On a recent episode of Pulp Secret, they featured a quick draw segment with Robin artist Freddie Williams II. They then had a drawing (heh) to win the sketch. Well I won! I never win anything, so big thanks to the folks at Pulp Secret. Keep up the good work! Watch the episode below for the feature. (It starts at the 3 minute mark.)
STRANGEco is one of the coolest producers and distributors of designer toys in the US. Their portfolio of collaborators is a veritable “who’s who” of custom toy designers and artists.
Co-Founder Jim Crawford graciously agreed to an quick interview about STRANGEco and the rising popularity of the designer toy scene. Take the jump for the interview!
This event is FREE, ALL AGES and OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.
For more information visit:
I also had a chance to interview BOTH STRANGEco AND tokidoki, so check em out as I post!
Mr. Spock. Drawing. Tomfoolery. Honestly, what more do you need? Simply submit your bad Spock drawing to Bad Spock Drawings, and if it is bad enough, they will post it! There are some fantastically terrible drawings there, and they are updating often.
Naturally, I must submit my own. I will say, it was extremely difficult to turn down my skills, as I am near incapable of producing a bad drawing. I do love a challenge. So here’s what I came up with:
Drew with my right hand (I’m a lefty). I hope they pick it!
[Source=Drawn!]
UPDATE: They picked it! WooHoo!
When perusing Design*Sponge, I was strangely captivated by these painted bottles created by Brooklyn based artist Laura Normandin. They are part of her little craft endeavor called Wren Handmade, and I sort of get lost staring at them. There is this weird “almost illusion” happening there. Turns out, I’ve actually seen her work before— She did the illustration for Sufyan Stevens’ Greetings From Michigan album:
(Funny how I sometimes find an artist I like from some virtually unknown project, and end up finding they have done mainstream work that I am actually aware of.) Normandin’s art tugs at the nostalgia yarn while combining child-like simplicity and remarkably skillful technique. She explores a chosen catalogue of 89 symbols explored in different combinations. Her artist statement explains that these humble domestic symbols carry a deeper meaning for her: “the lowly are strong, not despite their brokenness but because of it.” Interesting.
This blows me away. The folks at SURRALIEN take full dimensions of your room, including pictures and such, and use a simple warp technique to create these stunning custom wallpapers. From the images offered, the effect can range from subtle (above), to instant vertigo:
I would hope you have some sort of control over the amount of warp applied as well. You wouldn’t want people to instantly vomit upon entering the room. Jeez, that yellow one is harsh!
These would make quite an impact in a mental hospital, or a drug rehab clinic. The one that blends from one pattern to another would send people diving out windows onto car hoods.
[Source= BoingBoing/Negatendo]
I’ve been eagerly awaiting the new White Stripes album Icky Thump, and I found today that it is available on these mimobot-style flash drives. They are pricey at 60 bucks a pop, or 100 for the pair, but damn are they cool. I won’t be shelling out the dough for these, but I am definitely going to get the album. I like the direction they were going on Blue Orchid, and I hope they continue to evolve with Icky Thump.
[Source= NOTCOT]
Say hello to Vince’s new son, and the newest member of the Cardboard Monocle clan, Dante Giovanni Labolito! Big congrats to the Labolito family, and to big brother Anthony!
Welcome to Earth, Dante!
The Design for the Other 90% exhibition is currently on view at the Cooper-Hewitt National Design Museum in New York City through September. Here’s the gist:
Of the world’s total population of 6.5 billion, 5.8 billion people, or 90%, have little or no access to most of the products and services many of us take for granted; in fact, nearly half do not have regular access to food, clean water, or shelter.
… They help, rather than exploit, poorer economies; minimize environmental impact; increase social inclusion; improve healthcare at all levels; and advance the quality and accessibility of education.
Clearly a remarkable and inspiring project. To say the least, it is a huge challenge for the designers to solve these problems in the most simple and cheapest way possible. Some of the solutions are so simple, they blow me away. Take the “Q Drum” (pictured above) for instance… Created in 1993 as a water transportation method, it’s an ingenious survival tool and just doesn’t get much more simple or cheap than that. Rolling the water in a cylindrical container, rather than lifting and carrying it, gets the 75 liters to where it needs to go quicker and easier.
In addition to purifiers and other survival tools, there are some fantastic products designed for revenue-generation. Pictured below is the “Big Boda” load carrying bicycle, and the “MoneyMaker Hip Pump” irrigation system. These products are designed to give these people an opportunity, and the pumps are making an enormous impact. You know, the whole “teach a man to fish” thing.
Damn, stuff like this makes me feel like the worthless, self-centered consumer that I am. I guess the very least my lazy ass can do is help spread the word with my little website. So check out the site for more info, and there is a nice Flickr set of pics from the exhibition as well!
[Source= Inhabitat]
It’s a small world, but I wouldn’t want to paint it.
-Steven Wright
While waiting in the always terrible return line at Walmart yesterday, I noticed the man in front of me was quite interesting. He was a middle-aged black man, and judging by his dirty clothes and the time of day, I would gather he had just left some sort of construction related job. The first thing that caught my eye, was that attached to the carabiner that held his many keys was a pair of children’s scissors. You know, the really small ones we used in kindergarten. This seemed mildly odd, but I then realized his pockets were packed with bizarre items.
In his left pocket, there were two things that were not easy to identify. The first was a metal tube, nine inches in length with a half inch diameter, most likely aluminum. Next to that was what I recognized as one of those cheap bottles of spices that go for a half dollar. All I could see was a red cap, so I am thinking it was either garlic pepper or cinnamon. Protruding from his back pocket was a surprisingly long comb, clearly intended for managing his lopsided afro. And finally, his right pocket was barely containing a giant bottle of Maalox. These items looked to be well used, so he apparently carries them with him often.
So we have child scissors, metal tube, cinnamon or garlic pepper, comb and Maalox. Oh, and he was wearing big rubber boots. Are these seemingly unrelated items part of a bigger story? Who is this man? Why do I care?
The images shown in this post have apparently been circulating in an email for a while, claiming to be created by a Norwegian diplomat, as a presentaion to the UNO. I’ve never seen them before, and though they have been around for some time, it seems there is some confusion regarding the origin of the pieces. The truth of the matter is that these amazingly poignant pieces of editorial design are the creation of Brazilian designer Icaro Doria.
Doria explains the origins of this project below:
“We started to research relevant, global, and current facts and, thus, came up with the idea to put new meanings to the colours of the flags. We used real data taken from the websites of Amnesty International and the UNO.
The campaign has been running in Portugal since January 2005. There are eight flags that portray very current topics like the division of opinions about the war in Iraq in the United States, the violence against women in Africa, the social inequality in Brazil, the drug trafficking in Columbia, Aids and malaria in Angola, etc.”
This is just such a great example of what design can be when paired with an intriguing concept.
To see the rest, go here.
I recently came across this great site called Brand New, a division of UnderConsideration.com that reviews corporate and brand identity work. I am more challenged and creatively driven during a branding project than anything else I work on. I love it. The best part about creating a brand identity is peoples reaction to the final product. Be it positive or negative, I love critiques, and Brand New offers up the latest logos and logo redesigns for an intelligent and honest review.
Examples include:
The slick modernization of a tired logo:
The fresh new concept:
And sadly, the complete failure and destruction of an iconic logo that makes you want to first vomit, and then seriously question why you aren’t working on bigger projects in the industry because there are obviously some real dumbasses out there:
Yay! South Florida gets the opportunity to meet Chris Lee at the release of the Flocked Mellow. He will be signing prints, fuzzie little guys (Mellows), and almost anything your little heart desires 
The first 25 customers to purchase a Flocked Mellow at the release will receive an Exclusive Mellow print for free! There will be raffles and so much stuff you don’t want to miss and of course free coffee, free cupcakes and awesome music as always.
HOST: PINKGHOST & CHRISTOPHER LEE
WHEN: SATURDAY JUNE 30, 2007 from 8:00 PM to 10PM
WHERE: PINK GHOST
21 WEST LAS OLAS BLVD
FT LAUDERDALE, FL 33301
Flocked “Sherpa” Mellow Pre-Orders are available at www.pinkghost.net!
To promote a huge toy sale in Australia, actors dressed as toys and wore giant hands around their waists, giving the illusion they were being played with. The concept was concocted by The Campaign Palace in Melbourne, and executed perfectly. There are three sets that I can find: wrestlers, a bride and groom, and a soldier.
I was a big action figure kid, and the poses in these pics are bringing back some fond memories. I would spend hours assembling armies led by He-Man and Skeletor. Heroes and villains would fall one by one, leaving a four-way battle, pitting He-Man and Moss Man (my favorite) against Beast Man and Skeletor. Reenacting scenes from the comic books with my Marvel action figures followed the He-Man obsession. Wolverine in his brown and yellows with retractable claws was the tops even though he had almost no points of articulation. And though I have never been a Cyclops fan, his light up visor made him one of my faves as well. This overwhelming feeling of nostalgia is making me want to go buy my kid some action figures now. Damn those manipulative ad wizards!!
In an effort to spark a little chat, what were your favorite action figures/dolls as a kid?
[Source= Ads of the World]
You are currently browsing the Cardboard Monocle: An Art/Design Blog weblog archives for June, 2007.