May 08, 2008
Posted at 09:41 AM
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LOOK NO FURTHER: The absolute MOTHERLOAD of "Gallery Book Trade Labels." Holy hell, this one is good. Real good. Get in there and go nuts. This one should tide you over for now. I went through the whole alphabet. - - - - - - - - George from Union chimes in with a tool his buddy built called the "Kelvin 23." Nice lookin' piece of equipment, man! But more importantly, what's cool here is the story. Here's a guy that thought this thing up, then, went out and made it. So inspiring. I'll be ordering an orange one. Yep. Sold on it.
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The icon set above is from inside the front the cover, which starts off the book. Oh yeah, here's the book we've been talking about all week: "Outdoors USA" from 1967. It's for sale, too, out there on the internet. - - - - DAYWRECKER WARNING: Seth, you gotta warn me before you drop a link of that magnitude on us. Yowza. Seth from Wasa Industries punches in and sends us a link that just about shuts the whole week down. Whoever Leif Peng is, well, we tip our hats to you: Get started with some of the gems in the "Classic Illustration by Subject" sets. You gotta be kidding me. Every single set is worth the time it takes to click through it. Every single set. Man. I got pretty hung up in the "Atomic Age" set and almost didn't make it out. So good. For Evan "Mr. California" Rose: Get chilly in "Winter," you nugget. - - - - Now, once you catch your breath, get ready to get dirty in the "Classic Illustrators by Name" sets. Done. We've said it a million times on the rotgut blog: "Things were just better back then." So true. For Ryno, that horse-breathed ranchhand: The two-color greatness of Alex Toth. - - - - LADIES AND GENTLEMAN, THIS IS ABSOLUTE REQUIRED VIEWING/READING: Mark Farrow talks about his work on the Spiritualized packaging over the years. Brilliant. (Overheard at Chris Glass Center For Ohio Greatness.)
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Man, check that illustration above. Another beauty from the book I scored that blew my gourd on Sunday. Charley Harper? Maybe. - - - - MILLIONS AND MILLIONS OF POLAROIDS: Polanoid.net. Get in there and dig around, then, cry a little cuz isn't the whole "polaroid thing" kinda near death or something? I've heard some rumbling from loose-lipped colleagues. (This one was sent in by Jason Miller, of Minneapolis, Minn.) - - - - THIS JUST IN FROM THE LAST FRONTIER, FROM THE ONE AND ONLY JOHN CREWS: "The days of old have slipped by, we are all just part of the corporate grind now. Trains go north and come south and in four days they will begin their annual summer migration to and fro. Me, I just try to keep the herd of them together, seems like the dastardly mites we call the staff keep picking at the trains, causing endless toil by those of us who love them. Gone are the days of walking into a kitchen and eating my fill of bacon or prime rib. The days of young creative pups skirting the rules and laughing at us behind our backs are no more. It all used to be a summer game of cat and mouse but alas, the cats have gotten too big and the mice are all very subdued now. I miss the likes of a hooligan like you Mr. Draplin, and every once in a while, I will pull out a story about how invincible you were in the pit. Your record of most consecutive days (26 I believe) still stands as a testament to a worker from a bygone era." Now, friends, that is putting things nicely. John went easy on us. All this, coming from a guy who, on my very first day on the train, in my starchy whites and cook pants, doing everything in my power to not jump ship, comes up to a group of lowly dishwashers and says, "Hey, what's a guy with a 14-inch dick have for breakfast?" We all look at each other kinda puzzled and stunned, unable to eek out any words. "I had eggs," he says. From that day, I knew John Crews had the right stuff. A champion of the rail, and a good friend to all of us who had half a brain. Thanks man! - - - - A FOND MEMORY FROM MY DAY "ON THE RAIL": I survived this one. 12 miles north of Cantwell. I remember being excited for the "dead car" possibilities. That's where my head was, way up there on the tundra. - - - - A nice pile of old hand-held video games. Still have one of these, and it works perfectly. Awesome. - - - - More or less, a million examples of postal here, here and here. There goes the day.
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May 05, 2008
Posted at 10:01 AM
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The image above is from a book cover of an old book from 1967. Said image stopped me completely in my tracks at that flea market yesterday and I looked up to the crusty old proprietor and said, "Wrap it up!" Just like that. - - - - Many, many thanks to all the bad boys who bought DDC Action Caps the last 10 days. Much appreciated. Hope they are working well for ya. Be sure to send us a "digital snapshot" of you in them, "In action." Do it. Be a part of our DDC Merch Gallery. Tough customers. - - - - Why Leigh loves Tom Waits. "Say hi to your mother." - - - - All the covers of Fate Magazine.Now, pretty much like everything in the world, they all "go to shit" right around the start of the '80s, so, don't concern yourself too much with anything after 1980. The meat is in those '60s, friends. That's where you want to go. Get in there. Man, so good. - - - - A DOC WE WATCHED OVER THE WEEKEND: King Corn. Man, we are headed for disaster. Or maybe not. What a pickle we're in. Or, corncob. Something like that.
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Dale and I moved the flat files down to the new joint this afternoon. Much cussing, sweating, arguing and making amends ensued. STATUS REPORT: The flat files are in the building, assembled, cleaned up, oiled ready for business. - - - - Oh yeah, and we hit up a flea market up towards St. John's that just might've had the best pile of scores in I don't know how long. A long time. I walked away with a grocery bag full of treasures, of which I will be sharing this upcoming week. Holy hell. Some great items. And just to think this stuff was just sorta, uh, "out there," kicking around some in the back of an old man's truck, patiently waiting for its chance to make it to safety, into the loving, thankful hands of the DDC Archives. It's this kind of stuff that keeps us up late into the night, sweating out all the kick-ass stuff out there that needs a home. Our pledge: "We're coming for ya, guys. Hold tight." - - - - The image above is from a matchbook scored at the flea market. There you go.
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Out junkin' today. With Leigh, Betty and Dale. The DDC is closed.
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At the start of May I get fidgety. More so than usual. It's "train time" for me right now. Back in the summer of 1996 I headed up to Alaska to work for Princess Tours. Not the toughest sounding company, but, those hours were long and hard. One of these years, I am going to write about my four summers up there, complete with photos and artifacts from my time up there "on the rails." Anyhoo, you'd head up there at the end of April, and start orientation in early May. It was an apprehensive time. You hated the train, the people who worked on it, the old fogies who rode it but man, you loved that money. Oh yeah, you hated yerself for getting tangled up in all of it. So gross. I'll write about it all someday, and won't hold back. No I won't. I've got the dirt on the "Summers On The Rail" and I plan on sharing it for all who care to read up on it. Stay tuned. For now, the next couple "rail links" were enough to tide me over, and well, better be enough for you too, goddammit. A lond, winding pile of conductor badges over at Railroadiana.org. And some "builder plates," too. Phew. This one derailed the day. "Downloaded every one of these "railroad postal items." So good. - - - - Adam Haynes has a new poster for sale titled, "77." You need one. Tell him "Draplin sentcha." - - - - Seth Neefus grows his beard, and his laidback approach to his art. In all honesty, one of the nicest guys I have ever met. In my 34 years. Bravo, man. - - - - This and this is why we do it; why we keep going. So good. - - - - Ian "Crashlander" Geroux sends in a Flickr set of his "Old Tie Collection." Get a load of that "cattle brands" one. So good. - - - - FOR NO REASON, REALLY: Letraset Architecture: "ASH 2067."
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Well, so be it. This just in: Mom, dad and little sister Sarah are ticketed for flights to Portland on May 21st. Just like last year. Too busy to share any more details, but, this is the short list of what is in the works for while they are on the ground in Portland: 01. DDC "Garage Sale of the Year" –"No fuckin' baby clothes!" Gonna be a hell of a weekend. Really. Don't miss this. - - - - JUST TO TEASE YOU SOME: "Fire, memo books and a large purebred Polish guy from Michigan." - - - - Surveyors in Advertising. The proof, finally. Things Were Just Better Back Then: "Tailored To Your Build." - - - - Dustin Ortiz, friend, colleague, contributor and all around brother to the DDC, writes us up really nice on his blog thing. Thanks, man, and let me know how that Field Notes supply is faring. - - - - Matt Stiffler, friend, colleague and MCAD alumni to the DDC, way out there in Chicago built a hell of a thing during his time at Architects in downtown Kansas City. Coolhunting talks it up some. Bravo, man. - - - - Thank you, Mr. Harper: We think the world of birds, too. (Via the linkcrafters at Coudal Partners, Chicago.) - - - - Pinball Publishing posts some good words about our contribution to their "2008 Designer Deck card series." Thanks!
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Went bowling last night, and had a hell of a time. I might even be, uh, "hooked." Already feeling the pull to get back on the lanes. Already. Leigh and I met Dale and Betty for a couple festive games. Hollywood Lanes just off Sandy Boulevard. Good times. Leigh blasted a couple beautful strikes. Betty Ford took it slow and easy and systematically tore that lane new a-hole. I bowled a 121 my first game, then an 84. Damn. Once Dale "Ball Return" Dixon got warmed up, well, those pins went down. And hard. Good work, man. When we going again? - - - - CLICK THIS LINK, OR ELSE: A kick-ass bunch of old yo-yos. - - - - A pretty good pile of Art Chantry to check out. - - - - Andrew of the Alpine Battlefield comes in with a creepy Flickr set titled, "CIA Handbook on Overthrowing Nicaraguan (Sandinista) Government." Are you kidding me? Looks so fun and stuff. Wow. What a world. - - - - THIS JUST IN: Another Belleville jewel: Jen of Treesquirrel. Make sure you dig around her photography some, people. Some great stuff going on. Naz hit the jackpot with you, girly!
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April 29, 2008
Posted at 11:16 AM
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So a year ago or so when the family was out from Michigan for the DDC Get-Together, we went down to Oregon City to do a little junkin'. Evan was with us too, if I remember correctly. In a little antique store I came across an "Ideal No. 2" stencil machine from the Ideal Stencil Machine Co., Belleville, Ill.*. It was one of those moments where you look at the thing, then just sort of yell out to who'ever'll hear, "This one is coming home with us. Wrap it up!" Something like that. So I made the purchase and lugged the thing home. A stencil machine! Almost a hundred years old, the kind the old-timers would use to stencil the side of a fruit crate or something. Turns out the thing is called a "Diagraph," for it's "marking and coding" qualities. The word "diagraph" is traditionally known as a "A drawing instrument, combining a protractor and scale," so, hell, everything is up to snuff. Okay, so, the machine I bought last May has been at the house. It's the bookend to my record collection right now. It needs a good lube job and it'll be ready for action. But, this last Friday morning, I'm on my way to work and stop off at Desks, Inc. to check out the inventory. Upstairs in the vintage section, kinda buried, was another one of these stencil machines. I unearthed the sonofabitch, took a couple swings on it, and yelled for the proprietor, "Wrap it up!" The thing was well-oiled, with good action and a even came with hearty stack of old, oily stencil cards. Gross. Perfect. Now we've got two of 'em, "just in case one wears out." Yeah, right. - - - - So, here's a look at the thing. Couldn't be happier: 01. "Ready for action." - - - - Contemporary diagraph supplies. We'll be putting in an order for some of that stencil board real quick. Heck yes. - - - - Here's a Bradley model, along the same lines, only that much more burly. - - - - *Another Belleville, Illinois treasure, long dead and gone: A three-piece rock outfit from the early '90s.
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April 28, 2008
Posted at 10:43 AM
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Didn't do too much junking over the weekend. Spent a lot more time working on and around the house doing spring cleaning projects, repainting some stuff, raking it all up, doing laundry, scrubbing baseboards, re-grouting the halfwit groutjob, mowing the lawn and some sifting this and that. The ranch needed it. Sometimes you gotta sacrifice the day in the name of "keeping the ship in order." I did go to one lone estate sale, and deep in a moldy Portland basement, where I rescued a "The World at your Fingertips" dial encyclopedia. You know, the "dial encyclopedia" known to "make facts come to life in your hand?!" Yeah, that one. Well, the hand/dial illustration above is what stopped me in my tracks in the first place, enough to generate a rather loud and boisterous, "This is coming home with me!" announcement. Check out the rest of this one with some Full Color Views: 01. "The World at your Fingertips." - - - - BEYOND ANY SORT OF RESCUE, RIGHT?: Lawrence O'Toole's Philly Ghost Signs Project. "Ice and Coal." What else is there, really? - - - - TREAT YOURSELF TO THE BEST: Ohiobarns.com has a pretty comprehensive gathering of "Mail Pouch pictures." Get in there. These old treasures are going fast. At least we've got some photographic record of it all. (Slurp, Spit.)
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April 27, 2008
Posted at 05:32 PM
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Allllll sorts of goodness in the Flickr "Hot Dogs" pool. Yum! My spot is The Dog House here in Portland. See you there this summer. Dog, bag of chips and a coke. Damn. - - - - THE BEST THING WE'VE SEEN IN A LONG, LONG TIME: "Larry's Chili Dogs."
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PRETTY MUCH REQUIRED VIEWING: Grainedit talks about a great set of Saul Bass-designed matchbooks, and links a bunch of other cool Saul stuff. Get over there. Okay, so, in that collection of 16 match books, check out #9, or, "3rd row down, #1." Well, I picked that one up in an odd lot of old matches a couple years back and singled that one out of the bunch as one of my favorites. Funny how this stuff works. Thanks, Mr. Bass. - - - - GO, NOW: A Saul Bass exhibition from 2004. - - - - Now, turn off the machine and get the fuck outside, even if it's it's just driving from junk spot to junk spot, like we do on saturdays. See you out there.
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What a wild week. Got a mountain of shit done. Very proud of all of it. Bring on the weekend. - - - - ABSOLUTE REQUIRED READING: Jim Coudal talks to 37 Signals about "doing it yerself." - - - - Jon M. Johnson alerted us that, "The DDC sneaks on to Etsy." Yes it does, yes it does. Awesome. So, Hayley Schmalz, we've got a couple things we need to say to you: First off, great last name. Schmalz, eh? Got a good sound to it, really rolls off the tongue, and, you get a "Z" to mess with day-to-day. Lucky duck. Second, thank you for believing in the DDC. Whoever that kid is on yer site, well, tell him we appreciate him. Maybe there's something you "gotta have" over at her Etsy shop: The Haley Schmalz Etsy Shop. - - - -
A BROKEN RECORD: Speaking of DDC patches, well, there you go: The new-and-improved, that-much-more-"user-friendly" DDC Merch Store is up and taking orders, shipping orders and just plain feeling good about our "G-Commerce" we've managed to cobble together. ("G-Commerce" as in, "Gary Commerce." There you go.) (+) MANY THANKS TO ALL WHO BOUGHT A DDC ACTION CAP! Money well-spent, people! Watch those mailboxes and make sure you are sweet to that orderly who brings the parcels to yer cell. - - - - Dave Parr talks about sign painting and the current state of the signage industry over at Letterhead fonts. Thank you to both entities. Bravo. - - - - AND JUST ONE MORE, TO MESS WITH YOU SOME: The Skip Report updates, and frankly, we about lose our lunch with all that Styk beard art. Gross! And on the subject of Styk, I mean, c'mon man, when you gonna come down to Portland to "throw it all away" for a couple days? Bring the family. We can accommodate, goddammit.
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LET IT RING, MAN! I was just sitting there working away, and I looked up for a split second out our big windows that overlook a very bustling Portland, and man, had this feeling overtake me: We are free, and man, how amazing is that? I mean, sure, like any good citizen, I question just how fucked this country acts all over the globe, and do my best to try to understand the unfortunate legacy of horrible things we've done to get to where we are. I just have to set all that aside for just a minute to feel insanely thankful for how lucky we are to live in this country. It's a good place. I mean, you can make it whatever you want, right? Let's hope so. Of course, all this flashflooding of patriotism is brought on by my excitement for the upcoming presidential race, and, how—and you can call me naive—I truly believe that Obama represents a new way of doing things up on top. I just hope he can convince all the sheep who are afraid of rolling the dice on him to go for it. I guess we'll see. Sometimes I'm not proud to be an American, but man, a lot of the time, I am so thankful to be. - - - - Some good questions to, and great answers from Richmond Fontaine's very own Willy Vlautin. I helped Willy with the production of a promo poster for his latest novel Northline a couple months back and we shot the shit for a couple hours in the basement about everything under the sun. Hell of a guy. Been a fan for a long, long time. So good.
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...and so do the Graphic Arts. Stay in school, kids. The milkcap shown above is one that showed up in the mail from my buddy John back in Harvard, Ill. Thanks, man! Great, great caps. A real hit on the DDC Factory Floor. - - - -
The new-and-improved DDC Merch Store is up and running with a ferocity never seen before on this half-ass blog. Get over there and pick up something you don't need, and keep us in business. - Updated PayPal links. - - - - Geoff Wagner is a designer, alright. Some great, great work over at his new site: Geoffisadesigner.com. Loving the "solid" feel over everything man. From San Francisco, people. You know, "by the bay." Mr. Wagner's stuff is showing up all over the place: Even in CMYK magazine. - - - - Cam sends in all the original monopoly cards. Man, just, so much better. All that good use of Futura gets me fired up.
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Stephen Johnson of Auburn, NY has an amazing site up dedicated to Supreme Testing Instruments. I don't even know what the things do, but sure do love all the type, metal nameplates and wood. Beautiful. Get in a little closer on the "Supreme Instruments Tube Testers and Portable Analyzers." I mean, c'mon man, give it up for these treasures! SO GOOD: A catalog cover not to be messed with. Same goes for the back cover: Get a load of that mug. Sign the contract! Do it.
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JUST IN TIME FOR THOSE APRIL SHOWERS, MAN: The same hats we've been selling for years, but with more color options, an updated patch and more durable than ever. Proudly made in Orange City, Iowa, U.S.A. No expenses were spared in the construction of this hat. These hats can take a beating. Take our word for it. Click here and get it going, people. Operators are standing by. - - - - Our Merch "Proud Customer" Gallery, albeit chock-full of of questionable characters, is living, breathing proof that these hats are out there, getting the job done. - - - - SOME QUOTES ON THE SUBJECT: "And all your future lies beneath your hat." -John Oldham, Nottingham, England "The hat is the pride of man; for he who cannot keep his hat on before "A hat should be taken off when entering the house, and left off for the rest of your life. Nothing looks stupider than a hat." -P. J. O'Rourke, Somewhere Out East "A lot of people hate this hat. It angers a lot of people, just the sight of it." -Buck Russell, Chicago, Ill.
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Here's one of those links where I know I saw it at once point, loved it, then might've linked it on here. But, the finer points of that transaction escape my memory. AND REMEMBER: The world ain't round. It's flat at the North and South Poles. - - - - There's a new season of Deadliest Catch getting going, so, we have yet another reason to keep on going. - - - - Idiomlife gives us some love in a little post about "The Best Websites of the Snowboard Industry." Thanks, fellas.
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Going junking today with Dale. Take it or leave it. Mark's down in Veg-ass sunning himself at a wedding, so, you know, we're a "man down" but still should be able to lay waste. Get a little better look at the old 45 Dale found, early this morning. - - - - Get a couple downloads of Midwestern-Blooded Ben Pieratt. Hey Ben, you forgot "Michigan, Indiana and Wisconsin in yer bonafide Midwestern states piece, man. C'mon! - - - - - - - - Bart Kline, Pride of Boise, comes in with a striking likeness of a Dachshund named, "Lilly" by his little friend Savannah. Atta girl. Way to go. Gary winks at you! - - - - Something the D, P & D Record Rescue Club was "doing logistics" on. So close men, so close.
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LET THIS ONE SINK IN, AND DEEP: There just aren't enough good things we can say about Norm Nelson. I mean, c'mon, that list of awesomeness is way long. But just to back it up that much more, here's some action shots of him over in Japan, getting really "konichiwa'd" and stuff. 01. "Norm making friends." But here's the kicker. You see that hat? Aw yeah, you did. Norm's been testing our new line of hats for some time now, both domestically and now, internationally. Take it from us, and for god's sake, take it from Norm, these hats get the job done, and, frankly, you need one, so, save up some loot, cuz they'll be up for grabs early next week, people. Whole bunch of commas in that run-on sentence, but, fuck it, like you care, right? DDC Action Caps. Soon. Norm, you make us very proud. - - - - The amazing miniatures of Dan McPharlin. Best thing we've seen in a long, long time. Get over there. No, he's not kidding you. So good. Phew. - - - - THIS ONE IS FOR JARED: Lots of papercuts over at Bastelbogen, which we assume means, "Papercraft," like the Flickr says. Click. Click. - - - - Jak się masz?: Well, some Polish cheese labels. Jesteś tak piękna! (Via our Polish brethren at Coudal Partners, Packzis Div.)
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Mark "41,000 LPs" Phillips shows up completely unannounced with this amazing shot of none other that Lawrence Welk enjoying his in-dash record player. Damn. Lucky guy. Here's the ad, in case you are interested. Not a bad looking grave there, either, Larry. Not bad. - - - - In my web travels, I came across a kick-ass collection of Vintage Steel Zippers. They've also got a couple "Amalgamated Clothing Workers of America Vintage Clothing Tags" up too. So good. Things were just better back then.™ - - - - SOMETHING WE'VE SEEN A MILLION TIMES IN OUR TRAVELS, BUT NEVER COMPLETELY UNDERSTOOD: Amalgamated. Still don't. - - - - I got 31 out fo 34. The persnickety serifs got me here and there. Some tough ones in there. Damn. - - - - GET IN THERE AND SCROLL DOWN SOME: More jukebox parts. Items "2022rd" and "2027" got us pretty fired up. - - - - GOT SOME BIBG PLANS FOR THE FALL: Missouri, maybe.
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01. Sun Kil Moon - April - - - - Some pretty serious jukeboxes over at Jimmie's Amusements, and hell, over at the Coin Op Doc. Good work, fellas. - - - - And while we're at it: Some old "Hot Drink Vending Machines." And of course, some cold ones, too.
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HOT OFF THE PRESS: "Gary Guide Quick-Reference Card" The good people of PinBall Publishing approached me a couple months back about doing a card for their monthly "Designer Deck" series. I was gonna do a "Printing Checklist" for the final prep of a file, but, man, all that voo-doo changes from printer to printer. Gary is fun content, so, you know, we exploit him where we can. Now instead of having to go over Gary's finer points with new people to the DDC Factory Floor, I can simply hand 'em a card. It's all on there. Detail 01: "Source of Noise." GET IN CLOSE ON THIS ONE: Here's the card, in all its glory, pretty much. If you are in Portland, stop by Pinball to grab one, man. They've got a mountain of them there. - - - - NOT GONNA MISS THIS ONE FOR NOTHING: Amos the letterpress printer in "Proceed And Be Bold." Gonna be a good one. (Thanks, Sturgill.) - - - - Lots and lots of vintage dice over at vintagedice.com. Imagine that. - - - - WAY RECOMMENDED: Jynn comes in hot with a little bit about the Awakening of Sleeping Giants out in the desert.
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Been throwing dice a bunch with Nakamoto, and crossed over to the Luckicup late last week as my "vessel of choice" for the big roll. I'm running the 3-3/8" x 4" model. Be sure to scroll down to check their masterful packaging. It's like the stuff hasn't changed, ever. Thanks. So good. "A better dice box." We'll say. Thanks to Mark "6 A.M." Phillips for gracing us with this gem: "Very lucrative, very lucrative." - - - - I LOVE BEING ALIVE: A handsome collection of vintage ink and ink bottles. Scroll down a bunch. So good. - - - - A bunch of cool jack knives here, here, here and here. And yeah, here too.
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April 13, 2008
Posted at 11:56 PM
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The little score above is from a joint down in Sellwood. Great colors, great type, great envelope. - - - - Leigh and I took a ride today up to Mt. St. Helens to get a better look at the place, and kinda got turned back due to snowy access roads leading up to the viewpoints. Damn. We'll be back. Gotta get up to "Ape Cave," and soon. A REASON TO PULL OVER: We did see this, on the way up.
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Mark, Dale and I went to the record show at the Eagles Lounge up on Hawthorne. Was pretty excited for this one. You know, hang with Mark and Dale, dig through some cool records, see some cool stuff, "trick out" my collection some, right? Well, the first thing you noticed was the apparent feeding frenzy. Gross. No fun. Motherfuckers were going ape shit digging through those bins. Man. Tough customers. So sweaty. I like my records, but man, I don't want to be a record collector. Too creepy. I like to make eye contact with people. I talk. I say "thanks." I enjoy being around people. But not these people. 01. "Vinyl Warriors: Mark and Dale." I did drag home a couple cool records for the collection: 01. Bonnie Prince Billy - Master and Everyone $5 - - - - All it took was about three(3) minutes of watching this one, and man, ya just had this feeling that America has pretty much completely "gone to shit" since 1955. I mean, was everything that, uh, "smoothed over" back then? The idealist 50s, and the "everything is wonderful" spirit? My dad would've been 12 when this film was made. BEST WAY TO PRONOUNCE THAT PLACE: "Cal-ee-forn-ee-yuh"
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April 11, 2008
Posted at 02:01 PM
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Friday, already? Man. I mean, I love Fridays and all, but, do you ever get the feeling that workweek just isn't long enough? I mean, shit, all that "workin' for the weekend" stuff is cool, but, man, I have a hard time separating my "work" from "what I love to do" so, you know, this is all just kinda bungled up. I need another day, I think. I've been trying to keep up on my "don't work on the weekends" thing as much as possible. Not this weekend. I'll be rolling up the sleeves on all sorts of shit. That's the way it is, man. - - - - BEEN THINKING ABOUT THE SEA: The Sea Helmets of eBay. And of course, our eyes point right to the amazing nameplates on those fuckers, but, the idea of wearing those things some 100 feet at the bottom of the sea, tethered to some dinghy above, blows our gourds. Bad-ass sea cowboys battling leviathans and octopi and sperm whales and shit... - - - - Hey, the great Lakes are the only "high seas" I know, and here are some of the tugboats that do the dirty work. - - - - Which leads me to one of my favorite links of all time: U.S. Divers Two Hose Regulators over at vintagescubasupply.com. - - - - A heavy doc called "Body of War" is coming soon. Man. I just hope those kids can find in their hearts to forgive the warhawks and what they have done to them, and our country. Whoa. - - - -
In the meantime, here's a ton of erasers for reference on Flickr. NOW WE'RE TALKING: As well as some crazy Russkies who love erasers. Awesome. Get a download of the Koh-I-Noor collection! (All of this goodness via the linksmiths over at Coudal.com. Our brothers. Our friends. Our business partners on Field Notes, man!) - - - - - - - -
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Got all sorts of shit on the radar: 01. Planning up the 2008 DDC Almost Summer Get-Together. 06. Rolling up the sleeves for Chunklet on a couple projects. 11. Sorta welcoming Spring's warmer temps. Winter, don't leave. 16. Beating the tar out of Nakamoto in our dice wars. - - - - I'll be damned if this link to a bunch of old Heuer watch catalogs didn't completely derail my so-called "workday." Fuck it. Not a bad way to go. - - - -
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This one keeps popping up on the machine, and man, each time is a treat. I can't remember where I snagged this keeper. Sorry, friend. - - - - Some history on the Cockshutt tractor. Hell of a name. - - - - HERE WE GO: Industrial furnishings, "FOUND IN MIDDLE AMERICA," not to be fucked with. One part of me is insanely excited with a link like this, and then, another part of me comes back down to earth and stares down the fact that you have to be a rich man to afford "old luxury" like that. Frustrating. How's a regular motherfucker supposed to afford 1800 bucks for an old cart? A mystery. Our time will come! And of course, this one applies to this one, big time: Things Were Just Better Back Then.™ This lyric got me pretty fired up, off their site: "The American Furnishings philosophy is focused on keeping the Middle American dream alive." Just know, from way out west, as weird and disconnected as I feel at times in matters of Midwestern-ness, every decision I make in life applies to the same sort of pledge. Really. My home. (This thought-provokin' link was passed on by Andy Beach of the ever-bulging Reference Library.) - - - - HECK YEAH, JACKPOT!: The Public Domain - Letters & Receipts & Tickets set on Flickr. - - - - A cool, old collection of pinbacks from long ago. (Sent in by Wisconsin Mitch on The Code Project.)
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Been seeing Frank Chimero all over the web, and man, the work is way impressive. His illustration stuff stands out the most, if you ask me. A big "Wow!" goes out from all of us on the DDC Factory Floor. His states alone were enough to stop me in my tracks for a long, long time. Really nice. - - - - PRETTY MUCH REQUIRED VIEWING: A look inside the inner sanctum of CSA in Minneapolis. I've got some amazing shots from my time there, but never really shared 'em on here. I don't know why, really? "Professional Courtesy," maybe? Respecting the "Scanner's Code?" Maybe. I scanned for Chuck for three months or something at the end of those hlaf-assed '90s and try to stop in each time I'm through. Chuck is one hell of a guy. A graphic arts hero on the DDC Factory Floor. Here's why I went to Minneapolis for school, pretty much: 01. The mystery of the Charles S. Anderson Design Co. Pretty much in that order. And basically, I was lucky enough to scan for Chuck, via brother P.J. "Hoss" Chmiel's vouching for me. The Replacements, well, they were like a bad joke from long ago or something. I missed the boat by a good eight years. Like, you got the feeling it wasn't cool to dig them. Still do. But fuck that. And finally, school was great and I learned a ton and met a mountain of good people, and still curse my monthly payment to that fuckin' neverending school loan. - - - -
- - - - "Co- Signed" is a art deal some mysterious reader sent me. Thanks. Nevertheless, the stuff is pretty cool. Dig it.
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THIS ONE WILL WARM YER HEART: Had a cool beer with Fink and L.M. at the White Eagle down by the overpasses, and man, the mere sight of that motherfucker is enough to lift the spirits of even the most downtrodden bastard who's just plain given up, and is at his lowest point, and welcomes death's grip with no fight whatsoever. You might call it, "The Fink Remedy?" You might not. Nevertheless, that sumbitch is one of Bend, Oregon's finest. Completely sanctioned by the the Draplin Design Company. Not to be messed with. - - - - THIS ONE HAS "EVAN ROSE" WRITTEN ALL OVER IT: A kick ass old Ski Whiz Snowmobiles sign. - - - - This one caught our eye on that eBay this morning: Just might be time to restock the DDC Factory Floor messhall. - - - - Roadside Pictures' ever-expanding, ever-awesome set of "Signs" just makes me want to call all the clients and quit all projects, grab Leigh, grab Gary and hit the road to somewhere far away. I'm feeling the itch.
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Haven't been listening to any Flaming Lips lately. Kinda sad. Things reached a fever pitch last fall, with all the shows last year and stuff. That changed today at the office. When the clients were off to the airport and the partners gone, Gary and I cranked the shit out of Transmission From The Satellite Heart, and man, that shit sounded really good in the new joint. My interview with Wayne in Cleveland last fall really sealed the deal, though. So cool. A culmination of sorts. Watch for it on the pages of Snowboard Mag this summer, and on here in its entirety. Stay tuned. - - - - Here's an old video off that one: Turn It On.
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This gutbuster, just in from Embry Rucker, from far away, near the beach, down south. Too many commas. - - - - Also, from ECRIII, who DOES NOT LIVE HERE AND WE ARE PISSED ABOUT IT, about all the so-called "Modern" stuff in Portland. A good, clean, crisply-designed resource for smart people.
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Beautiful color experiments by Andy Gilmore. His site. Go there and dig it. Even more Andy Gilmore. Do it. - - - - Went and saw the Blazers last night with Larry and Leigh. They got whooped pretty good by Houston, but nevertheless, it was cool to see it all go down. I'm not too much of a sports fan, but won't deny the power of all those people rooting for their home team. Fun stuff. - - - - THIS JUST IN: My parents are coming out to Portland the third week in May. Plans are being drawn up pertaining to another possible "Almost Summer Bash" complete with the yearly bout of lover's quarrels, fights, vomit and police reports. Stay tuned, you fuckers. We got plans, we got plans. - - - - When was the last time you hit up the Virtual Typewriter Museum? Today's a good day for it, people. - - - - Old tractor decals and emblems, over at Yesterday's Tractor Co. As well as their humble offering of "Tractor Hats." These are all contemporary models for the most part, or, hats made within the last couple years, but, that Massey Ferguson still holds its own. - - - - Personally, the new five-dollar note Leigh showed me didn't offend me too much. I liked the big Helvetica "5" on there. So it goes. These guys aren't down with it. I was more offended by the purple color of the piece of type. Call me a dick. Your choice. - - - -
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The Lewman sends in a link that really gets us to thinking about design, Apple, and how a guy named Deiter Rams knows pretty much brought us to where we're at. - - - - Cool shortwave radios by Dieter. - - - - The Definitive Grocery List Collection by the masterful Keaggy. I think I want his book, too. Yeah, I do. Awesome. - - - -
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MORE TONKA: Tonka Dave and his wife's front end loaders over at Tonkadave.com. - - - - Sanzhi UFO Houses, man. Apocalyptic images, man. Spooky stuff. It's amazing how "new" they feel, but are still so old. Hmmm. (Thanks, Oanes!) - - - - Kate Bingaman-Burt has a mountain fo stuff going on. Been awhile since I dug around in her stuff. Busy gal. Great, great drawings and insights from this Southern Belle. Heck yeah. Plus, her students use Field Notes, so, we're 'way cool' with that.
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Tonka Truck Logos from over the years. Sandy's got a mountain of old Tonka Truck images. So good. Wow. And of course, thoughts turn to the "good ol' days" when I was small and innocent, eating dirt in the backyard and tearing up the town in one of these. A sandbox and a couple Tonka Trucks. Done. Man, what the hell else does a guy need? - - - - As well as a pile of old toy decals over at toydecals.com, of all places. - - - - Corin "Death By Pong Skillz" McDonald comes in hot and gross with this set of hirsute characters. The DDC instantly files this sort of riff raff under: "Very Beardy." - - - - This one has been on constant rotation the whole day, and prob'ly all week: Sun Kil Moon - April. - - - - Dachshunds aren't afraid of aquagloves! Hell no. (Embry Rucker sent that one in, people.)
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We're on the front page of Rumplo! Pretty cool. Many, many thanks to all who bought a shirt, recently, and over the years. We've got a couple news ones brewing up, too. You know how it goes. - - - - When I was grabbing the Boss tickets at Wieden on Friday, I ran into Brad Simon and he graced me with one of his latest Gocco Masterpieces. 14 colors! A fellow Gocco black-belt, his gocco skillz are unprecedented in the Gocco wars. Great, great stuff. - - - - Portland's own "Diamond" Dan Connor has a new site up. Get over there and check out his stuff. We've got his back, so, just know that. - - - - A nice set of nameplate-inspired ads, from way back in Colorado. (Thanks, Avantaggio!)
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March 30, 2008
Posted at 10:43 PM
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This has been my third or fourth sunday in a row where I didn't work a lick. Or, maybe just a little. I mean, this is what regular people do, right? Sleep in, go out to breakfast, shuffle around the house some? It's just been nice to have the whole day for doing lots of nothing. Over the last couple days, some thanks are in order: 01. Thanks to Dale for going to see The Boss with us. |
