March 31, 2009
culture = culture
[Sketch, 2008]
Hugh MacLeod
I'm a cartoonist.
I sell limited-edition prints.
I wrote a book.
I'm CEO of Stormhoek USA, which markets South African wine in the States.
I also draw private commissions.
Prints |
Opening | Current |
|---|---|---|
NY NY |
$275 |
Archive for March, 2009
March 25, 2009
gapingvoid commissioned prints
[“Open Brands”. Commissioned by Agencia Click, Sao Paulo, Brazil. Click on image to enlarge etc.]
I’m delighted to announce my first privately commissioned gapingvoid print.
A couple of weeks ago I was invited down to Brazil by Agencia Click to do a bit of public speaking and some consultancy work for them. While I was at it, they also commissioned me to design a print for them, something that articulated their “Open Branding” idea. So I designed the drawing above, which goes into production next week.
The black lines represent “The World”, as it were. The red lines represent “The Brand”. In “Open Branding”, the brand is “Everywhere”, not “Controlled” or “Isolated” somewhere specific.
I took their idea, filtered it through my own visual language to create a third thing, an image that captures the “Purpose-Idea”.
I did pretty much the same thing with Microsoft and The Blue Monster…
I love this kind of work. It allows me to do my drawing thing, while still getting my brain out of the studio and out into the real world. Not to mention, I get to visit Brazil! Heh.
Thanks to Abel and Jeff for making it happen. Rock on.
[NB: If you’re in the market to commission a limited edition print, feel free to email me at gapingvoid@gmail.com. Thanks.]
March 24, 2009
mediocrity now howls in protest
“The web has made kicking ass easier to achieve, and mediocrity harder to sustain. Mediocrity now howls in protest. http://tinyurl.com/czm2sk”
[Twitter Link]
“hey kids, it’s dinosaur time again!”
When I saw this blog post by my buddy, Steve Rubel I just HAD to whip out the ol’ “Dinosaur” cartoon again…
Nat Ives reports in AdAge that a number of major media companies have asked Google to give it favorable positioning over blogs…
Many publishers resent the criteria Google uses to pick top results, starting with the original PageRank formula that depended on how many links a page got. But crumbling ad revenue is lending their push more urgency; this is no time to show up on the third page of Google search results. And as publishers renew efforts to sell some content online, moreover, they’re newly upset that Google’s algorithm penalizes paid content.
“You should not have a system,” one content executive said, “where those who are essentially parasites off the true producers of content benefit disproportionately.”
Eh. If it were up to these losers, the internet would not even have been invented. Or if it had, it would’ve been outlawed by now. Besides, I don’t think big media companies are in any position to go around calling other people “parasites”. Too funny…
March 23, 2009
desertmanhattan is finished
[Click on images to enlarge etc.]
[YouTube video page is here.]
I started on DesertManahttan last September. I finally finished it earlier this evening, around midnight.
Yeah, it took a a long time to finish. Well, I was a busy fellow, after all, doing lots of other stuff.
I could have worked on it forever, however like the old art school adage goes, paintings are never finished; they are ended. It was time.
Thanks to everybody who followed me along on this project, encouraging me all the way. It’s been quite a journey. Rock on.
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March 21, 2009
painting update
[Tablet PC sketch of what I have in mind. Click on image to enlarge etc.]
[UPDATE: 12.10am, 23rd March. “DesertManhattan” is finished. Hurrah!]
DesertManhattan is nearly finished. Four x Eight foot worth of insanity. Months of work. Will be posting pictures soon.
My next painting will be half that size– 48″ x 48″ square… the sketch above should give you an idea. Again, the theme comes from a familiar place. Like I said when I first started on DesertManhattan:
I think being out here in Alpine, Texas, covered under a blanket of desert air and “Big Sky” brought about a wee change in me, at least in what I find interesting artistically. The “cartoons on the back of business cards” format came about in New York City, when living conditions, shall we say, were far more intense, crowded and cramped. Not to mention, I was ten years younger. Things change.
There’s a certain intensity to being out here in the desert. There was a certain intensity to living in New York. I’m trying to create objects that somehow capture both. Hence its name.
Yeah, I know, it’s a silly, stupid, insane way to try to make a living, to try to spend a life. I’ve spent the last twenty years learning this the hard way. The damage is already done. Alea iacta est. Rock on.
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March 20, 2009
what do middle seats on airplanes and the current recession have in common?
1. One of my pet peeves when traveling [and I travel quite a bit these days] is when I get assigned to the middle seat on an airplane.
We all know why; we all know middle seats are uncomfortable and nasty. We all know that they basically suck.
Sure, the good airline folk will tell me, they’ve already booked all the window and aisle seats. They’ve only got middle seats left. Sorry etc.
Which always makes me think to myself, “Those middle seats shouldn’t be on the airplane in the first place”.
Middle seats are, to me, a product of a different era. They were invented when the first long distance jet airliners came around, the Boeing 707, the VC-10 etc etc. Before that they just had aisles and windows.
Thirty or forty years ago, airplanes were designed before the airline industry was deregulated, when air travel was REALLY expensive. When people had far fewer choices.
Jet Blue currently buys long, skinny airplanes to make getting rid of the middle seat economically viable. But they’re a new airline. Older, larger, more established airlines are still beholden to their old, fat airplanes, stuffed to the brim with middle seats.
It won’t happen overnight, but there will come a time when offering your airline customers a middle seat will be tantamount to economic suicide.
Because people simply don’t want middle seats. They never did. And they’ll gladly take their business over to someone who doesn’t have them on offer.
This middle-seat-free day arriving will great news for us customers, of course. But not if you’re “Middle Seat Guy”.
2. Middle Seat Guy is the guy at the airline whose job it is to figure out the middle seats– how many of them they can cram onto a plane, and how to sell middle seats as efficiently as possible [to people who never wanted them to begin with].
Suddenly, he’s out of a job. People aren’t buying middles seats anymore, suddenly the world has no more use for his services. He’s at home; he’s bitter, he feels personally betrayed by the airline who employed him for twenty years. His life sucks and he’s hitting the bottle before noon etc.
Whether we’re talking about airlines or any other kind of business, the fact is, the Internet has made it MUCH harder to sell your customers metaphorical “Middle Seats”. And the punishment for trying to get away with it keeps on getting more swift and severe.
3. No, we don’t want to give you $7500.00 in order to help you pay off your six-figure student loans from Law School. We’d much rather download something off the internet that does the same job for $99.99.
No, we don’t want be interrupted by you, so you can show us your well-crafted, multi-million dollar marketing message about how wonderful your client’s automobiles are. We’d much rather get the skinny from an online forum.
No, we don’t want to buy your generic, cardboard-tasting, mass-produced cookies from the local convenience store; we’d rather order some online from this Trappist Monk Weirdo Lumberjack in Alaska, who makes by-hand-in-tiny-batches THE MOST AMAZING cookies ever.
No, we don’t want to buy your $25 bottle of nasty, Califonian vinegar. We’d rather buy this great little $10 Australian red that this cool wine blogger turned us on to.
4. The only time I really watch TV is when I’m staying in a hotel room, like I was last weekend while visiting Austin for SXSW. Usually I just turn on CNN, and listen to the pundits blether on. Background noise. Fairly mindless stuff.
It was quite a disconnect for me to hear the guys on CNN yapping endlessly on about THE RECESSION, in contrast to all the groovy cats I met at SXSW, who told me how their businesses were booming. It was like two alternate universes colliding. Which one was the real one?
To anyone reading this who has lost their job to the recession recently, first let me say how sorry I am to hear that. I lost my job during the last recession, and I know how rotten it can be. I utterly sympathize.
That being said, while I’m watching CNN I keep asking myself the same question. What percentage of these recession victims were just plain, randomly unlucky, and how many were in the business of selling metaphorical “Middle Seats” before they got laid off?
I don’t know what’s going to happen in this recession in the long run. I do know, however, that a lot of Middle Seat Guys, i.e. those who currently make their living via “The Ignorance Premium”, are going to be suddenly out of work, with ZERO idea about what to do next. I hope that doesn’t include you.
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john t. unger, artist and global microbrand
One of John T.‘s “Great Bowls Of Fire”.
From March, 2006:
Chris Carfi points to John T. Unger, an artist and regular gapingvoid commenter who has used his blog and the global microbrand idea to carve out a nice wee career for himself (for more money than his last day job paid him, I hasten to add).
Go read John T’s take on it here. Very uplifting.
John and his girlfriend left Alpine, Texas this morning. We hung out and drank beer, and I got to take him to my favorite Mexican place in town, Alicia’s. Since I first wrote about him a a few years ago, we’ve become great friends.
John’s checking out Texas. He’s had enough of Michigan winters. He’s looking to buy land down here and build another studio for his sculpture. Alpine is on his short list of possible locations.
I may have coined the term, “Global Microbrand”, but John has actually lived it to the full. Now it’s my turn to play catch-up. Rock on.
March 19, 2009
bluetrain prints arriving!
[Bluetrain customers posing their prints online etc…]
Yesterday the “Bluetrain” prints started arriving in the mail. So far the reception has been really positive…
What started out as just an idea on my blog last December is now becoming reality.
Yes, I am very happy. Thanks to Everybody who supported this wee project. Seriously.
March 15, 2009
hello from sxsw
[Photo courtesy of @caseorganic etc.]
This cartoon kinda says it all…
[SXSW Link]
March 10, 2009
“ignore everybody” launches june 11th, 2009
[The book jacket– click on image to enlarge etc.]
My book, “Ignore Everybody” hits the bookstores on June 11th.
[You can download two PDF sample chapters here for free etc.]
Barnes & Noble.
800-CEO-READ. [great for bulk buys]
IndieBound. [to find an independent store]
The book has been a long time coming. What started out as a series of blog posts in 2004, took on a life of its own.
In a hundred years I’ll be dead. So will you. Before that time comes, I want to keep asking the question, “How do we make the world a more fun, meaningful, loving, creative place?” This book is part of that.
I can’t think of a better way to spend the remaining time God has given me on this planet, frankly. You?
[The Official Publisher’s Blurb for the book:]
When Hugh MacLeod was a struggling young copywriter, living in a YMCA, he started to doodle on the backs of business cards while sitting at a bar. Those cartoons eventually led to a popular blog – gapingvoid.com – and a reputation for pithy insight and humor, in both words and pictures.
MacLeod has opinions on everything from marketing to the meaning of life, but one of his main subjects is creativity. How do new ideas emerge in a cynical, risk-averse world? Where does inspiration come from? What does it take to make a living as a creative person?
Now his first book, Ignore Everyone, expands on his sharpest insights, wittiest cartoons, and most useful advice. A sample:
* Selling out is harder than it looks. Diluting your product to make it more commercial will just make people like it less.
* If your plan depends on you suddenly being “discovered” by some big shot, your plan will probably fail. Nobody suddenly discovers anything. Things are made slowly and in pain.
* Don’t try to stand out from the crowd; avoid crowds altogether. There’s no point trying to do the same thing as 250,000 other young hopefuls, waiting for a miracle. All existing business models are wrong. Find a new one.
* The idea doesn’t have to be big. It just has to be yours. The sovereignty you have over your work will inspire far more people than the actual content ever will.
After learning MacLeod’s 40 keys to creativity, you will be ready to unlock your own brilliance and unleash it on the world.
About the Author
Hugh MacLeod worked as an advertising copywriter for more than a decade, while developing his skills as a cartoonist and pundit. His blog is Gaping Void, and more than a million people have downloaded the original post that inspired this book, “How To Be Creative.” He also lectures and consults on Web 2.0 and its impact on business.
March 2, 2009
the next gapingvoid print: “corinthians”, $250 pre-order
[“Corinthians”. Click on image to enlarge etc.]
[UPDATE: The “Corinthian” pre-orders are now sold out. However, we do have some still available at the retail price i.e. $450. Click on PayPal button below to make a $100 deposit. Thanks for the support, Everybody!]
[Click on Paypal button to make $100 deposit etc.]
I first heard 1 Corinthians 13 read out in church when I was about nine or ten. Like a lot of things in the Bible, as a kid I found it puzzling at first. And over the years, it kept on giving new meaning to me. It never got old.
Paul’s most-quoted passage from his letter to the Corinthians is one of those things in the Bible, like Psalm 23, that just gets better and better, the longer you live.
In Anglican circles, it’s pretty much required reading at weddings. I remember when they read it at my sister’s wedding, ten years ago, and how much happiness and depth it added to the occasion.
Anyone who has ever had it read out at their own wedding will know– it’s powerful stuff. Which is what inspired me to make a drawing out of it.
When we asked people for feedback on the next gapingvoid print, “We Need To Talk” came out the winner. It’s now in production and the pre-orders are now sold out.
That being said, there was a lot of backchannel interest with “Corinthians”, as well. It was by no means a distant second. Not to mention, it was a damn fine design and the message is timeless.
So what they heck, we decided to make Corinthians available as a limited edition, as well.
Here are the details:
1. It’s going to be a smaller edition. Instead of an edition of 85 like with “Bluetrain” and “WNTT” We’re doing an edition of 50. [UPDATE: BEcasue demand for this print far exceeded our expectations, we made it an edition of 75 in the end.]
2. Once its printed, it’ll retail for $450 [plus shipping & handling]. Like last time, you can pre-order the first 30 in the edition at a discount, i.e. $250 [plus shipping and handling]. To secure your order, please use the PayPal button above and make a $100 deposit. The PayPal form will ask you for all your details [including your preferred shipping address], which of course we’ll have for our records. Why are we asking for a deposit? To weed out the spammers, flakes and trolls out there [This is the Internet, after all], leaving only committed buyers in the mix. No other reason. This shall be our standard practice from now on.
3. The print will be ready to ship in 4 – 6 weeks. We’ll send you another PayPal for the outstanding invoice once the prints are packed and ready to be shipped.
4. The print will be the same size as the others [i.e. large, approx 21“x32”], hand-signed by me, and it goes without saying, the same high-quality inks and papers will be used.
5. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email at gapingvoidprints@gmail.com, and either Laura or Me will answer them.
I’m excited about this one. This Biblical passage has always meant a great deal to me, and as I’ve been delighted to find out via blog comments and emails, it turns out it means a great deal to a lot of other gapingvoid readers, as well. So it’s looking like it’s going to be a great little project.
Once Again, thank you for your love and support. Rock on.
[PS: To keep up-to-date with the prints’ goings-on, please subscribe to my “Crazy, Deranged Fools” Newsletter, Thanks.]
print update: only four left!
[UPDATE: I’m happy to report that the “We Need To Talk” pre-sales are all already sold out. The design goes to print sometime in the next week or so, and the plan is to get the editions sent out to their buyers toward the end of the month. Thanks Again!]
Dear Crazy, Deranged Fools,
I’m happy to report that the orders for my latest edition, “We Need To Talk” have gone very well. So much so that, besides what I’m keeping for myself, we only have four of them left! If you’re interested in acquiring one, please send me an email to gapingvoidprints, Thanks. All the usual details– price, shipping etc can be found here etc etc.
So I’ve been in the fine art print business thing for about two months. Here are my notes:
1. I suppose the first thing I’ll say about it is, yes, I am UTTERLY AMAZED about how well it’s going so far. Sure, I never started this venture with any intention of failing, but still, the response has been off the scale. I have honestly never seen anything like it. I’m kinda shell-shocked, to be honest, but in a good way…
2. I am truly grateful for everything; it would be insane not to be. Still, in the back of my mind, I am wondering to myself, is this just Beginner’s Luck? How long will it last? Could it all come crashing down tomorrow? I’ve seen that happen before, and it’s not pretty. Oh well, make hay while the sun shines, I suppose; that’s all you can really do.
3. I’m VERY glad I made the decision, early on in the game, to not to spare any expenses in the production department. The finest inks, the finest papers, the finest printers etc etc. When the Bluetrain prints arrived last week for me to sign, I remember opening the box and just being INSTANTLY STUNNED by how well they turned out, how pleasing both to the eye and to the touch. It was a truly happy, satisfying moment for me.
4. Choosing which design to turn into a print is actually pretty nerve-wracking. Producing an edition costs several thousand dollars, and no matter how good you think your gut instinct or market research is, YOU SIMPLY DON’T KNOW what people are going to do [versus what people SAY they’re going to do] until your money’s already been spent; until it’s too late to change you mind. “We Need To Talk”, is actually a pretty good example of “nerve-wracking”. It was a risky– it’s not exactly a message you’d want to give your wife for her birthday, nor a message you’d want to hang in your office in order to motivate the troops. That being said, it has a certain edge to it, which some people really relate to on a visceral level. Besides that, I had some strong, personal reasons for wanting it made into a print, so I made the call. I’m just glad it all ended well.
5. I fully expect these prints to one day be worth MANY TIMES what they’re selling for now. Which is why I hold onto a few of each edition– I’d be crazy not to. Art can be a very risky investment, of course, but when it pays off, it pays off EXTREMELY well. Looking at it from a brutally objective standpoint– do the math: My equity as an artist is worth a LOT more today than it was, say, five or ten years ago. I see no reason why that trend won’t continue, at least for the foreseeable future. What stocks in your portfolio can you say the same about? Just askin’…
6. All the experience I got setting up English Cut in 2005 – 2006 is suddenly paying off. We have a lot in common: a small, high-end, niche market, a blog to keep up, with a LOT Of emails to deal with. But this time, I’m not beholden to somebody else’s product. This stuff is all mine, now. I’m quite excited, frankly.
7. Probably the most salient piece of advice I came away with from Le Web in December came from Gary Vaynerchuk: “If you have a great product, and you love your customers, you WILL succeed, end of story”. I totally get that. That being said, I believe the latter is much harder than the former, on an executional level. Love is great, but Love is hard. Make of that what you will.
Thanks Again, As Always, for Your Love & Support.
Yours In Crazy, Deranged Foolishness,
Hugh MacLeod
