NOOTHGRUSH!!!

The folks at WARLORD CLOTHING have started printing the NOOTHGRUSH "Twin Threat" shirt designs. The image is an older one of mine originally drawn for a 4 way split called "Twin Threat To Your Sanity" with Bongzilla, Dystopia, Noothgrush, & Corrupted. The split is out of print and long gone, but the fine members of NOOTHGRUSH have revived it into a sick t-shirt. You can purchase them at the Warlord Clothing site at www.warlordclothing.com.

"But that NOOTHGRUSH on my TOOTHBRUSH... Well, some are nice, but he is not."
-Dr. Suess - There's A Wocket In My Pocket

Art, shirts, and stickers!

It's almost May and I've been at the art table for what seems like days straight. Not a bad thing by any means and it's only getting better.

The 2 shirt designs have been selling really well and I want to thank everyone who bought one. It's helping more than you know. There are still some available in S-M-L-XL, but the smalls and medium sizes in each are almost gone. Both the "Pelican" and "Reptilian" shirts were printed in limited editions of 50 of each design. (You can order them in this blog's previous post.)

As for the art sitting on my schedule, it's going to be a busy few months ahead. I'm currently working on a shirt design for Rosetta's European tour starting June 23rd (rosettaband.com). It's based off of the song "Je N'en Connais Pas La Fin" as per Dave. The subject matter is something that I love, so it should turn out to my liking and hopefully theirs.

After that, designs for a Red Fang 3-sided longsleeve shirt, a Howl shirt design and logo, Kylesa shirt design, HHNF cover, "On The Wagon" book logo, Laike logo, Zoroaster shirt design, 2 more Santos art shirt designs, and I think a St. Vitus shirt is in there, too.

I am also currently inking my design for the 1st in a series of sticker packs due out this summer. The first pack will include sticker designs from Glyn Smyth, Casey McKinley, Tom Denney, Mark McCormick, and me. I will release more details closer to the completion date.

JUST ADDED: Lamb of God shirt design and a Buzzov-en shirt design. Word up.

The mighty Fight Amp.

For some unknown reason, I always find myself rushing to finish up a job before I leave on any trip that I take. I couldn't possibly break my annoying habit before I left for the Metalliance Tour, so I finished a new design for Fight Amp entitled "Blue Collared". It will be available on their US tour starting April 14th in Philadelphia, PA. You can find tour dates and more here: www.fightamp.com.
I started the design by talking to Mike about the ideas behind Manners and Praise and about individual songs off of the album. He told me that he and Jon had worked construction and the lyrics simply came from observing the lives being lived around them and the construction site. He also in formed me that they were working for a Christian construction company and told me about his time working with good people who often discussed their views with them. The album was a homage to the working class. Starting with the school children marching off to a daily helping of misinformation and conformity. To the man who continues that march into his late years. I wanted to capture a bit of the anguish and hidden subtleties of what it takes to be a blue collar worker. I started with the main character standing front and center, wrapped in the American flag. The wrench in his right hand is one of the tools of the trade in many instances and it fit the idea. I added the two imps in suits to show the slave/master aspect of being a life long worker and killing themselves for someone else. The control and money flows. The final touch was the "cradle to grave" figures flanking the man. On the right, you have the school children. Bound, blind, and malleable. Then to the left you have the elderly beaten down and still bound and controlled. Empty husks of the life that's been taken from them. I guess that's my idea of the corporations who employ most of the blue collar workers of this country. I've worked in numerous factories and warehouses to know how hard you have to work for little pay. Meanwhile, the boss or CEO is making money off of you and doesn't give a shit that you even exist. I hope that the idea came across in the design. It was a fun design to do and gave me more insight into an already awesome band.

UPDATE: The FIGHT AMP "Blue Collared" shirt design is not just available on their current US tour, but is also available at www.shirtkiller.com.

Look what came in the mail today...

Tuesday was February 1st and that meant that the new Noisear "Subvert The Dominant Paradigm" was just released on Relapse Records. I received my package from Relapse today and am stoked on how the covers came out. The back cover art was drawn by Arif Rot of Wormrot and is sick as fuck! And, Orion Landau finished up the packaging by putting it all together and added his touch to the graphic design and layout of the booklet. You can find the CD/LP online at the Relapse store (shop.relapse.com/search_results.aspx?st=1&ss=noisear) and at most record stores near you. Amazing political grind from my brothers from Nuevo Mexico.

Limited edition "Swans Of Black Ash" tour prints.

Phillip had some prints made up for the Kylesa Winter Tour featuring the new "Swans Of Black Ash" design. They are hand signed and numbered and limited to 50 prints. They're going fast and the only way to pick one up, is to go out to one of the shows on this tour.
We weren't able to get the shirt version of the design printed before tour, but they will be available on their upcoming European tour and beyond. You can also pick one up at www.indiemerchstore.com/kylesa/item/11614/.

Just in time for tour.

The new Kylesa "Swans Of Black Ash" shirt design is a detailed beast, born of late night ideas between Phillip and I during the Sanctioned Annihilation Tour. With this design, I wanted to rightfully represent Kylesa and their life as a band while creating a piece that upped the ante when it came to the overall look and art itself. I also wanted it to be a design that was an answer to the beauty and brutality that I saw during the six weeks of touring.
For the design, the idea was to still use the central theme of "Spiral Shadow" and and make it a piece more personal to the band as a whole. The swan, of course, starts out life as an ugly gosling right out of the egg and eventually grows into a beautiful swan. As a band, they've had their ups and downs throughout the years and while their past contains many trials and pain, they've managed to hone their music into a beautiful balance of ideas and musicianship.
The tree continues the theme and grows from behind the egg, into the wings of the swan, and out of the top. It represents the roots set down by the band and the continuing ascension as the tree grows past the the beauty of the swan itself into the unknown. I also wanted the tree to resemble the vein structure of a pair of lungs. To see them play day after day and see the machine that they become once they start to play IS the feeling of several people breathing as one. One machine chugging along and drawing you closer with each breath until the listener becomes a part of machine themselves.
The snake is that touch of evil that everyone continuously encounters throughout our life and is wrapped around the swan and preparing to swallow the egg as to show the trials along the road to such a growth. Their cannot be good with out the bad in life.
The piece as a whole and the explanation of that piece is a personal letter to the people who have become my good friends over the years. Kylesa is a great band and an amazing group of individuals and having the opportunity to work with them on art and now, as a tour manager, just reinforces that there are still good people out there making incredible music.
There will also be a "Spiral Shadow" shirt design available on the tour, so go out to the shows starting January 13th in Atlanta, GA.
I get to sit back now and advance some shows. I hope to see some folks out there!

Happy New Year!

Happy New Year to you all! I hope that everyone had a great evening. I had a great time with a few friends from Portland, OR and a few of my favorite people here in Seattle at the Neurosis show. They played a 2 night NW engagement staring Thursday December 30th with Wolves in The Throne Room and Black Breath and NYE with Ludicra, Yob, and Brothers Of The Sonic Cloth. It was a crushing show and one of the best ways to start 2011. Neurosis played 3 new songs and gave us all something to look forward in the new year.
Speaking of new year, I have several things coming up. I'm still working on finishing the Hell Hath No Fury LP/CD cover and almost finished with a new Kylesa shirt design. I will continue working with Mark Morton on some new LOG designs as well as joining my friend, Brian Mercer, in creating some designs for a new NASCAR endeavor that Mark and his wife have going. I finally get to work with the mighty Buzzov*en by designing their European tour shirts. There will also be a few sticker packs coming out and I've talked to a few friends who will be making prints of a few designs this year.
Also this year, I'll be tour managing Kylesa for their East and West Coast tours in support of "Spiral Shadow". The East coast tour starts January 13th in Atlanta, GA and will feature supporting acts Zoroaster (1/13-1/20), Rosetta (1/21-1/29), & Fight Amp. I'll be around so come out, see some good music, and say hello!
Cheers all and I look forward to another great year! In the words of Jonathan Nuñez, "It's going to be the best last year ever".