Home Cooked Books

Designing with Live Insects

2012-01-15T19:56:00.005Z

I have to thank Sophia for being a cool enough client to agree to the idea of photographing live ants to promote the free event, Miniatures, at the Wellcome Collection this Thursday.

After ordering an ant colony through the post (complete with queen!), I built this glass front box hoping to contain the ants during the shoot. The "MINIATURES" typography was cut out of the green background as small as I possibly could with a scalpel.

Luis' giant hand

The Wellcome Collection photographer, David Sayer, showed incredible patience in shooting the ants as well as trying to get them all back into their test tube when we were finished. There was something about handling live ants, their queen and even a pile of their eggs that put chills down my spine and reminded me of scenes from Alien. Luckily, nothing has burst through my chest yet, and the ants have found a home in Sophia's husband's ant farm.

The web ads were made from a looping video of the ants. The trick to getting the little buggers to walk on the typography was a few drops of sugar water. I'm looking forward to a real, old school flea circus at the event too. If you happen to be in London this Thursday, come down to the Wellcome Collection and check it out for free.

Scientific Illustrations and Design

2011-12-31T14:32:00.003Z

I have not posted in ages, and all I've got is the usual lame, "I was busy eating cake," excuse. It's the last day of 2011, so I thought I should try to squeeze one more post in this year.

Lately, I've gotten to do some scientific illustrations, and I'm a bit of a science geek, so it has been lots of fun. Biology and physics were about the only two classes I stayed awake for in high school. The below poster "Cellular Respiration" is being hung in biology classes in secondary schools across the UK, so I tried my hardest to make a very complex and hard-to-learn system look at least somewhat cool. I hope this helps kids study, and I also hope I get to do more science related stuff in 2012.

These first two images are layout/illustrations for Wellcome Trust's publication, 'BigPicture'. The magazine (left) is A4 and includes a foldout A1 poster (right). Bringing cutting-edge science into the classroom and published twice a year, 'Big Picture' is a free post-16 resource for teachers that explores issues around biology and medicine. You can download a PDF of the poster and issue for free.

Next up are two illustrations for the latest issue of Wellcome News, followed by the original sketch for the neuron illustration. A free, low-res PDF of the entire issue is available here.

Spit Break Pop

2011-10-10T18:32:00.000+01:00

Sometimes there are people involved in a scene who are almost invisible. Yet at the same time, without them, that scene wouldn't even exist. To me, Spit is exactly that to Philly hip hop. I believe it is safe to say that at one time in the 90s he was the ONLY person in the city honing the craft of traditional breaking. I owe a lot of my own dance foundation to jamming with him in the late 90s, and this video is a way for me to say thanks and hopefully shine a little light on the guy. Spit embodies the hip hop spirit of being yourself, having fun and forever honing your skill.

I want to say thank you to another personal mentor and Philly pioneer, Raphael Xavier, for his introduction to the video.

Enjoy!

Sled Book Exchange

2011-09-26T08:20:00.000+01:00

When I was visiting my parents' home last Christmas, it was nice to see the new generation of neighborhood kids sledding on the same hill we used to. I gave out some copies of the Ladybug book, and the most amazing thing happened.  

After I left, a couple of the kids made me a book of their own as a thank you. Their mother wrote this story about them delivering it:  

"There was much discussion as Layla and Scarlett headed out the door with the book in hand. 'I'm shy to speak,' said Layla, to which Scooch replied, 'Oh, I'm not...You carry the book and I'll speak.' As it turned out, I guess they just left the book on the porch. As you can see, it was never finished."  

So... in this video, I help finish it for them.   Music by Eric Biondo.

Hurricane Hummingbirds

2011-09-04T16:38:00.002+01:00

Strong winds and heavy rain didn't stop the hummingbirds from feasting during Irene last week. According to the National Audubon Society Field Guide to Birds: Eastern Region, this little guy is a Ruby-throated Hummingbird. I shot this in Fort Washington, Pennsylvania.

Wellcome Trust: 75th Anniversary Booklet Illustrations

2011-08-14T14:49:00.004+01:00

Since Wellcome Trust's inception on 25 July 1936, they have worked with many of the world's brightest and best researchers to improve human and animal health. 2011 is their 75th anniversary, and in celebration they produced a collection of 14 booklets featuring 14 people who have been significant in the Trust's history. I was asked to illustrate each person for the covers of the booklets. Their stories are pretty incredible, and you can read them here. The clean, beautiful typography and layout of the booklets were done by motorcycle vixen, Anja Goodswen.

Positive London Youths

2011-08-09T22:00:00.002+01:00

Along with most of London right now, I'm feeling scared and confused. The riots seem so senseless that it is hard to find any purpose or reason for them. Although there are definitely adults involved in the violence, most have been youths. This makes me feel terrible for the good kids out there who are probably feeling ashamed of their age group. Well, I was looking back over some old designs I did for the Transport Museum and I came across these 4 posters.

The 4 youths depicted in these posters are fantastic kids. They volunteer at the London Transport Museum and have been heavily involved in positive programs between the museum and their own London communities. Now more than ever, we need this kind of positivity to help get London back on its feet. In the face of all this madness, let's keep our heads on straight.

How to Make a Roman Polanski Poster

2011-08-02T21:10:00.007+01:00

I love Roman Polanski's old films, and my favorite has to be Knife in the Water. I imagined that the sail of the boat in the film kind of looks like the blade of a knife slicing through the water. Not a bad idea for a poster! When I saw that no one else had done it before, I went for it. Here's how you can do it too, either with this or your own favourite old film.

Step 1: Pop in the DVD and take a screen shot of the sailing boat.

Step 2: Put a printout of the screenshot on the lightbox and draw a knife over top at the same angle.

Step 3: Paint some rough fill textures on an a sheet of paper and scan in at 1000 dpi greyscale. Then, make them individual bitmapped tiffs using the diffusion dither setting in Photoshop (Image>Mode>Bitmap>Output 1600dpi and Diffusion Dither). These Bitmaps need to be so large because the final output will be poster sized (in this case A3). However, if you only need to produce the artwork for the web, you can work much smaller.

Step 4: Based on the pencil drawing, create a basic poster layout with space for typography (I used InDesign).

Step 5: Start placing the Bitmap textures into the layout, layering them up to create the right sense of depth. Also hide the knife handle just enough, so that the boat looks like a boat, but the knife can easily be seen as well.

Step 6: I looked at an old Knife in the Water poster for colour reference, because I wanted the finished piece to look like a vintage poster.

Step 7: The great thing about bitmaps is that they can be layered on top of each other in InDesign, and whatever is below them shows through wherever they are white. Also, they can be assigned colours from the swatch palette. This means less photoshop fiddling. You can adjust your colour swatches within InDesign until you are happy with the entire palette.

Step 8: It's finally Photoshop time. Start by grouping the entire layout and copying and pasting it into a 300dpi A3 Photoshop document. Then, layer various paper textures on top of and under the artwork until the old poster look is about right (deviantart is a great resource for this kind of stuff). Play with the blending modes of the paper texture layers. For example, Colour Burn "burns" the color of the texture into the artwork. Screen mode blocks out areas of the artwork. If the effects are too harsh just turn down the opacity percentage of the texture layers.

Step 9: The last step is to set the type. In this case make sure the paper textures also effect the text in the same way as the artwork. Otherwise, the text will appear pasted on instead of "aged" as part of the original poster.

Step 10: For fun and (artificial) authenticity, I placed the poster into a photo I took in Warsaw. I might be wrong, but I think Luna might actually be an old communist-era cinema. Maybe they played Knife in the Water here when it was first released in 1962!

Water Reflection Stop Motion

2011-07-09T15:19:00.002+01:00

Came across this video doing research for White Spot Mystery:

Słowino Summer: Book Covers and a Bike Ride

2011-06-29T13:03:00.001+01:00

Here is some footage from my last trip to Słowino, Poland. There are some shots of a new book gem I got there, One Thousand Polish Book Covers by Aleksandra and Daniel Mizielińscy. There are also shots of more cool Polish book covers I found in an attic, and this is all mixed in with a day spent exploring the countryside on bicycles.

Music: Al Green's version of Summertime
Shot entirely on digital SLR: Nikon D3100
Video Editor: Imovie '08
Quicktime Filters: Film Noise and Film Fading (1930's color film)

Watercolor Portrait Tutorial: No Photoshop

2011-06-20T18:24:00.003+01:00

Gifts are a great excuse to try something new. I wanted to give my nephew a portrait, but the idea of it being a digital print didn't sit right with me, so I thought I would try something strictly old school. Watercolor painting is a skill that can take a lifetime to develop, but by using some basic techniques and keeping it simple even a novice like me can get fairly good results.

Step 1: I designed the layout in pencil on a nice thick piece of watercolor paper taped down to a board to prevent warping. I based the face on a photograph, and created a made-up composition of hip hop elements (I couldn't help myself). It's essential to plan your illustration in pencil first.

Step 2: Mask off the foreground details. Make sure the tape is firmly rubbed down. Watercolor loves to try to seep underneath. Once the tape is down, cut around the outline with a scalpel and peel off the excess (make sure not to cut through the paper!).

Step 3: Paint in the background with a loose, wet wash. My tape was very tight, but I still had some leaks in the end. That's one of the cool things about watercolor though, it's loose and lively, so mistakes can add character. Also, add a little water, and you can move the paint around on the paper again.

Step 4: Peel off the remaining tape and paint in the foreground elements.

Step 5: Once all your washes are thoroughly dry, paint in the small details, and draw the final outline with colored pencil. After I was finished, I went down the street to the charity shop and bought a frame for it. Instant gift!

Ladybug and the White Spot Mystery: Coming Soon

2011-06-15T00:15:00.002+01:00

This will be Ladybug's second book, and I am currently working hard to complete it. Ladybug is still tiny but brave, and now she is doing even more amazing things. There will be a printed version available, but my main goal is to create a moving, living and interactive environment for the Ipad. I'm getting coding help from the mad-geek-magician Greg Ingelmo, and Eric Biondo is composing an original musical score for it. Our mission is to produce something like you've never seen before, so wish us luck! Hopefully we will be finished within the year. You can still buy printed copies of Ladybug's first book from the store.

Moment of Zen 01: Poitier, Cosby and Foreman

2011-06-06T12:45:00.002+01:00

This is the fist installment in my "Moment of Zen" series. These will be short clips from films that I've fallen in love with.

This first clip is a feel good moment from the classic 1975 film, Let's Do It Again, with music by Curtis Mayfield (and performed by the Staple Singers). Check out the cameo appearance by a very young George Foreman.

Doomlike: A pop up book by UG

2011-05-31T22:51:00.009+01:00

"Doomlike" is a French pop up book which was published by CBO Éditions in 2001 as an edition of 100. It was made by UG, otherwise known as Philippe Huger.

Philippe Huger © Chez les libraires associés, 2010

I couldn't resist buying it in 2003(ish) when the fluorescent colors of the cover screamed at me from under a dusty table in a Paris book shop. The only clue I had as to who made it was that it was signed "No. 67/100 UG 2001".

I fell in love with it as soon as I opened it. It was like seeing an 8 bit Nintendo game on an old TV through a microscope. The overprinted fluorescent inks of this book create an effect of glowing pixels, with an astonishing variety of color produced from what I think is only 4 inks (fluorescent yellow, fluorescent pink, cyan and black). Every possible surface is screen printed, including the fully wrapped hard cover.

This book is pure fun and style. Let me read it to you in the video below. For more of UG's incredible books and other work, visit his website: http://www.philippe-ug.fr

The Making of 3D Ladybug

2011-05-15T13:39:00.003+01:00

Ladybug has gone 3D for her next book. This video shows the process of creating her. I made her fully posable, because I will be photographing her later in stop motion. Every part works, including the wings, wing casings, flippers, propeller, arms and even the hands can grasp things! Some of the techniques and materials used were aluminum wire armature, oven hardening Sculpy, Plasticene, papier maché, wire reinforced paper, gesso, acrylic paint, etc.

Elements: An evening event at the Wellcome Collection

2011-04-11T09:39:00.002+01:00

I got to design the print and motion graphic identity for the event Elements at the Wellcome Collection, London. Here it is in action.

"Four elements. Do they kill or cure? All have been used in medicine, yet each can be lethal. They bring beauty to our world, but danger too. Delve into a world of elemental duality with immersive chemical performance, ingestion, activity and intrigue across all four floors of Wellcome Collection." –Wellcome Collection

Polish Prints, Places and Paluszki

2011-02-27T20:22:00.002Z

Printed, scenic and edible inspiration from my latest trip to Słowino, Poland:

Everything Goes: Even Bug Book Inscriptions

2011-02-09T12:02:00.001Z

Sorry folks, but I need more time to work on the next book. In this video are lots of covers I did for loyal Bug Book readers all over the globe. Thanks for all of the support, and I promise there is new material in the works! You can still buy Bug Books without inscriptions from my shop.

Drugs in Victorian Britain Tutorial

2011-02-06T22:36:00.002Z

"Victorian Britain: a global Empire and a culture awash with drugs. Opium, morphine, cocaine and cannabis are on sale in every high street pharmacy. Join us for this special event, where we will explore these drug-addled and dissolute times and discover the origins of today's drug controls." – wellcomecollection.org

For this event, I was asked to re-create artwork for a Victorian tin of diamorphine and cocaine tablets. The new tins were filled with harmless mints and handed out to guests at the event, along with this brochure and pin.

This job had to be done quickly, and the initial artwork had to be convincing enough for the client to have full confidence that the final printed result would look great.

I thought this project would be a great case study to share with fellow designers out there who might be curious how something like this could be done without too much headache.

Tortilla Book Press

2011-01-30T22:33:00.003Z

Have you ever wanted to make huevos rancheros, but didn't have a tortilla press? The solution is simple!

Bugs of America

2011-01-24T00:10:00.004Z

I got this cool book about bugs as a present from my wife. It was published in 1937! I scanned in a few of my favorite pages. Enjoy...

SO Creative Studio Website Relaunch Artwork

2011-01-02T05:48:00.003Z

The brief for this commission was to produce 3 dynamic images for the website relaunch of the graphic design company SO Creative Studio in London. The first image was to be a photograph of a 3D sculpture I had made which combined paper sculpture with a real, burning light bulb. This image was complemented by two other illustrations based on the same light bulb concept, but representing other aspects of the SO company (i.e. the company dog "Red", whom I spend a fair amount of time walking during my freelance gigs there). The illustrations appear as full-browser imagery on the new site: socreativestudio.com. They also hang as meter-wide prints in the studio space at 91 Brick Lane. Pop in for a peek if you're in the neighborhood. (Photography: Barry Woods)

Pervez: Live 2 Break

2010-12-08T21:13:00.003Z

This mini documentary retraces a lifetime of b-boy foundation movements by looking at London pioneer Pervez from the legendary crew Live 2 Break. Watching him dance today is a history lesson in bboy foundation and a rare example of the beauty of a lifetime of dedication to a craft.

I've learned more about the dance from him in the past 4 years than I have since I started back in 1999. When I first moved to London we became fast friends, and I quickly realized that he was one of the most knowledgeable and skilled bboys on the planet. I decided it was about time to let the rest of the culture know about this guy, in the hopes that he will inspire others as much as he has inspired me and my 7$ crewmates.

Funky Two Kilos: Frosty Freeze Album Art

2010-11-15T13:50:00.005Z

This job was very personal to me. It was a chance to pay tribute to a mentor and huge influence on my life who passed away recently, Wayne Frost (aka Frosty Freeze). To begin, I looked at Martha Cooper's photo of Frosty mid-air, doing one of his famous suicides.

Then, Barry Woods photographed me doing a cheap imitation of the timeless move over a mattress to later comp in to the design.

For design inspiration, I looked at classic hip hop flyers by another inspiration of mine, Phase II.

In order to bring this classic format to a different level, I built a three-dimensional paper sculpture following the graphic language that Phase II invented out of thin air and we now take for granted as classic hip hop (symmetrical layout, lots of borders, 3D stars, etc.). Remember that he did these designs using rub on letters and even wax paste-up (a technique that the Philadelphia Citypaper was still employing to layout their editorial section when I worked there back in 2003).

Finally, Barry photograped the sculpture straight on (with his amazing still-life skills as usual), and I comped in a quick illustration of Martha's photo along with the shot of me. Thank you Frosty for lifting us higher!

For me, this project also sums up the spirit of hip hop. Learn and respect what the pioneers did before you and digest it. Add your own character and do your best to produce something new, fresh, honest, from the heart and most importantly – FUN! The album drops at the end of this month as a limited edition from DJ Floskel.

Brand: Florian Triesch is Deejay Floskel

2010-10-28T22:30:00.004+01:00

The task here was to create a brand that represented two sides of the same person: The writer and web designer Florian Triesch as well as his alter-ego, DJ Floskel. Based on the concept of positive vs. negative, I created a range of colour possibilities for the logo. This way, there is an option that can work with almost any colour background, whether dark or light. Floskel and I arrived at this solution through discussions of chemistry (my worst subject in school, but hey, it worked here). Check out DJ Floskel's music on his website www.djfloskel.de.

Kind & Kinky Zoo Record Release Art

2010-10-17T20:54:00.005+01:00

Kind & Kinky Zoo commissioned me to produce this sculpture to promote their record release in November 2010. The concept was to build a funky music-making contraption based on the 4 instruments that the band plays. The coolest thing about this project is that the TV still works! A special thanks to Barry Woods for his skill and patience with the still life photography. Check out the band: myspace.com/kindkinkyzoo.

Here's the sketch that sold the concept to the band:

Journeys: Bus Shelter Poster

2010-09-26T18:50:00.004+01:00

I designed the below poster as part of the campaign for the Bus Shelter project displayed inside the London Transport Museum. The project brings together artists and young people to explore the theme of journeys using the museum's collections as inspiration. (For more on this and other Stories of the World projects visit ltmuseum.org/learning/storiesoftheworld). The photography was made by overlapping two images, one of light writing with LED and bicycle safety lights shot in a dark studio with a long exposure, and a second cross-lit portrait of one of the volunteers from the project.

Iron Curtain Crayons

2010-09-22T16:44:00.011+01:00

At the same time I was drawing in Philadelphia with Crayola Crayons made in Easton, Pennsylvania (crayola website), my wife was drawing in Słowino, Poland with Friendship Crayons made in the fellow communist People's Republic of China. Below is the artwork from a box of these rare crayons, along with some other cool communist-era finds from my last trip to Poland.

Friendship Crayons

Logo from a box of Bison Staples

My grandfather-in-law's old ID card (dowód osobisty)

My wife's parents had some serious style.

Communist Cash

Funky Podcast Illustration via Chuck Jones

2010-09-04T00:19:00.008+01:00

I've always loved Chuck Jones' work, and I was especially hypnotized by his Road Runner cartoons when I was a boy. This edition of the monthly Funky Two Kilos Podcast illustration was based on an original background from one of the cartoons. Below is my process for creating it. Image 1 is the finished product. Image 2 is the setup for shooting. Image 3 is the original background image I based my illustration on (thanks to Animation Backgrounds Blog for that one).

Bug Book Gets Another Top Review!

2010-09-03T23:53:00.005+01:00

Thank you so much Natalie from bambinogoodies.co.uk for the awesome review of my book. Click the image to read:

Moomins Children's Book Magic

2010-08-28T21:54:00.007+01:00

This is a rare 1st edition Swedish copy of Tove Jansson's Moomin book entitled "Hur Gick Det Sen?" or "What Happened Next?". It was produced in 1952, and each page ingeniously has a die cut incorporated into the illustration which allows the reader to peak through to the next page. The illustrations, printing and production are truly incredible, imaginative and beautiful. Thanks Anna for finding this posted on ebay (these are not my photos).

Be Safe: Printed matter for London Transport Museum

2010-08-19T12:21:00.003+01:00

The below images show a campaign I designed for the London Transport Museum. Visiting children each get a card leaflet to take with them around the museum. They collect ink stamps on this card throughout the museum as they learn about different safety issues. I used the graphics from the actual stamps to create banners and signs for the museum as well. (Visit the museum website)

Swiss Rap Compilation

2010-08-06T18:06:00.004+01:00

This album art is the result of a collaboration with my old friend and graffiti style king Serval. It is mostly a fun experiment in combining graffiti pencil sketches with paper sculpture and multi-layered texturing. Check out his website, silverblack.ch, for more of Serval's graffiti and illustrations.

Aquarium Architecture Logo in Action

2010-08-02T13:38:00.004+01:00

Click here to watch the video.

London Transport Museum: Creative Kids

2010-08-01T16:24:00.007+01:00

I designed and illustrated this booklet for the Creative Kids Engineering Academy at the London Transport Museum. Over the summer holidays, children come to the museum for fun activities involving engineering. At the completion of each day, the kids receive a golden sticker to add to their booklet. The idea of collecting all 5 stickers is incentive for them to keep coming back to the museum. For more about this and other programs visit the London Transport Museum website.

The Wifi Gate Logo

2010-06-30T12:46:00.002+01:00

Just sharing the development of a logo I recently finished:

The Rock Box

2010-06-23T01:09:00.007+01:00

I just finished the flyer for a night in London that I've been looking forward to for a long time. The concept of the night is to recreate a fun back-in-the-day atmosphere and simply to jam all night long. The music will shift between bboy, popping, locking and classic party tunes as provided by DJ Biznizz (of DMC champions, Tha En4cers) along with other special guests. Come out and dance with young cats and old school legends alike. Friday, August 06 at The Big Chill House, London. £100 prizes for best bboy/girl and popper/locker of the night.

Horniman Free Museum

2010-06-22T01:55:00.002+01:00

This is my favorite place in London. It is surrounded by beautiful gardens and contains exhibits of bizarre and fascinating art, natural sciences and anthropology. In the basement is one of the most beautiful, well-kept aquariums I've ever seen. The perfect place to clear your thoughts.

Chronicle of Sound Album Art

2010-06-15T16:47:00.002+01:00

It was a pleasure and honor to do some work for my old school, Drexel University. The album is a compilation of student work from the MAD Music Industry Program. I was also relieved to use a 100% biodegradable potato tray to mount the disc. Thanks to the program leader Ryan Schwabe for choosing this green option.

Staff Benda Bilili Gain Momentum

2010-06-01T11:12:00.004+01:00

Here is a short documentary about the band who blew my mind at the Cully Jazz Festival this year. These guys are bursting with positivity, inspiration and life. I bought their album here, and you should too. There was a full length documentary made about their story, and it got a standing ovation last month at the Cannes Film Festival. Be on the lookout for the film, and get ready for these guys to become a worldwide household name.

Bug Book Review

2010-05-16T11:21:00.003+01:00

Ladybug and the Awesome Bug Book Adventure gets some press! Read the full review over at theartblog.org.

Funky Two Kilos Podcast Illustration #2

2010-05-15T12:29:00.001+01:00

Check out the latest Funky Two Kilos artwork and mix. This month's concept, "Mighty Fine Voices", is all about funky female vocalists. DJ Floskel stepped it up a notch on this one so listen or download for free before it is replaced by next month's mix. Funkytwokilos.com

From Cardboard to Cardboard

2010-05-06T10:44:00.001+01:00

I created the set for the Bug Book Video by collecting cardboard boxes from the neighbor's rubbish, covering the walls of a room with them and then decorating them with acrylic paint and dried leaves. Now, the video is over and done with, and I'm left with a room full of cardboard. So, in the spirit of Reduce, Reuse and Recycle, I am packaging all the books I sell in the painted cardboard. Here's some I mailed out yesterday:

Hand Painted Covers

2010-04-27T23:03:00.003+01:00

Some of my Bug Book customers have written to me about how excited they were to find that the books they ordered had actual paintings on the covers. It makes sense to think I would scan each painting and digitally print them with the book, but that's not the case folks. I hand paint every book I sell. Here is this week's batch:

Staff Benda Bilili

2010-04-25T11:23:00.005+01:00

When I first saw this group come on stage at Switzerland's 2010 Cully Jazz Festival in wheelchairs, on crutches and clutching homemade instruments, I thought this is either going to be a gimmick or pure genius. About 5 seconds into their performance the hairs stood up on my neck and I knew it was the latter. Make the effort to remember the name Staff Benda Bilili, because they are going to do big things.

This is how they are described by their MySpace page (www.myspace.com/staffbendabilili): Staff Benda Bilili are like nothing you have ever seen or heard before. A group of paraplegic street musicians who live in and around the grounds of the zoo in Kinshasa, Congo, they make music of astonishing power and beauty. The band's mesmerising rumba-rooted grooves, overlaid with vibrant vocals, remind you at times of Cuban nonchalance, at other times of the Godfather of Soul himself. You can hear echoes of old-school rhythm and blues, then reggae, then no-holds barred funk. Four senior singer/guitarists sitting on spectacularly customized tricycles, occasionally dancing on the floor of the stage, arms raised in joyful supplication, are the core of the band, backed by a younger, all-acoustic, rhythm section pounding out tight beats. Over the top of this are weird, infectious guitar-like solos performed by young Roger Landu, (an ex-street kid the band took under their wing), who plays a one-string electric lute he designed and built himself out of a tin can.

Bboy Illustrated Bug Book Video

2010-04-14T11:39:00.005+01:00

Funky as heck promotional video for illustrated children's book: Ladybug and the Awesome Bug Book Adventure. Visit the site for more fun stuff: bugbookadventure.com

Funky Two Kilos Podcast Illustration

2010-04-11T21:38:00.002+01:00

This is the first in a series of podcast/illustration collaborations between me and DJ Floskel from Germany. Each podcast focuses on a different genre of funky music made after the year 2000. This month is all about bboy breaks, and the mix is tough! Each new podcast (one or two a month) will have a new illustration, so stay tuned because they will get more funky with each new release (funkytwokilos.com).

Call for Submarine Submissions

2010-03-13T20:40:00.004Z

I've started working on a new children's book, and it is all about the sea. I don't want to give it away, so all I'll say is that it is an adventure set under water. It is partly inspired by the story of Jacques-Yves Cousteau and his friends inventing and experimenting with the first "aqualung" in his 1953 book, The Silent World. Below is a colour plate I scanned from the book. This is one of the first colour photographs taken in the deep and they called the technology Extochrome, using "scientific colour correction". You have to love the romantic minds of the French!

Like J.Y. Cousteau, I am enchanted by the ocean and any body of water in general. I'm always looking for an excuse to jump into it and see what is going on below the surface. If anybody out there has their own fish tales or swimming stories to share, I'd love to hear them. Maybe they will find their way into my book. If you feel like sharing, please email me at bret@hydeslovelies.com. Thanks!

Lagos Disco Inferno: Release March 16!

2010-03-05T01:48:00.003Z

DJ Soulpusher has been keeping a blog of his record digging missions in Africa since 2005 (voodoofunk.blogspot.com). He tells the incredible stories behind his missions complete with pictures, scans of the funkiest cover art on the planet and, most amazingly of all, streaming MP3 mixes of his tastiest finds. Voodoofunk is like a window into a forgotten era in a far away land. Personally, I am hooked on his mixes and have become a total African funk junkie thanks to his unique education. On March 16, he and Academy LPs will be releasing LAGOS DISCO INFERNO, the first compilation of rare, Nigerian Disco to be released outside of Africa (on both vinyl and CD!). I already tried begging for a pre-order, and I suggest you do the same!

Kid Kash: Interview

2010-02-22T13:45:00.005Z

My friend and crew-mate Kid Kash has just been interviewed on lectris.fr. Whether you are into graffiti or not, you have to enjoy the quality of his work. The article is a refreshing read because his responses are interesting and from the heart. I think he did a beautiful job explaining the passion our entire crew shares for raw, positive hip hop culture. He has a drive for self-improvement built on an education from those who came before and having fun!

Eloísa Cartonera: Cardboard Publishing

2010-02-18T20:41:00.024Z

Eloísa Cartonera are truly independent publishers with a meaningful purpose. Their statement: "We are Eloísa Cartonera, a work cooperative placed in the neighborhood of La Boca in the city of Buenos Aires, Argentina. We produce handmade books with cardboard covers. We purchase this cardboard from the urban pickers ("cartoneros") who pick it from the streets. Our books are of Latin American literature, the most beautiful we had a chance to read in our lives, both as publishers as well as readers." Please visit their site and be inspired!

Bug Book Launch!!!

2010-02-02T18:29:00.008Z

This post is to announce the launching of the new children's book website bugbookadventure.com. I had to hide in a cave for two weeks, but its finally finished! There's all kinds of fun stuff promoting my new book "Ladybug and the Awesome Bug Book Adventure". It's for little kids and big grown-up kids too! Read online, download free e-books and buy printed editions.

OK Artists handmade book

2010-02-01T11:36:00.003Z

Here is a short video showing the production process of the OK Artists book I did with Roberta Fallon and Libby Rosof. Check out their blog, and email Roberta if you would like to buy a copy of the book. The music used is by Eric Biondo.

Greening Brownfield Poster

2010-01-23T23:10:00.030Z

This poster was a quick but fun one. The illustration was put together with bits from my recycling bin. It promotes the London community project "Greening Brownfield" run by the talented and generous Anna Bauer. Parents, bring your kids out on Saturday, Feb. 13 and make flowers out of recycled materials! Visit the blog for the details and to find out more about Anna's greening projects.

London Snow

2010-01-06T13:42:00.019Z

Music: Forces by The Bad Plus