TE BLOG | Tyrone Ohia's design obscurities

Radical Radiowaves No.22

2012-02-15T15:33:00.001+13:00

Etahi Mea 'Maori'

2012-02-07T17:35:00.000+13:00

"On this record are examples of the poi."
Viking Records, ca.1950s. Recording Engineer: Ivan Tidswell, cover photo by KE Niven Ltd. Made in New Zealand

Salem Records, ca. 1960s. Produced by Peter Caithness, recording engineer: Frank Douglas, cover image courtesy of The Tourist and Publicity Dept. Made in New Zealand

Columbia Records, ca. 1950s. Original recordings of the Rotorua Maori Choir, recorded at Rotorua, 1930. Made in New Zealand.

Radical Radiowave No.21

2012-01-13T11:44:00.002+13:00

Station Angie kicking it off nice 'n' bright for 2012

Radical Radiowaves No.20

2011-12-02T10:58:00.001+13:00

New Zealand Scouts Handbook

2011-11-17T17:02:00.001+13:00

We're going on one of those work adventure days somewhere over in Martinborough tomorrow. High wire ropes, flying foxes, shooting guns and that sort of stuff. Luckily, I'm well prepared – I found this super info-jammed scouts handbook in Hawera a few weeks back.

Here's a quick rundown of 'Scout Law' for the untrained:

A Scout's honour is to be trusted.
A Scout is loyal to the Queen, his country, his Scouters, his parents, his employers, and those under him.
A Scout's duty is to be useful and to help others.
A Scout is a friend to all, and a brother to every other Scout, no matter to what country, class or creed the other may belong.
A Scout is courteous.
A Scout is a friend to animals.
A Scout obeys orders of his parents, Patrol Leader, or Scoutmaster without question.
A Scout smiles and whistles under all difficulties.
A Scout is thrifty.
A Scout is clean in thought, word and deed."

180mm x 125mm saddle stitch, 168pp. Two colour blue card cover. Published by The Boy Scouts Association of New Zealand, Equipment Branch, P.O. Box 2802 Wellington. First Edition (15,000). Printed by Wright & Carman Limited, Wellington.

Radical Radiowaves No.19

2011-11-07T11:47:00.000+13:00

Sign me up for The Lost Tribe

Electronic Musical Projects

2011-11-04T10:57:00.002+13:00

Beaming in from the streets of New Delhi via one Paul Johnson is this lo-fi bible. Keeping it real for all DIY faithfuls with circuits for accented beat metronomes, bass and treble boosters, fuzz box's waa-waa's and much much more.

A5 saddle stitch, 52pp. 2 colour gloss cover. Published by Manish Jain for BPB Publications, B-14, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Printed by Manish Jain at Goyal Offset Printers, Delhi.

New Zealand Minimaps $1.20

2011-10-21T17:36:00.000+13:00

Go open your glove box and pull out your road map. Then just spend some time comparing it to these badass rumblers. Actually, it's probably all Tomtom Sat–nav's these days. Even so, they could do with a bit of two colour loving.

Herbs make food delicious

2011-10-14T17:30:00.001+13:00

"This book is not written with the idea of adding to the many excellent publications on herbs, and all the history and legends attaching to them — to say nothing of their medicinal and nutritional value. It merely tries to fill a want which is felt in New Zealand regarding their cultivation in this country which varies very considerably when compared with that obtaining in Europe and America."

Awesome.

A5 saddle stitch, 24pp. One colour, printed by Kerslake, Billens, and Humphrey, Ltd., Levin, NZ.

The New Zealand Ski Year Book

2011-09-22T15:15:00.002+12:00

Some kiwi–swiss goodness in dashing black and white. The front and back are super packed with bitsy, annoying adverts, but the meat in the middle is pure scotch fillet steak.

185 x 235mm perfect bound, 80pp. Monotone, printed in New Zealand by Coulls Somerville Wilkie Ltd., Wellington. Published on behalf of the New Zealand Ski Association.

Radical Radio Waves No.18

2011-09-16T11:05:00.002+12:00

Two cool cats, holding it down all the way from Port Huron, Michigan.

Kava Lover

2011-09-02T15:57:00.000+12:00

I used to drink kava all the time at high school when I worked part-time for this fruit mart that sold it in these nice brown paper bags. But this packaging straight from Fiji is the business. We had it at a mates recently and he was about to chuck this paper packaging in the bin. No way Jose.

Radical Radio Waves No.17

2011-08-29T22:55:00.000+12:00

D.I.Y all the way

Radical Radio Waves No.16

2011-07-23T15:42:00.000+12:00

I know it's a cop-out excuse, but I've been super busy lately settling in to my new job. But I'm getting back on the horse man, so regular service will pretty much be resuming. Cool.

Radical Radio Waves no.15

2011-06-29T15:33:00.002+12:00

The Hamilton Spook

Nature in New Zealand

2011-06-23T13:54:00.000+12:00

Picked up this sweet little trio from the candy shop just the other day. Super beautiful series – not too sure if this is the full set? I'd assume there's a birds one, as well as a plants one at least. Bit of a luxury post, but they deserve to be seen as a family.

They're all 120mm x 190mm hardbacks.

Radical Radio Waves no.14

2011-06-22T12:39:00.000+12:00

Straight outta Texas.

Radical Radio Waves no.12 & 13

2011-06-15T09:48:00.003+12:00

I didn't get round to slapping one of these cats up last week, so it's a 2 for 1 Wednesday.

I've also made a separate flickr set for these guys, so check em all out.

Radical Radio Waves no.11

2011-06-03T11:49:00.000+12:00

There's this old hand-painted sign on the side of the road somewhere between Kapiti and Wellington, it's a got giant illustration of a rose on it and some old display type. Anyone know the one I'm talking about? I tried to Google-Map it but there's no street-view out those ways. Anyway, this card reminds me of that sign. Same style, colours and everything.

Massage For Relaxation

2011-06-02T11:57:00.001+12:00

I'm not usually into landscape format books. They just seem a bit ugly. But I saw this one just sitting on top of a bunch of crap at this shop, all symmetrized and glowing with enlightenment, it's one of those exceptions to the rule. It's also gotta be one of the most mystical covers I've come across, and turns out to be yet another publication from the Lotus Yoga Centre here in Wellington who's book Practical Vegetarianism I posted last year.

It's super packed with instructional photography that they shot specifically for this book, tons of hand warm-ups and different types of pinching, wriggling, and cupping which you can stretch out to an entire day of puzzled browsing. The concentrated cropping almost makes you feel like you're looking at something you shouldn't be looking at. Every picture is an intricate close up of some body part, with these two mischievous hands that just enter the frame and wreak havoc.

Also tucked away between the pages was this way-cool chart about foot reflexology. It's always a nice surprise to find loose odds and ends in second-hand books, and for once, this one is actually relevant. Makes me think it might be worth me sussing a post about all the stray knick-knacks I've found in old books.

Anyways, another rad book from the Lotus Yoga Centre. These guys really put in a solid effort... I can't wait to stumble upon another of their gems.

A4 Tape Bound, 120pp. First Edition, printed and published in 1980 by Lotus Yoga Centre Inc.

Radical Radio Waves no.10

2011-05-24T17:15:00.002+12:00

What's 'Fender Bender' so bubbly about? Looks like he's recently been in a head-on collision with the not-so-shy 'Bashful'. Crazy times in Spokane, WA.

Radical Radio Waves no.9

2011-05-20T16:08:00.000+12:00

Hot Stuff, Ding Bat, and Peanut bringing the Friday goodness.

The Lake Taupo Boating and Cruising Handbook

2011-05-19T12:58:00.003+12:00

I'm not too sure if anyone's already done this, but the cover style of this book is just asking to be made in to an awesome 'lakes' book series.

Lake shape + Lake name = Lake book cover

Just keep repeating that formula for each lake. Then move on to rivers, national parks, cities, highways, cars, food, people, whatever. Maybe if God was a designer, all of his pictograms would be done bird's-eye view.

Anyway, when I opened this book up I was greeted with this!

Some little grommets been getting wild all over it. And to be honest, it's only gone and made this handbook twenty times better. The maps look like they were done by some guy who probably gave up drawing when he was a tot, so it seems fitting that an actual toddler should brighten them up. Naturally I got a little bit carried away and 'coloured' a few myself. They're a bit more abrupt than the originals, but I'm formally trained, and you know you just can't force that sorta stuff out.

I'm taking this back to the op-shop now, so if you're in Wellington keep an eye out. If you get hold of it, you know what you gotta do.

Radical Radio Waves no.8

2011-05-12T15:12:00.000+12:00

I've seen it so many times before, but print–layering never fails to impress. It just looks fresh every time. That seesaw balance of calculated chance just seems to be so naturally appealing. It's like saying 'hello' and 'f*!k off' at the same time. And I guess there's something kinda appealing about that too.

I've been constantly isolating the red, blue and black layers of this card in my head for a while now, so I thought I'd do it properly for this post.

It's kind of like an off the wall version of that 'The Lost Vikings' computer game. The individual layers obviously appear quite incomplete on their own, but they have a bent charm about them. And there's something nice in knowing that although they're three odd fellows, when you smash them all together, they achieve something uniquely special. Something that can't just be methodically achieved. And that's why I love this stuff.

Radical Radio Waves no.7

2011-05-02T17:20:00.000+12:00

Another QSL card straight from the Joe Salmon archives. Symmetrical beauty at its best – front and back – with some truly magical type-setting.

Nu Hairdo

2011-05-02T16:29:00.001+12:00

As you can see, Te Blog has been undergoing a bit of a revamp. Just bare with me as I butcher the code to bits and bend it to do what I want it to. Copy pasting code is the future DIY... anyone can do it! So forget about shoddy doorways and creaky floorboards – now'days it's all about the messy back-end.

Jazz

2011-04-28T16:56:00.000+12:00

Thanks to my pal, and renowned book designer Lindsay Missen, I've picked up a fun little job designing weekly jazz-night posters for the Lido – a local Wellington cafe.

Hopefully, over time they'll amount to a nice little poster series. But in the meantime, get down to the Lido for good food, and good music.

Pick a card. Any card.

2011-04-26T14:50:00.003+12:00

There's a pretty choice art show in Whanganui this coming weekend... be sure to check it out if you're near the river.

"Kia ora all! You are warmly invited to the opening of 'Pick a card any card'

An exhibition featuring 54 local and other emerging and established artisits. Each artist received and re-interpreted a card from the deck and the results will be shown this weekend only.

When: 5:30pm 29th April
Where: 17 Taupo Quay (old Bill Milbank Gallery)

Show will open from 10am to 3pm
Saturday and Sunday only."

It's a pretty awesome and eclectic deck of cards, the chance of something tickling your fancy is high if not certain. Mine is a lino cut of this badass Maori superhero – he's one of the jokers.

Radical Radio Waves no.5,6

2011-04-21T10:49:00.001+12:00

I didn't do a post last week so this one's an Easter-Holiday-Bumper-Special.

If you're in to church and stuff, then have fun rocking out with that – and if your not then still have fun anyway with friends and whanau, on a boat or maybe in someones lounge or shed, whatever works. Don't argue with four days off, and don't forget the ANZAC Dawn Service either. Busy weekend eh.

Soviet Alchemy

2011-04-12T10:24:00.001+12:00

There has been an influx of Russian literature at the Wellington Salvation Army recently... who knows what it's all about. Is there some sort of underground library run by a guy with an eye-patch, who's primary goal is to infuse our local knowledge with fables from abroad? I hope so.

When I saw the cover for this chemistry textbook I thought it made more sense upside-down. I turned it around and I genuinely thought it looked better that way, with the images at the bottom. Which makes some sort of nonsensical-sense considering we're geographically upside down to Russia. I wonder if they prefer viewing our designs upside-down? I hope so.

Anyway, the book is packed with some pretty explosive two-colour illustrations and diagrams that need to be seen by all of you. And keep an eye on my flickr, hopefully I'll get a chance to make a set of all the illustrations this afternoon.

Radical Radio Waves no.4

2011-04-06T15:17:00.003+12:00

'The Little One'... taking over the radio waves with his larger-than-life demeanor. He's a modern myth – far too badass to be real.

Radical Radio Waves no.3

2011-03-31T11:35:00.000+13:00

Gray Dawg... in it for the long haul.

Radical Radio Waves no.2

2011-03-23T14:54:00.004+13:00

I don't think anyone really knows what's going on here. All I know is it's great to look at.

The type looks like it was Dad-set... it's a definite Dad-knows-best typesetting aesthetic.

They've even got custom embroidered polos', damn Gooney birds.

Radical Radio Waves no.1

2011-03-16T17:21:00.001+13:00

Holy hardcase – QSL cards coming in from my brother Joe Salmon. Hundreds, and possibly thousands of them that have been stashed away, will finally be unleashed upon our unsuspecting world. These cavemen have lived far from the light of day, housed in a seemingly commonplace blue photo album with gold embellishments. It's contents and potential powers unknown, until now...

Once a week, a new card will be posted within the confines of this blog. One every week, until resources dwindle, or time as we know it, runs out.

Thanks Mr Salmon.

Tom Ryan Solo Show!

2011-03-04T15:05:00.006+13:00

Hey!

If you're in Whanganui in the next week or two, make sure you go see the creative works of your friend Tom Ryan.

Opens Tuesday 8 March 2011 at the Edith Gallery, UCOL, Whanganui.

I think there might be free Lion Reds there too. Sweet!

Wildlife: A review, No. 11

2011-03-01T11:55:00.008+13:00

Scored this guy a while back for something like 50 cents. It was sitting next to a bunch of Woman's Day mags from the 90's that were going for $2 each. Money won't buy you taste...

Far from being a piece of gloss–trash, this modestly priced fullah is a pretty solid all–rounder. It definitely has its hiccups, don't doubt that – it's from the 80's – but luckily they're funny hiccups, and not those annoying ones.

Sans gloss–trash stocks? Check
One point size and weight for headings? Check
One point size and weight for text? Check
Underlining for all text emphasis? Check
Monotone throughout? Check

Pretty easy really... someone tell the Woman's Day designers that.

Numeral hiccups. '5' has been curling his moustache, and '4' has got his arch on... trendy bastards. The shallow ascenders and descenders are definitely something I could get cosy with, check out '23'. Man. Much more pleasant than the usual big dangling earings.

That's the thing about taste though. Let's all just agree to disagree.

More tasters on Flickr.

A5 saddle stitch, 68pp. Monotone with green card cover. P. D. Hasselberg, Government Printer, Wellington, New Zealand – 1981.

Twenty Eleven

2011-01-14T17:18:00.001+13:00

I'm always a little bit late with this sort of stuff. Well, most stuff to be honest. Either way, bring on the future!

"Creative Living Everyone"

2011-01-12T12:35:00.007+13:00

Scouring the depths of the Scenario library shelves – I happened upon a secret book packed with handy solutions, such as the one, two, and three proudly presented to you here. You'll have to pay to see the rest. And what price would one put upon the solving of all your modern problemos?

It ain't kiwi, but it's still pretty neat. More to come?

Governor's Bush

2010-12-08T10:32:00.008+13:00

Sick of slapping the cold concrete of the city? Tired of motor vehicle exhaust tainting your every belonging? Fed up with product barcodes caging your creativity? Then steady your eyes upon the pages of this book. Feel yourself slip into deep tranquility as your eyes pleasantly peruse in and out of the allocated graphic spaces at a leisurely pace.

You're out of town now. Someone's scattered seeds all over this here paper land. And stuff has just been growing. It's all good in the woods.

BushCraft

2010-12-02T09:56:00.007+13:00

Whoa! Manual no.1! A bit older and wiser than manuals no.3 and no.5... but stompin' none the less. Even in our current sci-future it's still the manual of choice when embarking on any sizeable adventure. All you need to do is add 'iphone' to the Clothing and Equipment list on page 12 and it's 2010-ready.

Take nothing but pictures. Leave nothing but footprints. More spreads on Flickr.

180mm x 125mm saddle stitch, 104pp. First Edition 1968. Produced in Wellington for the National Mountain Safety Council New Zealand, with acknowledgment to the Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand (Inc.). Printed by INL Print Limited.

Practical Vegetarianism

2010-11-05T14:34:00.009+13:00

Imagine a magical book that glowed with the atmospheric energy of jovial human spirits. Spirits that have spent their existence foraging only from the earths fruits, and who dare not disrupt the universes eternal balance. For the universe has a sweet-tooth for vengeance.

I'd say the universe itself is a vegetarian. A genderless vegetarian. Who probably isn't happy with most of us.

More spreads on flickr.

A5 saddle stitch, 94pp. 2 colour cover on green card. Fourth Impression – 1984. Published and printed by the Lotus Yoga Centre Inc. 129 Aro St. Wellington, NZ.

Sports Digest Oct. 1970

2010-09-09T11:39:00.011+12:00

More than a decade before the 81 Springbok Tour — this cover, glowing with wise intuition, wasn't just predicting the full-time scores, it was brewing all sorts of hell. In 1967, a planned All Blacks tour of South Africa was cancelled by the New Zealand Rugby Union because the South African Government refused to allow Maori players. Three years on, the bastards had a change of heart, and the 1970 All Blacks tour abroad is all go. South Africa won the series 3-1. The cover shot says it all I guess.

The inside bares no such racial tensions however, and I don't care too much for sports mags, but it probably isn't too far detached from its 2010 counterparts. Good old Joggie Jansen (above) is the mythical beast of balance — he juggles his university studies with the hard hits of being an upcoming rugby star and 'toting' heavy weights about in either hand. No mention of his favourite Up & Go flavour though... or how many Weetbix he can do.

But really... 'toting', what is that? Anyway, it's not just about rugby – there's outcast referees, naive team managers, a negro boxer, an Egyptian squash coach, a fetching young gymnast from Dunedin, and an interview with now legendary sports photographer Peter Bush. And 40 years on, he's still at it. What a hoot.

More images on flickr.

The boys in black

2010-09-02T14:48:00.014+12:00

Sharked myself a bunch of these beauts just the other day. 'Playtime Rugby Gum' trading cards from the 60s. Amazing bright red. The stock is super sturdy and has some sort of thin wax coating on it. Apparently the complete set weighs in at 45 cards, and, they were released in four different background colours – red, blue, yellow and green. How rad is that?

This site has a pretty thorough timeline of New Zealand rugby trading cards, the most striking of which seem to be the 1966-68 set, shown above. The simplicity of composition and colour is just so iconic.

My boss, who seems to know the unwritten history of everything – said the guy above on the left (with no neck) was a bit of a dag: His nickname was 'Jazz', he lived at home with his Mum, and would trim the yard hedges by lifting the lawnmower up on it's side and vertically mow them – "because it was easier that way".

Also shuffled in with the pack was the above bonus card from the 1948-68 set 'International Rugby Greats'. Despite the varying styles, both sets were released in 1968 and produced by 'Allens & Regina' (later 'Regina') in Oamaru.

I've scanned a few more onto my flickr if you're interested.

More goods from the dungeon

2010-08-31T11:07:00.006+12:00

It's been too long, but check this candy out. It can't be denied its place in history, and it's possible effects on the future. Amazing.

Nature Study. Plants and Animals of New Zealand

2010-06-24T11:50:00.006+12:00

As of lately I've been acquiring more assets... expanding the empire. This one's a first edition from 1948, and in pretty sharp shape. The typographic precision inside is pretty rough, and as you can see there are some pretty quirky spreads. The modest illustrations complete the childish charm.

Ambitious in its use of white space, it seems intent on being a field book, with ample room for young explorers to add scribbles and interpretations of their own discoveries, in turn, completing the vacant spread and personalizing the object in one fell swoop.

Once again, I have uploaded more scans of the book to my 'Te Blog' Flickr collection, so head over if you want to see more.

250mm x 185mm perfect bound hard cover, 64pp. First edition, September 1948. Published by A.H. & A.W. Reed. "Wholly set up and printed by Wright & Carman Ltd. 177 Vivian St. Wellington, New Zealand."

Mountaincraft (the manual)

2010-06-11T11:50:00.007+12:00

The last post was supposed to be about this book, but naturally it grew in to something else. So here within these pixels lies a dedicated post to said manual. Neat as!

Thanks again to my pal Costas who seems to be finding more of these books than me. True champion. Also I've started uploading all the scans to my Flickr photostream, so check it out to see heaps of extra spreads. Bonus!

MountainCraft

2010-06-10T15:50:00.012+12:00

I seem to be sitting on a loose theme of New Zealand mountaineering as of lately. I've done a few recent posts boasting such expeditions, and I've got many more in the wood work just waiting to be scanned in. Is it some sort of adventurous boom that took off, post Edmund vs. Everest? Keen pioneering New Zealanders of varying experience levels hitting the slopes, trying to get as high as they possibly could without the aid of illegal substances? Furthermore, does this adventurous spirit exist in us today? Perhaps not in the context of a physical mountain.

I guess the first point of interest is of course the systematic connection between this manual and Exposure or Hypothermia which sits at No.5, while Mountaincraft is No.3 in a series of manuals produced by the National Mountain Safety Council New Zealand (NMSC) throughout the 1970's. I'm not too sure of the full number in the series.

Fast forward to the present, and the NMSC has been shortened to Mountain Safety Council (MSC), and sports a new logo. To be honest I don't care too much for it. I mean it's not bad, I guess I've just grown too fond of the old vernacular mark. I'm not even too sure if the old mark was the actual logo. It doesn't have the organizations name in it. Does that matter? Nah.

To top it all off – and this is the disappointing part – I took a virtual visit to MSC to check out the current manuals they have in publication. As you can see from the selection above, they aren't the most inspiring designs, and it's a bit sad to see such a downgrade in design quality. Let's face it, the older manuals don't exactly carry the most precise system – the placement of cover elements are awkwardly different, and the dimensions are annoyingly varied. Nevertheless there is still a strong aesthetic connection, and they have such an authority, and character to them in comparison to the current collateral. Which unfortunately remind me of those posters and brochures in hospital waiting rooms. Ergh. Maybe it's all just a matter of context? Could today's seemingly spiceless handbooks be design gems in 30 years time?

Either way it's an entity with a lot of potential, just waiting to be organized. Then again, we don't want everything being designed too well do we.

Another Chop to the Throat

2010-05-31T16:45:00.004+12:00

How confused can a magazine be?

You've seen issue one, now bare witness to yet another barrage of unsettling publication design. It's all here... I love it.

More spreads on Flickr.

Mars Attacks. Space Adventure Bubble Gum

2010-05-11T15:03:00.005+12:00

Darkly mischievous trading cards from 1962. Norman Saunders!!!!!!!!!

Real Kung Fu

2010-05-04T14:08:00.004+12:00

So there I was scouring the depths of some foreign second-hand store. Knee-deep in old Australian Woman's Weeklies and seconds away from calling off another unsuccessful op-shop-trawl. But on this particular day, there was a voice in my head. A voice urging me to persevere, to concentrate and focus my power. Harnessing the energy within, I laid my hands upon the dusty jackets of a thousand neglected periodicals, and pushed on to discover the ancient treasures you see here.

This is the frontier where disciplined martial arts meets equally disciplined page compositions, and precise typesetting that hits you where it hurts. Let me tell you I counted about 26 different typefaces in this first issue alone. Shit. It's breaking all the rules, but it's breaking them good.

The cover itself is just something you can keep coming back to – it's strangely attractive with a queer logic about it. But the inner pages, I'll admit, I've taken a lot of influence from – page composition, text formatting styles and treatment of images... it's all there. Just in an unconventional way, which is great. I've got a few more of these so keep an eye out.

More spreads on Flickr.

A4 Saddle stitch, 72pp. CMYK with special foil cover. Volume 2, Issue 1, 1976. Published by Comray Publications and Entreprises Company Ltd. Hong Kong.

Medical Advice from a Backblock Hospital

2010-03-02T16:01:00.010+13:00

Receiving gifts can often be a nightmare... stuff you don't want, taking up space you don't have. You know the gig. But when I received this gift/book from one of my long time pals Costas Thrasyvoulou, I had no idea I'd be opening a whole new type of nightmare... A MEDICAL NIGHTMARE.

This book can only be described as the crazed memoirs of an alternative minded anti-doctor slinging his scalpel wherever the f#%k he wants. Making all kinds of radical yet casual incisions straight through the heart of the medical practice, and slashing his critics and 'trained' doctors alike all within one modest paperback.

Forget about those old photos of dark age surgical tools, and fill your head with the imagery conjured by the paragraphs of said publication.

"CHOKING: The usual story is a baby has swallowed its teat or its dummy. Catch it quickly by the heels and hang it upside down, spank it, and usually the dummy or whatever it happens to be reappears — if too big to go down. If not you may succeed in getting it out with your fingers. Usually it sticks at the back of the throat. I have seen a drunk man choked on a large piece of tough steak he had been trying to swallow. It was just at the back of his throat. I pulled it out quite easily with my fingers but he was dead..."

"CIRCUMCISION: I seem to spend my life trying to preserve babies' foreskins from the assaults (indirect of course) of parents and nurses. I forgive the former, not the latter – they ought to know better. Some Plunket nurses are specially active. They would appear to collect foreskins with the same enthusiasm as the Red Indians did scalps..."

"SORE BACKS: Here as elsewhere sore backs are common, but not so common as elsewhere. Some can be cured, some can't. Take a case I saw to-day. A visitor well-dressed and well-shod. "Doctor," and she talked as if she were repeating a lesson, saying something she had said hundreds of times before. Here is a brief resume: Duration ten years, ever since here last child was born, and getting worse. One doctor told her it was her kidneys, and she must stop eating meat and go on a diet and her pain would go. She did, but it didn't. Another doctor told her that her womb was out of place and she must have an operation, but would try her first with a ring, which he did – but she lost it at the races. Still another told her she had pyorrhea and she must get all her teeth out and then the rheumatism would go. She did, but it didn't. She also had consulted an osteopath, who said one of her spinal vertebrae was displaced, and when she had it replaced by him her pain would disappear. He did it, but it didn't – £20 did. Then someone advised her to consult me. She led me clearly to understand that she had not much hope (neither had I) that I could do her any good, after all these clever town doctors had failed. Still it was not costing her anything so she decided to try me out. She did, but I didn't. I said her case was a very obscure and interesting one, and led her to understand (I did not actually say so, of course) it was rather beyond a country doctor. She purred as we parted, so did I."

This may be rather tenderfooted of me, but I think this is going to be Te Blogs' book of 2010. It doesn't have any pictures, which is usually a no-go for me, but the text is just so outlandish. We're at the pinnacle of obscure books right now... the pinnacle. If you want a scanned digital copy, gimme a yell eh or visit my Flickr.

Thanks loads to my bud Costas, who incidentally runs an awesome blog on film, over at The Rushmore Film Society. Go check it. It's your one stop shop man.

210mm x 135mm saddle stitch, 96pp. Third edition, January, 1944. Progressive Publishing Society, Wellington, N.Z. Printed by T.P.R. Printing Co. Ltd. Wellington, N.Z. Design and format by R. A. Mckay.

Tarawera Eruption 7" Sleeve

2010-02-23T11:21:00.004+13:00

Swiped this eye-catcher just last night... straight outta the hands of my flatmate, straight outta 1986, straight into the digital scanner-grapher, and delivered to your pixel view screen.

"This waiata (song) is an impassioned plea for spiritual guidance to uplift the MAURI (life force) of TE ARAWA (the tribal canoe which captained by TAMA TE KAPUA arrived in Aotearoa (New Zealand) in the 13th century)."

Enter the mountain

2010-02-05T13:36:00.008+13:00

I'll be honest, this handbook looks like it's actually been on many a mountain climb. In fact I wouldn't be surprised if it's owner had died in an avalanche, and the book itself somehow managed to make its way back to safety. It's a seasoned veteran that has the scars to prove it... a regular R.J. MacReady.

Upon entering, you can't help but feel as though 'the mountains' that the book speaks of is a perilous universe in a galaxy far far away, or perhaps some sort of dragonesque creature that can only be defeated by the mightiest of beings. And this might not be far from the truth really.

"Some men are born climbers. They will learn little about climbing from precept. At the same time, many of the finest climbers fall short of our ideal of safe method because they have never concerned themselves with the possible existence of any fundamental principle governing the various unrelated movements in which they delight; and so it comes that, though they do nine things, by instinct, right, they do the tenth, by habit, wrong."

Journeying on through the handbook plays out like a video game guide — 'How to maneuver fences and gates', "How to act during fog" (direct quote) and 'Leading your party with strength and conduct' are among the myriad of topics discussed.

But despite the content, the design layout itself is much more respectable than that of any video game guide. The two major quirks that caught my eye were:

the generous page margins of around 20mm. Which seem to really show their bones on spreads with photos (above), and are doing a superb job of insulating the text and images from any sort of frost.
and the placement of text on the inside front and back covers. Usually this sort of thing smells of 'last minute text that needs to be crammed in somewhere', however in this situation it's purely functional, isolating the pieces from the inside pages.

Last but not least is the well set graphic diagram of Ground–Air Emergency Signaling Codes on pages 48-49 (above). No tramper should dare enter 'the mountains' without first studying these symbols. I can only hope that upon conquering this book I will myself be cloaked a Level 70 Mountaineer. A stunner of a handbook!

More spreads on Flickr.

A5 saddle stitch, 64pp. Monotone, with brown card cover. Printed by McKenzie, Thornton, Cooper, Ltd. 126 Cuba St. Wellington. Published by The Federated Mountain Clubs of New Zealand with the assistance of The Physical Welfare Branch, Department of Internal Affairs, Wellington, N.Z. in 1949.

GOOGLE it.

2010-01-29T09:57:00.003+13:00

Just when I thought the holiday season was wrapping up and people were getting serious again, I snapped this guy getting all sorts of crazy with Google Pants™. Not only are they white, but the type's set vertically, and down the back of the leg! Best photo I've ever taken.

Poster Post

2009-12-08T11:30:00.008+13:00

I don't think posters will ever die. They're like those dudes at parties who are always doing ridiculously wild stunts, but somehow they never get hurt, or caught out... how do they do it? Gnarly. Saw this particularly striking Lawrence Arabia poster the other day. Is that Winston Peters?

And this particularly 'striking' video clip to match. I wonder if the gig will be like this?

The Museum of Anti–Alcohol Posters

2009-12-01T16:25:00.009+13:00

Not being a follower of written Russian, or spoken Russian for that matter, I'm not really too sure what's going on here... and that's just the great thing about posters — who cares what they say!

Though it wasn't all pictures — I did have a good chuckle reading the 'moral of the story' translations under the images. Worth a look.

Exposure or Hypothermia?

2009-11-25T14:54:00.009+13:00

If I were to judge this book by its cover, I'd firstly admit that it is indeed – 'hot damn striking' – I know that for sure. It's staunch, it's stark... tick that off.

And secondly I'd assume that it's pages were wired with sophisticated anatomical diagrams, graphs on body temperature thresholds, and ten letter word combos that initially don't make any mortal sense. But somehow, I'd be wrong.

Ha! Lo and behold the inside doesn't look too intimidating at all. Infact, 'hypothermia' now looks nothing like the hazardous bite portrayed by the cover... it looks like some sort of cross country adventure for kids. A bouncy blow-up paddle boat, slide down the mountain, and slither like a snake in the desert. And I like that.

The introduction explains – "This booklet has been written for the layman..." which says alot. And logic aside, I really love the playful illustrations. Well coloured, with a decent amount of expression in the line work. They have that same sort of light humour that the Camping & Cooking illustrations have, despite the very-varying subjects.

All in all I'm kinda torn half and half with this book. Hence I don't really have much to say. The dimensions are really nice, colours, paper stock great. The cover is great, the inside illustrations are great, but together? I'm not too sure. The stylistic differences bug me too much. Maybe they were designed separately? Who knows. Just another love-hate relationship. Take the good, learn from the bad.

How about that logo on the back cover though?

More spreads on Flickr.

175mm x 115mm saddle stitch, 48pp. Produced for the New Zealand Mountain Safety Council. INL Print Limited.

National Library of New Zealand + Flickr

2009-11-04T12:29:00.002+13:00

Wallaceville railway crossing.
Photograph taken 9 January 1980 by Juliet Scoble.
Reference number: PA1-q-831-024-1
Original colour photographic print
Photographic Archive, Alexander Turnbull Library

So I was just over at the National Library of New Zealand website noseying around, and I found a link to their Flickr photostream. Yes the National Library of New Zealand is on Flickr! I think I've been living under a dead bear... as they've been a member since May 2007. There are some pretty fun collections – including a Movember set, with a selection of great New Zealand moustaches through history.

They've also joined The Commons on Flickr which is an online initiative whose purpose is to "...bring the treasures of the world's public photography collections to the attention of a wider audience, and to enrich those collections through the knowledge and enthusiasm of this audience."

So head over and have a look, and please be mindful of copyright laws concerning all this sort of historical material.

Poisonous Plants in New Zealand

2009-11-02T09:55:00.006+13:00

So, here we move on from the greenery of 'Common New Zealand Trees and Shrubs', to the hazardous red of 'Poisonous Plants in New Zealand'. With a very seriously typeset cover, it's more than clear that this "bulletin" is a bright slap on the hand for all those curious bush walkers who eat colourful flowers and sip on tree sap. You know the ones.

Most of the copy sits very similarly to newspaper columns... boxed in tightly, with many awkward breaks in the flow. This naturally creates a strong separation between image and text, which is probably a good thing – the last thing you want is plants branching into your text. Especially if they're poisonous. Dead words would be a tragedy.

The paper stock is a really smooth coated (yes coated) stock. No doubt the coating is some sort of bio-security seal that neutralizes the poisonous plants venom, stopping it from seeping in to the pages, or the hands of the reader. Very responsible design.

The illustrations are deceitfully beautiful for such plants. All of which are done by N M Adams, with the exception of one, which is done by K R West and can be seen on the right hand side of the spread above. The slight differences in style are quite subtle, but I actually prefer Wests' illustration. The lines are slightly sharper, and the pointillism more elegantly plotted. With lower contrast between shadow and highlight.
More spreads on Flickr.

A5 perfect bound, 50pp. 1 colour with red card cover. Printed by Blundell Brothers Ltd. Wellington 1960. Published by the Department of Agriculture, Wellington, New Zealand.

Thomas King!!

2009-10-30T14:47:00.004+13:00

I live in quite a big place with about eight flatmates. One of my flatmates is Thomas King. I think he might be the youngest in the flat. He's made a few short films in the short time he's been alive, most of which are moderately-bizarre and semi-surreal.

So here's one he made in 2008 sometime I think– 'Pickle'. You can check out some of his older films at Ivory Red Films on MySpace. Also he's currently working on a new film as we speak! Woohoo.

Camping & Cooking: Part Two

2009-10-19T11:45:00.004+13:00

The last three spreads of the Camping & Cooking book offer the perfect closure to such a scrambled book, confirming that what you have just experienced is indeed a dignified 'B-grade' publication.

Of course, this closure can only be realized once you've muscled through the tonne of recipes that for some reason all include potato or egg; and dodged the many 'inspiring' quotes scattered along the bums of pages, including such beaut's as:

"Patience is the companion of wisdom" — Augustine.

Great... perhaps something to keep in mind next time you're camping?

And so the end begins with some space to reflect. A blank page with the heading "Your own reminders." I have to admit, I'm a huge fan of books that leave room for annotation. In fact I think all books should lend such space. Space to think, space to interact, space to critique and extend upon; giving the owner a sense of resolution and connection to the volume.

Hence page 58 is my player of the match.

So, probably just like the end of the world, all that's left is... you guessed it! Advertisements! Crammed in the back and squashed against each other! Last minute lumps of holiday luggage. Colourful beach towels and frisbees? Not really, more like the obligatory spare pair of socks and undies. No, I actually really like them. And hey, c'mon... without these sponsors, this design relic wouldn't exist.

To tell you the truth, I'm thinking of finding as many obscure local businesses as I can to sponsor and fund my next book, giving me the chance to make a feature of all their ads at the back on some nice coloured stock. Just you wait. It'll be way awesome.

More spreads on Flickr.

165mm x 205mm saddle stitch, 64 pp. Text – too many colours with 3 colour cover on yellow card. No publishing details. "All enquiries: C/- 3 Woodstock Rd., Auckland, 10. Ph. Auck. 469-640."

Camping & Cooking: Part One

2009-10-15T15:25:00.013+13:00

This has got to be the happiest, most innocent and friendly book I've got... it's just like my mum. I kinda half ass posted this book on my website ages back, but here it is a bit more full assed.

Camping and Cooking is a small guide book that I consider to be one of the quirkiest, underrated artifacts I've ever found. It doesn't seem to have a date reference but I'm dangerously-assuming it was produced in the 70's. If you were around then, you would've purchased it from "The Motor Centre Limited. 50 Northcote Rd, Northcote. (Next to Pizza Hut)".

I guess the first point of interest is the landscape fold orientation. Why they decided to roll this way I have no idea. Calender envy perhaps? Drive-while-reading ergonomics? Who knows. Whatever the reason, I like it on the grounds of pure charming oddity.

The typesetting is hilarious, as you can see in the above image. And the typewriter baseline is unashamedly drunk like most good uncles. There are a few really crooked characters here and there, not to mention HUGE double spaces after fullstops.

Too much fun was had making this book. Firstly, the text seems to have as many colours as a fruit salad. Then the paper stocks follow suit and shine like a pastel rainbow, popping out of view only to reappear on a later page, thanks to the saddle stitched bind. Also popping about are the page numbers in the lower right hand corner, some are set 20mm in, while others are half cropped off the page. Ballsy as.

Here's my favourite line from the book, that does surprisingly well in summing up it's winsome character:

"Turn your hub caps into "Boomerangs".
Hub caps are expensive to replace, so by putting your name, address and telephone number inside each one will increase your chances of getting them back if they fall off. Nothing elaborate is needed – a felt tipped pen or chinagraph pencil will do the job adequately and quickly."

I'll close it at that for now. Stay peeled though, there will be a 'Part Two'. Oh and bring on the great New Ziland summer, I'll be sure to keep this shiner right beside my barbecue, might even photocopy it out for my Dad's Christmas present.

More spreads on Flickr.

Native Animals of New Zealand

2009-10-14T14:42:00.006+13:00

Almost everybody I know has fond memories and/or a copy of this classic kiwi 'handbook'. He's quite a popular guy. I'm pretty sure I've even seen him in one of the Flight of the Conchords HBO episodes just simply hanging out on a dresser. I say 'he' because the cover is definitely chiseled, and come to think of it, would probably look good sporting a beard... no doubt about it. Gender aside, it is yet another great example of a cover on coloured card – enhanced particularly by the striking design.

Often, I find the inside title pages of books are the most interesting.

Firstly, because the information contained is always so graphically and typographically varied.
Secondly, because it is usually the first spread you see upon opening the book, and therefore where the cover meets the inside pages.
And thirdly (wildcard), because it seems to be the page that most people tend to write/scribble on. Addresses, phone numbers, swear words, the lot. Which, if you're into vintage books, only enhances the experience of an aged piece of literature.

The page structure is simply a 2 column tower. The outside columns for images and the inside for copy, with a few instances where the text jumps into the outside columns and takes charge.

The illustrations as you can see, are beautifully envisioned. And did I mention there are like 200 of them? It's a New Zealand gem. Enough said.

More spreads on Flickr.

240mm x 185mm perfect bound, 96pp. 1 colour, with 2 colour yellow card cover. Fifth-impression of the second-edition. Unity Press Ltd, Auckland. 1967 – 68.

Guide to the Whanganui river

2009-09-29T11:09:00.006+13:00

A must have for any canoeing adventurer. I picked up this guide and it just had that awesome 'worn-in' weight to it. Dirt-dust stained cover, with an exhausted spine that pretty much opens flat on any page... well used.

The cover is a hybrid of quirky typography, and pure functionality. The baseline of the title looks like it's sitting along a creaky bridge that spans the river itself, while the centre diagram is an actual sun compass that when combined with a "thin, straight stick" can be operated to gain bearings, as the instructional notes on page two explain.

The inside title page is probably my favourite, consisting of:

the title — epicly leaded.
the edition details — tidily tabled.
the contact details – leaded in a vice grip.
and the press stamp — smudged, and kookily centred.

As you can see, there are some interesting typographical details throughout. The change in type colour throughout is something that caught my eye. And, please take a special highlighted note of the signature placement and the presidents details falling into the spine. That's how it's done ladies and gents.

The content itself is quite comprehensive, and covers everything from road safety to metric conversions. The headings are underlined caps, with the subheadings underlined lowercase, and a single point size used throughout (nice). At the back is also a list of affiliated canoe clubs, and further readings. And to top it all off, it's got blank pages at the back marked for additional notes. Neat as.
More spreads on Flickr.

A5 saddle stitch, 52pp. 1 colour and yellow card cover.
3rd Edition 1977. The Watermark Press.

BUT WAIT, THERE'S MORE!
I looked up the New Zealand Canoeing Association and found that this guide is still in use! The latest edition is the 17th edition and was published in 2008. I'm currently trying to get my hands on a copy to see how far it has 'evolved'.
Awesome as bro!

alexander turnbull catalogue

2009-09-28T21:59:00.004+13:00

There's no doubt the Alexander Turnbull Library has a myriad of catalogue publications. The library stemmed from the private collection left behind by Alexander Horsburgh Turnbull in 1918, was made available to the public in 1920, and became a division of the National Library of New Zealand in 1966.

I was originally struck by the daring cover typography of this catalogue and, coincidentally, exchanged a two dollar coin to claim the booklet as my own.

The red type appears solely on the front cover, and close observation shows that the primary ink which at first seems obviously to be black, is actually a dark grey, which gives the booklets images and type a very soft overtone, which is further exaggerated by the uncoated cream stock.

Once inside, you can't help but admire the composition of image and text. Well considered, with understated shifts in scale and contrast. This all makes for a very charming, yet content piece of design.

A5 saddle stitch, 32.pp. Printed at the Caxton Press. Christchurch, NZ.

Funky

2009-09-15T14:37:00.005+12:00

Study the soul to know the sword. A funky mind, a funky sword.

Possibly the best blog I've ever seen! But beware – there's far too much B-grade goodness over there, so try not to overdose. It'd be like taking too many of those vitamin pills and being told you're too healthy, which surely can't be good for you.

Particularly liked the 'A Colt is my Passport' and 'Big Man Japan' trailers. And of course the tiled poster background.

Field guide to common new zealand trees & shrubs

2009-09-14T12:07:00.008+12:00

Picked this little greeny up a while back from me local forest. A nice pocket guide reference with beautiful, classic illustrations. A5, one-colour, on a creamy yellow stock.

I could design small books like these forever. The full green on the cover's a good contrast to the inner pages, but I'm a little undecided on the 'groovy' title typeface. It also has a small ruler running along the back cover, which I'm guessing is to measure leaves?

Published by the National Conservation Week Campaign Committee, in 1978, and produced by Print Marketing Consultants, Wellington.

Hit the images for higher rez.

Ka Pai!

2009-09-13T11:56:00.005+12:00

I was walking down the street last week when I bumped into the Joseph Churchward book. Naturally, I opened the book and proceeded to eye-smile at it. Awesome, and designed by David Bennewith, available at Clouds.

If you like laughing, check out his Typeradio interview, he's so funny!

I snatched the above images from the Te Papa online collection which has loads of his stuff. Choice.

ZOmbie zombie

2009-09-11T16:40:00.008+12:00

I'm usually a bundle of innocent vocabulary when it comes to posting, but every now and then I misplace my manners — Holy s##t this video clip is the f###ing s##t!

Zombie Zombie + G.I. Joes + 'The Thing' = Perfection

It's literally off the cool-o-metre. I sit filled with envy.

Upgrade your web cred

2009-09-01T10:32:00.005+12:00

Old people talk about the weather, and televised news. But young people talk about these. 99 classics. This should boost up your web-cred, and keep you smart trendy for ultimate link-droppage in the chat rooms.

Client Direction

2009-08-26T11:12:00.006+12:00

Well I've been working in industry for almost 10 months now, firing arrows and stumbling into all sorts of odd situations.
One of which occurred today.

I had a client tell me the exact typeface they wanted to use, right down to the weight!
Whoa!
Wait a minute... Demi Bold?!
What's a client doing messing around in typeface weights? All the more, Demi Bold? Hahahahahahahahahaha Demi Bold? What? WHY?

Sneaky rascals.

Old fossils

2009-08-11T13:53:00.000+12:00

Far out! Check out this old dinosaur money I found in the sand! Legal prehistoric tender for use at your local bankasaurus. Dinosaurs didn't use numbers, so they colour-coded their currency, simultaneously keeping it simple, and keeping it real. Neat!

lose the filler

2009-08-11T09:59:00.000+12:00

Movie-a-Minute guarantees minute long summaries of entire movies! Ha! Surely not? Well they do, and some of them are ridiculously accurate:

ARMAGEDDON | Directed by Michael Bay

NASA
An asteroid is coming.
We are in trouble.
Nerd
You must blow it up from the inside.
Probably.
NASA
Let's teach drillers to be astronauts,
on account of drilling is too hard for astronauts to learn.
Bruce Willis
Instead of for a ninjillion dollars,
we will only do it if we don't have to pay taxes anymore,
because audiences can relate to that.
Audience
I can relate to that.
Therefore, I love it.
THE END

THE GODFATHER | Directed by Francis Ford Coppola

Marlon Brando
Those who cross the family must be punished
(almost dies)
(dies)
Al Pacino
I'll run the family business straight now,
after I kill all these people
THE END

This my friends, is the future for movies.

We have Meal-in-a-Pill dinners (take 3 per day), 100gB per second internet, and same day couriers. We live turbo lives—Yet I spent three-and-something hours watching that film?

Bring on the one minute movies of the future I say. I haven't got time for intricate character development, this is 2009 man. Abstract the Fact!

Also, for those of you who read books: Book-a-Minute!

club rose: basement bar honeymoon

2009-08-06T12:16:00.000+12:00

I found this classy flyer at my local second hand store and couldn't stop looking at it. It's like a bizillion dollar note on the front, and fishnet-infographic-turmoil-land on the back!

The back side is the bit that got me going (mind out of the gutter).
It's absolutely jam packed with 'bits'... 'bits' of 'stuff'.

There are two location maps, tangled in text, mixed with an impressive list of accepted currencies, and spiced up with a selection of 'top-gal' pics. And that's without even mentioning the 'music-corner'– displaying the latest Scandinavian 'erotikk musikk' albums on their jukebox. I love the bits of red scattered in through the black.

You literally couldn't make this sort of stuff up.
It's beyond any trained designer.

men who defy death for a living!!

2009-07-31T11:33:00.000+12:00

Pulp comics are like DIY tradesmen— they know no limits, don't give a crap, and are way too cool for Whitcoulls book stores. I've been eating pulp art for some time now, and this obscure site is one of my favourites. Quirky hand type, energetic cropping, and weird ambiguous narratives for the win. AND, they're all octopus-themed! SIMPLY UNCANNY!

The second site is this one, which has got way too many litres of juice for a man–made website. I spent 2 hours and 23 minutes looking through all the covers. I mean, a robot tipping over a tank, with skewed, 3D typefaces, and the authors name half cropped off the bottom?

Way too rad!

two posts in one day?

2009-07-29T16:35:00.000+12:00

Because of my TDC 55 antics, I was recently invited to be profiled on 'D&AD Talentpool'. Which is D&AD's database/gallery/collection/club/troop, of up-and-coming/totally hip/absolutely modern/all-wheel-drive/idea-straddling/paper-punishing/leather pants creative graduates from around the world.

I've been walking around practicing the secret handshake, but I just end up getting my fingers all tangled like the D&AD logo! No, sorry, I quite like the logo Mr Forbes.

But anyway, head over to talentpool to check out some of the profiled creatives. Ignore my shite, but there are some great projects on there so if you're in need of a bit of inspiration, or an extra push, have a nosey.

ye ol' type directors club

2009-07-29T15:55:00.000+12:00

The Type Directors Club in New York have announced the winners for the TDC 55, and my book 'The Duo Dynamica' made the cut and received a student award— 'Certificate of Typographic Excellence'. Swell!

You can find out who the judges were, and all sorts of other details about the competition and winners here. So that all sounds pretty fun and trendy.

I don't really know too much else, other than you get published in the Type Directors Club annual 'Typography 30', and the winning entries are exhibited in several different countries— which unfortunately are mostly in the northern hemisphere. So I won't be forking out any pennies to visit the show.

The Duo Dynamica can tell me what Europe was like when it gets back.
Lucky thing.

As for me, I have a copy at home which I can enjoy under private and intimate circumstances. But not really, I'm a bit bored of the blimmin thing. I put a copy in the blender and made a papier mache knife and fork from it. Much more useful than a silly book.

Tough times on land

2009-07-21T17:29:00.000+12:00

For some people, being suspicious is a full-time job. Questioning the norm. Rejigging a few of societies many cogs, and walking home backwards at night. Which happened to be the case last night when I went along to me trusted local pub for 'Conspiracy Film Monday'.

This months film was called 'Blue Gold: World Water Wars'. A film by Sam Bozzo. The film is about terrorists who are using water to make grenade bombs. Water, apparently, is the new gunpowder. The grenades are filled with compressed water, when they explode, the water is released, which then expands to the volume of an entire room, successfully drowning all the rooms occupants. Pretty cool.

Water guns are also on the production line, just think laser gun— BUT, replace the laser shot with concentrated beams of water. With a bit of luck, and the wonders of absolutely modern technology, the soldier of the future will be the two images below photo-merged™ into one:

KEVIN!

But seriously, if you know nothing about the fresh water dilemma, the film is great. Definitely worth the watch, and apparently (maybe I dreamt it?), it is being released free for download on the internet!
Legally free!
Not illegally!
Whoa!

Oh and I am talking about 'Blue Gold' by the way. Not 'Water World'.

AWKWARD COUGH breaks silence

2009-07-21T15:36:00.000+12:00

All you need to do is literally and/or simply look at the date of my last post to arrive at the conclusion that I am very efficient at updating me posts. I move fast, work fast, and think fast, like a calculator that can socialize. Ask me anything.

No. Stop it.

I guess all you want to know is— When and/or Where and/or What have I been doing as of the time that has passed in between posts. Well, you can ask (and ask you shall)... BUT, like the born-again-politician that I am, I will not directly answer you.

Oh but wait, look at this drawing that Ken 'Tino' Grate sent me the other day. He was simply just scribbling on some paper and this came out the other end.

death by misadventure

2009-06-11T20:15:00.000+12:00

The List of Unusual Deaths is a hilarious wikipedia page documenting uncanny deaths dated back to 430 BC. To think it was only yesterday I was discussing the significance of responsible design in the graphic design and advertising industries, yet here I am posting this link. Hypocracy plagues us all eh, but we do all need to laugh, even if it is at the misfortune of these jinxed individuals.

I can’t help but feel a slight edge of fantasy in this ‘factual’ wiki–page. What with people being beaten to death with their own wooden leg, drowning in brewery beer floods, and pushed to their imminent demise by multifunctioning factory robots.

So go on, take a break, waste an hour and have a read.

bill drummond | open manifesto

2009-06-11T20:11:00.000+12:00

The other day our creative director bought a book called ‘The17’ and hey presto I was in turn introduced to Bill Drummond. Now if I were to talk about Bill Drummond this would turn in to the longest post ever posted in the history of blogs, so I found a quote that says a bit about him… just a bit, so go find out more for yourself because there’s a lot to find:

“Like the Monolith in 2001: A Space Odyssey, Drummond has always been a step ahead of human evolution, guiding us on. Manager of The Teardrop Explodes, co-inventor of ambient and trance house, number one pop star, situationist pagan, folk troubadour, pan-dimensional zanarchist gentleman of leisure…and then, ladies and gentlemen, he THROWS IT ALL AWAY, machine-guns the audience and dumps a dead sheep on the doorstep of the Brit Awards and vanishes to build dry-stone walls. His new ‘band’ The K Foundation make records but say they won’t release them at all until world peace is established. Deranged, inspired, intensely cool.”
Select Magazine. 1993

A more recent interview can be found here. What a guy.

Anyway, amongst some of the websites he’s set up is one called ‘Open Manifesto’. Which “exists to define what art is and what art is not.” And has about 365 contributions to date, of which all of them are vieweble on the website. Naturally I’ve been looking at a few a day and above are some that I found interesting and funny. I’m not saying I agree or disagree with the statements, I’m just saying their interesting (or funny).

His other sites are: PenkilnBurn, Prepare to Die, You Whores, No Music Day.
So seriously check out Drummond, he’s a beyond–belief sort of guy.

forget the film, watch the titles

2009-06-11T20:09:00.000+12:00

I’ve been quite interested in title sequence design for sometime now, particularly onscreen typography in films (who isn’t!?), and was gladly cheery when I came across this website a while back.

Forget the Film, Watch the Titles is a nice little video collection of motion title sequences from films and television series. What I like about the site is that they’ve included informative write–ups that accompany the clips and mainly focus on profiling and interviewing the designers who created the pieces. There is a good variation of typographic and graphic styles, so chances are you’ll find something that ticks your box.

Above are stills from one of my favourite title sequences, The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly which were designed in 1966 by Iginio Lardani, who worked on various italian films— designing the posters and credits, but mainly editing the film trailers.

space collective!

2009-06-11T20:07:00.001+12:00

I was about one milli–move away from not posting this website, I didn’t want to share it, I wanted it all to myself. Space Collective is a website that will be the reason you get no work done for the next few weeks. It will be the reason you fail your degree, get fired for doing no work, and give in to the ultra link–to–linkage abilities of the internet. Your Firefox browser will physically blow up because you’ll have too many tabs open… mine did. Ultimate tabbage!

Space Collective is over packed with inspiration for anybody who is interested in anything. Period. I spent hours in the gallery section which has endless image links, mixed with pull quotes and interesting articles. Be sure to also check the posts and projects sections. Some truly groundbreaking concepts, and people to be discovered here. Have fun.

Cheers (or maybe not) to my pals James Brown for showing me, and to Tom Ryan for showing him. Great. Too great.

the danceteria

2009-06-11T20:02:00.000+12:00

This is probably my favourite website at the moment. Above are just a few of a vast library of flyers from the early 80’s for the New York nightclub Danceteria, which ran from 1980–1986. It was well known for dominating the downtown scene with a unique brand of performance and multimedia experimentation, and was frequented by many famous musicians and artists of the time.

The groundbreaking attitude of the club definitely echoed through in to the design of the flyers which have a powerful rawness that really catches your eye, and sets them a level above most other flyers of that style and era. Mainly consisting of one–colour designs on varying stocks, they have a loose unity to them which make for very impressive design artifacts, be it a solo flyer, or as a collected series. Rad as!

new site coming soon(ish)

2009-06-11T15:24:00.001+12:00

If you’ve seen my website lately (chances are you haven’t ever seen it), you’ll see that I’m in the process of designing a new one. I’ve been thinking about it for sometime now, and have finally stopped thinking, and started making.

So woohoo, hopefully that will be up sometime soonish (hopefully).

BRAND NEW job

2009-06-05T14:02:00.000+12:00

Yes, I have a job believe it or not. I’m currently designing and having a fun time at Scenario Communications in Wellington. It’s awesome! It’s probably three times more awesome than not having a job you like:

Awesome people X 3
Awesome fun X 3
Awesome design X 3

You do the math.

Hopefully I’ll be able to share some of the projects I’ve been a part of sometime in the near future, but for now check out the Scenario website, or drop in to either our Wellington or Auckland office for a chat. Cool!

Whoa! blog busker!

2009-06-05T10:06:00.000+12:00

After being lost at sea battling the natural elements of cinnamon explosions and long–ranged nail–file–attacks, I have almost regained sanity and decided to get some stuff done! I have started this blog, and am working on my new website that is going to be 7 and a half times better than my old website!

Some of the new features include (in order of importance):

and there may be even more! Who knows? I don’t.

For the meantime welcome to ‘Te Blog’.