Type Hype - Klinghoffer Carpet One

I've passed by this sign probably hundreds of times biking between 8th and 9th on Bainbridge, but I've but never noticed it until yesterday. I think this is sign is particularly interesting because most hand-made type these days is designed to be intentionally imperfect. But in this case of this sign, the same effect is achieved but with lettering that was made unintentionally imperfect. And within its imperfections we can read its sincerity.

I can almost guarantee you this sign was not meant to look this way. It was probably meant to look "better" than it does. I bet the person that painted this wanted it to look as though a machine laser-cut each letter and pasted them onto the wall. But they didn't have a machine. So they made due and used their hands and some paint with whatever skill they had. So since Klinghoffer Carpet One couldn't hide behind the perfection of a computer, they got a much more honest final product.

This is an authentic example of hand-made typography. This is what some artists and designers try and emulate in their work (mine included), but you can't copy its truth. Its faults make it perfect. Isn't it remarkable?

Five Iron Fun-Pak

About a month ago I received an e-email from Peter Rollo who was working with Five Iron Frenzy, a defunct ska-core band from Denver, on their upcoming DVD. I had done a "bootleg" concert DVD of their performance at the Cornerstone Festival in 2002 and they were asking my permission to to use footage from my technically illegal DVD for their very legitimate DVD. So of course I had no problem with letting them use it. He thanked me and then told me to let him know if I wanted to be involved in any other way.
I was sort of pumped upon reading that."Any other way? Let me design the packaging!" I sent them a link to my page and even though I didn't quite wrangle the packaging job (that was being done BY the band) I was offered designing a t-shirt that was going to be sent out with special pre-orders bundles, the "Five Iron DVD Fun-Pak."

So here's what I submitted. Originally the design was three colors and on a cranberry colored t-shirt, but Peter told me that the record label could only afford one color and they wanted it to be on a black tee. So I gave them a couple options and these were the top two picks. I still don't know what they decided on. I guess I'll just have to see when I get mine.
I think the "Fun-Pak" pre-orders are all sold out but you can get just the DVD if you're interested. You get it from Asian Man Records.
UPDATE: Apparently Interpunk bought a bunch of Fun-Paks and is selling them from their store. Here's the link.

Type Hype - Clear Light / 1963 Iron Man

When its done right there can be an almost magical bond beyond an album's artwork and its music. A couple of weeks ago I was browsing through the rack of new arrivals at Repo Records and saw this album. It really struck me just popped out at me. Apparently this is the only record from the band Clear Light and it came out in September 1967. I think its really cool how the white dot breaks up the letters just enough to give the shape of the whole a focal point. I'd like to hear this record but $20 felt kind of steep.


My friend Ethan was just in NYC the other weekend and got this great book of production artwork for the Iron Man movie. As I was flipping through, I came across this image and was immediately struck by the lettering. I love the long bases and hard 90 and 45 degree angles in the letter forms. This illustration was done by Jack Kirby and Don Heck back in March 1963 and comes from Iron Man's debut in the Tales of Suspense issue #39. I can only assume that they had a hand in the type design.

Minilogue - Animals

I stumbled upon this artist from the Netherlands, Kristofer Ström, tonight while I was searching for "TV History" on YouTube (the connection there is that he did an animated commercial for Carphone Warehouse called "A Brief History of Communication"). I suggest you check out his blog, Ljudbilden & Piloten. He's got a lot of really great work up there. So much great work in fact, I was having a hard time deciding which piece to share. I went with this music video he did for a band called Minilouge. I just really love the color and the character design.

ljudbilden.com      minilogue.com

Pine Barons: Special Edition

A lot of people fault George Lucas for going back and touching up Star Wars seemingly every year with some new nudge, added sequence or adjustment in special effects. I, personally, cannot blame the man. I find myself going back to old work and revamping when I've learned new tricks and I am always pleased with the results. For instance this week I went back and cleaned up The Pine Barons mascot illustration.

I just sort of got in there and set up some ruler guides to help maintain and re-establish balance and symmetry, then had to simplify practically path by deleting extraneous anchor points, and then used some of custom art brushes to soup up the all the strokes and lines that were so lacking in energy. Obviously, I also tweaked the colors a bit and deleted all those gaudy clip-art trees. They weren't helping much either. Now it looks like a sports mascot! I would play for that team! No I wouldn't.

What's really crazy is that back in May 2008 I thought the original design I had done was my best work. Now I look at that old design and think it looks a thumbnail sketch. My perception and consciousness are funny things. As time goes the lens pulls back to reveal the bigger picture. Wow, this post just got really existential.