From beyond.

"Stoner caravan from deep space arrives..."


It's hard to keep a secret as big as working with SLEEP to yourself. That's what I had to do after I started talking to Jason and Al about designing their new 2012 European tour shirts. It's been a rough two weeks of secrecy and lack of rest, but the design is done and was quickly unveiled.

I had a small idea of what I wanted as a design right away, but also wanted input from Al and Jason. For instance, Al wanted me to make sure that the Marijuanaut had a patch with the chemical makeup for THC. A patch with a pot leaf was added to the right arm and the center sticker of a space shuttle is actually a bong upon closer inspection. I figured Al would be fine with those additions.

"Like if the astronaut's in 2001 were listening to riffs" was Jason's idea and that was where I mentally went. I thought about how many times I had been stoned out of my gourd listening to SLEEP and the subtle meditative state that I would find myself in. During the sketching process, I went and listened to one of my favorite songs ("From Beyond") and left it on repeat for a session. The next night I worked to the live SLEEP recording that Pike gave me. Those sessions quickly produced a design that tried to convey those times of stoned meditation. I added the joint and spliff to the arms of the 2 side Marijuanaut's, hid them a tad into the smoke from the hoses so that they weren't so blatant. I didn't exactly want blatant. I wanted some to really look at it. The process was fast and It then took me 5 days of inking and detailing with the last three days being almost around the clock. It got done and I took my time insuring that they'd be completely satisfied with it.

Now that it's done I couldn't be happier. I knew that I had to follow designs by Arik Roper and David D'Andrea, so I tried to go all out and pay some homage not only to SLEEP but to the two guys who have visually produced for SLEEP for years. It's nice to be among such great company.

The shirts will available on SLEEP's 2012 EUROPEAN TOUR starting May 3rd. Here are the dates:

May 3, 2012 - Wroclaw Pl - Asymmetry Festival
May 4, 2012 - Copenhagen DK - Amager Bio
May 5, 2012 - Oslo NO - Betong
May 6, 2012 - Stockholm SE - Strand
May 8, 2012 - Helsinki FI - Tavastia
May 9, 2012 - Berlin DE - Berghain
May 10, 2012 - Leipzig DE - Conne Island
May 11, 2012 - Prague - CZ - Lucerna Music Bar
May 12, 2012 - Budapest HU - Club 202
May 13, 2012 - Zagreb HR - Tvornica Kulture
May 14, 2012 - Vienna AT - Arena
May 16, 2012 - Rome IT - Circolo Degli Artisti
May 17, 2012 - Cortemaggiore IT - Fillmore Club
May 18, 2012 - Bern CH - Dachstock
May 19, 2012 - Dortmund DE - FZW
May 20, 2012 - Athens GR - Gagarin 205
May 22, 2012 - Glasgow UK - The Arches
May 23, 2012 - Dublin IE - Button Factory
May 24, 2012 - Leeds UK - Stylus
May 25, 2012 - London UK - I'll Be Your Mirror Festival
May 26, 2012 - Paris FR - Villette Sonique
May 27, 2012 - Antwerp BE - Trix
May 28, 2012 - Munich DE - Feierwerk
May 31, 2012 - Barcelona ES - Primavera Sound Festival

More to come.

New Torche track off of "Harmonicraft" and unveiled cover art.

I woke up today to an email from Reid at Volcom. In it was the link to the new song "Kicking" off of Torche's forthcoming album, "Harmonicraft", and a picture of the newly unveiled cover art that I'd designed. That's the best way to wake up on a dreary morning.
I'm just going to post up the front cover and a link to the page at Pitchfork in this post. I'll wait to explain the cover when it comes out and when I can post the design as a whole. So, for now you can go and listen to a sick new track from the most fun band in the US.

Find it here:
http://www.pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/13153-kicking/

In print this month.

From Viral Graphics:

Bacteria issue #1 is a 90 page black and white, 22x32cm, pro-printed, hand-numbered, ink infested illustration fanzine limited to 150 and made by Viral Graphics, featuring interviews and tons of artwork by some of our favorite artists: Angryblue, Alexander L. Brown, Michael Canich, David V. D'Andrea, Simon Fowler, Alison Lilly, Putrid, Rainbath Visual, Santos Illustration, Glyn Smith aka Scrawled, Jerald Tidwell and an interview with Ryan Lipynsky of Unearthly Trance and Nick Sciacca.
On sale Monday, February 13th and limited to 150 copies. Each copy is individualized with a hand drawn design on them. You can purchase a copy at viralgraphics.bigcartel.com.

UPDATE: 1st EDITION IS SOLD OUT.

Also out this month, you can order a copy of FIREMASS: Shadowplay.


From Firemass zine:

FIRE MASS - SHADOWPLAY. The first all black and white special from VIOLENT SPIRIT MEDIA.

Featuring: The Mad Artist Eric Duke, Glyn Smith (Scrawled), McKinley Illustration, Krawczyk Stanislav, Santos, Penélope Herrera Arango, VIRAL GRAPHICS, Lydia Burris, Spiritcage, Bianca Olson, Chris Parry, Coven Illustracion, Paul McCarroll, Gromyko Semper, and Adramelechk de Erebus.

Most of the issue was curated by Mad Artist Eric and can be downloaded in pdf form or purchased in a physical magazine, too.
You can find Firemass: Shadowplay here:
http://www.magcloud.com/browse/issue/335346

Go out and support these independent publishers today!

Best last year ever!!!

It's a 2012 and still no new designs being posted. It sucks, but the projects that I've been busy with have not been officially been unveiled, so I can't post them up. There IS a lot to look forward to in the new year, though. The new TORCHE lp will be out on Volcom Entertainment in the Spring and the cover that I just finished for it is as crazy as they come. It is a completely different subject matter than I am used to working on, but it has been fun as hell.
Also look out for two re-issue lp's from Kylesa. I have the difficult task of taking two classic albums art and interpreting them into new designs. Honored to have got the nod on the project.
There will be art for HOWL, LAMB OF GOD, SANCTUS BELLUM, HIGH ON FIRE, KYLESA, TORCHE, ZOZOBRA, RED FANG, NOISEAR, and many more in the coming year. It just keeps getting busier.
The THICK AS THIEVES mini print packs will have it's 2nd edition out later in the year and Santos art prints will be coming this Spring/Summer.
Once again look out for me on the road. I will on tour again off and on again throughout the year, so hit me up if you see that a tour that I'm on is coming your way.

Last but not least in any way, THANK YOU to all of you that drive me to keep producing art. Without all of the cool folks out there, this would be in vain. More to come!!!

THICK AS THIEVES mini print packs!!!

The THICK AS THIEVES mini-print packs have been printed by the ever awesome Andrew Crawshaw (Broken Press) this past weekend and they look incredible!

Each Pack includes:
- 5 mini-prints with designs from Glyn Smyth, Tom Denney, Casey McKinley, Mark McCormick, and Santos.
- Thick As Thieves patch
- *bonus* Santos mini print.
- Artist info sheet.

150 packs printed with 100 available for purchase.
All packs are in a 9"x9" printed envelope and hand numbered.

The THICK AS THIEVES packs will be:
- $25 ppd - N. AMERICA
-$30 ppd - WORLD.

(if the "add to cart" button isn't working, please message or email me)

THICK AS THIEVES mini print pack

T.A.T. I - N. America $25.00 USD T.A.T I - World $30.00 USD

The hope would be to have THICK AS THIEVES become a continuing series of packs that assemble as many known and unknown artists as possible.

THANK YOU to Glyn Smyth, Casey McKinley, Mark McCormick, Tom Denney, and Andrew Crawshaw. I look forward to the next edition.

A Torche Xmas!

I told you all about the new TORCHE "Xmas"shirts that they had with them on the Part Chimp tour last month and some of you now have them. I finally get to post a pic of the new design. It's a fun a cartoony design of Santa's reindeer turning on him. I've enjoyed working with the guys because they have had me sketching up designs that are unlike any that I usually am commissioned to do. Just wait until you see the new Torche album cover.

Everyday I'm hustlin'.

It's been busy as hell around here. I'm beginning to fuse with my art table and am wishing that there were more hours in the day. Never a complaint, just in the process of getting projects done before I leave to do merch for High On Fire November 9th.
I have finished a few projects over the past few months, but haven't been able to post them up per request by the bands. The LAMB OF GOD "Harvest" design is 6 months away and the new TORCHE "Xmas" design will be available on the PART CHIMP tour next month. As soon as I get the okay, I'll post them up.

I CAN post up the new design for NICHE. NICHE hail from gorgeous Savannah, GA and are an awesome 70's style rock band complete with keys. The keys are provided by Corey Barhorst (Kylesa) and their new cd "So Be It" is available through the band. You can also hear some their music here: NICHE!! Corey informed me that they'll be touring again soon and said that their just completed mini tour was a success. I also heard about how bad ass they were from fellow artist, Brian Mercer who text me while the show was going on in. Check them out.
Seeing as I'm in the middle of a tight schedule, this post will be a short one. I have to get back to the art room. I'm working on the new HOWL logo, 2 KYLESA re-issue covers, and the new TORCHE cover, NOISEAR cover, as well as many other projects coming up after I get back from tour.


P.S. The HIGH ON FIRE tour starts on November 9th and I am with them until November 20th. Come out to one of the shows, say hi, get me high (seriously), and see HIGH ON FIRE destroy. Dates are here: HIGH ON FIRE.