I was one of the people asked to pick some of my favourite record sleeves of the year for the 405 website – regular readers of this site might recognise a few images along the way too. Shouts for The Simonsound, Luke Insect, Trevor Jackson Julian House, Boards Of Canada and MachineDrum. Check out the article here.
Australian Pop and Psychedelic artist Martin Sharp has died, aged 71. He was probably best known for his posters and sleeve art for bands like Cream, Donovan and Bob Dylan as well as Oz magazine.
His images speak for themselves and most of his sixties work was done as stream of conscious drawings with little planning. An indepth obituary is on the Australian Guardian.
The minister of super heavy weight funk is back, no not James Brown, Jim Mahfood. Not only did he release his ‘Visual Funk’ book this year but now there’s a v. limited 100 copy ‘Pop-up Funk‘ book too with, you guessed it, pop up versions of his illustrations. Above is a poster he’s adding in to a 10 copy AP edition – get it here.
I know Mike Mignola does the same style and composition over and over again in his covers but when they’re this good why change?
Hellboy in Hell 5 finally out in 2 weeks with Sledgehammer 44 – The Lightning War pt.1 next week.
I visited the London West Bank Gallery on Friday to see the Mark Bodé and Cheo exhibition, Junkwaffel. Mark is the son of Vaughn Bodé, the famous comic artist who created Cheech Wizard and whose style and characters were later given a new lease of life by graffiti artists worldwide.
Mark keeps his (now deceased) dad’s legacy and creations alive and can turn out a mean imitation of Vaughn’s style. It’s always nice to see Bodé’s unique vision in new contexts and there were characters painted on metal and subway maps as well as largely unseen original sketches from Vaughn’s note books.
Cheo is a graffiti art from Bristol whose style is influenced by Bodé and his creations are a perfect fit stylistically with Mark’s. His Egg Head character is an obvious nod to Cheech and he even incorporates the Wizard and the infamous Bodé Broads into some of his work. He also works in 3D with cut out characters, furry Bees and a huge marker pen trailing paint out of a frame into the middle of the room.
It’s only on until Nov 21st and Vaughn’s sketches go back to the US with Mark after Sunday but it’s free and at the London West Bank Gallery, 133-137 Westbourne Grove, London, W11 2RS.
Just the most incredible graffiti video I’ve ever seen.
The Doctor isn’t the only one who has an anniversary this year, it’s also the Upper Norwood Library in Crystal Palace’s half century and my friend David Vallade has done some celebrations designs. The library has been faced with cuts and possible closure from the Council in recent years but are still there thanks to the support of the local community. They’re running a Dr Who-themed fun day for the family today (details online) so go and support if you’re in the area or just go and support them any day of the week.
Another Council to take on the Doctor comes via the always brilliant Scarfolk blog, with a pairing so obvious I’m amazed it hasn’t been done before.
Love this cover for French electro duo Christine – what a great image. Their music is banging chopped and screwed electro club music with some killer cutting and flashes of cult movie soundtracks like The Bionic Man. Not all my bag but you can check out some of this EP here (my favourite track, ‘No Way’ isn’t previewed unfortunately). Here are a couple of previous single covers too, love that logo and they like eyes it seems.
Son of the legendary Vaughn – and no small legend himself – Mark Bodé will be having a show with artist Cheó in West London next week. Alongside their own work will be some of Vaughn’s too and it opens next Thursday, 21st of November, for a private view at the London West Bank Gallery, 133-137 Westbourne Grove, London W11 2RS (nearest tube Notting Hill Gate). More info here
My friend David Pickett sent me links to these great illustrations by Benoit Godde – you can check out more of his work HERE. Below is – I believe – by an artist called Kait Kybar, titled ‘Stalker’, but I don’t know anything else about it. Top work though.
I was hipped to a blog today called Kirby-Vision, a place where artists can indulge their inner Jack Kirby fantasies or just pay homage to the King of Comics. By far the best find was the incredible work of Giorgio Comolo who, not only nails Kirby’s style, but also takes the characters somewhere else by his own hand.
He definitely joins the ranks of Shaky Kane, Tom Scioli and Edmund Bagwell as an artist who can invoke the spirit of Kirby in a fresh way. Not to say he’s the only one though, plenty of others measure up.
Mike McMahon on Hellboy this December apparently, even if this is a one-off then it’s a match made in heaven (or should that be Hell?). Mignola and McMahon go Mexico for a follow up to the Hellboy in Mexico story, out in Dark Horse Presents #31
Found in one of my kids’ books, love the poem and illustration.
Two creatives I love on one project: Jonny Trunk‘s faultless curation for his Trunk label and Julian House on cover art duties. ‘Classroom Projects’ is out later this month, more info here.
Boris Tellegen aka Delta has work in three new shows this month:
Rennes – Groupshow at Les Ateliers du Vent “Teenage Kicks”
Sept. 7 – Sept 29, 2013 – 59 Rue Alexandre Duval 35000 Rennes
Paris – Groupshow at Backslash Gallery “(de)constructions”
Sept. 12 to Oct. 31, 2013 – 29 rue Notre-Dame de Nazareth, 75003 Paris
Opening on Thursday 12 September, from 5 to 9 pm / closed from Sept. 24 to Oct. 4 included
Amsterdam – Groupshow at Mini Gallery “Col.la.ge”
Sept. 14 to Sept 28, 2013 – Nieuwe Looiersstraat 68-1, Amsterdam
Opening 13 Sept.
It’s here, Jim Mahfood, Scott Mosier and Joe Casey‘s D.I.S.C.O. Destroyer cartoon – available on iTunes and MTV‘s new Liquid Television (I think these are probably both N. America only at this point though).
I’ve been following Scottish concept artist Ian McQue on Twitter for some time now (he’s English you know, he just lives in Scotland). He has a thing for flying tug boats, future tech and the odd robot now and then.
He posts the most incredible images and calls them ‘doodles’, ‘sketches’ or ‘speed-paints’. It’s good that people with this much talent are also humble. Check out more of his work on CGHub or his blogspot (but he posts a lot more on Twitter).
Just saw this on a blog – 2011 Mondo poster apparently – but look at that gorgeous type! Wow. By Aaron Horkey and Vania Zouravliov Title: Dracula Size: 23.75″ x 36″ Edition of 330 Mondotees Numbered Edition Screenprint. Just too many talented people out there. Long gone and $500 minimum on eBay…
Love this old sleeve design for The Yellow Moon Band album by Luke Insect I discovered the other day. The record isn’t bad either although it only seems to be available on CD.
Nice interview with Nick Egan over on the Album Cover Hall of Fame blog about the design process for Malcolm McLaren‘s ‘Duck Rock’ LP. Easily one of my favourite records of all time along with being a pivotal influential moment in my musical upbringing. With artists such as Dondi White, Keith Haring and Vivienne Westwood‘s wares vying for space on the sleeve it’s a wonder it all hangs together but somehow it does. I wish the interview had gone into the making of the ‘Duck Rocker’ boombox a little as I’d love to know who made it and where it is now.
The mystery revealed: Ron West – who made the original Duck Rocker(s) posted this on his Facebook page at the end of 2020. It’s lost its horns and the graffiti is in a drawer but that is a copy of the original from the LP cover. Apparently Malcolm lost the original in the States and asked Ron to make a copy for promo purposes.
