Angel Bomb Design

Monday, July 11, 2011

Official Business

I write notes to myself; copious amounts of notes. From ‘get milk’ to ideas for projects that I’m currently working. Sure, I could put all these into my iPhone, of course, but there’s something nice about having a record of what I’ve written in an analog format. I still have sketchbooks that date back to college allowing me to go back and look at logo ideas or plotlines that I developed years ago. That’s why I recently added a journal to the Official Business line of products! It’s pocket sized and just like your favorite jeans, these babies soften with age. I’ve currently got at least five of them going, all for different purposes. I’ve got one for Astronomical Observations, one for Clients, one for General, etc. Not only can you put things in your head down on paper, like the cover proclaims, but you can also write a couple notes to other people on the included Official Communication cards that are included! So when that jerk-off steals your parking space, go ahead and write them a very official looking note and put it on their windshield. They are letterpress printed in glorious black and white and include all the humourous little details you come to expect from Angel Bomb. Check out the store and buy one, you’ll be glad you did!

Tuesday, June 07, 2011

2011 Artcrank Poster Show

This year’s Artcrank bicycle themed poster show has come and gone already, but since I didn’t write about it previously, it’s high time I do it now! As a former competitive cyclist, I’ve logged a lot of miles on my bikes; enough to go around the world and then some more. I’ve had more than my share of run-ins with idiot drivers who think that cyclists don’t belong on the road. They’ve yelled at me, they’ve thrown stuff, and they’ve driven right into me, wrecking both bikes and bones. This poster is a pretty good visualization of how I feel about those people when I ride. It’s a good thing I’m not armed as this would be the outcome; I’d probably get locked up and then who’d entertain you with design and letterpress stories? Share the road, people.

Wednesday, March 16, 2011

Trainspotting

Here’s a project that’s been a long time coming in making it to the light of day! Book projects can be quite lengthy, especially when the author isn’t done with the manuscript when you get the call to start designing. Even so, this has turned into a fantastic display piece that you can flip through when you’re in the studio. I worked with my old friend Judy, a world-class typesetter, who put the guts of the book together and asked for my help with the cover and graphic elements on the interior. Vintage trains were pretty easy to wrap my head around and come up with a visual language for. In some ways, these locomotives remind me of the old presses I print with: same era, similar heavy, clunky, metal design, and they’re relics of days gone by appreciated by fewer and fewer people. There’s a lot to be said about learning from the past and I think there’s a lot to be gained from appreciating it as well: looking back and seeing where we came from and how we got to be where we are today. We may not ride trains as much as our ancestors did, but they’re a part of our history and I’m honored to help bring this fine book together to show some of that.

Wednesday, March 02, 2011

Heimies New Website

There’s no getting around the fact that I love print; I have three printing presses straining the floor joists behind me. But I do work in the realm of the internets as well. I used to be an Art Director at a local web firm and though it’s been a few years, I still have some web skills up my sleeve. My most dapper of clients, Heimie’s Haberdashery, badly needed a new website. Their old site did nothing for promoting their brand as a premium clothier and maker of fine luggage but the new site shows off some of the sumptuousness of the store and is a great resource for style tips on looking your best. Even when I spiff myself up a bit to pay them a visit, I feel a little like the kid wearing hand-me-downs to school. If you want to look gooooood, I’d highly recommend paying them a visit. And make sure to tell Anthony how much you like the new site!

Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Reception with King Kong

A couple recently came to me looking to have King Kong on their wedding reception invites and that part of the invite would punch out to become a coaster. These were people with vision! None of those stuffy store-bought invites for them; not this happy couple. They wanted something fun to celebrate their day and something fun is what they got. They were looking for a bit of a re-enactment of the original King Kong poster complete with diamond ring. What a great way to commemorate their day, by giving their friends and family something they could set a drink on and remember the occasion. Your invites don’t need to be stuffy and if you need help making them fun, drop us a line. By printing this on coaster stock we could get a really nice impression as well. Just check ‘em out.

Friday, September 17, 2010

4 Color Process - Letterpress Style

Art Attack is coming up fast. It’s the first weekend in November, dontcha know? So in my spare time I’ve been working on some new stuff to launch during the big event. This piece is something I’ve been wanting to play with for a while; printing four-color process on a letterpress. It works well as letterpress inks are transparent and the impression you get from each press pass only heightens the cool factor. It was fun to watch the image grow as the colors mixed and then with the final hit of black…voila!
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Thursday, September 09, 2010

W is for Wanker

These prints are a fond tribute to my year in London and are a series of typical Britishisms; things you hear on the street, names you’re called, words you pick up and start using because sounding like you’re from England, even if you’re faking it, is a real hoot! I call them my Adult Alphabet and they’re printed on the pages of a 150 year old dictionary that was in tough shape to begin with so I didn’t feel bad tearing it down and printing on the pages. Each letter is printed on the appropriate page too, they aren’t all willy nilly; A is for Arse is really on a page of A words. These babies were set using 72pt Franklin Gothic, the largest lead type here at Angel Bomb. Get ‘em while they’re hot.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Mind your own beeswax.

So here’s a project that was a blast to work on; start to finish. Often you get a project that has already been started and have to work with a bad name or bad design, and rarely do you get to build the whole kit and kaboodle, but not this time. Angel Bomb came up with the name of Worker B since these products are for us: the hard working peeps who work with our hands and occasionally need to give them a little relief. After the name was decided upon, next came the design and using an image of a bee was required by the client for obvious reasons. The design had to work across several different packages and we chose to use color to differentiate between the different products. The wanted the labels to emphasize the letterpress process they’d be printed with and so we used a honeycomb pattern that would give the products a nice tactile feel when you’re holding them. They also had to be not too girly, not too manly…just right. And I think we succeeded quite well, but check out the photos for yourself. They’re launching the products at the State Fair this year, so go hunt them down in the Agriculture/Horticulture Rotunda (section T 29 on the State Fair map) and treat your hands and body to something nice. The products are natural, local, and hand made. All in all, pretty damned sweet.