The Mob Rules- Back in Black

I just read a great piece on The Design Observer about the famed Black Rule- a tried and true graphic element.  Working with the grid-- used to organize and balance layouts-- the back rule grounds a design and is great for hanging a title.  Really coming to prominence during Massimo Vignelli's 1966 branding of the NY City Subway system, the black rule has been relied upon by designers since.

A quote from the article:

"Another thing about The Black Rule is that it is democratic: though its formality emanates from the power of Black, and its authority emanates from its connection to the grid, it sits just as happily on a piece of non-profit newsprint, or matte-coated paper, or powder-coated steel, or 100 percent rag stationery. No snobbery connects to The Black Rule."

Unfortunately, often copied, the black rule has been known be abused and used simply to fill space. But as a powerful design element, it has seemed to stand the test of time-- it even guest started in the Helevetica movie! Re-watch the movie it and see for yourself. The black rule rules!

Read the piece here- reposted for serious design geeks only- linked it.

Sudden Impact!

It is not that I have nothing to say.....
or Don't call it a comeback ('cause it ain't)!

Work has interfered with life (and blog postings). The office has been flooded with projects including a really cool museum-type installation, a Flu-shot campaign, a bunch of websites and a few other things. I am not complaining- it is a good problem to have- I just want to get a little more free-time, so I can blog, sleep, stay away from the computer, etc.

So stay tuned sports-fans.

To keep you tied over- here is the latest rock poster I did for another rockin' Wolf Tickets show. This one has a great 1960s-era LIFE magazine photo of 'Broadway" Joe in stripclub prior to NY Jets Spring Training that year. Oh, the horror and the beauty of it all.

Then there is this.......


BONUS VIDEO BEATS: from Mick Jone's basement!

Spin Me 'Round

People always come over and seem to enjoy visiting our studio space (especially other artists). I was thinking on working on a series of blog posts that would be about some of the graphic artists and creative folks I know-- so see if I could get them to let us get a peek into their studios. Creative people often have the best spaces to work in- packed with designs, inspirational material and just plain cool stuff!

Earlier back, when this blog started, I did a series of posts which were brief interviews with some local Buffalo design-folks. I'll see if I can get the time to get into this sort of project. I'll start to see what sort of interest there is from you, the loyal readers, and the artists themselves.

In the meantime..... a peak into the OtherWisz Creative office space (top floor).

Party at Ground Zero

ROCK POSTER claim to fame- OtherWisz work included in movie about Strummerville.

I was contacted by the production staff of a movie being made about "Strummerville," the charity foundation created following the death of Joe Strummer to continue his charitable work. They wanted to use one of my rock posters (click now) in the movie!

The film is by Don Letts, the famed English filmmaker with strong ties to the Clash. His list of accomplishments is amazing: he was one of the first club DJs in England to play dub, reggae and ska, he was in Big Audio Dynamite with Clash-man Mick Jones, he is an author and he has directed numerous videos including "Pass The Dutchie" by Musical Youth and "Back on The Chain Gang" by The Pretenders. In 2003, filmmaker Letts won a Grammy for his Clash documentary "Westway to The World." Good bio link here on BBC radio.

His new movie is about Strummerville and the work they do, the bands associated with it, the yearly concerts, benefits and their continuing devotion to helping youths obtain their musical dreams themselves, as DIY-man Strummer would have liked! The charity is described on their website as "aiming to create new opportunities for aspiring musicians. Set up by the friends and family of Joe Strummer in the year after his death, the charity seeks to reflect Joe's unique contribution to the music world by offering support, resources and performance opportunities to artists who would not normally have access to them."

The production company, Brassneck TV describes the movie, debuting this weekend (March 12-21, 2010) at the SWSX music festival in Texas as:

STRUMMERVILLE- Joe Strummer's untimely death in 2002 sent shockwaves around the music world and beyond, yet Joe's friends and family were determined that his spirit would live on. In this documentary, Grammy award-winning filmmaker Don Letts demonstrates how Joe's DIY attitude is manifesting itself through a charity which helps aspiring musicians - Strummerville. The film features performance footage and interviews with Strummerville artists, supporters and founders including Billy Bragg and Damien Hirst, plus previously unseen footage of Strummer himself.

Locally, Wolf Tickets rocker Chris Malachowski has been carrying the flag of Joe Strummer since his death in Dec. 2002 and OtherWisz Creative been designing the posters for each tribute show (as well as DJing them). Chris has kept strong ties to Strummerville, as our local event has donated proceeds from each show to the charity.

It was cool to get the call, and it is an honor to have some of my work featured in a movie about such a great organization that is associated with the memory of one of my heros, Joe Strummer. So if anyone will be at SWSX this weekend, look for the film and the brief glimpse of an OtherWisz-designed poster.

LINKS:

• Here is PR of the movie on the Strummerville website: click here
  
  
• Here is the movie production company's site Brassneck TV, click here.
  
  
• Here is the link to ALL the of posters I have created for the local tribute shows in Buffalo- here click now
  
  
• More info on Strummerville- here ya go

Walkin' Up The Road

Smashing Magazine has compiled a nice online collection of retro signage pulled from Flikr and various other sources. Though most are the 'neons' from yesteryear that you might expect to see, there are few painted walls and wooden-type signs which are very cool. Included in this online compilation is Buffalo's own Parkside Candies and one from Greg Meadows (who shoots a lot of Buffalo urban images). I just drove past the Parkside Candies building on Main Street in the University District and though it is still open, it is looking pretty rough.

One of my favorites is the Chandler Liquors with it's flaming comet circling the 1950's script and boxed in characters from an Arizona liquor store and the Route 66 original Shell sign which is still colored in the same branded yellow and red they use today (though probably different Pantone colors). When everything has gone plastic and digital, these original designs serve still to inspire. Take a look at the link below.

>> Click here to check it out.

NOTE: Though my posting has slowed down it has been for good reasons- holidays and very busy work days. I hope to get back in the groove and keep this thing going stronger. By the way, this is POST #300 ! ! !

Let's Pretend We're Married

Finding the right typeface for a logo takes a lot of courting before a commitment can be made.

There a lot of fonts out there to choose from when designing. Too many, some might say... But the subtleties that get missed by your average viewer are what make a font special. When you are designing a logo and you are making some logo-typeface decisions, you really start to notice those subtleties. By paying close attention, you notice the way a letter has it's own personality, each letter being a small part of a bigger family- which is more than just the alphabet but includes numbers, character, punctuation and assorted what-cha-ma-call-its.

When a typeface is being explored for use on a logo, you are really only concerned with a limited number of characters. For instance the 'OtherWisz' logo is built from Century Gothic- the 'less-square' cousin of Avant Garde. I need only worry about the o,t,h,e,r,w,i,s and z. I don't really need to care about the remainders- I simply didn't need to be bothered with the 'a' or pesky 'q'.


Let's Get Together
Certain letters that often follow each other in common words are build (originally drawn) to balance with each other, fitting within each other, often nestled together. But you can't rely on the set kerning (the space between the letters) of characters when building a logoface. When letters and words are set into a block of copy or paragraph, you are often at the mercy of that font's set kerning. And that is fine it this situation. But when you are dealing with a microcosm of each individual letter up against another letter- you can and should move them yourself. By moving the letters closer, or further from each other, you can work to achieve the right balance between letters and (even as important, if not even more...) the space between the letters. When an inexperienced graphic artist sets headlines or letters in a logo that often just type it 'as is' and let it be. Often ignoring the fact that certain letters just have to be moved manually-- for instance an 'A' next to a 'V'- newbie designers often leave enough space that you can drive a truck through.


Big In Japan
I am working on a logo design now and find in interesting some of the very subtle elements to the typefaces that I have chosen to work with. Some little things you would never notice until it is blown up HUGE! You think a character has a straight edge until you see it big and then notice it is all wavy. Is this done on purpose to add personality to a font or poor, sloppy design?

When I view newer fonts against the classics- and I mean fonts originally hand drawn, eventually converted to digital-- it seems more care may have been put into those old design. Now I don't mean every new font obviously- I have friends that are type designers and they put a lot of care into what they do, agonizing over every last element of a font. But often I will look at a recently designed FREE FONT and find it to be of poor quality when viewed in close. Free fonts are usually worth that, next to nothing. As well I should note that 'classic fonts that have been digitized' are at the mercy of the digitizer and the foundry that made them, certain subtleties have been known to get lost in the translation at times.

When designing a logo, take care to choose a typeface that has the personality you want and explore the font's history to get a sense of what the designer may have been thinking. Choosing the right font is a combination of character, style, quality and history, but sometimes it is just a lucky crapshoot. And of the million of fonts out there, you will find just one that is right for the logo you are designing.... or at least a half a good dozen alternatives!

NOTES:
The attached graphics are few of the latest logos we have designed at OtherWisz Creative. The top is the NannyPro.com logo built from Baker Signet, Aurther Baker's 1965 slight-calligraphic face. The second logo is for a new catering service for daycares, Cater Tots and it is built using a fatty- Rudolf Koch's Kabel (this is the 1975 computerized version). Lastly, we have the Tracy Diina Communications logo which is designed using Stone Informal, a font originally designed in 1987 to look good when printed on laser printers plus a subhead set in Adrian Fruitiger's wonderful Avenier 35 Light.

Brand New Way

We have tried to be very proactive with moving our design company full steam ahead- we have some new clients this Fall, some others on the horizon and a few prospects. My goal is to reduce my stress and time in the office. Ha! Do I really need to work nights besides working all day? I am hoping not. I think most people aren't used to working 9-5, stopping to have dinner and then going back for another bunch of hours. I am not complaining, that is just how it is. I am used to it, but I think it is starting to wear on me some. I am starting to see the value of getting good sleep nightly!

To reach this goal- we got to think ahead. I think what keeps this design boat, afloat is the continual planning, refining and just plain fine tuning. J. and I are always trying to improve our plan of attack to make sure it all runs smoothly. As we officially enter Autumn (yesterday)- the kids are back in school (I miss them already...). The balancing act of baby-stitters, summer fun (one minute an honorary Marshall at Fantasy Island Theme Park, the next in someone's board room) and kids hanging around the office-- is no more. It is just our team spending all our time creating good design... plus a lot of paperwork that makes this so-called "time creating good design" possible.

As a business, we have to attend to the things that are business-- I thought graphic design was going to be all fun and games! Coming up on 10 years as our own company forces us to look back on what has made this successful, but we have to look forward as to what will keep it successful. We have to stay ahead of the trends in marketing and design, make sure our clients are happy and make sure we aren't killing ourselves in the process.

The elusive free time is a really good goal.... and if we plan correctly, maybe it can be obtainable. Suggestions...?

Fancy Footwork

I always get a kick out of the johnny-come-lately reporting of the local newspaper. They always seem to be months, if not years, behind trends that have been-and-gone in other larger, national papers. Sunday's (Aug. 2, 2009) BuffaloSnooze had an article about a new 'Virtual Office' ad agency in town. The story was written about this great new concept that is challenging the big boy ad agencies on town. The Virtual Office involves hiring freelancers instead of having a staff. Sorry boys, old news....

For almost 10 years our company, OtherWisz Creative, has been one of many 'virtual offices.' In fact, the invention of the laptop computer was designed to free us all from the cubicle world-- the laptop computer had born the original virtual offices. As well, wireless technologies let us break even further from the tradtional office space.

OtherWisz Creative has always been a lean mean, designing machine using freelancers. Our staff is small and our work is big, hence our tagline "Little Firm Big Solutions." By doing all the creative ourselves and outsourcing everything else- from photography, writing, illustrating, programming and software development- we have always kept overhead low. This has also enabled us to pick the right individual for the right job or task. Each project always had the best-of the-local-best working on it- all under the OtherWisz name.

Working as a virtual office always seemed to fit how we operate, and it works. As the death bell tolls for the big agencies in town, companies are taking more notice of the little and middle-sized players. Stand, a local advertising agency was the latest big shop to close, and it would seem, others are due to follow.

I guess this way of operating isn't 'news' until someone puts a tag on it (hence, the Virtual Office).Who needs a physical office space at all anymore..? We can communicate via the internet, meet with clients in their office (more convenient for them), post proofs and comps online for review... even get paid electronically. We actually like having a physical office space- our 1885-era converted barn is a creative stimulus in itself- but we don't need really need an office. Things have changed drastically in this industry, but contrary to what the BuffaloSnooze reports, the Virtual Office isn't new.

Set The Controls For The Heart of The Sun

I haven't written much as I have gotten buried under a pile of work and home things. Summer is here! You can tell because Target is bringing out the school supplies... yikes!

This is the transition week. The kids are fully off from school and hanging around a lot. J. and I must do the balancing act of trying to work, keep the kids busy and not go crazy. She will work in her summer office more- aka the kitchen or living room (thank you, wireless technology)-- and I will be in and out a lot.

The kids are pretty self-sufficient, but they don't want to hang around in the office all day. They are both artists, so they can paint, draw, build, create, construct for a while- but that isn't going to last all day. Either J. or I will take them out for a portion of the day: park, cheap movie, walk, waterfront, running errands, etc. Last year we had a friend-teacher-nanny situation and that worked great. This year we are 'winging it' with mixed results, but not so bad so far (3 days in...).

I remember when my Mom worked on Saturdays as the bookkeeper at the Colonial Court Motel on Niagara Falls Blvd. and she would begrudgingly drag me and my brother along with her many times. We would play in the hotel lobby with our GI Joe or Matchbox cars, or explore in back where there was a bit of woods, have lunch and generally hang around. I think we managed pretty well..

Owning a family business puts the kids around more that not during the Summer. We try and keep them away from the TV and the convenient babysitter computer as much as possible. But even the educational programs (PBS kids, StarFall, etc.) still render them starting at the TV or monitor and I don't think that is really doing them that much good.

I am trying to teach my kids to be self-entertaining and, so far, I think they are really good at it. And if I have to take them out more-- good! An occasional trip to the park, to push someone on a swing is very therapeutic for me as well. It is calming, it is good to get away from this here computer and I think in the long run, the time spend with my kids is building a strong bond that will last forever... or until they become parent-loathing teenagers. I guess we'll see.

Caught, Can We Get a Witness?

I had an appointment the other day that was a no-show. I take it as a bit of a slight, a sign of lack of respect... They called to apologize (kinda) much later after we were suppose to meet, but after I called to see where they might be. I was not happy about this. Even worse though, the meeting was at 4:00 and I often knock off at 4 to hang with the kids/cut the grass/maybe help with dinner.... I take an average of a 4-5 hour break and come back to work for 3-4 hours in the evening. So blowing me off on my down time, it was bad enough the meeting was scheduled during my downtown, sheesh.

I run along the lines of some old school business philosophies. I have learned from the best. I always write people letters, thank you notes, follow ups. I am professional, I try and explain things as clearly as I can, get it all in writing and I do my best to show up on time for meetings. Occasionally, I may be a few minutes late and I feel pretty embarrassed when I can't make it at the set time. My time is valuable so I try not to waste others.

I wonder, as technology advances and as business gets less and less formal, where do the old time practices, respects and standards of operations end up? Do they disappear completely? Do people have formal business meetings over their cell phone or tweat, twitterize or twext each other? As meetings have moved from the conference room to the coffee shop, has this trend weakened the connections and partnerships people make...?

I would much rather meet someone face-to-face if I am going to do business with them. But I have, a few times over the last year or so, successfully completed some design projects where I have never met the client face-to-face. I know this is common with freelance illustrators and writers, but I have a bit of a hard time with it. Talking to someone in person gives you a better feel for them and this is especially valuable when meeting first time clients.

I may be at the end of a dying breed of business folk trying to hold on to some old school practices, but I have found them to work. I think people can appreciate the professionalism (especially from a creative type- some people think we are wacko), and I am going to keep meeting you in person. We'll talk about the next project, we'll chat about our kids, common interests (hockey, rock, RZA, etc.)... and we'll shake hands. Go ahead and twit, tweet or tweather me, I'll call you back and we can set up a time to meet. In person.

Photos: kid shot photograph of lawn about to get schooled, old schooled... and Bobby Digital, he'll always meet you on time, and kick your azz!!

One of My Submarines

Write/Paint

Back in 1984 when Apple revolutionized the world of personal computing with the Macintosh computer I was graduating from Tonawanda High School. I took several art and design classes from my favorite teacher William DeGlopper including photography, graphic design, illustration, plus a printing course (in shop class, no lie) but no computers. I continued my path as a designer enrolling into Buffalo State College the same year and ran through their design program-- with some journalism tossed in. The closest I came to a computer was word processing at the The Record, the school paper. When I first came into touch with a computer that could be used as a design tool, the decade was coming to a close as the 90s began.

The first Mac I actually used to design was a bit more advanced version that the one here (SE-30)... barely... It was this same size. And though I didn't carry it around in a little sack riding in my bike's basket, I did carry it around from my job to my house. It seems funny to lug this big box around, but this little machine was actually pretty compact for it's day and age. It is interesting how computers went from this, to bigger desktops and back to a small size in its life cycle of 25 years so far.

I have a couple of these little Mac SE-30s boxes and I love the information, instructions and photos in the manual. Last year I posted a piece about the the fonts that came pre-loaded (er, I mean you had to load them yourself from a small floppy disk) on this machine and another one about using the state-of-the-art MacPaint.... this time I chose to show you the 'lifestyle' photography from the original Mac manual.

The images are pretty humorous in their authentic '80s office style and preppy, white guy-ness. The shot with the guy in his office late at night with his sweater around his neck is priceless. It's marketing like this-- with its uber-80s geek-ness-- that kept the rock poster designers from using computers... and probably it's list price of $4,400 ($4,900 with hard drive). Think about what sort of computer you can get today for four grand!

Quick note on the carrying case: "... Your Macintosh will fit under the seat in most commercial airplanes. and in the overhead compartment of others.." Try carrying this thing onto a plane today, let alone getting in UNDER the seat!


A little tickle to get it started, adjust the brightness and you are computing!


Why is this man's collar down? You can tell by the look on this guys face he is crunching numbers. Internet porn had yet to be invented but the calculator watch had.


The ease-of-use. Big desk, littel computer: a couple dudes working in their law office or someplace businessy like that.


The sexy. After hours '80s dude chillin', catching some UV rays California-stylee.


The traveling computer: Packing it up to go... city awaits in the distance.


Bicycle Race. ... and then going, with the little mac riding up front in the basket. Jealous guys looks on from shadows.


Hello, aren't I beige. Love me.

Genius of Love

When you live and breath design, you become attached to the things you design. You develop a sort of kinship with all things designed-- which is everything-- since you are analyzing everything you look at. Always.

I am never wrong.

Well, alright. I am wrong some of the time. But when it comes to logos- I feel like I have an eye for what is good, what works, what will make a good visual identity for a company. Unfortunately, not everyone will agree with me.

Last March I wrote about how tough it can be as a graphic artist when someone doesn't like your work (or is disinterested or less than enthused) when you show them the comp designs for their new brochure, their new billboard, their new website. But what about the logo? What about when they don't like your logo comps...? For me, designing a logo-- the center of any company's brand, identity, the little thing on their business card, the center of their visual universe-- is the toughest and most rewarding aspect of what we do. With a brochure, you have a support cast- taglines, descriptive text, poignant photos-- but the logo has to say it all, all by itself. The logo often stands alone, it has to tell a story, it should explain what the company does, it says who they are and what they do- often with no help at all. Com'on catchy tagline- help me out here...!?!

So when we design a logo- we put an awful lot of:

• thought
• not thinking about it
• research
• discussion
• perusing the past
• forecasting the future
  
• reading
• sketching (with an actual pencil)
• testing
  
• looking
• remembering
• searching
• debating and
• arguing

... into deciding what we feel can do the job best of representing the client visually. We pour our hearts and souls, lose some sleep and some hair, into the logo design process. We narrow it down to usually three choices, from often hundreds of sketches, ideas and variations of those ideas. We get them ready, print them out- sometimes mounting them on black board with an crisp, protective overlay- and then we meet the client in person. We present: describe our thought process to them, we build suspense and then we reveal the designs... Then BAM! the client jumps in the air, hugs us, cries (why not, we did while we were creating them) and thanks us a million times for hitting the nail on head, visually representing their idea and their entire company, saving the world! Sometimes. Other times they just sit and stare. You think to yourself... 'what is wrong with them.. don't they get it...?"

Do You Really Want To Hurt Me?

Well those are the extremes. As an artist you want people to love what you do. You might not act like you want recognition, but you want everyone to love everything you do, you want people to get it... right? Well... at least the client who is paying the bill.

There is an emotional connection to everything we do- meticulously choosing typefaces, colors, balancing elements and graphics, sometimes trying to represent obscure ideas in a single icon, making sure all spaces and line and pixel looks just right. We put out soul into all we do- and if you don't like it, you must not like us, what? It seemed like you liked us before... huh? But we have to be tough, realizing we might not be right for everyone. We can't take it personally, waaaaaaaaaaaaa.... When you live and breath design, you become attached to the things you design. You developed a sort of kinship with all things designed-- which is everything- since you are analyzing everything you look at. Always.

I have some clients with which we can do no wrong. We give them our 'all' and they appreciate every last bit of it. When you presented them with the logo comps, they beam with joy. For people starting a new company, their vision up until this point has been nothing more than ideas on paper a lot of the time. When they see the logo for the first time, they get to see their ideas become something concrete. Their vision seems to become a reality when it gets a visual identity. When you get it- when you get them- it is exhilarating and downright thrilling. For me too. That is why I do this.

These satisfied clients think other people are crazy not to hire us immediately after meeting us... and I can't say I disagree with them. But what do you do when you expect 'wow' and instead you get 'blah'? You have to swallow the pride, step back and re-evaluate, right? Find out exactly what they do like and what they don't. Ask a lot of questions. Try and determine what it is specifically that you can change to re-solve their design problem. Often you have to go back to the drawing board and re-develop it for them. After all client satisfaction is a top priority- as long as it is still a good design solution.

Tougher Than Leather

The longer I do this is the tougher I get, the thicker my skin, the better my ability to ask the right questions. The better I can be at interpreting the correct design answer to the clients design question. So I guess it is: the better you get at being wrong the better you get at getting it right. Hell, I am still learning everyday- about people, my kids, about business, about design... And I am willing to be wrong a few times if I can get it right most of the time.

Photos (from top): the award winning OtherWisz logo, a wall preliminary OtherWisz logo ideas, The alternate Literacy Volunteers logo and the logo for the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum. All designs by OtherWisz ©2009.

Remote Control

Design in 2009

This year will bring us the release of Objectified, the new design film by Gary Huswit the man behind the wonderful Helvetica. The trailer is up now so you can get a little preview of the new flick. It is a feature-length independent documentary about industrial design and a look at the creative world behind conceptualizing, designing, developing and building 'things"-- everything from toothbrushes to automobiles. It's about the people that make things- think about them, research them and really study, study, study as they are designing every detail and nuance about products. You think you have everything you need in this modern world?!? but right not someone is examining all the things you are using with plans to make them better.

The just posted trailer will give you a sneak peak into the upcoming flick. If it is anything like Helvetica, then it should be super-- Objectified- Trailer, click me to watch.

Font Off!
... and speaking of Helvetica, PBS is having the US television debut of this movie and is showing it this week as part of the Independent Lens series! They have launched a mini-site, and the local affiliate, WNED is showing it Sunday night (Jan. 11th) at 11:00 PM. What a time slot, eh? I am guessing there are predicating giant ratings with this time slot. Here are the details on the PBS showing. All public TV mocking aside, it's a good documentary so watch it if you haven't seen it. Fonts rule!

Bonus Beats:
Take the PBS mini-site What Font Are You Test (I am ___________).

SPY In The House of Love

I am a lover of magazines, having published small 'zines (Sign O' The Times, Slack) in the 90s. Once, I was a sort of 'magazine junkie'- with simultaneous running subscriptions to about 6-7 magazines which included Playboy, Spin, Details, Entertainment Weekly, Metropolis, etc. Now I lean more towards the design mags (Print, How, etc) but I have recently been re-introduced to Rolling Stone and have been enjoying it. Though the new smaller format isn't as cool as the larger size it used to be.

They say that print is dead, and maybe I am a dinosaur but I love a good magazine- big photos, hot news, informative reporting, satire, satire, satire-- plus you can't read your computer in the bathroom (well, I guess you could use your laptop....). I think graphic design is better on the printed page, than the internet.

The good folks at Good Magazine have compiled an awesome list of the 51 Best Magazines Ever which is compiled as the Smartest, Prettiest, Coolest, Funniest, Most Influential, Most Necessary, Most Important, Most Essential, etc. The list includes the classics: Esquire, Playboy, New Yorker, Life, Interview but also includes some of the cool mags such as Ray Gun, Eros and even Mad!

From the Good Magazine article:

"The essential strength of a magazine is its ability to amplify. An idea, or an image, or a story, set within the pages of a magazine and assembled by the right hands, can become the grist of breakfast chatter, dinner-party conversation, or elective body debate around the world."

Here is the list with full details on each,The 51 Best* Magazines Ever
*Smartest, Prettiest, Coolest, Funniest, Most Influential, Most Necessary, Most Important, Most Essential, etc. Words By Graydon Carter, GOOD magazine

The Evening Papers

There is no stopping this guy! My friend, artist Julian Montague was featured in today's Daily Heller email newsletter. Everyday I got the email newsletter, sponsored by PRINT magazine and written by design guru/writer Steven Heller. It usually consists of a short blast about a single topic with images and links. The topic is a design of note from today (like the Obama marketing, logo, etc) or something vintage like a old design magazine, ads or often about a particular designer or artist.

When I open today's Daily Heller and saw the shopping cart photo, I know it was Julian he was talking about. Congrats to him! There is a link to his website (this is a traffic driver, for sure), info about a group show Julian is in this weekend in NYC: Sign/Age: Lost in the Supermarket at Armand Bartos Fine Art in New York, including William Eggleston, Martha Friedman, Claes Oldenburg, Andy Warhol and a quote from his Montague Projects blog. Very cool.

Julian's Blog- click here.
Art Show website- here.
Sign up for the Daily Heller- here.

Shadowplay

From Violet to Hazel: Postcards From Our Past (part 4)
this space for writing messages

This may be it, I think I lost the postcard scanning buzz I had going last week. This last batch has some cool images including another Kleinhann's, which looks like it is Florida for some reason. There aren't a lot of trees and very little structures beyond the building- which is odd to see after living in this neighborhood off and on over the the last 20 years or so. The Main Street Shopping District is amazing in it's New York City-ness as it is has people galore on the streets among theaters, street cars and the famous AM & As Department Store. The back is great too- it is postmarked Nov 20, 1933 and begins "Hello Mother" and includes the calming "We did not have to use the car chains coming here as the road was in pretty good shape."

The crowds of people in the Zoo card and the Boat House at Delaware Lake are impressive, as well is the street scene which includes several folks on bicycles (including a woman), horse drawn buggies, Louis Sullivan's Guaranty Building, the St. Louis Church and that big building, which is no longer there but I think was the old City Hall. The back of this card has "Besser's and Sons, Buffalo. No. 104. Printed in Germany." But no tell-tale postmarked date, unfortunately. Oh and the interior shot of the Historical Building which is postmarked August 22, 1912, looks pretty close to how it looks now.

All these vintage postcards have a beautiful haunting quality to the coloring and especially the people frozen in Buffalo's past. In fact these four with the people in it have become some of my favorites. If you look close you can pick out certain people and I wonder about their day captured at Hoyt Lake or the Buffalo Zoo.... were they having a good time?


Sunny afternoon in Buffalo with smiling lady in a big hat.


Feeding the seal at the Buffalo Zoo. Only one seal.


Eerily similar to today, the History Museum.


Another awesome Kleinhann's painted postcard.


Biking in downtown Buffalo, NY. This shot was the cover image used on the original Buffalo vintage postcard book, Buffalo Views by Rich Kegler.


Busy downtown shopping district, in 'beautiful river"....


This is the end, my friend...

Can It Be All So Simple

Your design sucks! Just kidding.

I am one of the senior Camp Counselors at this year's Portfolio Camp (shades of Meatballs) on Saturday. Set up by the Ad Club of Buffalo, four professionals (and I use this term lightly) are going to speak to a large gathering of ferocious young designers and upstarts.

I did this once before a few years back... it goes like this:

• You sit in front of a bunch of youngsters.
• You give them your 2 cents, tips, tricks, secret handshakes, etc.
• Answer some questions.
• Show your portfolio- which is recently updated so it is on fire!
• each some pizza and drink some soda, talk with the kids.

It's a lot of fun, but I have seen some really crappy student work in my days and some really great stuff. I am an old school 'show me your book' sort of art director. Though we deal in a lot of digital media at OW headquarters, we still like seeing actual work. I like to also see sketches and optional designs and logos- I like to see the process.

Panelists this year are:

• Jordan Case, AD Eric Mower & Associates
• Mark Wisz, OtherWisz Creative Corp.
• Mike Telesco, President/Creative Director, Mike Telesco Design, Inc.
• Dan Wangelin, Designer/Illustrator, [re]noun creative

I don't know any of these folks, except Mark Wisz. He's got a new haircut!

Bankrobber

Action-packed weekend-- no time for reading. Though I did read an Elmore Leonard (detective writer, Get Shorty, etc.) western story last night from a volume of short stories. It was pretty good, but it was only one story from a book of like 40-50 stories... I am not sure if this could be a new direction in reading (western fiction) for me or not. We'll see.

Anyway, there is a rock show Friday night,at Mohawk Place that I did the poster for affectionately titled "Punk Rock Reggae Clash!" featuring Chosen Ones, Neville Francis & the Riddim Posse and Wolf Tickets, host by Uni aka DJ Universal. I am not sure how the punk rock is going to come into it, but Chris Malichowski's band Wolf Tickets has a strong Clash bent to it. Should be a good gig, though I am not DJing and I really like DJing at The 'Hawk, especially punk rock music!! ...

See the poster art below featuring an oldie, but a goodie P22 font- click for larger view. Above is a version of the flyer on one the band's MySpace page... "You know you've made it when....."

Saturday, my friend and client Joe Gambacorta is going to be displaying some of his memorabilia from the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum at the Convention Center for the Farewell, Old Friend Memorial Aud Live Aid event. Should be a good time, the French Connection will be there and Dr. Joe has the most amazing collection of Sabres and Aud stuff. We did the logo, website, blog and swag for the BHEM. The event includes the limited Aud Edition of the BHEM hats that New Era donated (+ OW designed) for the upcoming Museum. Very cool. See hat on post below.

So may be I'll see some of you kids this weekend. I know a lot of people read this and think I never leave the house... but I do, in fact, I was at The Place twice yesterday.

Sweet Emotion

We designed these cool hats that New Era made for the Buffalo Hockey Experience + Museum special exhibit at the Goodbye Yellow Brick Road Aud Hootenanny this weekend. There are only 100 hats I think, so get them while they're hot.

I put up a post (with cruddy laptop photos) on the
Bleed For The Blue And Gold blog- see here.

Someone asked me about... The 1939 to 2009 on the back of the hat-- is the lifespan of the building. It was finished being built in 1939 It will be a pile of rubble by this time next year.

How to wear a New Era cap training video- here.

The Joker

Every man with a bellyful of the classics is an enemy to the human race.
Henry Miller

Comedy just ain't pretty.
Steve Martin

I always have considered myself a reader. I have my particular interests, nothing fiction really, some classics: Catcher in the Rye, Henry Miller books, Gonzo journalism, etc.

I like newspapers and design and art magazines, music magazines... I sometimes look at skateboard magazines, Esquire and the New Yorker while at the gym. I like biographies.

I have plowed through several rock and roll bios this year alone-- slammed through both Slash's book and ex-Face Ron Woods in about a week each. But how much excessive rock and roll lifestyles can you read about? Both Slash and Woody are luckily to be alive. I mean Slash details heroin addiction and drinking and though Ron glosses over his drugs, he describes light-heartedly troubles with booze, crack, coke and other consumables. And he is a close friend with Stones death defying Keef, for God's sake. Both books were a bit boring overall.

When I was in the bookstore I thought, maybe I need to read something more deep besides stories of Jim Morrison fantasies, Jimmy Hendrix, Walter Yetnicoff and other screaming maniacs... design magazines, the Buffalo Snooze, hockey stats...? I though, maybe I should read Infinite Jest? Now that looks like a reader's book, a writer's writer, eh?

I read the story about the genius-off-the-meds-suicide of writer David Foster Wallace in the 2nd last Rolling Stone magazine (which I gotta say, I am not sure about the new run-of-the-mill-paper-saving-tree-saving size it is at now, kinda average...). But 981 pages of tight type (with over 100 pages of Notes in the back)!! I am not sure I am that much of a reader-- maybe I should start with something just as deep, but smaller, with more pictures perhaps...?

Maybe I'll get the Steve Martin bio instead. Maybe I am not really such a reader after all.

BONUS BEATS: “Son,” Presley told Martin, “you have an ob-leek sense of humor.”