Glen E. Friedman - Sweet Talk Interview

When the Dogtown guys were inventing skateboarding, when punk splashed onto the streets and hip hop dug itself out of the dark, Glen E. Friedman was there. Really. He took the photos that documented these worlds and brought them to the rest of us. This is an interview that was done at SweetTalk ,an informal presentation series. They're releasing these interviews slowly at Veer at this one is definitely worth the watch. The guy is really interesting and speaks from his gut. Very inspiring for any creator.



Link

ps. I've just finished a book called The Tipping Point where they talk about Mavens. People who get information before anyone else and then can't help but spread the word. This guy is a Maven. An insider.

pps. He also has a great diatribe about the faux Terry Richardson crap photography movement. Knowing a few horrified photographers, I say amen.

Alexei Vella: Mis-Registered Illustrations

 

I really liked this guy's work. Dark, funny, crazy and crafted. What more could we want from an illustration?

Link 

Creative Review / Blog

CR Blog

Design Observer - Writings on the Wall and Other Places

 

If you work in the design industries, you may sometimes be tempted to think about your partcular niche of this calling. Perhaps, you have profound thoughts immediately and reward yourself with a sickly latte. Or perhaps you scratch your head like the majority of upright monkeys and reward yourself with a sickly latte. If this is your fate then you need some help from the people at the Design Observer. They are most likely far more astute and well-spoken than you could ever hope to be and therefore can be quoted and name-dropped with gay abandon. They are Michael Bierut (Pentagram), William Drenttel and Jessica Helfad (Winterhouse) and Rick Poynor (scholar). They have a couple of contributing writers and the site is an Artkrush fave. This blog has all the intellectual fodder your caffiene addled brain can handle.

Excellent writing, great thinking and non-"design" design.

Link

Shunya Yamashita - Manga Fantasy

It's like Frank Frazetta made a child with Sailor Moon. Well, kinda. If you like a little manga doe-eyed dragon big gun action then the three galleries on this talented illustrators site will surely satisfy. The mushroom head is fun.

Link (The Gallery is Dead)

New Link 

Ray Fenwick's Drama Club

 

Ray did a comic strip  called "Hall of Best Knowledge" which was obsessive and silly and award winning. He certainly knows his way around a  a brush and ink. He's got some new work up after he retired his "HoBK" called "Drama Club" which is also excellent. In fact, he has used... a colour or two in his new stuff! He's also just signed a deal with Fantagraphics and sounds like a fun guy. For a few hours of entertainment you can't go wrong. (Does this man sleep?) Check out his Co&Co website as well, he does an amazing wallpaper pattern.

Drama Club
Hall of Best Knowledge
His website

Spike Press Posters

 

Check out these great posters by John Solimine. Cool designs, awesome colour and a mass of inventory. This guy certainly works hard.
Spike Press (via Drawn!)

Bawidamann - Pinup Artist

Andrew Bawidamann has made the 40's pinup his own. Lots of slick renderings of army gals packing heat make for an interesting couple of minutes cheescake. If you collect gig posters, check out his collection.

Link 

Tina Berning - 100 Cheap Girl Drawings

I like Tina's style changes and her scratchy, gawky, slick women. She also has a book called"100 Girls on Cheap Paper" which looks pretty cool. She's a top editorial illustrator with some great technique and I love these socks.
Enjoy.

I Smoke Responsibly - You Can Too

This is a poster that's been plastered all over Toronto. Now, I'm all for people spending their time doing what they enjoy. It doesn't hurt anyone and while the economy may slow during smoke breaks no harm is done. This poster however needs to be dissected. It's either:

1. A state sponsored attempt to accept all Cannabis smokers into their system of understanding and tax and thereby suck all the fun out of smoking weed. A sure fire way of getting kids off the green and back into their books.

2. Made by someone who had just smoked a very large reefer. Because no one in their right mind would use this woman as their spokesperson for responsible smoking. Do you see the gleam in her eye? The wrinkles (she's 27)? How many font sizes and colours did they think was appropriate for a message of control and C.A.L.M (which is an acronym from H.E.L.L.).

Their website, appropriately?? named Cannabis Club, is filled with sensitive doctor images and smiling patients (no doubt caused by much C.A.L.M.). I suppose their efforts are purely humanitarian but they should not be inflicting that intro flash animation on anyone. For any reason. No matter how numb they are to pain or critical thought.