TONIGHT, FREEDOM-LOVING PEOPLE OF PORTLAND: The Awards Show at Reading Frenzy downtown! We’ve got a piece in there, for public viewing tonight.

Here’s the offical data on our so-called piece of “art”:

TITLE: “DDC ‘Lifetime Achievement’ / ‘Completely Despicable’ Award Wheel.”
MEDIUM: Scrap heap plywood, leftover tempera paint from my cheerleading days and sweat.
PRICE: Whatever they’ll pay.

I forgot to take a picture of the damn thing, and will post some proof as soon as I can. See you there, Portland! Look for me. I’ll be fidgeting around the place, making friends, rabble-rousing, etc. Gonna be a fun one!

- - - -

SO FIRED UP FOR THIS: Beautiful Strokes for Different Folks! Played with it for the first time this morning on our new “web wizardry” guy JP’s rig. Can’t wait to get that CS5 on the machine.

- - - -

YOU NEED THIS: CRAPHOUND 4: Clowns, Devils and Bait. I know that’s some kind of wholesale link, so if you are feeling wild, buy a whole box. Or, be patient and orderly and keep yer eyes peeled on Reading Frenzy for when the single issue are available. I got my copy last night from the Proprietress herself.

Here’s a little video to tide you over until you get the copy in yer hands. And you will be getting a copy, as, we’re requiring ALL READERS OF THESE WORDS to buy one when they are available. You need this. Don’t miss out!

- - - -

LAST NIGHT WAS AWESOME: Pennsylvania’s Jessica Hische makes some beautiful hunks of typography. And she spoke to a packed house last night, and Leigh and I were in the third row hanging on everything word. Cute and lethal, all of it! Great, memorable stuff.

And man, PSU’s Kate Bingaman-Burt and Lis Charman packed the room with some pretty serious art/design heavies: Luminaries like Frank Chimero, Damien Triplett, Multifresh, Ben Vickery, Jen Davison, Sturgill family unit, Always With Honor, OMFGCO, a “very-beardy” Buchino, Little Friends of Printmaking all the way from Milwaukee(!) and even representatives from the Field Notes memo book enterprise.

I’m telling you, I got the feeling “having all that talent in one place” was kind of dangerous. I mean, what if there was some kind of flu outbreak or fight-to-the-death brawl? Any casualties from that bunch could seriously effect the design world at large. Just saying.

- - - -

KEEPING IT SIMPLE, AGAIN AND AGAIN: When Bill Zindel speaks, we listen. Here’s what he had to say: Haven’t seen much on the internets lately that’s worthy of sending your way, but this gowiththeguts site is pretty rad. No idea what the posters say for the most part, but you get the picture/poster.

Get in there, now! Some great, great stuff. Refreshing to see that loose-ass wood-block action.

- - - -

ON THE PLAYER, THINKING ABOUT LITTLE TYKE ARCHER STURGILL:

01. Archers of Loaf - Icky Meddle
02. Archer Prewitt - Wilderness
03. Pierced Arrows - Descending Shadows