I’m sure I could make a better book than that one (the bad one) and apparently do it on my own (like Manuel)” even though I knew nothing about book production.”

“We got the second edition of the graphics series not long ago here at Native, and it’s been super popular. Do you think a third installment is on the cards?”

“I’m not sure I’ll make a Skateboard Series Volume 3 for now because each one takes me almost a year of work and is barely profitable—apart from the satisfaction of having created a beautiful object and making skateboard graphics lovers like me happy.

On the other hand, I do hope to release a new updated, expanded and improved version of Skateboard Echoes in the near future, perhaps for Christmas 2026…”

We’ll keep our eyes peeled for any release info on a Skateboard Echoes follow up then!

“Can you tell us about anything you get up to outside of the world of skateboarding and skateboard graphics?”

“Well, when I stopped skating in 1991–1992 after injuring my back, I turned to music (like many skaters, I feel). Probably to rediscover the same pleasure of creating and the same feeling of freedom… And I was lucky enough to make a living from music for five years with my band Gordon Sanchez. 

Another unforgettable period of my life.

Otherwise I create websites (skateboard-echoes.com) and I’m currently learning how to make AI videos. Always that same need for fun and freedom!”

“Lastly, after looking at so many Skateboard graphics in the making of the two books, do you think you could choose a favourite company / artist for deck graphics? Or too many to choose from?”

“Having lived through the Rocco revolution, I’ll always be a big fan of the work of Marc McKee and Sean Cliver, but I also really like the graphics from Flip, Foundation, Antihero, Toy Machine, Deathwish, Enjoi, Doble… yeah you’re right, there are actually too many to list!

Basically, as soon as there’s a real drawing that tells a story, something a bit subversive or offbeat, I’m into it. I just don’t like boards with a simple logo.”

We’d really like to thank Ben for taking the time to speak to us, and it’s always super interesting and informative to hear from people who’ve been in around the world of skating for so long, and especially when they’ve created products for others to enjoy, so nice one for shedding light on your books and your inspirations behind them Ben!

If you’re into skateboard graphics, definitely check out Ben’s book ‘Skateboard Series 2’ on our site below. We’ve got limited numbers left, and it’s not one to miss if you’re into Skateboard deck art. 

Grab A Copy Of Skateboard Series 2 While You Can!