Hi, my name is Martin Defatte.
My creative work has always been deeply influenced by a lifelong love of music, skateboarding, and the subcultures surrounding them.
I grew up immersed in DIY zines, Thrasher magazines, and punk rock records — always fascinated by album artwork.
Eventually, I formed a band with high school friends, but after a few years I found myself drawn to the behind-the-scenes side of the local hardcore punk scene — designing flyers, laying out demos, and creating artwork for friends’ bands. Some of those bands started touring and gaining attention, which opened the door for me to work with several independent labels and artists, including Fall Out Boy, Misery Signals and 7 Angels 7 Plagues.
After earning an art degree in college, I turned an internship into a full-time role as a graphic designer at a small package design firm in my hometown. I cut my teeth developing packaging concepts for household names like Windex, Edge Shave Gel, Skintimate, and Ziploc.
Alongside my print design career, I continued pursuing my interest in web design and development. After devouring my first few books and blog posts on front-end development, I knew I wanted to make the jump from print to web as a full-time focus.
After moving to Milwaukee and spending several years at a few local agencies, I now work as a Front-End Developer for a large advertising agency. My web experience spans a variety of clients, including Door County Visitor Bureau, American Transmission Co., ManpowerGroup, Noah’s Ark Waterpark, Hunger Task Force, Visit Milwaukee, Planned Parenthood of Wisconsin, and the Milwaukee Art Museum.
I’m also active in the local music scene as a producer and musician — creating beats and producing for Guerrilla Ghost (industrial noise-rap) and Diamond Life (Italo-disco-inspired synth pop). I release solo material under the name Tron Jovi, blending electronic production with the heavier sounds of my past bands. Previously, I played bass in several post-punk projects, including Volunteer, Stock Options, and the short-lived Red & Black, a 7 Seconds cover band.