Tastes as good as it looks.

Walk down any beer aisle  and you’ll see plenty of nice label designs and bottles, but there is one brewery that stands out from all the rest — BrewDog. Their packaging is simple and bold and a welcome change from the ‘classic’ style beer label. The entire brand has a great aesthetic with bright colors and strong type making it easily recognizable. It also manages to remain clean and distressed at the same time. The best part is that it not only looks great but it tastes great too. I’ve tried four of BrewDog’s ales so far and I’ve liked them all — a lot! So don’t be afraid to give it a try. I’ve never had an interest in collecting beer bottles before but in this case I might have to make an exception. 

It’s one of those things as a designer when you say to yourself, “I wish I did that.” So hats off to Hampton Associates. Find out more about the design work here: http://www.hamptonassociates.com/brand-portfolio/brewdog-beer

Soundscreen Design

The book commemorates the first decade of Flatstock - the concert poster exhibition that has been a major part of music festivals such as Bumbershoot, SXSW and Pitchfork. I’ve participated in six of these shows so far and I’m really excited to have my work included in this book.

Rock Paper Show has compiled the original posters that each attending design studio has created for Flatstock shows over the past ten years. So it’s packed with tons of great stuff - all with different styles and design approaches. If you’re a poster collector, music fan or just someone who appreciates great design and illustration then you’re going to definitely want to pick up a copy. It’s hardcover with 312 pages and 566 full color images. It’s set for release in early May 2010. There’s even a deluxe limited edition that includes a collector’s case full of art prints (shown in the picture). Check out www.rockpapershow.com to find out more.

Also some sneak peeks here: http://www.rumors-studio.com/blog/?p=335

Indiana Jones Graphic T-Shirt

Not too long ago the art director of Lucasfilm Licensing asked me to come up with a series of designs for a new line of Indiana Jones merchandise. He liked my rock n’ roll influenced art and wanted me to carry some of that style over into the new Indy graphics. So being a huge fan of Indiana Jones/Harrison Ford all those years ago really paid off and made this an easy and fun job for me. You can checkout and buy some of the stuff at the official Indiana Jones online shop:  http://shop.starwars.com/catalog/category.xml?category_name=189;toptab=1 . Now if I can only get them to hire me for some Han Solo stuff that would be the feather in the fedora!

I have replaced most of my albums with digital (CD) versions but I still love staring at all the great cover art in it’s true form. I mean that’s what inspired me to become a Graphic Artist in the first place. But after years of dragging heavy milk crates from city to city and having the B-List copies stored in basements here and there – I feel it’s time to move on.

Now with all of that said I will never get rid of a handful of favorites such as my first official record buy; The Banana Splits. I have some rare collectible pieces too that are worth some cash so I’ll be holding onto them for awhile longer. I think what ultimately needs to be done is a major thinning out of the not so important albums and just keep the ones I always go back to - making for a leaner meaner collection. So some rough days are ahead for me and the poor unsuspecting wax circles. Wish me luck. Of course there’s always the possibility of this purge idea entirely backfiring and I end up kickstarting my own vinyl revolution!

The Fireman (McCartney) - Electric Arguments

It’s not everyday that a 66 year old rock vet breaks new ground but that’s exactly what Paul McCartney (aka The Fireman) has done with his latest album Electric Arguments. It’s not necessarily new ground in the world of music but rather in the world of McCartney’s creative endeavours. I think a lot of credit can be given to producer Youth for getting Sir Paul to write and record 13 songs in 13 days – which I think is a great idea for any performer.

All the experimental avenues on this record sound natural and not forced. I really like the diversity of styles and approaches. I think each fan will find a different favorite song for sure. It’s great to hear Paul at the top of his game. I’ve been listening to this record everyday now since I got it. And yes I am and always will be a big McCartney fan no matter how uncool it may be. You go Paul!

They wear their rock n roll hearts on their sleeves and we love ‘em for it. Support a cool indie business and find your new favorite shirt by visiting http://www.designateria.com . They even sell cool concert posters by Guy Burwell, Mark Arminski, Steve Harradine and yours truly.

The Tragically Hip - Live From The Vault cover art

Well December of 2008 turned out to be a very busy month. Along with getting ready for the holidays I was working like crazy on a secret project for Canada. The Tragically Hip approached me to create album art for their new concert series Live From The Vault. I always love doing work for The Hip so I jumped at the chance. The band is releasing some of it’s best performances for fans to purchase and download. Believe me when I say they sound amazing and capture the band at it’s best. The first three volumes are available now at www.thehip.com. Check ‘em out.

Cheers,
Will