Year-End Random Thoughts: December 31st, 2011

I make my resolutions public so it stings all the more when I fail. That's how I roll.

2012 RESOLUTIONS

1. Self-explanatory. I plan to bring my exercise total up to "some" from "virtually nil".
2. I became way too intimate with my overdraft limit this year. I hope to dead that issue in the twenty dozen. On the business front, I was a participant in the Art of Managing Your Career course, so I now have the tools to be my own boss. Time to make it happen.
3. Draw every day, or at least every other day. Why not? I have no excuses, especially with resources like this around.
4. Organized, in every way. Lessen the clutter. A place for everything, and every thing in its place. We'll see how long this attitude lasts.
5. One of the best things about having your own workspace is putting up stuff on the walls. I put up three awesome things this year, and I need to put up more. Cool stuff on my walls makes me want to create. Needless to say, this is really good.

MY 2011 MUSIC LIST (no, it's not another top 10)

Stuff I Loved The Most:

• Danny Brown's XXX
• Birdapres' Catch An L
• Blueprint's Adventures in Counter-Culture
• Tom Waits' Bad As Me
• Army Girls' Close to the Bone
• The Roots' Undun

XXX is so good, I can't believe it's free. Brown goes from hedonistic superhero to ghetto rubble storyteller to vulnerable dude in the course of 19 breezy tracks. I found this shit enthralling from day one.

I can say the same about Catch An L. The immediacy of dusty breaks combined with Bird's brainy flow made this a winner for me. Take a listen to "Show No Flair" (with John Smith blazing the second verse), and you'll be taken back to '89 with your feet still planted firmly in this day and time. Grab it from Marathon of Dope, and don't forget to donate.

Blueprint's Adventures was a fine display of an emcee attempting to spread his wings musically, and I think he showed a lot of growth here. The gem of this album? The passionate "Radio-Inactive".

It's clichéd to say so, but there are people that are Tom Waits fans, and there are those that are not, sometimes vehemently so. I don't know where I'm going with this. Bad As Me is just really good. So there.

I have Michael Elves to thank for introducing me to Army Girls via his blog. I love me a two person rock 'n' roll combo. They remind me of a punchier Inbreds, and there's nothing wrong with that.

Yo, I could go on and on about how amazing and smooth Undun is, but all I really want to talk about is the open ?uestlove drums on "The OtherSide" and "Tip the Scale". I could listen to those ALL DAY. LOOPED. Them shits do amazing things to my brain.

Stuff I Need to Spend More Time With:

• The Black Keys' El Camino
• Phonte's Charity Begins At Home
• This Hisses' "Surf Noir"
• Pip Skid's People Are the Worst
• Tim Hoover's More Napkins (Hey, did I mention that I have this release on cassette?)
• The Cool Kids' When Fish Ride Bicycles
• Mayer Hawthorne's How Do You Do 

...and why the hell didn't I buy that Charles Bradley album?

MY FAVORITE POSTERS & ART PRINTS OF 2011

Posters:

• Alamo Drafthouse Dracula poster by Vania Zouravliov and Aaron Horkey: http://omgposters.com/2011/01/12/dracula-poster-by-vania-zouravliov-and-aaron-horkey-onsale-info/
• Circa Survive poster by The Silent Giants: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/137472_Circa_Survive.html
• Lucero Poster Set by Chris Huth: http://omgposters.com/2011/02/11/lucero-poster-set-by-chris-huth/
• Deerhoof poster by Shawn K. Knight: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/139057_Deerhoof.html
• Saucy Yoda tour poster by Rory Phillips: http://www.flickr.com/photos/24327290@N02/5467820584/
• Kevin Tong's Appleseed Cast poster: http://omgposters.com/2011/03/29/kevin-tongs-poster-for-the-appleseed-cast-plus-art-print/
• Rich Kelly's The Hold Steady poster: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/141825_Hold_Steady.html
• Landland's Black Keys poster: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/143471_Black_Keys.html
• Phish poster by Rich Kelly: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/144500_Phish.html
• Majesty poster by DX: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/139656_Majesty.html
• 2 Hum posters by Jay Ryan: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/147174_Hum.html and http://www.gigposters.com/poster/147175_Hum.html
• Valdez poster by C. Gomez: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/147182_Valdez.html
• X poster by Lil' Tuffy: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/148166_X.html
• Portugal, The Man's poster by BlackYard http://www.blackyard.ch/?p=2054
• Andrew Bird poster by Hero Design http://heroandsound.com/?p=4113
• Good Old War poster by T-Bone and Aljaxx: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/148631_Good_Old_War.html

 Art Prints:

• "Glory Is Forever" art print by Hero Design Studio: http://heroandsound.com/?p=3479
• Weapons of Mass Creation (red bomb version) art print by Justin Kamerer: http://www.angryblue.com/index.php?pcat=1&item=902
• Nunavut art print by Jay Ryan and Aaron Horkey: http://thebirdmachine.com/detail.php?uid=DD4865

...and one poster I should've added last year, but I was sadly unaware of it – Brett Stenson's Built to Spill poster: http://www.gigposters.com/poster/132661_Built_To_Spill.html

Well, I think that's all the stuff I've got in my head, spilled out before you via ones and zeros. I hope 2011 treated you well, and that 2012 treats you even better. Personally, I'd rather forget 2011 existed, but I'm not gonna harp on that any longer. It's time to kick some ass!
G'night, folks!

Everything I Got For Christmas...

...all in one photo set on Flickr:

Boxing Day Haul 2011

This is comparatively lighter than last year's stack of purchases, but no less essential or awesome.

• Glenn Barr's Faces
• Hark! A Vagant by Kate Beaton
• Infinite Kung Fu by Kagan McLeod
• Habibi by Craig Thompson
• Def Jam Recordings: The First 25 Years of the Last Great Record Label by Def Jam, Bill Adler and Dan Charnas 
• Steinweiss by Alex Steinweiss, Steven Heller and Kevin Reagan

The bottom two were purchased at Chapters with a 30% discount. The rest were from Comics America at a discount of 25%.

Merry Christmas, Y'all!

I currently have this here playlist on repeat. The soundtrack for the gift opening (which will happen as soon as lil' man gets up) will be provided by the Vince Guaraldi Trio, of course.
All the best to you and yours.

A Review of Deseo Bistro In Two Tweets

Hyperbole? Sure. All I know is, I left that place feeling like the very embodiment of satisfaction. Go to Deseo, get satisfied. www.deseobistro.com

Eleven Achieved!

I mentioned a couple of weeks ago that I needed an "11" in my workspace, so I painted one! No, it's not perfect (check that white gouache smudge at the top left), but it'll do. Things are coming together in this spot. Did I mention that the cardboard came from this Steinweiss calendar?

Cloud Nine

In the hubbub of this already-half-over month, I neglected to mention that The Place Where Al Dwells... turned nine on the eighth. Crazy! Yeah, I post a lot over at Mr. Lorde Should Be Drawing nowadays, but this blog is where I go off at length, and I still have a lot of love for it. This year has been rather fucking horrible, so I'm happy to have kept the woe-is-me posts to a minimum. I'll pat myself on the back once I'm done typing.
Another nine years? I guess that's up to whether apathy finally consumes me or not.
Fingers crossed!

One Year Old!

Dante and his pirate self (which was used in his birthday party invite).

My lil' man turned one today! After all this time, I'm still in disbelief that he's here. We had his birthday celebration the week before, because Sarah had to return to work today (BOOOO!). Many thanks to everyone that showed up that day. It was truly special.
For a chronological look at the dude, look here and here.

11/11/11

Y'all know about Photo-Lettering, right? You should.

I wrote a draft of this post a few months ago, but now is as good a time as any to write this. I don't spread this around much, but 11 is my favorite number. Why?

• Even though it doesn't appear much in my work at all, I love symmetry.
• It was Isiah Thomas' number. I cared about basketball once.
• January 11th is my birthday. I guess it's only natural.

I need an 11 in my workspace somewhere. Either via old physical signage (like in Tad Carpenter's space), a painted sign, or something made by me. We'll see what happens. It'd be nice to look at every once in a while.

How Long Has This Been Going On?

I've been using Instagram for over a year, and I swear I never noticed that option before. I've been liking stuff left and right, all the while thinking it was pretty stupid to not have an option to view what you've marked as a fave. Color me stupefied. At any rate, this is the last time I'll quote Ace in post titles.

EVIL!

Speed Dial 7's "Pure Evil", featuring Pip Skid. More madness from Marathon of Dope, directed by Mike Maryniuk. So damn good.

Ten Years of Me and GP

Posters everywhere! They were the oasis in my corporate world. Photo taken Dec. 8th, 2006. 

For me, one good thing came out of the week that 9/11 happened: I became a member of gigposters.com. I'm still unsure, but I do believe I found GP through a link at the Tijuana Bibles (R.I.P.) site. In addition to half-assing my graphic design assignments at RRC, I spent many a late hour "surfing the web" (shit, does anyone say that anymore? It was still appropriate back then) in the Mac lab, looking for all kinds of stuff online, and GP became part of my regular routine.

I can't say this enough: GP changed my life and put me on my current path. Seeing the exciting work coming in from all over the world, and bending the ears of people I admire in the forums truly augmented my book learnin'.

Gotta give many thanks and props to Clay Hayes, the site's mastermind/head honcho/caretaker. Dude, I can't thank you enough.

September 11th, 2001

On that day, I do believe I woke up later than I should've for school. I can't remember if I caught the coverage right away, or if Sarah called me and told me what was up. Probably the latter.

I do remember the commute to RRC being far more sombre and quiet than usual. I also remember a TV being set up in the general area of the Graphic Design department so we could all stay up to date. The gravity of the situation gradually became apparent to me as the day went on, and that nothing would ever be the same.

That's all I remember.

TOOTH!

If you don’t know about the kick-ass work of Dale Flattum (the man known as TOOTH), it’s high time you got familiar. He just put out a terrific book of his sinister collage and digital doings (look in the store section of his site) which I recommend purchasing.

Yes, I drink a fair amount of Pepsi Max. I plan on doing something with those caps.

(Cross-posted at Mr. Lorde Should Be Drawing)

The Many Faces of Pip

Two flavors of "You Soooo Much", from Pip Skid's Skid Row album. Directed by Jason Lapeyre.

Tecmo World Wrestling...

...as reviewed by internet wrestling pundit Joe Gagne for Mike and Tom Present...
I'm all too familiar with this game. I never had my own NES, so I rented one (with Mom's permission) from a nearby pawn shop to play this specific game. I never finished the game, but I had a blast trying to. This may have been the first time I stayed up until sunrise due to a frivolous pursuit. Mom was pretty pissed.

Jokes!

What we've got right here is the new video for Speed Dial 7's "Jokes" (from the album 11, which you can get at Marathon of Dope). My homie big Yy takes the second verse. Pip Skid plays the scuzzy clown. Enjoy!

The Unveiling of the Jets Brand Identity

So, we got the new Jets logo that I've been wondering about since May. It's quite...middling in quality. Take a look.

Now don't get me wrong; I don't hate this at all, I just expected more, especially with the primary and alternate wordmarks. I just find them a tad stoic. That's usually the coolest part for me. I'm not saying it should look all bouncy and puffy, but it should look lively. It's kinda cold.

• What I do like about it: The use of Avenir (that is Avenir, right?) and the RCAF/RCAF Flyers connection.
• The People That Could've Handled This Better
  Locally - Stu Reid: Stu has been holding it down graphic design-wise for years, and he created the Winnipeg Goldeyes logo. He would've been the natural go-to for me.
  Americans - Aaron Draplin or Von Glitschka: I know either of these men could've kicked ass at this.
  Aaron is the master of subtle cool-yet-functional design, as far as I'm concerned, and I have no doubt that he'd sum the Jets up in a way that would make everyone proud.
  Von is a meticulous pusher of pixels (buy his books!) and an avid lettering guy. Not only would've the primary mark looked amazing in his hands, the wordmarks would've also been world class. Do I have to mention that he worked for Upper Deck? He knows what's up.

This, of course, is merely my opinion. Apparently, there was a line-up around the corner for the new merch at the Jets Gear store, and it might still be there as I type this, so the people dig it. That's all that matters.

Man, I really hope Armin Vit has something to say about the new look. I enjoy his identity dissections. I'm pretty sure folks have pointed it out to him.

Random Thoughts: July 15th, 2011

Surreal, yet terrific.

• Black, White, and Read All Over. Yes, I was in the Free Press about two weeks ago. And yes, it felt pretty cool! Also, just in time for the article, I revamped allanlorde.com via Behance ProSite. I finally have a site that I'm proud of.
• Fringe Time! Yup, it's that time of the year! Due to the awesomeness of parenthood, Sarah and I are planning on seeing two shows instead of the usual 20 or so. Four hours ago, we saw our pals CRUMBS tear up The King's Head, and we've got our tickets for Lucky 9 by superstar T.J. Dawe. If you're going to the Thursday afternoon show next week, give us a shout!
• Mike Holmes' True Story. If you pick up only one comic this year, make sure it's True Story. Mike Holmes (not the house dude) is an illustrator and cartoonist of undeniable skill, and he's responsible for bringing the real stories of average people to life in The Coast, a Halifax alternative newspaper. I don't know who put me onto this man's work (I suspect it was Exclaim), but I'm eternally thankful. There are over 100 of these slice-of-life moments in this book that are touching, cringe-worthy, and downright hilarious. Hey, you haven't laughed in a while. Pick this book up, frowny!

On the Eve of My First Father's Day

Photo by my lovely wife. She's awesome.

I'll be frank: getting to spend more time with my son this year has been the highlight of a rather shittastic 2011. The surprised and happy look he gives me when I come downstairs in the morning makes me feel like every day is The Dad Show. No drug can replicate that.
However, if someone were to create a drug capable of such a thing, they'd make a killing.

I won't make any bones about this, either: I'm a better dad than my own. Mine SUCKS. He's an ignorant, sexist, philandering Neanderthal. The best thing he did for me, other than donate DNA, was provide an apex example of what a dad shouldn't be. In some way, I should be thankful for that, but I'm hard pressed to give him credit for anything. Can you blame me?

"Stop being baby daddies, and be fathers..."
– "Why", Fashawn

PechaKucha Night Vol. 6

Photos by Adrian J. K. Shum. Nice work, dude!

Last Thursday, I had the honor of being part of the sixth event of Winnipeg's PechaKucha Night. If you're unfamiliar with the concept and origin of PechaKucha, this right here will get you up to speed.
I spoke on the topic of procrastination, which ended up being rather cathartic for me.

Dribbblin'

That's right, I'm now a Dribbble member. My friend Neil had a few invites available, and I was like, "well, why not?" So far, no regrets. In fact, I feel reinvigorated creatively. There's something about this combo of social media/Flickr/Twitter/show and tell that is pushing me to actually do stuff. Not gonna look this gift horse in the mouth.

I'm not sure how I found out about Dribbble, but I'm betting it was through Twitter. Upon arriving at the site, I was puzzled as to what it was about, as every picture uploaded was no bigger than 400 x 300, and either a fragment of a finished project, or an element of an unfinished one. And, to be truthful...I thought a lot of people were biting Frank Chimero.

With that said, I wasn't about to totally dismiss Dribbble. I learned my lesson with Twitter and Tumblr, both of which I now use avidly. I think I turned a corner on Dribbble due to an episode of The Freelance Radio Show, where panelist Von Glitschka mentioned that he was user of the site. That was good enough for me!

As I was saying, I've got a renewed vigor goin' here, and if you'll excuse me, I'm gonna work on something I made some notes on.

The Artist Formerly Known as Sixtoo

While adding some songs to a playlist on CBC Radio 3's site, I thought to myself, "what the hell has Sixtoo been up to?" I knew his musical focus had switched, but I didn't know much else. It turns out he now runs a gallery and a creative agency (here's their Vimeo page), in addition to touring as Prison Garde. To be blunt, I think that's pretty fucking cool.

Above is the first installment of a series of Red Bull Music Academy tour videos, where Prison Garde and his cohorts jetted across the land to bring beats to the clubs. I recognized the Winnipeg Airport baggage pick-up area right away, and was immediately bummed that I missed their Peg City stop. Oh, well...can't see 'em all! I do love the shot of Portage and Main in this thing, by the way.

   PRISONGARDE TOKYOBULLITTRAIN by prisongarde

Best of the Super Jr. XVIII

I'm pretty excited for this year's tournament. Since New Japan started their own YouTube channel, we've been able to watch the action unfold on an almost daily basis. Participating again is Winnipeg's own Kenny Omega, who is bound to entertain and amaze the New Japan fans yet again.

Death By Popcorn

 

There's still much speculation about what's gonna go down with the Atlanta franchise. In the meantime, let's watch this film that satirically documents the last days of the Jets. L'Atelier National du Manitoba are the cultural archivists behind this.

So, the Jets are back.

Maybe. It's not official yet. Right now, the faithful are at Portage and Main, having a good ol' time and diverting buses. Apparently, an announcement may be made on Tuesday.
If the Thrashers relocate to Peg City, cool. I can't get mad at NHL hockey. I'm just tired of my fellow denizens getting jerked around. Well, my fingers are crossed.

The other question on people's minds should be: what are they gonna name 'em? Will the Jets monicker be slapped on 'em? Or will they still be the Thrashers? Also: will we see a brand new logo emerge, and will it get reviewed by Armin Vit?

(cross-posted at Mr. Lorde Should Be Drawing)

Getting Back On That Horse

Mameshiba merch at Tokyu Hands – May 11th, 2009.

I've posted barely a fraction of my 2009 Japan photos. I'm attempting to make up for that (to myself, really) by posting 10 or more of them whenever I can. I've been dying to go back since the day I left, so this is my way of prolonging the magic.

The Therapeutic Power of Live Music

Top: The Sadies at WECC, February 11th, 2011. Bottom: Kid Koala at WECC, April 21st, 2011.

The shows pictured above got me out of some emotionally rough spots recently. I could use another live music prescription right about now.

The Best Twitter @Mention I've Ever Received

Aaron Draplin knows how to put a smile on this dude's face. Now, go buy some of his bad-ass merch already.

What a Shitty First Quarter

Main & McDermot, March 29th, 2011

If 2011 were summed up in an annual report for my wife and myself, that would be the title of the first chapter. A number of things have happened, with the passing of my godmother and Sarah's lovely grandmother being the worst among them. I'm hoping and praying for a smoother remainder. For all of us.

Three and Four

My latest contributions to LetterCult's Alphabattle. The other threes and fours here, and here.
And here's the "shocker" version of my three.

Changes Need to Be Made

Needless to say, this period of joblessness has given me a lot of time to think. It can be argued that the thinking has morphed into brooding. One thing is clear, however: something must be done. Something must be done about...my portfolio site. But what? Well, updating the content, for one. Adding stuff. Should I give it a new look? Should I dump Indexhibit, the thing that I built it with?
These are the questions I'm wrestling with. In the meantime, it's time for new business cards.

Double Cheez

I'll Take Two, Please, 2011 • graphite and Photoshop®

I've been checking LetterCult probably from the very beginning, although I can't remember how I found out about it. It might've been via Drawn, if I think about it carefully. Anyway...all that matters is that LetterCult is among the spots to be when it comes to custom lettering.

Last year, they started a thing called Alphabattle, where folks from everywhere did their take on letters A to Z, the results of which, when submitted to LetterCult via email, would end up posted on the site. I don't have to tell you that last year was nuts, so I never found the time to contribute (or didn't properly allot time, really). Having reached Z, they're messing with numbers now. While the 1 round slipped past my consciousness, I wasn't about to miss messing with the 2. With my current situation, I've decided to refocus my creative energy, and participating in this helped greatly.

By the way, I have to single out fellow Alphabattle dude Rory Phillips for posting amazing work each and every time. Take a look.

International Women's Day "Women In Comics" Shout-Out

My friend Vanda (as Zatanna) and Sarah at the 2009 Central Canada Comic Con (which is now owned by Wizard)

Since today is the 100th anniversary of International Women's Day, I thought I'd tip my hat to my favorite cartoonists that just happen to be female:

• Jen Wang: This was my introduction to her work. I LOVE the way she draws hands. Go pick up her book, Koko Be Good. It's pretty sweet!
  
• Kate Beaton: No one in the comics biz makes me laugh more than this lady. No one. If you're not yet familiar with Hark, A Vagrant, prepare to laugh your ass off...about historical stuff! And Nancy Drew!
  
• Danielle Corsetto: The day I discovered Danielle's Girls with Slingshots, I went through the site's archives and read every strip. There was something compelling about the characters she created and the way she drew them. Reading GWS is a very fun part of my nightly web-surfin' ritual.
  
• Yuko Ota: Yuko is the drawrin' half of the Johnny Wander comic team. Charm and skill flows from her pen (and whatever other tool she happens to be using). See what I mean via her Tumblr blog.
  
• Kelly Turnbull: Remember that set of cool tutorials and drawing advice in my last post? They're hers! I'm relatively new to her comic Manly Guys Doing Manly Things, but it was a hoot for me from the get-go.
  
• Becky Cloonan: When I first saw Becky's work via gigposters.com, I was not only blown away, but I also had no idea that she was already a name in comics. You're gonna want to keep tabs on what she's doing, so check her blog out.
  
• Jess Fink: Before it became a Top Shelf release (droppin' in May, y'all!), Jess published her entire Chester 5000 comic online, and I'll be the first to tell you that it's an amazing and captivating erotic love story. Don't be surprised if you sweat a little while you read it. Read some of her other stuff at her site.
  
• Liz Suburbia: Been keeping tabs on Liz's Sacred Heart comic via her LJ. It's SO good. Her clear line style is so tight, and I wasn't a partygoer in high school, but her depiction of an out-of-control house party makes me feel like I've been there before.
  
• Liz Prince: This Liz does cute, loose comics about the single life, cats, and punk. Endlessly endearing.
  
• Jill Thompson: This woman slays with watercolor, f'real. Go to her blog and see for yourself. She's responsible for the thing of beauty that is Beasts of Burden (with the awesome Evan Dorkin), and she's quite a wrestling fan, too! (Bryan Danielson/Daniel Bryan is among her admirers)

Tips and Processes!

The making of the Western Confrontation diptych. Go here for the rest of the pics.

Going through my Google Reader items recently (a daily ritual), I found a bunch of links worth sharing that kinda fell under the "tips/processes/how I pulled this off" banner.

• The making of Scott C.'s Twin Peaks piece for the 20th anniversary show
• Veronica Fish's review of manga supplies
• Kelly Turnbull of Manly Guys Doing Manly Things give you a shitload of drawing advice and hits you off with four tutorials
• Ryan A. shares the process behind his comic Nothing Is Forgotten
• Dustin Harbin schools you on the Ames Lettering Guide

Go forth, and use the knowledge I've bestowed you with wisely.

We're Effin' With a Bunch of Videos!

Rod sets up the blueprint melêé. July 9, 2010.

Initially, I had this set up as a "Random Things" blog post with a ton of videos, but since Yy's new clip dropped today, I figured I should change it up. Last summer (Holy shit! Time flies), I was asked to participate in the filming of Yy's "Who's Effin' With Me" by mcenroe himself, and I was more than happy to be involved. It's no secret that Peanuts & Corn is one of my favorite labels, and that the roster are all homies of mine. This was a lot of fun to do, and it shows in the vid. Thanks, Rod! Check it out!

Go here for the rest of the rest of the shots I took that night. Yy's Tape It Back Together is out now, and you can get it at the P & C site, or on iTunes.

Here's a crapload of other videos I hope you'll enjoy!

Yy's "I Got That Treason"

The Demographic's "Reducer"

The Lytics' "Last Bit (Lovely Words)"

Wab Kinew's "Good Boy" (feat. Troy Westwood & Lorenzo)

Speed Dial 7's "Poker Faces II" (feat. Pip Skid & Nomad)

Pip Skid's "I Never Knew"

Pip Skid's "Tens of Dollars"

Pip Skid's "Tens of Dollars" (WFG/SNA version)

Nestor Wynrush's "Enida Watts"

I'm not sure if I've mentioned it before, but I know folks that make really good music. I'm in a sharing mood.

The Lytics Tour Send-off Poster

This turned out better than I thought it would. Maybe I say that too much, but it's true!
At the last minute, I decided not to draw a bird wearing a fitted at the bottom of the poster (I've been thinking about how dope 123Klan's work is, and that would've been too much of a nod to them for my taste).
I think I made the right decision. Click the poster for the link to its Flickr page, which has info on the performers.

Ready For His Close-Up

Dante, as photographed by my homie, Jeope Wolfe. You rule, sir.
I look at this face with a mix of awe, pride and disbelief every day. It doesn't get any better than that.

Oh, look...the other shoe dropped!

 Naylor Parking Lot, January 2011.

Well, the lot pictured above will cease to be a familiar sight for me as of next month. What started with a rather ominous and puzzling email sent to the evening staff, ended with our jobs cut.
I should be bummed (and I am, a little), but I'm cautiously optimistic about the future. I've got an opportunity to get out of my comfort zone and re-evaluate my goals. Maybe I'll get that face tat I've always wanted.

Guess who's gotta write a resume? (raises hand)

Birthday #36

Me, at Hu's Asian Bistro - January 8th, 2011.

If I've learned anything from the previous birthday, it's that your born day is best spent away from work. That may be an incriminating statement, but I'd be saying that if I were the head sleeper at the mattress factory that resides in my brain.
Can't say that I'm in the best frame of mind right now (really, when am I ever?), but I do have to keep in mind that I've got it pretty damn good.

1.11.11. Here's to me, I guess. (Raises a can of Pepsi Max)

Al's Resolutions and 2010 Random Thoughts

Resolutions
The usual. They revolve around health and creativity.

Health: Eating better, exercising regularly. I'm not totally committed to this mentally yet, but it's in the back of my mind. I'm mainly doing it for me, but I do have a wife and kid to be around for, so yeah...I'm doing it for them, too. I'll have to re-establish Friday as my "cheat day" and be good for the rest of the week. My father-in-law is apparently committed to "de-chunking" this year, so this may become a family thing.

Creativity: Although I've done a handful of things, I feel like I've been play-acting at the illustration thing. This year, I'm making some moves. It starts with rituals and commitment: creating something every day. Drawing something – anything – everyday. And if I'm not drawing, I should be writing, or taking pictures. On the picture front, my wife got me a Fisheye 2 for Christmas, and I'm stoked! It feels kinda weird to be using film again, but I welcome it.
Getting back to the ritual thing, I gotta straighten up my workspace regularly. A clean spot to work is healthy. So yeah...nose to the grindstone and all that.
Bonus links - Great Illustration Resources:
Escape From Illustration Island | Zero 2 Illo | Holli Conger's Illustration Tips

2010 Random Thoughts

• Dante. Needless to say, he was the highlight of my year. He's wonderful. And my wife gets my undying love for working so hard to bring him into this world. 2011 is going to be full of discovery and landmarks for all three of us. I can feel it.
  
• Online By The Numbers. In 2010, I reached my eighth anniversary of running this here blog, nine years of being on gigposters.com, and 15 years since my introduction to the web. Crazy.
  
• Travel. The Minneapolis trip at the beginning of the year ruled. I saw friends, and ate a lot. I also decided that on my 40th birthday – or at least the year of – I have to be in Japan, either with the family or on my own. Goals are good thing.
  Looks like we might be heading to Calgary in a few months. Fingers crossed!
  
• Masticators. I launched a food blog with two homies that love food as much as I do. We started slow, but I see us writing even more stuff and having fun in the process. Full steam ahead!
  
• Jazz Fest. I had a blast. Can they top it this year? We'll see!
  
• T-shirts. I predict that I'll be buying a lot more shirts. I guess that's not really a prediction. Got some good ones in 2010. Formula Werks, DDC...you'll be hearing from me.

Al's Favorite Posters/Art Prints/Whatever of 2010

Posters: (headliner | designer/illustrator - where applicable)
The Soft Pack - Jay Ryan
Circa Survive - Kevin Tong
Lucero - James Flames
Man...Or Astroman? - Jay Ryan
Golden Rule Poster - Studio On Fire
The National - Guy Burwell
Bonnie "Prince" Billy - Jake Kelly
Cap'n Jazz - Landland
Black Keys - Tyler Stout
Aziz Ansari (the burger one) - Invisible Creature
Flight of the Conchords - Little Friends of Printmaking
The Hold Steady - Guy Burwell
Justin Townes Earle - Guy Burwell
Carolina Chocolate Drops - Jake Kelly
Ultra°off - Bomboland
A Wilhelm Scream - Derek Deal
Mondo Generator - David "DWITT" Witt
Snoop Dogg - Tricia Kleinot Make Do And Mend - Justin Santora
Squeeze - Scrojo
Bottomless Pit - Jay Ryan
Joe Pug - Modern Anthem
Mountain Goats - Rich Kelly
Del the Funky Homosapien - David "DWITT" Witt
Gene Ween - T-Bone & Aljaxx
Pavement - Lil' Tuffy
Kings of Leon - Invisible Creature
RPM Vintage Toys - Rockin' Jelly Bean
Justin Townes Earle - Guy Burwell
Isis/Baroness - Aaron Horkey
La Roux - Spike Press
Wonder Years - James Heimer
Joe Pernice - Guy Burwell

Art Prints:
The second Jay Ryan/Aaron Horkey print
The Jay Ryan/Dan McCarthy Screens n' Spokes print
"Midwestern Heart" by Aaron Horkey
"Street Ministry (RIP Guru) by Dave Kinsey
"Typographic Sins" by Jim Godfrey
The first Jay Ryan/Aaron Horkey print
"Pink Moon" by Dan McCarthy
"Treehousewarming" by Meg Hunt
"The Final Battle" by Eric Tan

Whatever:
The Richard Buckner concert ticket by The Half and Half
Jessie & Tyler's wedding stuff (click through the slide show, it's all good)