Too Many Chads

Bored at work & made something seasonal for fun (and...

Mon, 03 Oct 2011 21:27:18 -0700

Bored at work & made something seasonal for fun (and profit!).

“Looking”

Thu, 10 Mar 2011 21:57:07 -0800

“Looking”

New poster that I made for my dad’s theatre for a display...

Sat, 22 Jan 2011 13:25:46 -0800

New poster that I made for my dad’s theatre for a display that he’s making. The poster is comprised of over sixty layers, and was a hell of a lot of fun to make. Favorite things about it: getting to design UFOs from scratch, the look of the wicked-cool text, the “branded” version of the company logos, and the fact that the horse and the horse’s ass aren’t made from the same photo (and the fact that I was then able to justify naming a layer “Horse’s Ass”). Fun project!

New Rio advert sign I just made for my dad’s theater....

Mon, 10 Jan 2011 01:06:49 -0800

New Rio advert sign I just made for my dad’s theater. Printing it up & shipping it out tomorrow. Next up (already well underway) is Cowboys and Aliens sign, which is a fun one.

Fave Music of 2010

Mon, 03 Jan 2011 20:07:58 -0800

One’s musical tastes are as subjective and varied as humans themselves (but not quite as hairy). Therefore, if anyone agrees 100% with my list of favorite songs of 2010, I will be absolutely stunned (and frightened enough to hire a private investigator to ensure that you’re not trying to steal my life). My musical tastes are all OVER the damned map, so don’t you dare hate, as there’s probably at least ONE song you can agree with me on. If not: Thursday, high noon, by the flag pole, you and me. This list is happily presented with color commentary (in the form of exciting TEXT!), embedded videos, and no rhyme or reason to the order in which they appear.

With that being said, I happily present my personal favorite songs of the year, with the stipulation that some of these may have technically come out in Britain BEFORE 2010, or perhaps it’s some indie song that debuted last year but didn’t hit it big ‘til this year, etc. Point is, don’t be a pain in the ass about this and call me out on technicalities, and we’ll do fine. Also I’ve probably missed a few or left a couple off for whatever reason. It’s all good.

Enjoy!

Coldplay - Christmas Lights: Given the season, we’ll start off with something season-appropriate. I’m hoping this becomes a new Xmas favorite for folks, as the tune is really just plain delightful, and has an appropriately amusing video to go along with it. For those who don’t much care for Coldplay, however, it won’t do much to change your mind.

Kylie Minogue - Get Outta My Way: Gotta love Kylie. Coming back strong from a fight with cancer, and going on tour in the US for the first time, this year has treated us to some great new tunes from this ridiculously talented, ridiculously sexy lady. This song is crazy-catchy, and boasts a wonderfully artsy video that’s kinda like an electric art exhibition come to glorious life. I want this in 3D.

Brandon Flowers - Only the Young: The second single from The Killers’ frontman Brandon Flowers’ debut solo album, Flamingo, Only the Young is proof positive that Flowers can succeed nicely on his own as a solo artist. This is not the only Flowers song to make this list, nor is it my favorite, but it is A favorite, and definitely deserves to make it on here.

Robyn - Indestructible: Robyn. The best thing to come outta Sweden since “insert relevant Swedish reference from Wikipedia search here.” Gorgeous song, and a sexy video, with tubes! Just like the previously seen Mr Flowers, this is not the only time Robyn makes the list.

Katy Perry - California Girls: Say what you will/must about Katy Perry (and screw you for doing so), but the chick knows how to make some fun-as-hell tunes. Sometimes, it’s nice to just have fun with music, ya know? Angst & heartache have their place, as do “slappin’ hoes,” but it’s nice to have pure, well-done pop like this to bounce in your car to. The music video is pretty much a thing of genius, even more over-the-top than the song itself, no small feat. By the time it gets around to the whipped cream brazzier defeating Snoop’s Gummi Bear army, I coulda died happy (and speaking of Snoop, his run on the song is one of my favorites of the whole year). This is the definition of a summer jam.

Florence and the Machine - Dog Days Are Over: Catchiest song of the year? Perhaps. Pure love from me for this one. I refuse to subject you to the crap official music video, but instead give you one that is infinitely better, and should become the new official video for the song. Infectious.

Elton John & Leon Russell - Eight Hundred Dollar Shoes: There are plenty of interpretations as to the meaning behind this song, and at the end of the day, it doesn’t matter one bit. What we’re given is a lovely, lovely tune that I just can’t get outta my head. True, you won’t be shaking your ass on the dancefloor to it, but something more sedate is good for the soul, too. No official video for this one, and the live recordings don’t do it any kind of justice, so hit play and enjoy the music without distraction (unless of course you have other tabs open containing all manner of games, Amazon orders, and status updates).

K’naan - Wavin’ Flag: I’m guessing that most Americans, like myself, hadn’t heard of this song until Coca Cola used it (well, a newer version with happier lyrics haha) to promote the 2010 FIFA World Cup. Very foot-pounding sound outta this one, and just delightfully uplifting lyrics with a world beat. I likes.

Robyn - Hang With Me: Robyn reappears on the list with the song that first drew my attention to her, after hearing a recording of it off some British radio station online. Actually, I may have been aware of Robyn a few years ago, as she’s been around for a bit, but this is the song that reintroduced me to her (not literally, Robyn; we’ve never met). For the record: an awesome driving song!

Brandon Flowers - Crossfire: Mr Flowers returns to the list as well, with the spectacular first single off his solo album, Flamingo. Written by Flowers, the song’s video ranks among my absolute faves of the whole year, thanks in no small part to the shocker of it starring a kick-ass Charlize Theron in full-on action mode (against ninjas!). Superb.

Ashtar Command - Deadman’s Gun: Who? Yeah I know haha. These fine folks actually crafted the most sedate song on my list this year. You can hear it in the end credits of Rockstar’s game Red Dead Redemption, which is where I first became aware of it. Gorgeous, delicate, haunting tune. SO not the usual kind of tune I go for, and I’m happy about that. Amazing. Enjoy this wonderful live performance, and ignore the annoying bullet shots that begin an otherwise lovely vid.

Kylie Minogue - Aphrodite: The title track for Kylie’s new album also happens to be one of my faves of hers ever, unlike most title tracks. Alas, there is no official video yet, so enjoy the music free of any eye-candy (note: you may open a photo of me up at the same time as the music plays to simulate the eye-candy you’d otherwise be experiencing, though my hair ain’t quite as…swooshy).

Linkin’ Park - Waiting for the End: Linkin Park continues to experiment and evolve their sound, and I definitely respect them for that, unlike some artists who NEVER step away from what made them famous (ahem! - Goo Goo Dolls - ahem! Oooooh wicked burn, I know-so relevant!). I have yet to listen to the full new album (some fan I am, right?), but from what I’ve heard thus far this epic anthem-esque song is my favorite. Another video I’d love to see in 3D.

Pink - Raise Your Glass: A serious contender for my fave song of the year, Raise Your Glass is just big, bombastic fun from someone who has made it into an absolute art form, managing to stay relevant and awesome for more years than I originally gave her credit for back in the day. I love everything Pink does, music-wise and performance-wise. Props, too, for a damned awesome video.

Robyn - Dancing On My Own: The ladies are quite nearly dominating this list haha. Robyn’s Dancing On My Own is probably the catchiest sad song of the year, and I mean that in the best ways. The lyrics really are quite sad/pathetic, but you can still hear an inner strength and resolve trying to creep through. I personally think the music video does a disservice to the song with some unnecessary, distracting choreography, but that’s the only con I can toss its way.

Adele - Rolling in the Deep: The first single off of Adele’s Sophomore album, this thing is just flat-out amazing. Seriously one of my top 3 songs of the year, even when I’m doing my best not to rank them. And the video? Also fantastic, doing what the best videos do and enhancing an already amazing song, showcasing Adele’s vocal talents clearly and with fierce expression.

Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man: The debut single from the British folk-rock quartet, this song struck me in a big way this year, and not just thanks to its front-&-center use of the word “fuck.” Super, super fun song, a great driving tune, and so damned close to my favorite song of the year that it just might be. The rest of their debut album is fantastic, too, and well worth listening to when in a bit of a mellow mood, as most of the other tracks are actually quite a bit more sedate than this tune. The whole album is SO my kind of think, with a rock-celtic feel present throughout. Fantastic stuff.

Well that about does it, folks. For a guy who used to be not-so-opinionated about music, or let others talk him into liking things he didn’t, I’ve sure come out swingin’ with thoughts and opinions all over the damned place. But don’t just let ME spout off on these things (even though it IS my blog, yo). Tell me what YOU think!

Original design idea for the Burlesque sign that I made. When...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:10:30 -0800

Original design idea for the Burlesque sign that I made. When you consider the position of the legs, etc, it’s fairly inappropriate/raunchy. I swear that was completely unintentional until I suddenly stepped back and was like “hey-wait a minute, here.” Haha! So yes, deciding that the leg-spread wasn’t entirely family-friendly, I dutifully reversed their positioning.

Following my brother’s kick-ass new ICEE sign (if I say so...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:07:12 -0800

Following my brother’s kick-ass new ICEE sign (if I say so myself), this is the new one I just finished up for my dad’s theater. Good, fun stuff, and looked super-cool printed out & laminated. Happy I’ll get to see it in-person on the machine in just a few weeks.

New, over-the-top & super-fun sign for Burlesque recently...

Tue, 30 Nov 2010 11:04:26 -0800

New, over-the-top & super-fun sign for Burlesque recently created for my dad’s theater. The light explosions were a late-addition suggested by my boyfriend that I thought really finished it off nicely.

Photo

Sun, 05 Sep 2010 15:38:31 -0700

New MegaMind sign for Eagle 7 Theatre. At first, I thought the...

Fri, 16 Jul 2010 12:07:08 -0700

New MegaMind sign for Eagle 7 Theatre. At first, I thought the requested dimensions for the sign were gonna be a hindrance, since it’s kinda tall & thin. But then, I decided to USE that “limitation” to poke fun at the character himself. That line of thinking worked out well.

I forgot to post my brother’s final business card design...

Thu, 15 Jul 2010 13:37:00 -0700

I forgot to post my brother’s final business card design that I wrapped up last month. He changed towns/theaters right as I finished the previous design, so that had to be put on hold for a bit. This is the final card we ended up with, with the most obvious change being the new logo I recreated from scratch to match his theater’s sign, as well as a few other minor tweeks besides the obvious info changes. And hey-if you’re in Alamogordo, NM sometime, stop in to my bro’s theater to say hi! = )

Piranha 3D poster that I created for my dad’s theater, to...

Tue, 13 Jul 2010 13:40:44 -0700

Piranha 3D poster that I created for my dad’s theater, to be used in a display he’s putting up this week. Fun poster to design, and I like how it came out.

Working on several sign designs and such for my brother’s...

Wed, 23 Jun 2010 01:30:00 -0700

Working on several sign designs and such for my brother’s movie theater that he recently started managing. He liked the existing sign, and sent along a photo to see if I could recreate it digitally for use as a logo on various printed materials. What you see here is the original logo, my digital recreation of it, and a fun version of it playing with the neon effects similar to the real thing. Click on the image to see larger!

Poster that I made to advertise upcoming Yogi Bear movie...

Sun, 30 May 2010 00:32:21 -0700

Poster that I made to advertise upcoming Yogi Bear movie (shudder) for a display my dad’s creating at his theater. I think the sign came out nice/cute, and making the Yogi head from scratch in PS was fun. = )

“R-Rating” sign I just made for my dad’s...

Sat, 15 May 2010 18:46:28 -0700

“R-Rating” sign I just made for my dad’s theater. Yes, the perspective is off, so don’t even consider bitching. That was done on purpose, given that doing “proper” perspective on the wall makes the text look stupid and nigh unreadable.

I was worried that this might be a bit much for his business, but he made my day by telling me “Is that Norman Bates’ house? Anyway it looks good. I Like things a little different. It sets my theatre apart from the others.” Haha! Love it. Super-happy he said that.

Another new sign for my dad’s theater, this time focusing...

Sun, 09 May 2010 22:10:52 -0700

Another new sign for my dad’s theater, this time focusing on pricing for 3D tickets. I hate that their most expensive 3D ticket is STILL cheaper than most regular tickets I pay for here in California haha.

Another new sign for my dad’s theater, this time for...

Sun, 09 May 2010 22:03:01 -0700

Another new sign for my dad’s theater, this time for “No Smoking.”

Working on several new signs for my dad’s theater lately;...

Sun, 09 May 2010 22:00:26 -0700

Working on several new signs for my dad’s theater lately; various theater policy stuff & such. This is my new “No Outside Food or Drinks” sign for them. Good fun. After having surprisingly little luck finding a usable photo of a straw online, I created my own from scratch in Photoshop haha.

A bit of a somethin’ potentially controversial. Thought of...

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:42:13 -0700

A bit of a somethin’ potentially controversial. Thought of this randomly while at work the other day, and quickly knocked it out.

Look past its over-the-top imagery at what it’s trying to say.

Also, no offense intended whatsoever to anyone in any way, shape, or form. If you ARE offended, please send all complaints to getoveryourself@blowmetwice.com

Sometimes, I don’t feel like other people. I’m okay...

Fri, 07 May 2010 00:38:22 -0700

Sometimes, I don’t feel like other people. I’m okay with that.

Just some random Photoshop artwork with a bit of a message. It’s feel-good. Take it however you’d like, whomever you are. It’s for anyone and everyone.