April 28, 2009
the new gapingvoid print: the purple cow “totem”: pre-order $495
[UPDATE: A picture of me holding up one of the Purple Cow prints. They look UTTERLY AMAZING in real life…]
[“Purple Cow” Printer’s Proof, photographed straight on. Dimension: 39“x28”, Click on image to enlarge etc.]
[Update: Seth Godin blogs about the prints here.]
[The original design. Click on Image to Enlarge etc]
A couple of weeks ago I posted a new cartoon, basically a re-working of the front cover of my friend and mentor, Seth Godin’s seminal 2003 marketing book, “Purple Cow”. Like I told Seth in an e-mail:
It has occurred me many times recently, that one reason MANY, MANY people in the world are currently suffering during this current recession/crisis/whatever, is simply because they didn’t follow the advice in Purple Cow.
That’s a bit simplistic, I know, but it still has a ring of truth too it.
ALL your books are great, but Jeeze, Purple Cow is the one that really got under my skin, which is really what inspired the big drawing I did. To me the book, as a totem, as an icon, represents a huge shift in thinking that came along, almost uninvited, back in the early 2000’s. The drawing represents [to me] my own ability to internalize it.
You and I both somehow managed to find a way to currently live in this Purple Cow/Hughtrain world now, that we wrote about 5+ years ago. But now I see that same world suddenly arriving for millions of people… and it’s cold & scary for a great many of them.
Which is why I now think people now need to read Purple Cow more than ever…
I read Seth’s book right about the same time I really started to “get” this whole blogging and Web 2.0 thing. Purple Cow was almost iconic to me.
Which is why it was easy for me to envisage it as an icon.
So with Seth’s blessing, I turned this icon into literally ANOTHER icon– a very large, purple, iconic, fine art print. A “Totem”, as it were. Like Seth said on his blog, when he first announced the print earlier today:
Totem poles have been around for a long time, because they work. We need a place to tell our stories, and a reminder of what to talk about.
On a professional level, the stuff Seth talks about in Purple Cow is still very relevant. Be remarkable, Everyone is a marketer etc.- is what to me, Web 2.0 was all about. It WASN’T about yakking on endlessly about the latest shiny object or the latest crazy web-celeb stunt. It was about getting interesting ideas, products and services out to market a lot more cheaply, quickly and easily than it ever was before before. THAT’S WHAT EXCITED ME.
And that’s what this “Totem” is ALSO all about.
The print will be co-signed by both me and Seth. A limited edition of 380.
You can a pre-order one below for $495.00 below by making $150 PayPal deposit. This offer is open only to the first 100 people who respond. Once they’re in production, you can purchase one at the retail price of $1,100.00 over at The gapingvoid Gallery, my new e-commerce website that launched officially today.
Seth and I are planning on having some sort of “Signing Party” in mid-June up in New York City, to sign the prints live. If you’re in town, I hope you can make it.
Thanks, Seth, this is going to be insanely great!
[The Small Print:]
1. The pre-order price is $495.00 for the first one hundred people who order. Once the prints have been co-signed by both me and Seth, the price reverts back to retail i.e. $1,100.00
2. It will be a limited edition of 380 serigraphs, plus artist’s proofs. All prints will be co-signed and dated by both me and Seth.
3. The prints will be shipped out circa July 1st, 2009, soon after the NY print party.
[Click on PayPal $150 Deposit]
4. To secure your pre-order, please use the PayPal button above to make a $150 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.
5. When asked for your details, please include your real name, not just your business name. The shipper won’t deliver it otherwise.
6. We’ll email you a PayPal form for the outstanding invoice once the artwork is printed, packed and ready for shipping.
7. We’ll be printing these to the same high standards as always i.e. top-of-the-line inks and paper, approx 39″ x 28″ in dimension. Please note this print is quite larger than the earlier editions, so make sure you free up plenty of wall space!
8. Shipping & handling [approx $45 USA, $65 abroad] is not included in the price. The buyer is also responsible for any Customs & Excise outside the USA. We ship them rolled, protected in tissue paper, in extra sturdy, 5-inch mailing tubes. If you insist on having it shipped flat, we can certainly do that for you, but it costs extra and the risk of shipping damage is far higher.
9. If you have any questions, please feel free to drop me an email at gapingvoidprints@gmail.com, and either Laura or me will happily answer them.
10. Thanks, as always, for your love and support!
"Hugh's Daily Cartoon" Newsletter.
A new cartoon sent out every weekday morning to your inbox [RSS version here.].
A wee chuckle to start your day off right etc.
I bought it because this is a true story. Seth’s and your work matters. It works. I love it.
But please, PLEASE, do not use Paypal for such a lovely thing — use a “user is king” service.
Almost exploded during their f***** up user interface.
Vent:
“State?” I marked Denmark, that means I’m NOT a US resident, ok?!
“You can’t use that card”! What? It’s a Visa with enough on it!
“Denmark gone from the list?” Oh, you choose to put in the top AFTER I chose Denmark the first time.
“Want to edit your information before clicking “pay now”?” No can do, exept for the back option in my browser.
Freaking wannabe onliners!
/vent off
Thanks, look forward to get your incredible work delivered over here.
“I’ve never seen a purple cow.
I never hope to see one.
But I can tell you anyhow,
I’d rather see than be one.“
Ogden Nash is one of my favorites. It’s hard to forget his poems.
Just ordered and I am very excited! What a wonderful combination. I got the idea for my business (ActiveRain.com) while reading the Purple Cow — this is perfect.
I just paid the deposit, but am confused about something. Are the dimensions 39 by 28 (#7 above), or 39 by 22 (gallery web site)?
I posted a comment yesterday asking about the dimensions. Other comments have been moderated, but not mine?
[…] Purple Cow – So classic that Hugh McLeod did a print of it. […]
[…] I did the bulk purchase. So late after work one night I drove most of the way to Seth’s place and slept in my car at a rest station about 20 miles from his business. When I woke up in the morning I went to his office a bit early, finished reading another book while anxiously sitting there, and then finally everyone showed up. His enthusiasm was great. And he taught just how much marketing is becoming art. […]
[…] I did the bulk purchase. So late after work one night I drove most of the way to Seth’s place and slept in my car at a rest station about 20 miles from his business. When I woke up in the morning I went to his office a bit early, finished reading another book while anxiously sitting there, and then finally everyone showed up. His enthusiasm was great. And he taught just how much marketing is becoming art. […]
[…] I did the bulk purchase. So late after work one night I drove most of the way to Seth’s place and slept in my car at a rest station about 20 miles from his business. When I woke up in the morning I went to his office a bit early, finished reading another book while anxiously sitting there, and then finally everyone showed up. His enthusiasm was great. And he taught just how much marketing is becoming art. […]