Inspired

I'll be honest-- I don't really read a lot of books without pictures. And same goes for blogs. I like pictures, it's as simple as that. One of the blogs that I constantly read is Doodlers Anonymous. It's such a great blog filled with all sorts of artists and their sketches, doodles, and zines. Doodlers Anonymous gives me a bit of motivation to get the sketch book out and doodle.

Right now I'm all about Jolby. A collaboration between two friends, Josh Kenyon and Colby Nichols who are separated by miles. Check out their website:

http://www.jolbyandfriends.com

and check out doodlers anonymous:
http://doodlersanonymous.com

Jess

Paper Toys from Korea

Last month, I announced my initiation into the world of paper toys when two of my models were included in Papercuts. Around that time I received a cool gift from my sister that she brought back from a quick trip to Korea.


According to the information on the back of the postcard:

“guan jian shou was two generals endangering the world but were intimidated by Dizang Wang’s Buddhism and Dizang Wang’s guards. These two observed good and evil in the world and in turn they prolong good people’s life and shorten bad people’s life.”

These little guys came from the Answer Ideas Studio, which is based out of Taiwan.
The Studio has developed dozens of paper toys ranging from figures to everyday objects with varying degrees of difficulty. Each model is cut from a single card and does not require any glue, and constructing my tiny guards took little more than an hour.

Now as they guard my messy table I catch myself glancing over at them and hoping they are prolonging my life. If I stay good I may have more time to make a few more paper models.

-Kyle

Creature Chart

I recently came across this cool chart showing the intersections of species that create mythical creatures.

I never knew the Australian Echidna was named after a part-snake, part-human monster! Creepy...

Here is the source of this image.

-Shelby

Out Wolfed

This is a great story about legalizing hunting of the newly reintroduced wolf population in Idaho and Montana.  It's controversial as these wolves have just been moved off the endangered species list.  The video is really great because it takes the point of view of the hunters, the animal rights activists, the lawmakers and the people who have to deal with the wolves in there yards and daily lives.

Not to mention the wolves, who no one can seem to catch anyway.

http://video.nytimes.com/video/2009/09/10/us/1247464505754/open-season-on-idaho-wolves-.html

- Simon

One Fat Frog

A few weeks ago I had a chance to meet famous book creator/funny man, Mo Willems.  I literally cornered him at a signing and asked about his latest book.  After developing successful picture book series involving pigeons, piggies and pachyderms, Mo has set his sights on the humble frog.  Not just any frog but a frog SO big she can’t fit inside the book.

Mo teamed up with Bruce Foster to create the first ever “Pop Out” book.  Big Frog Can’t Fit In was released this week by Hyperion and I was fortunate enough to get a copy for myself.  The nine-inch by nine inch book comes in a tall resealable bag with an additional orange box that protects the dangling froggie toes from getting smashed on the bookshelf.  The six spreads feature oversized pop-ups and playful pull tabs designed out of sturdy heavyweight paper.  (This book has the potential to stand up to some very curious little hands.)  I am also very impressed with how the positive storyline is integrated with the pop-ups.  You can tell Mo and Bruce really had fun making this book.

In fact when I asked Bruce about his experience with the book and the collaboration he had this to say. “Mo was great to work with. Very funny guy.  When they called me with his idea I had to slap my head like in the V-8 commercials, ‘Why didn’t I think of that?!!’ Ha.”

One of my favorite details of the book involves Big Frog flashing a gold tooth as she shrinks on the page.  It’s the little things like this that make the book worthy of reading over and over at bedtime. (or playtime, or anytime!)

Now that the pop-out book is out Mo and Bruce are had at work in a variety of different projects.  Keep an eye on Mo’s blog to get a taste of what’s to come out of his studio. As for Bruce Foster, well he is the most prolific paper engineer I have ever met. This month FOUR new titles he paper engineered are coming out: Big Frog Can’t Fit In, The Sound of Music, Angels and the Sports Illustrated Kid's Wow! The Pop Up Book of Sports.  I’m looking forward to seeing them all!

-Kyle 

The Legend of Zela

It’s October. That means I can’t pretend that summer is still here. To reinforce this reality the temperature dropped and I had to break out the sweaters. I miss the warmth. I miss the summer. It makes me wish I was in sunny Florida right now instead of leaning against the cold winds. If I was in Florida I would be able to stop by the Scissors: Pop-up exhibition at the Florida Craftsmen Gallery. You may remember some of the details from my Call for Entries post in June. I made a small contribution to this show, possibly the smallest in the world.

The Legend of Zela portrays the epic tale of a battle between Julius Caesar and Pharnaces II that took place in 47 B.C. Quoting from his now famous decree- “I came, I saw, I conquered” the book carries the reader from Caesar entering northern Turkey, sizing up his main rival from Pontus, and defeating him at the hilltop town of Zela. This miniature pop-up book, measuring a half inch tall by a quarter inch wide, is the result of my pursuit to share big personalities, events or monuments in a small format. To my knowledge, The Legend of Zela is the smallest pop-up book ever created. This title was created in July of 2009 using inkjet printing on heavyweight photo paper, and is an edition of five for each day of the one-sided battle.

This little guy is in good company as I recognized works from Maria Winkler, Shawn Sheehy and Matthew Shlian (that’s a detail of his work on the postcard above!) The exhibition is on display until Halloween and if anyone visits the gallery be sure to snap a few photos and send them to me and I will upload them on the blog.

-Kyle

Where's the cake?

I have a very severe tree nut allergy, so it can be troublesome when we want to get baked goods for the studio - most bakeries will not guarantee that their products are nut free. It is usually a gamble whether I should try those amazing cupcakes someone sent us or not. (Jess and Simon know this firsthand - last year at Jess's after-work birthday party, I accidentally had a bite of nutella cake and ended up in the emergency room! It was pretty scary for all of us.)

Anyway, we like to get a cake when someone in the studio has a birthday, so today for my birthday Robert and Matthew went several extra miles and MADE me my cake! Check it out:

Wow! It's incredible! And it tasted as good as it looks - Robert made it from scratch (it was chocolate), and he and Matthew decorated it (Matthew did those cool flowers, the lettering and some of the edging). This is probably the most beautiful cake (and one of the yummiest) I've ever had. Thank you so much R & M!!

-Shelby

Paper Flowers

"Everything begins on paper.  Without paper I would be lost!"  And Karl Lagerfeld is right.  Chanel's 2009 Spring-Summer 2009 Haute Couture line begins on paper and ends in paper.  I found a couple pictures within some of the workshops that have 'Trail' the all white pop up book open for inspiration!  Not only the clothing pieces were inspired by paper, but also elaborate headpieces and wonderful 3D paper sets!  It's such an amazing thing to see other people use paper in 3 dimensional ways other than just books.

You can read more about Chanel's line here:

http://www.chanel.com/fashion/8-fashion-trends--pop-up-decor-0,51#8-fashion-trends--pop-up-decor-0,51

To see more photos check out this website as well:

http://www.fileti.com/photographer/index.php?gallery=commissioned&album=CHANEL

Jess

The Collector

So over the past few years, I've started to collect small plastic figures called Dunny (insert joyous squeal here).  Actually, the truth is I'm infatuated with Dunnies.  The choosing of the box, the excitement of not knowing-- Is it one I have?  Is it a secret one?  Will it be awesome?  Aaaah.  Dunnies.  My collection has started to spill off of a shelf and onto my desk.  Below is a photo of my newest acquisitions.  The pizza delivery one is probably my favorite right now.

Kidrobot puts these amazing limited edition blind box series out.  The blind box concept is just like Cracker Jacks but better-- a surprise toy is in the box and I don't have to eat all the Cracker Jacks to get to the toy.  Many artists have jumped on board to design their own Dunny-- Gary Baseman, Amanda Visell, Huck Gee, and many many more!


Check out Kidrobot's site here:

http://www.kidrobot.com

Happy Collecting!
Jess

My new favorite club

I recently discovered a "hacker collective" called NYC Resistor. They are a group of people that are passionate about the DIY movement, and every week they host a craft night. Every Thursday night, people come from all over the New York city area to work on their projects together. I must say, it's pretty exciting! Everyone is working on different things, from robots to knitting and everything in between, and they are all happy to share about their projects or help you with your own.

One of my favorite sights the last time I went was this sign someone had tacked up:

-Shelby

I got a Papercut

I recently received a pleasant surprise in the mail.  One of my favorite paper artists, Matthew Shlian, has just released his latest self-published title, Papercuts.  This cool papercraft book has over 15 models that you can copy, cut and create.  The templates are well laid out and include some instructions and smaller diagrams to identify all those little cuts and folds.  The designs range in complexity but should not take more than an hour to build.  The characters are quirky and make a welcome addition to a few of the other papercraft collections that have hit the shelves this year.

I was able to get a sneak peek of some of these critters a few months ago when Matthew asked me and a select group of designers to adapt and design some additional papercraft figures that are included in the accompanying bonus disc.  Drawing inspiration from his Chef and Sasquatch designs, I developed my first two papercraft designs.

Radiohead is a classic cathedral radio from the 1930s.  Twist his nose dial to change the frequency and watch his eyes roll around in his head.

Pinhead comes with adjustable arms and four different moods allowing you to customize and build ten pins before knocking them over in a few frames of desktop bowling.

If you are interested in these little guys and many more fun papercraft projects, the signed Papercuts books can be purchased directly from Matthew’s excellent website.

-Kyle

 

Jessica Plummer

I was recently re-admiring some artwork by a friend of mine from school and I thought I would share some of her work.

Jessica Plummer loves dinosaurs, hence her nickname: the Blue Raptor! Ever since our first class together in freshman year (it was a 6 hour long drawing class: pretty much bootcamp for artists) I've been blown away by her excellent understanding of anatomy, beautiful sketching style, and fun subject matter in her illustrations. Check out her website and her blog (the blog is updated often)!

-Shelby

Design A Go-Go

So this week finds me with 10 freshly hand printed tote bags that will be in a new store called Design-to-Go!

Design-to-Go is a pop-up shop near Port Authority in NYC.  The concept behind pop-up shops is that they literally pop-up out of nowhere and are not permanent.  There have been many successful pop-up shops around the nation such as Target, Suave, and Havainas pop-up shops.

Design-to-Go is a pop-up shop dedicated to the theme of travel and will be carrying items from mainly local artists (like yours truly).

So if you're in the New York area, stop by and support local designers!  And check out the article New York Times published: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/ 08/13/garden/13open.html?_r=2& ref=garden

-Jess

Wrigley Zoo Pop-Up Ads

I was recently reading an article in the L.A. Times from 2002.  Yeah, that’s right 2002 – I’m catching up on the backlist.  A Career That’s Still Unfolding by BettiJane Levine chronicles the work of Waldo Hunt, the legendary pop-up entrepreneur that by many accounts single-handedly ushered in the Second Golden Age of Pop-ups starting in the late 1960’s.  Wally Hunt is the man responsible for creating Intervisual Books Inc., which was the premier novelty and pop-up packager for decades in the United States.  Almost every major paper engineer has either works for or with Intervisual on creating some of the most outstanding examples of pop-ups.  (I almost landed a job with them in 2000, but was unable to make the transcontinental relocation.)

I’m a total nerd about pop-up history so when I learned from the article that the first promotionals created by Wally Hunt’s earlier company, Graphics International, was a series of pop-up ads for Wrigley’s gum in the mid-1960’s, I had to do some digging.  There were a total of 14 separate pop-up ads in the series focusing on a different animal in the “Wrigley Zoo”, which appeared to be an animated television series.  There is virtually no information on the program but it may have been linked to the Captain Kangaroo series.  Like many cartoons of today, this show was a thinly veiled attempt to sell products.  I was able to come across a transcript of a Wrigley Zoo TV advertisement from the 1960’s on UK television.   Check out the catchy lyrics below:

Clap hands, one, two,

Let’s take a trip to the Wrigley zoo,

Chitter chatter, yakety yak.

When you talk to the animals they talk back.

 

We’ll talk to Melvin Monkey today,

let’s hear what Melvin has to say:

 

“My mummy says I should realize

That monkeys all need exercise,

But teeth need exercising too

And my mum makes it fun to do,

For when I swing she gives me some

Delicious WRIGLEY’s SPEARMINT GUM

It helps to keep teeth clean and bright

And never spoils my appetite.

My mum’s my favourite swinging chum,

We both like Wrigley’s spearmint gum. “

Mr. Hunt claims that each ad was a run of 1 million making this a huge campaign.  The single spread pop-ups were attached to national magazines like Jack and Jill via a small flap that was removed from the binding in order to remove and open the advertisement.  Due to such a high volume of ads printed these pop-ups are not too uncommon and I have been able to collect seven of the series.  “Melvin Monkey” is good but my favorite of the bunch is “Karol Kangaroo”.  Despite the fact that I’m a big Aussiephile, this pop-up stands out from the rest of the series since it does not use any glue tabs to create the pop-up scene but instead uses fold-overs and slotted tabs into the basepage.  The rock behind the boy’s head is one example of these slotted tabs.  It’s an interesting solution to manufacturing a high volume of movable spreads and it’s curious that this is the only one I have that uses this technique.  Hopefully I can collect the remaining seven pop-up ads to compare the full series to this one.  And that is where you, dear readers, come in.  Can you help identify the missing three animals?

Animals showcased in the Wrigley Zoo pop-up ads:

Seal

Beaver

Elephant

Monkey

Camel

Kangaroo

Bear

*Giraffe

*Fox

*Hippo

*Lion

???

??

?

 

*Missing from collection.

Drop me a comment if you can fill in the blanks on the pop-up ads or TV shoe and be sure to savor this monster blog post like a delicious stick of Wrigley’s gum as I will be out of commission for a bit while I enjoy the last gasps of summer. 

-Kyle

 

Fan of Japan

I went to Japan a few months ago for some pop up related business.  It is a beautiful place.  They have a great sense of design and type there. I thought for this blog entry I would show some images of signs and graphics I encountered there.

More to come, enjoy.
Simon

Etch-a-Sketchin

The other day I found a little mini Etch-a-Sketch at a Duane Reade and brought it in to work. Jess, Simon and I all did a little collaboration on it and I thought I would share:

Simon definitely wins with the airplane!

-Shelby

The Emperor and His New Phone

I had to share this great article of news with the rest of you.  Hopefully you're a loyal consumer of Apple products!

http://www.theonion.com/content/news/apple_claims_new_iphone_only?utm_source=a-section


Jess

Phillip Bell

Shawn Sheehy was in town recently to give some pop-up book workshops and told me about one of his former students, Phillip Bell.  Phil recently graduated from Maryland Institute College of Art where he worked on various paper engineering projects.   I love the two cute kids books he designed for Flying Frog Publishing, along with a pop-up guide to Baltimore. Additionally, Phil was able to explore the potential of pop-up package design.  Whether it is collapsible paper speakers that are built out of the backing card or making a mini fan more fun with the addition of a pop-up farm and flying cows, we can see Phil is having a lot of fun with pop-ups.  Let’s hope we see more of his work in the future, until then I’ll have to be distracted from this current heatwave with my old tabletop fan and some homemade origami cranes.

-Kyle

One man's trash is…. still trash

Here at the studio we do cool stuff and make pretty things. That’s what we do. Sometimes the byproduct of those pretty things is beautiful trash. So, risking looking like a complete weirdo, I combed the depths of our studio, digging through trash bins in search of a cross section of all the cool stuff we end up chucking at the end of the day.

I am starting a tri-monthly blog section called:

TRASH TALK

Here are 3 samples from trash cans that chose to remain anonymous:

What could they be?
Hidden messages? Leavings of some strange animal we keep locked in the library? Or the cut-outs of new projects that have yet to see the light of day?

Who knows?

Simon