2010 PCA&D Faculty Biennial

(click image to enlarge)

Although open to the public since August 6th, the artist reception for PCA&D's 2010 Faculty Biennial exhibit was held on Friday, September 3rd. I had 3 items on display: the Century Media 20th anniversary series of CD covers, a photograph taken at Spring Grove Hospital and the Misery Obscura: The Photography Of Eerie Von (1981-2009) book.

Thanks to everyone for coming out on First Friday. It was a gorgeous night to see fellow faculty, friends, family and students out on the town in support of the arts.

(The 3 photos below were taken by Jennifer Martin.)

2 Artists, 2 Portraits

(click images to enlarge)

Whilst digging through my archives of works on paper, I came upon a couple portraits from the early 1990s. One of a great artist and inspirational figure in my life, illustrator Ralph Steadman (above), and the other of an old friend and neighbor in New York City, photographer Horacio Salinas (below).

I sent the work of Mr. Steadman to his home address in England around 1993, along with a photo of myself, in hopes of exchanging portraits with him. Instead, I received a letter from his wife, as well as my drawing and photograph, politely declining my request stating that, "Ralph doesn't do this kind of thing." If only I could find that letter some 10 moves around the country later. Anyway, I digress…

Horacio's portrait was based on a photograph I took of him in around 1994 during our time as neighbors in my first apartment in Chelsea, NYC. Horacio and I lost touch many, many years ago now but I recently found his website packed with truly inspiring, high-end work. I'm not in the least bit surprised, mind you, even in his youth he was a ridiculously talented photographer.

For more on the artists themselves:
Find Ralph's work here and Horacio's here.

Out of Print Clothing

(click image to link to shop)

I saw a few of these in an Urban Outfitters store in Philly a couple years back but inexcusably forgot about them until my friend Gregg recommended the Out of Print Clothing site to me. Low and behold it was the same folks only with more classic designs by the likes of George Salter, Paul Bacon, the utterly brilliant illustrator Rockwell Kent and arguably the 20th century's greatest graphic designer, Alvin Lustig. The problem is picking just one or two to buy, you know?

PCA&D Admissions Viewbook 2010-2011

(click to enlarge image)

Also receiving a 2nd go-around this year is my design for the PCA&D "viewbook" for the Admissions department. It features the same proportions but different imagery than the 2009-2010 version, of course. As with the accompanying poster, a brand new design concept will come together for next year's edition.

PCA&D Admissions Poster 2010-2011

(click image to enlarge)

A set of new imagery combined with an alternate, vertical layout resulted in the PCA&D Admissions 2010-20011 poster. The 2009-2010 edition was horizontal in composition but Natalie & Co. wanted to change things up this time around. The process resulted in a shifting of the title copy and, naturally, a new alignment of student artwork. Overall, the poster is folded into 6 panels per side with the front being full color and the back being B&W with the latter broken down by the folded panels for both mailing and reading purposes.

All told, I'm very pleased with how the original look is holding up in its 2nd full year of use. With that said, however, watch for brand new design concepts to come together for next year's PCA&D Admissions materials. I'm looking forward to it already…

What's Old Is New Again: Sign Painting

FontCast #12 — Damon Styer from FontShop on Vimeo.

Unused Artwork: The National

(click image to enlarge)

I was in contact with The National's management about a year before their fifth album was to be released (known now as High Violet). At the time, I was told they were commissioning a different poster design for every single show on what would be their first full U.S. run in support of the upcoming album and that I should get back in contact around the end of 2009 when things were coming together. Long story short; I rang them again but no one answered or replied. With that said, although not fully developed or explored, this was the first idea I had worked on.

Family History: George Wiegand

(click image to enlarge)

Whilst working on my family history this summer, I've procured quite a collection of historical documents. One of my favorite things about these documents is their handwriting and/or typefaces, of course. For example, here's a sampling of the use of the name George Wiegand from my archives. There were three George Wiegand's in a generational row, mind you: George Casper (1804-1834), George Adam (1830-1887) and George Anthony (1870-1929). These are the direct ancestral links to my past and are my great-great-great, great-great and great maternal grandfathers, respectively.

Legend (top-bottom):
• October 16, 1857 – Passenger sheet from "The Shippen"
• 1890 – "Surviving Soldiers, Sailors, and Marines, and Widows, Etc." census
• 1900 – Lancaster City Directory listing
• April 14, 1910 – 13th Census of the United States
• 1827 – Kurhessisches Heads of State and address manual
• June 7, 1880 – 10th Census of the United States
• October 24, 1887 – Newspaper obituary listing

Ah, the lost art of cursive, handwriting, letter presses and typewriters…

CM20: Vols. 2 & 3

(click image to enlarge)

The 2nd and 3rd installments in the CM20 campaign for 2010. Only one more to go and then it's on to the expansive box set, and its limited edition version, for holiday release.

WARNING: Contains Adult Language

Note: As a self-professed font snob, this is hilarious. However, its ability to make me laugh out loud doesn't change my opinion on the matter…

I'm Comic Sans, A#@hole.
By Mike Lacher

Listen up. I know the s#@t you've been saying behind my back. You think I'm stupid. You think I'm immature. You think I'm a malformed, pathetic excuse for a font. Well think again, nerdhole, because I'm Comic Sans, and I'm the best thing to happen to typography since Johannes f#@king Gutenberg.

You don't like that your coworker used me on that note about stealing her yogurt from the break room fridge? You don't like that I'm all over your sister-in-law's blog? You don't like that I'm on the sign for that new Thai place? You think I'm pedestrian and tacky? Guess the f#@k what, Picasso. We don't all have seventy-three weights of stick-up-my-a#@ Helvetica sitting on our seventeen-inch MacBook Pros. Sorry the entire world can't all be done in stark Eurotrash Swiss type. Sorry some people like to have fun. Sorry I'm standing in the way of your minimalist Bauhaus-esque fascist snoozefest. Maybe sometime you should take off your black turtleneck, stop compulsively adjusting your Tumblr theme, and lighten the f#@k up for once.

People love me. Why? Because I'm fun. I'm the life of the party. I bring levity to any situation. Need to soften the blow of a harsh message about restroom etiquette? SLAM. There I am. Need to spice up the directions to your graduation party? WHAM. There again. Need to convey your fun-loving, approachable nature on your business' website? SMACK. Like daffodils in motherf#@king spring.

When people need to kick back, have fun, and party, I will be there, unlike your pathetic fonts. While Gotham is at the science fair, I'm b#@ging the prom queen behind the woodshop. While Avenir is practicing the clarinet, I'm shredding Reign In Blood on my double-necked Stratocaster. While Univers is refilling his allergy prescriptions, I'm racing my tricked-out, nitrous-laden Honda Civic against Tokyo gangsters who'll kill me if I don't cross the finish line first. I am a sans serif Superman and my only kryptonite is pretentious buzzkills like you.

It doesn't even matter what you think. You know why, j#@off? Cause I'm famous. I am on every major operating system since Microsoft f#@king Bob. I'm in your signs. I'm in your browsers. I'm in your instant messengers. I'm not just a font. I am a force of motherf#@king nature and I will not rest until every uptight armchair typographer c#@k-hat like you is surrounded by my lovable, comic-book inspired, sans-serif badassery.

Enough of this bulls#@t. I'm gonna go get hammered with Papyrus.

[ Ed. – You can contact Mike at mike@mikelacher.com ]