Well, I’ll be damned. None other than Chuck Prophet himself was just on the DDC Factory Floor shaking hands and telling stories. It was great to finally meet the man after a summer of phone calls.

I got a cold call from Mr. Prophet at the start of the summer about doing a little work for him. We shot the shit for a bit and I accepted the gig: Designing his new album packaging.

The new record is called ¡Let Freedom Ring! and it’s in the stores right now! That’s the cover above. I put that together for Chuck. Hell yes. Proud as hell how it turned out!

Thanks for coming in guys. It was great to meet you. See you at yer show tonight.

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WHAT A WAY TO START THE DAY: One of Phoenix’s finest, Mr. Andy Cruz comes in way hot with one hell of a link: “Some great photos of machinery and the men who run them.” The he added, “A dying breed…” I’ll say.

I grew up around a lot of this kind of stuff, as my dad was an industrial tooling salesman. Endmills, grinding wheels and carbide chunks. That kind of stuff. “Tool shops.”

Real grit and grime and sweat. Tough characters, but always nice enough to show me how the tools worked and stuff when Dad would drag me into a shop with him.

I’d like to dedicate this link to my dad. So Mom, drag the old man into the office and sit his big ass down for this one. Teach him how to “use the mouse” and all that. He should get a kick out of it. Can’t wait to see you guys in a couple weeks.

Thanks, Andy. You made my day, and hopefully my dad’s too! Watch that mailbox. Pens and shit on the way!

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SOME INCREDIBLE STUFF IN HERE, PASSED ON BY CHRIS HANIS: Ryan Beggelen! Get in there and get dirty. Some great stuff, with some great sass. We dig. Thanks, Chris!

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THURSDAY NIGHT!!!: AIGA Portland’s “DesignSpeaks: Tall Tales From A Large Man.” That’s me, people. Telling my story to you. All the warts and moles. Dale’s face. Gary’s length. Leigh’s jaw-dropping beauty. Logos. Design. Cuss words. People you might know. Merch to be sold. Small words. Big ideas.

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ON THE PLAYER:

01. Chuck Prophet - ¡Let Freedom Ring!
02. Paul Westerberg - Stereo
03. Blitzen Trapper - Wild Mountain Nation