Fly in under the radar for a sneak peek at the latest goings-on here at Angel Bomb and inside my crowded cranium. You might find photos of a killer project about to hit the press, a rant about the state of design in the digital age, the inside scoop on an upcoming art opening, a recipe for succulent beef tenderloin in port-rosemary sauce, or something completely different.
The Blog is updated on a predictably unpredictable basis, so check back often to see what’s bubbling up to the surface.
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!
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.
Monday, November 29, 2010
Letterpress Visit
On the way to spend Thanksgiving in Indianapolis I made a little sidetrip down to Asheville, N.C. to visit the folks at Blue Barnhouse. I got to meet Brandon Mise, proprietor extraordinaire, and Emily Wismer who also goes by the name of Lady Pilot Letterpress. They were both very cool peeps, indeed. I think it’s great to connect with fellow letterpress printers to talk shop and swap stories and keep the letterpress community alive. Local printers seem to be fairly protective of their domain, which, to a degree I can understand, but since our respective shops aren’t even in the same time zone this wasn’t an issue. Hell, if you can’t drink beer with people of your own ilk, then what’s the point? Not only did we drink beer, but ate some killer ribs at 12 Bones. I hope someday to return the favor if they’re ever in Minneapolis. Check out their website, they’ve got some hilarious cards which are on sale for the holidays! Below is one of my favorites. And be sure to order your copy of Brandon’s new book, Adventures in Letterpress which features the work of yours truly.
Friday, February 26, 2010
Vintage Letterpress
So these two kids come walking into my shop all teary-eyed and crying and I ask them ‘what’s up?’ They tell me they need a print job done in a hurry, one color, a couple hundred copies max. I look for their parents but no-one else is around. The girl draws a picture of a dog, not a very good one either, and I try to get her to pony up for my illustration services but she wasn’t having any of it. I run the poster for them and they pay me with pennies and a handful of Tootsie Rolls. Lousy clients, but I’m glad they got their dog back.
Tuesday, September 29, 2009
Angel Bomb Letterpress in Hardbound Book Form
Last week with the help of Dan Marshall Photography, we took some dandy shots of recent work done on press for possible inclusion into an upcoming book on contemporary letterpress, called “Adventures in Letterpress” — A hardcover 178 page book to be published by Mark Batty Publisher, a respectable publisher of design books both here and in the UK. I don’t know how many of the pieces I submitted will make the final cut, but keep your fingers crossed. I’ll be letting you know as soon as this bad boy hits the shelves sometime early next year.