(Photo: Spencer Heyfron)

What have you boys been up to?
Doug: We’re on our way to Kinokuniya bookstore up by Bryant Park. Eli likes to get anime magazines and manga comics there.

Are you into anime yourself?
Yeah. As far as things that my kids like and I can stand, that’s one of them.

What can’t you stand?
I don’t like Plants and Zombies so much.

Is that a video game?
Yeah, and an app. It kind of pays for itself by keeping the kids quiet.

You and Eli have quite different looks.
Definitely. We’re like Family Ties, and he’s Alex P. Keaton. My daughter, who’s 8, is more freaky-styley like me. But Eli’s pretty vocal about how he doesn’t want to be weird.

What’d you wear when you were his age?
I think my style was baseball shirts and corduroys. That age is not big one for independent thinking.

And then what happened to you?
I discovered punk rock at 13.

Interview by Rachel Baker.

Related:

• Archive: “Look Book”
• Table of Contents: Jul 11, 2011 issue of New York | Subscribe!