July 19, 2007 by George Koroneos
Porterhouse Fine Art Editions will be offering the new limited edition Microportfolio 3 - Bunnies and Bees as both a hand-signed and numbered special edition, as well as a numbered regular edition.
Micro Portfolio 3 - Bunnies & Bees - Special Edition
Price: $500 | Available July 24, 2007 | Sales limited to 1 per person and/or address
Limited edition portfolio of 14 prints, including a numbered certificate. Each print in the set is hand signed and numbered by Mark Ryden. Prints are 8″ x 10″ with an embossed border, in a Japanese black silk covered box. This portfolio features paintings, details and studies from the Mark Ryden Bunnies and Bees show. Limited edition of 100.
[ click here for detail views ]
Micro Portfolio 3 - Bunnies & Bees - Regular Edition
Price: $50 | Available July 31, 2007
Portfolio of 14 prints, including a numbered certificate. Prints are 8″ x 10″ with an embossed border, in a Japanese silk covered box. This portfolio features paintings, details and studies from the Mark Ryden Bunnies and Bees show. Edition of 10,000. [ click here for detail views ]
Sales of the Special Edition Micro Portfolio 3 will be limited to one per person and/or address.
July 18, 2007 by George Koroneos
Plaseebo Custom will announce and preview a new figure at SDCC. The “Night Gamer” figure was conceived by Bill Hand and co-designed and sculpted by Bill Hand and Bob Conge. The 7 inch Night Gamer will be roto-cast in a clear pink vinyl with transparent sprays and have a glow in the dark vinyl brain inside the see-thru head. Eyes will be inset cast plastic. The package illustration was done by our third Plaseebo artist John Kastner. The Night Gamer is in production now and should drop in late August or early September on the Plaseebo website. As with all of Plaseebo Customs releases, the color-way editions will be strictly limited. Hand painted vinyl test samples will be on display at the SDCC in the Toy Tokyo booth.
July 18, 2007 by George Koroneos
Byron Wolfe
Everyday: A Yearlong Photo Diary
Chronicle Books
Photographer Byron Wolfe has taken the photo-a-day concept (that seems to be all the rage on the Internet right now) and translated it into a photolog-style diary book that is both creative and engaging in its style and design. The reason this stands out from the photolog pack is because Wolfe is a pro photographer. Not only did he shoot a photo every day for 365 days, but the photo had to be an interesting, quality shot. And for the most part, every picture is fascinating. From photos of his two boys to random scenery shots, every photo is beautifully composed and well thought out. This is not a collection of snapshots. Read the rest of this entry »
July 17, 2007 by George Koroneos
Love Cinema Vol. 6/Animal Blood/Scareho
Irish American VFW
July 14, 2007
When the administration at the Irish American VFW hall handed over the keys to its lovely little bar/hall to Love Cinema, they made the rules very clear: No fights, tip the bartender, and do not fucking touch the portrait of John F. Kennedy. Somehow, New Jersey’s dirtiest band managed to not break a single rule, and still brought the house down. Read the rest of this entry »
July 17, 2007 by George Koroneos
This summer, Fender will be releasing a tribute model of Joe Strummer’s Telecaster, modeled after the beat up and battle-hardened ‘66 Tele he wielded as leader of “the only band that matters”—seminal Brit punk commando unit the Clash.
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July 14, 2007 by George Koroneos
Messer Chups
Hyena Safari
Aerocccp
“Hyena Safari” is a mostly instrumental surf masterpiece that opens with the simple phrase, “Listen, just listen.” And that’s really all you do for the next half hour or so, as this band of zany characters set out on a mysterious journey of audio frenzy.
The record is soaked in echo chamber madness and a ferocious thump that is a real treat to experience. The song titles reference creepy things, and each track would fit nicely over the opening credits of a horror movie. “Cat’s Mummy” is punctuated by the subtle sounds of a kitty crying, as horns blast away in the background. During “Inferno Image” the band dabbles in space drama, with a score of ray guns blasting away at the intro. Drums throughout the record are created using a variety of tools. At one point they sound like doors clanging, at other moments they come off like garbage cans rattling in the night.
Voice samples are scattered throughout the record. I’m not sure if they are too obscure to recognize or if Messer Chups created them as an homage to old horror records. The closest thing I could compare these guys too is that old psychobilly band Deadbolt, minus the deadpan lyrics. “Hyena Safari” is fun, cheery, and insane, all without saying a word.
Doesn’t Rock l Kinda Rocks l Rocks l Really Rocks
July 12, 2007 by Sal Lucci
Jay Reatard
Night of Broken Glass EP (In the Red Records)
I Know a Place 7″ (Goner Records)
Jay Reatard’s solo records are quickly becoming a must-have with my friends. I (unfortunately) never got any of his post-Reatards releases and bought last year’s Blood Visions (In the Red Records) after pulling out my Reatards’ Teenage Hate (Goner Records, 1998) LP for the first time in years. I fully expected Blood Visions to be more of the same Oblivians-influenced rock ‘n’ roll/punk/noise but was pleasantly surprised. These two new releases are similar to the agitated pop of Blood Visions but prominently feature an acoustic guitar (don’t be scared!). Reatard’s stuff is at times punk, rock ‘n’ roll, new wave… there’s no one descriptor that would fit his sound. They’re selling fast, so hurry up and get ‘em both (Night of Broken Glass is LP-only and limited to 700).
Doesn’t Rock l Kinda Rocks l Rocks l Really Rocks
July 12, 2007 by George Koroneos
As in previous years, STRANGEco, the foremost purveyor of artist-based toys, design objects and curiosities, takes its place at the head of The Cultyard, a loose organization of art merchandise companies created in 2004 by the Independent Toy Growers of America.
STRANGEco will be showcasing a variety of upcoming products, due to hit retailers throughout the year, as well as presenting a full line-up of exclusive and special edition toys for Comic Con- including toys from Dean Bradley, Bob Dob, James Jarvis, Nathan Jurevicius, Superdeux, tokidoki, The Vivisect Playset, Jim Woodring - and a few surprises, too. July 25-29, 2007, San Diego Convention Center, Booth 4729
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