 13 Jan 2008 @ 05:44, by Douglas Rohloff
Published December 9, 2007
After months of pondering, Doug Rohloff still hadn't come up with a catchy name for his Largo Graphic Design business.
He grew so frustrated one night that he turned to his wife, Christina, and said the stress was going to give him a heart attack.
"But instead of heart attack, I said art attack," said Doug Rohloff. "And I thought, that's it!"
Now in its fifth year, Art Attack offers printing for signs, banners, posters, murals, stickers, T-shirts and other promotional materials.
Doug, 40, is a self-taught artist from New Jersey. Christina, 32, is a former communications and marketing specialist for the city of Largo and who also runs her own disc jockey and karaokebusiness.
They are Art Attack's only employees.
"We like keeping it in the family," said Christina. "He's the visual person and I'm more involved with talking to people about ourproducts."
In September, the Rohloffs moved out of their store at 440 Seminole Blvd. and into a larger space around the corner at 152 Eighth Ave. SW.
In an interview, they discussed art, business and how singer Tori Amos helped bring them together.
Is it difficult being together all day long?
Doug: "No. We get along. We work really well together. The work flow always seems to be just what it should be."
Christina: "I think it has made us stronger together. We've always talked about the business. Whenever we would go out to lunch or dinner, we've always talked about how we need to improve and grow."
How did you meet?
Doug: "I used to run a tiki bar in Tarpon Springs at the Holiday Inn and Suites. I needed a disc jockey and she showed up. I asked her to go to a Tori Amos concert with me."
Christina: "I thought he was very attractive. He was very attractive and had a lot of charisma."
What's your favorite part of the business?
Doug: I really call making signs an art. It's the next generation of art. Computers have really taken over. Anyone can be an artist in front of a computer these days. A good 40 percent of my customers come in with their art already done on a computer. We have to keep an eye on it because that's the way everybody is going."
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