I Want This Guy to Be My Personal Life Coach

Maybe the lack of shit talking bullies in my life after high school, like Eric Kelly, is the reason why I was never motivated enough to reach my full potential, and thus, sometimes feel like I suck at life. He had to give up boxing because of an eye injury by pool cue he sustained in a street fight. How much you wanna bet he talked just as much shit before the injury as he does now? Be sure and watch it through to the end where Eric busts a short rap.

Poster Series For Alamo Drafthouse

So about a month ago Mason and myself were given the honor of coming up with a series of three 27"x40" promo posters for Alamo Drafthouse's Filmmaking Frenzy contest to mark the release of the movie ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER.

Well yesterday the first in the series, Teddy Roosevelt Space Assassin, was released online.

Thomas Jefferson Shark Hunter and James Madison Ninja Warrior to be released as soon as I get permission from Alamo. 

I came up with the design/layout and concept imagery. Uber talented artist, friend and co-worker at The Screamer Company, Mason McFee did the illustrations with India ink and brush. Then I took his illustrations and pieced them together and added color.

I am so excited for movie goers to see these! I wish I could show all three of them all right now... soon my pets, soon. Alamo says they're going to put them on t-shirts. We're hoping they will screen print these as posters as well.

THIS WEEKEND. GO TO THIS

If you missed the "Songs of the Early Riser" show last weekend you can catch it this weekend at Common House for the very first Austin WEST Studio Tour. We'll be hanging Saturday and Sunday 11- 6.

"Songs of the Early Riser" show at the First Ausin WEST Studio Tour THIS WEEKEND

So Adam Young's Songs of the Early Riser art opening at Common House this past Saturday was killer! What a fun night and just about every piece sold! Yours truly bought a great painting as well.

If you missed it GO TO COMMON HOUSE THIS WEEKEND for the very first WEST Austin Studio Tour. We'll be hangin at CH all until 6pm Saturday and Sunday so come by and check our space and Adam Young's art. You have by to come see the "Bottle Cap Blues" video that Adam Young and Chris Summers collaborate on. 906 East 49th St.

Here are some pics. You can find better, and more pictures and common-house.com courtesy of Rich Cali. And check it, here's our WEST Studio link

Photo of the day 

May 12th at Common House - Do Not Miss This Art Show!

Art Hang This Saturday

Yup it's time for another fun daytime art show extravaganza at Common House this Saturday, April 28th 1pm - 5pm.  Come by Common House 906 East 49th (off Airport just west of I-35).

Come HANG out out in our awesome backyard, drink vodka lemonade and buy some affordable art by local artists, or some sweet gear from several local vintage shops. All your friends will be there.

Also, it's not too late to submit some of your own art for this thing! You can drop it off at Epoch Coffee, Jerrys Art-o-rama or The Yellow Jacket Social Club.... by Thursday. Please include the price(please keep it under $40) and your contact info. One last thing, if you're submitting art it must be hangable from a close pin.

Come on! DO IT!

Awesome

I hope to someday work with a fun and huge client that has big bucks to produce an epic spot like this.

What a night!

At the Drive In has not played together since 2001 and I have not heard much from the members' side projects Mars Volta and Sparta for a few years either.

When the reunion show was announced this past Monday night at Red 7 it sold out immediately and I did not get tickets in time. Lucky for me I'm cool and know the right people and was able to get in after all.

I AM SO GLAD I didn't miss it. It was f-ing magical!  It might of been the contact high but it felt like I had taken a trip back in time over a decade to the last time I saw them outside at Emos. ATDI kicked ass like they had never broken up.

I haven't been going to shows much lately. Not sure if it's because there hasn't been any bands  I like enough to deal with hipster crowds, wet smelly fat dudes bumping into me, and waiting in line for the bathroom, or at the bar forever to get a weak cocktail. Sometimes Austin being considered "the live music capital of the world" is both a curse and a blessing. I lived here for so long and been to so many great (and some disappointed) shows I think it's made me a little jaded. Or maybe I've just been a hermit. Probably all of the above

ATDI reminded me of why I USED to go to shows all the time... and it made want to start going to shows again. I had to keep moving away from blabber mouths trying to converse by yelling over the music...idiots... a serious pet peeve of mine. Thankfully their yammering gradually pushed me towards the front with the rest of the people who were actually there to see the show. It was there, standing front and center by myself where I lost myself in the music and had a sort of religious experience.  I wish I could have seen ATDI the Wednesday in Marfa.

For those of you that didn't get to go, you should be very jealous. Hopefully they'll be back.

SUCKERS!

Probably One of My Toughest Challenges Yet

Water with lemon juice, maple syrup, with a dash of cayenne pepper. That's what I've been living on for 5 days now. With about 22 years of hard livin under my belt, and needing to stay home with my quarantined dog that just got out of surgery, I figured it was a good time to isolate myself from just about everything fun. That's right, Master Cleanse, the 10 day (minimum) lemonade and nothing else diet.

I've thought about for a while as more and more people I know have done it and say how great it is. I've been told there are many health benefits to doing Master Cleanse, so this better be fucking worth it. I have noticed the disappearance of my extra chin so that's good. I've never been more bored in my life. I am not really hungry but I miss the taste of food and drink TERRIBLY. I can do this! 4 more days.

Yet Another Reason to Collect Vinyl

We've all seen them over and over. "The Worst Album Covers of All Time" posts. I don't know about you but I never get tired of them.

Here are some of my faves from a recent post I came across on the blog tastebuds.fm. These 12"x12" gems are fine examples of how censorship takes all the fun out of entertainment... and life in general. I wish I could have been at the initial cover art concept (or lack there of) discussions on some of these. Can I borrow a feeling indeed. I have to go take a Millie Jackson now.

Smart paper to help with the world's infobesity epidemic

 

Conductive inks and the ability to integrate microchips into the printing process could very well change print and packaging forever. They're calling it "smart paper." Ha! Take that infernet! 

The above "Listening Post" poster debuted at SXSW this year. Click on the thumbnails on this thing and you can hear a music clip from one of the many obscure and mediocre bands playing at the fest this year. Seriously though, this is pretty f-ing cool. Check it out

Common House Keeps Kickin More Ass

Our Common House Artist Collective art openings/shows keep getting better and better. Last Friday's BAND OF LONERS is definitely going to be hard to top.

I will spare you my poorly written synopsis. For a more entertaining and thorough review, as well as lots images from the show, check out uber talented friend Mike Seiben's post on VICE.
 

 

Life as a Creative

I am sure my fellow designers/creatives in the "industry" will agree on how it is sometimes difficult explaining our artistic plight to friends and family. Graphic Designers, Art Directors, Creatives do much more than spend a fun day at the office coming up with "cool ideas" for advertisements, and making clever logos and product packing and playing on our computers. 

No, we don't just make pretty pictures on the computer and surf the web all day. And no, we don't sit in a circle and throw around an idea ball. It doesn't matter where we are or what we're doing, real creatives never stop thinking about design, type, composition, color, etc. We are indeed obsessed with all the elements and details of visual communication and can't turn it off.

These spots for the 2012 ADDY Awards do a perfect job at showing (although maybe embellished in some cases) what our life/mind is like inside and out of work. These are my favorites. I can particularly relate to the "tantrum" spot. You can see all of them here

Oh Nicolas, What the F Happened to You?

Not all you're movies were Oscar worthy, but overall you used to be a great actor Nic. Leaving Las Vegas, Wild At Heart, Valley Girl, Adaptation... Face Off, Peggy Sue Got Married and one of my favorite movies of all time, Raising Arizona. The bullshit seemed to start around National Treasure, and then your career just snow balled from there.

W.T.F.?!

YESSS! I need to keep 3D glasses on hand

And Now a Break From Snooty Art Talk

My dogs are STILL cuter than yours.

Another Neato Art Blog

There's some real kooky cool shit on here. Exhausted all my usual adjectives. http://www.mushroomnecklace.com/

Think I may have found my next tattoo

Kick Ass Type Porno

I have no idea what DVNO stands for but I never get tired of watching this. It reminds me of my childhood... spent in front of the T.V. instead of outside playing sports with the other dirty neighborhood kids. I grew up Mormon so most of what I learned about the "real world" came from watching television...and Penthouse Magazine. I always wished I could have had a train in my house like Ricky Schroeder. Spoiled little show off bitch.
Ferg this is that video I was telling you about that we unsuccessfully spent over an hour trying to get to play the other night.

More Beautiful Design and Custom Typography from NY

Typographic excellence by NY graphic designer/artist Jon Contino.  
This is most definitely type as an art form. You have got to check out the rest of Jon's work! The images on his site take a sec to load up. Be sure and keep scrolling all the way to the right.

One of my faves. I have to check out this Museum when I go to Seattle.

Ah, high school

WOW

Custom designed Zippos were always a cool reason to take up smoking.