Although it’s in the same vein-ish as Schmancy on Second Ave and *not entirely unlike Monster Art Gallery in Ballard, and, owing to the upstairs location and clubhouse/co-op vibe, a bit Olympia-like in mood and feeling, the recently opened Snowmonkey’s House of Monkeys is a pretty singular shopping experience.

After strolling through Bluebird Homemade Ice Cream on 12th and Pike and heading up the stairs on the seafoam-green wall, you’ll find yourself in Curt Waller’s thing-themed gallery and boutique. If you’re 8, this is your dream come true. If you’re 38, this could also be your dream come true.

Still, you can’t help but wonder: Why monsters? I went to Waller, via email, earlier this week to get that answer, and then put together this slideshow to boot.

Wear What When: So, why monsters?

Curt Waller: I have always been drawn to monsters, and spirit-creatures, and all of their ilk. Maybe because I was born on Hallowe’en? Maybe I had too much Seuss and Sesame Street as a child? Who knows? More recently, my three sons and I had a monster-of-the-day drawing project that we kept up for two years, and the freshness of that project likely had a strong influence on the store.

Is your goal to focus on the monster-oriented work of local artists or are you always going to showcase mass-marketed creatures alongside folk art and artisan goods?

I am not limiting myself to local artists, and would like to pull art in from all around the globe, eventually. The group show that opens tonight [that was last night, Oct. 8; and I’m sorry you missed it because absinthe was served. -WWW] features one artist from the Philippines. I’d love to bring in some folk art and creatures out of different culture’s mythological traditions. I have some Balinese masks in the shop now, as well as a couple of vintage Native American-made objects.

What are monsters all about for you?

My definition of “monster” is very broad, and it is my feeling that strange and wonderful creatures, whether they show up in pop culture, surrealist art, or mythological traditions, come from the same psychological source. My personal belief in the aliveness of everything, and of everything being imbued with spirit, is a concept that is more in par with the underlying psychology of Shinto and shamanism, so non-western cultures that have this in their history seem to veer more naturally to images of friendly monsters.

How does one go about finding artists that work in the monster realm?

So far, I have mostly sought out artists, but I hope that as the gallery/store gets better known, I’ll have more artists asking to show. Most of my research is done online, and just keeping my eyes open for the kind of thing that suits the mood of the shop.

Tell me about the little cartoon-watching corner in the shop.

Like the store as a whole, I’m waiting to see how this evolves. I liked the idea of there being mixed media stimulus in the place. I also wanted Snowmonkey’s to be a place that could be cool to visit and hang out in, even if you weren’t shopping. I have lots of thoughts about how the TV area could be used, but not much has come to fruition yet. I’d love to host student animation competitions form local high schools and colleges, but that’s probably a ways off, yet!

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For more on the art of craft, take yourself over here or go for the super natural here.