more MUM

Here's another one. I was originally intending to keep this series using more or less the same layout, but this one went off on its own tangent.

In other news, I did some layout work for the Mint Chicks new album Screens. It was an interesting challenge. Not to mention incredibly flattering to be asked to do it in the first place. They're one of the most personally polarising bands I consider myself a fan of. Sometimes I think they suck only to later realise I was very wrong... I'm such a dick.

Ruban Nielson did all the artwork, as he does. Some really awesome drawings. The only section I did any design work on at all was the back cover. It was a bit of a challenge trying to fit everything into the spaces (and as tends to happen with album covers, the text and tracklist changed a fair few times, but it was all good. Sometimes it drives me insane but I was surprisingly patient this time), but I think I did a good job. When I first laid down that font, it just wasn't meshing with the artwork... it was too clean and looked like.. well, a font on a drawing. So I fiddled about for a bit and came up with a way to make the text look like it'd been stamped or printed on an old printer, but in a fairly subtle way.  Oh yeah, and it's a Super Jewel Case release... hadn't had to layout anything for one of those yet. Those are the cases with the rounded hinges and stuff that look like those early DVD cases, but CD sized. aaaanyway... yeah. yay for me, it looks good and it's for the best, most interesting and constantly evolving band to come out of this country in a long long time. 

The album is due out on March 16th. I haven't heard it yet, but I'm definitely looking forward to it. I just realised that's the day before my birthday. neato.

new MUM poster

Some other bits and pieces to post soon.

In other news, it's so weird when people come up to me at gigs and stuff and talk about my posters. It always kinda cracks me up and I feel like I end up accidentally coming off as a bit of a prick. It's very flattering, but I just react by being a bit of a knob I think. So yeah, if you read this, it's very much appreciated, and if I seemed like a dick.. well.. maybe I actually am, but I wasn't meaning to be. oh dear

now that's an... uh.. thing

next year it'll be quicker to type 2010 than 2k10. Well, about the same anyway. But the k will become redundant. WOAH! But. Maybe it's just because I'm a dork and like to add things like 2k8 (2k9 now) to the end of phrases or objects. Only in an online text manner of course, I don't go round saying it out loud like some kind of guy who does occasionally say "lol". Ironically of course. But anyway yes, the 2k8 usage... like... umm.. superfalloutboyparty2k9!!#@% or something. this seemed vaguely interesting when I started writing it but now I realise I was wrong. It is retarded. Thanks for sticking with me thus far though. I means a lot. If you've read this far (well just a little farther), I instantly love you.

neato

oh yeah

girl whose name I forgot who kinda looked like Lily Allen when I was real drunk and was a big fan of my stuff apparently and had emailed me once but I couldn't remember, who had a crappy old boyfriend but had a new boyfriend who visibly wasn't too thrilled about you raving on to me, drop me a line.

Some recent capers

Pretty straight forward, and self explanatory I guess. For a club night at Good Luck, called Bad Luck.

 

A couple of odd in-jokes were the influence for this. I'd never really tried to draw caricatures of anyone I knew before. Figured now was as good a time as any. Turned out pretty well... apparently they were recognisable from a thumbnail, but someone might've just been polite.

 

My design for Camp A Low Hum. Again, somewhat of an in-joke for anyone at last years Camp. A bunch of bongo playing bastards went pretty much 24/7 and were a major pain in the ear to a lot of people. Just in a something-to-grizzle-about way though. Anyway, I thought it'd be funny, and people did seem to appreciate it, so, mission accomplished.

Speaking of Camp, I'm still recovering from this years. I had an amazing time! Basically 4 days of hanging out with great friends, having a lot of laughs, a lot of drinks and a lot of party hard. Some bands played too. But yeah, mostly just had an awesome time with my friends. We may've had one of the most dero campsites in the whole place, but when you're having that much fun who has time to vigilantly bin beer bottles? WHO DAMMIT?!
We tidied it all up at the end anyway. Go team!

El Guincho

 

A slight departure

As you can see (if you're even vaguely familiar with my work anyway) this is pretty different from other recent stuff. This was borne partially out of feeling kinda stale on my usual methods, and partially I just wanted to hoon about in photoshop again. Plus I've realised designing stuff all the time to look like screenprints is kinda dumb if they're never going to be screenprinted so I may as well make the most of my tools. No doubt I'll get over this way of thinking by the time my next poster comes up.

Conceptually I'm really happy with this poster. Make of it what you will, but I think it works in both a glass half-full way, as well as the more pessismistic take.  All depends on your outlook.  Also, it should be noted the poster loosely includes all the old So So Modern costume colours (Red Blue Green Yellow). The other thing was, when I came up with that band-aid peace sign idea, I googled around a bunch trying to find an example of it. It seemed like one of those super obvious ideas that would've been done somewhere. And no doubt it has. but I couldn't find it. No doubt some bastard will go, re-do the idea even better and makes a billionty dollars off it and I will huff futilely on this here blog.

I'll make a process post shortly,  including the initial sketches and scribbles that kicked it off, plus the aborted Flash-drawn version and the evolution of the final piece. Not that any of you even give a shit! Bastards.

Vomit! at My Disco

I'm pretty stoked on this one. Best one I've done in a while I think.

2009 eh?

Happy new year everybody.