Propaganda

I'm not sure how many of these Bill Green has a Posse stickers are around but they're awesome. Bill Green is one of the ID professors and I think these stickers were made and put up a few years ago by Jessie Storey and crew. Regardless, they are great.

smirk

I can't help but like R. Stevens comic strips. What more can I say? The rest of this particular strip is here.

ATL/KidsII

(Click the image to see it larger)

Two days ago I drove down to Alpharetta GA, a northern suburb of Atlanta, to meet with the KidsII design team. It was a long drive down. Around exit 58 in SC (by the BMW plant) two tractor trailers had collided and backed up the highway an hour and a half. After that though it was smooth sailing. I stayed at a LaQuinta Inn. It wasn't bad but their continental breakfast was a joke but then again what should you really expect from a continental breakfast anyways. Oh, across the street from the hotel I discovered Krystal Burger. Basically it's the White Castle of the south. So I got into the hotel 10:30ish that night and my interview was the next day at 2pm.

I think the interview went really well. Everyone there is really nice and it was great already knowing a few of the people there like Clayvon and Jose. Everyone made me feel right at home and they seemed to like the work I've been doing. I actually left one of my landshark figures with Clayvon. I'm hoping for the best to get this internship. It might even lead me into a full time position in the future (which would be incredible). Brad, the Senior Product Designer, used to be in an illustrator and worked for Disney and he is someone I would really like to work for and learn from. Did I mention they are the ones that make all the Baby Einstein products?

Anyways, before my interview I had some time to burn so I went to the Toys 'R' Us down the street and checked out all the toys KidsII had there. I actually found this Tummy Tickler dinosaur with a checkered belly that says "Blah" when you squeeze him and I had to get him. This is the kind of stuff I would love to be making.

Turnstyle

Back when I was living in Richmond I was introduced to this cool little DJ shop only a block from my apartment. Actually I found out about Turnstyle because my friend Brad, whose a DJ and a graphic design student, works and spins there. If you're ever down by VCU check it out on Broad St. That's actually Brad in the back of the store and that's my reflection in the window.

cryptic architectue kids

I'm guessing some architecture kid thought they were clever by making this sticker. I'm not sure I get it but I found it on a window leading into Burchard.

Printguins

My sister Sylvia sent me these wonderful handmade penguin prints. I really like them especially since they are some of her original prints. I think they'd look really good framed.

Some Assembly Required

This is pretty cool. I got asked to do the posters and print work for the annual Some Assembly Required event. What it is, is a cocktail for all the faculty and students under the college of architecture. That includes Architecture, Industrial Design, Landscape Architecture and Interior Design. Students from all the majors get to show off their work at the event while catering serves food and a DJ or live band keeps the beats coming. This is the 3rd year it's taking place and it's always a good time.

These are the tickets for the event.

Armageddon

While I was visiting Jordy I got to see where he works in the Seigel Center making posters, brochures and other graphic material for VCU. In the office there was this calendar where Brad had drawn in Jordy's birtday. I thought it was cool so I made my own take on the idea and turned it into a poster. I used my Bamboo to do the drawing. I think it came out looking pretty good.

Tipping

For part of my brother's birthday we went to The Village Cafe, which is a stones throw from his back door. It has to be one of my favorite restaurants in the VCU area. They serve all the sodas in mini pitchers and there's always great music to listen to. On this trip though, Brad and I decided to leave something more than a tip for the waitress, so we drew on our receipts. We're not sure if the waitress kept or threw them out, but it either way it was fun.

The one with cat is Brad's. The angry bear is mine.

RVA and Jordy's 21st

RVA = Richmond VA. For the past two nights I've been crashing with my brother Jordy up in Richmond to celebrate his 21st birthday. He's just recently moved into this house with 5 other guys. It's a pretty cool place. From the front you wouldn't know it but the house is really big. It's probably 4 to 5 times deep as it is wide. He thinks that it might have been an office building at one point, but in my opinion that just adds character to the place. Whatever it used to be it is definitely a house/apt now. I especially like the back room with the black light.

New blog to love

I just found this awesome blog all about incredible t-shirts. It's definitely going on my list of daily sites. Check it out at tcritic.com.

Overload

There is a lot going on right now. I am currently involved in or in the middle of: the Hokie Effect shirts, VTU hoodies, Some Assembly Required print material, Skaface t-shirts, my Landshark toys, my custom Abominabol SnowMun, Ebay sales, Buisness cards for the Architecture + Design Milan group, sketches for a new American Foundrymens Society plaque, updating my portfolio website, getting ready to go interview at KidsII, my graphics/patterns for my plushie toys, a revamped layout for my paper portfolio, my brother's and sister's birthdays as well as easter and not to mention the one off t-shirt prints I'm doing. Sheesh. And it looks like someone stole my favorite ruler.

Eat Live Squirrels

Is there a graffiti culture in Blacksburg? Yes. I was actually surprised by how much graffiti there is here once I started looking for it. None of it is as large as some of the pieces that you might find in a big city but some of them are rather humorous.

Orange Effect

Today I started working on next years Orange Effect and Maroon Effect shirts for Virginia Tech. I think it's an incredible honor to get to work on the shirts since something like 110,000-120,000 shirts are made and sold every year through the student government in support of Hokie football. This is definitely the largest t-shirt project I've been apart of. Before this I'd have to say the largest job I did was 600 shirts for the college of engineering for their E-week events. I would show pictures of the Orange Effect shirts but everything is under pretty tight wraps right now. Don't worry, when I can I will show you what the shirts are going to look like.

Sketchy ice cream

The other day I heard over heard some kids talking about this creepy, probably non-existent, icecream truck. I didn't think much of it because really, when is the last time any body's seen an ice cream truck? Well I stumbled upon it today and I have to say it is the sketchiest cold box on wheels that I have ever seen. Verdict - local myth of the haunted ice cream truck, confirmed.

Big Guy

Just another sketch out of my imagination. I really like that he has a balloon.

Bryson in his new T's

This is the latest shirt I made for Bryson and yes it is the penguin from my blog header. I think it came out looking pretty awesome but then again Bryson makes anything look good.

Kevin Reeder can draw

Kevin Reeder, from Georgia Tech, came up today and graced us with an all day sketching tutorial on how to quickly and effectively draw people. He's a great guy and one of the best at what he does.


These are a couple of sketches I did after watching Kevin Reader make it look so easy.

Fat NYC

I snapped this pic up by Columbus Circle durring my NYC trip. Take it however you want, but starvation is apparently the hot new medicine available only by prescription.

IDSA conference wrap up

So tonight was the end of the IDSA southern district conference and it definitely ended on a good note. First,Our boy Andy Valentine took home the district student merit award (which is a big deal!). Second I got to meet up and talk with another great guy from kidsII (Jose) and things are looking pretty good for post graduation. And lastly, of course the ending party was not a disappointment.

Tagging in Savannah

These first two are stencil graffiti, so I saw them around in a couple places. The yellow one is on the side of a DHL drop box.

I found this Pac-Man inside a pizza joint called Vinny Van Gogo's, right behind the hotel.

IDSA southern conference go!

I'm down in Savannah GA at the IDSA conference checking out SCAD and trying to make some connections to hopefully find a job. The opening night's welcome party was great and I got to spend a lot of time hanging out with Frank Tyneski (Executive Director of IDSA) and he is awesome. Getting to talk to him has already made the trip entirely worth it.

Boom! Dumpling Man

Adam took me to this great little restaurant in the East Village. They hand make and cook dumplings to order and they are delicious.

The Munny I Left for Paul

This is the munny I did up and left at kidrobot's office for Paul Budnitz. Pretty sweet right? Maybe something will come up in the future. And what a great way for me to leave my card.

My Kidrobot Pilgrimage

So today was my second full day in the big city and I decided to hunt down Paul Budnitz and the kidrobot office. It was pretty incredible. My cousin Adam and I drove into Manhatten, parked the car and headed towards the 12 story building were kidrobot lives. I went up to their office on the 10th floor and walked into the most incredible office I've ever been in. I talked with a couple people there, actually met Joann, the head of all of kidrobot's graphic work. Turns out though that the job I was going for had already been filled (even though its still posted as being open online). Anyways, before leaving, I left a munny I had done up as my last attempt to get noticed by Paul Budnitz. I have to say even though it wasn't quite the outcome I was hoping for I still feel pretty great about the whole thing. Thanks to everyone who believed in me though :)



Their office is the one right below the eves. Third from the top.

doin it up in NYC

Today I went with my cousin Adam to the market where he was selling these sweet Rockstar Revoltion t-shirts for a company out of Brooklyn. He sold a good amount of shirts and we ended up seeing Kramer (Micheal Richards) in front of our stand and actually think we ended up talking to Richard Gere right before we closed up shop.