Experimenting with some lino cut prints at the moment. The main deal is finding ways to print them because a half decent press costs nearly a grand! I printed this using a rolling pin which is really primitive but it adds a certain rawness to it which I like
Not being from a particularly temperate island I've never really understood the need for beer coosys. Having said that I've always wanted one & was stoked when my man Russ brought me one back from SF. Then, about two weeks later, some friends got back from a wedding in Oz where the guest gifts were beer coosys with the big days date on. Despite my absence from said do I was still allocated one of these little gems, & although it's not hot here I still use them to keep my hand warm whilst having a swig. Genius!
Take a butcher's hook at this humourous & insightful interview with legendary skate graphics man, Todd Francis. He's responsible for some of the most iconic graphics of recent times including the much over used (deservedly so mind you!) Anti-Hero eagle. Go here to see photos from his recent retrospective show in SF
This is Kilkey 50-50ing the original Leigh-on-Sea vert (circa 1992) before it was cut down to 8 foot. I miss this old park & I think it's a real shame what was put in its place is so crap. It's an real insult to the local skate population. Bring back the original Rampage!
About a year ago Dave built two ghetto micro quarter pipes amongst the rubble of a former factory. One weekend we were happily skating said quarters when a power crazy security guard from the neighbouring factory (turns out they owned the site) told us to do one. Obviously we declined which lead Mr. Group4 to call the boys in blue. The ticket pictured is the result of our efforts & fortunately didn't go further than a stern telling off from PC Boobhat....Phew! In 20+ years of skating this is the only ticket I've ever received. In a funny way I was kind of chuffed
whilst trawling through my folder of old drawings (really don't know why i kept them!!) i came across this gem. i seem to remember this being from an advert for billy ruff's pro board on which this graphic appeared. i think the main character had puppet strings coming from his fingers to a still of billy ruff doing an invert or something...deep! needless to say i was obsessed with this board graphic but was never able to track it down...bum!
my first 'real' deck was a brand x riot stick & at the time i was completely obsessed with the company & it's aesthetic. so it's no surprise that when i put budget felt tip to my spar bought sketch pad i would draw graphics inspired by the company. not sure why but i must have been conscious of copyright laws at a very early age because, as you can see, i've called my company brand y....haha!
a few years back (i'm trying not to acknowledge it was 20!!) a bloke known simply as mash built an amazing 6-7ft ramp in a disused pig shed on his gandpa's farm. now, given the farm was only 20 minutes from my house it meant myself and good friend kilkey spent almost every weekend there training the tranny skills! whether it be by train, then bus or 2 different buses we found our way there no matter what (later kilkey bought a shitty metro- our saviour!). anyway, in the height of it's infamy many people passed through the pig shed including deathbox pro wurzel. a mini ramp made from the original latimer rd. vert was later built & along with the 6-7ft it proved to be where many of us old'uns like munson, sam wright, pedge & pepe, justin, long ron, hammy, dom, mash, etc cut our transitional teeth to public enemy's 'it takes a nation...'which seemed to be on constant repeat at the time....bring that beat back!!
yeah , i know it's been yonks since i posted on this 'ere blog. been busy playing dad & putting the finishing touches to my shedio (as posted previously) which seemed to take on a severn bridge/my life's work/gaudi's segrada familia type status. it's finished now so expect some photos but in the mean time i want those of you who have skated for years/used to skate many moons ago to look at this website: CEASE&DESIST & reminicse of days gone by & boards you once had. so far my favourite has been the 101 natas/satan board (check piccy). mainly because in a fit of stupidity when i was faced with a limited deck choice in a shop in bude i chose a no-pro acme board over this one. yes, i am a dick! funny now i look back on it but i guess i just didn't understand back then how good 101 actually was.
A few weeks back through the good people at Analogue Books in Edinburgh I was able to get the newly released Evan Hecox monograph. Needless to say it's truly amazing & has inspired me to get off my lazy ass & start 'doing art' again. The best part of the book for me are his linocut prints. They're reproduced to look just like they'd been printed directly into the book by the man himself (peep below image). Radness! Anyway, if you need this sorta thing in your life click 'ere now: Analogue 
