Archive for May, 2009
First Lady Michelle Obama covers the June 1, 2009 issue of Time Magazine, marking the 23rd time in history a president’s wife has achieved the feat. Lou Hoover was the first in 1924 (she was on it again in 1929), Eleanor Roosevelt did it three times, Jacqueline Kennedy twice, and Hillary Clinton a whopping six. Others include Barbara Bush, Nancy Reagan, and Patricia Nixon. While I wasn’t alive when the majority of these women inhabited the White House, I feel like Michelle Obama is perhaps the most pervasively popular of all of them. She exudes a classic modernity, which I think helps her appeal to various generations. Her style has also captivated the media, making her even more of a public figure than your average first lady. I feel like this won’t be the last time she’ll make the cover of Time, but does she have a chance to break Hillary’s record of six? 
The first thing I thought of when I saw Shepard Fairey won a USA-Network ‘Character Approved’ Award was: who cares? But then I listened to this video clip explanation of what he does and why he does it. It turns out USA rewarded, “the characters who are changing the face of American culture; honorees are innovators in their field who influence our opinions, our style, and our view of the world. They surprise and inspire us with fresh ideas. They are celebrated by their peers. And they have an authentic style that’s all their own.” Other winners include rapper Lupe Fiasco, architect Jennifer Siegal and chef David Chang. While this is a pretty superfluous and sycophantic award, Fairey continues to surprise me with how innovative and interesting he is. I can’t stop listening to the guy, especially when he talks about enjoying street art because he’s not legally supposed to do it. Thoughts?
Today, the Jailbreak’s parent company, Jailbreak Toys, is launching an exciting new competition called the Photobama Freestyle Contest. The goal is to have owners (or new purchasers) of the Obama Action Figure share pictures of what they envision the mini president doing behind the scenes. An impromptu photo shoot with the prez, if you will. The innovative vehicle by which this contest operates is the widget above. It has a code on the share tab that anyone can embed on their social network (MySpace, Facebook, Friendster, etc.) page or blog. You can essentially host the Photobama freestyle contest on your site, making it that much easier to participate and share this with your friends and family. It’s completely interactive and fully functional. So just click on the tabs, register, and enter your submissions, no matter where you find it on the web. Contestants of both professional and amateur pedigree are encouraged to, “take and share pictures of what the President does in his free time; where he goes, who he spends time with and what he does.” Photo submissions will be accepted through June 29th. The next day, online voting on the same widget will be opened, allowing anyone and everyone to vote through August 7th. Oh, and it comes with prizes. What, you didn’t think it would? Prizes awarded for the most votes include the Flip MinoHD™, The World’s Smallest HD Camcorder and the yet-to-be released, highly anticipated Michelle Obama Action Figure. Since we introduced the Obama Action Figure last year, he has become a global sensation and a must have for any true toy collector. During that time we’ve received numerous photos and video clips that either include, or revolve around, the figure participating in everyday activities. Thus the idea for the contest was born. To win this you’ll need to think abstractly. Take chances with your photographs and come up with something that is truly original and even groundbreaking. Use creativity, inspiration, and artistry. But more than anything have fun! Complete contest rules are available at www.jailbreaktoys.com. Please contact Todd Fraser at 310-278-2630 or todd@lamedianic.com for additional information on the contest, Jailbreak Toys, the Michelle Obama Action Figure, or to request artwork or interviews.
Chris over at guerillaone just posted a nice interview with toy photographer Brian McCarty. Remember him? He’s the wildly talented guy who shot this image of the Obama Action Figure at the site of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.’s assassination. Head over to their site to read the entertaining piece in its entirety.
Did you ever wonder what the story of Hansel and Gretel would look like if they were abducted by a cannibalistic ice-cream truck driver? Yeah, me neither. But first-year Cal Arts’ student David Ochs did, and his re-telling is gory, imaginative and all-together fantastic. The animation isn’t the best I’ve ever seen, but the story is original and twisted so that’s enough for me. I love how the children never talk, and the only sounds are the tinkle of the ice-cream truck and the screams of the monster as he’s being destroyed by the blender. Nice work. Who’s hungry? *Warning: This video contains some brutal images and should be viewed with caution.
Something smells fishy in Britain. Entrepreneur turned movie maker Ivan Massow wrote, produced and directed this new “film within a film” entitled, Banksy’s Coming to Dinner. Former movie star Joan Collins, her fifth husband Percy Gibson, and a gaggle of their uppity friends appear as themselves at a supposed dinner with the mysterious artist. The premise is sort-of contrived and unbelievable, and various media outlets are calling it controversial and nothing more than a hoax. Banksy has become one of the most famous street artists in the world: maybe because of his edgy, political, incendiary work, and definitely because he’s remained illusive to the point of invisibility throughout his career. Massow suggests his film is a clash of celebrity that, “will question the very nature of ‘reality’ at every level.” To me that makes a pretty straightforward statement about the legitimacy, or lack thereof, of this pseudo documentary. I would be much more interested in learning about Banksy if this were a tangible investigation about the man behind the myth. He might be the most fascinating case study about fame revolting against fame I’ve ever seen, and this attempt by Massow just doesn’t cut it. Perhaps the most obvious evidence for this being a publicity stunt is the fact that they’ve chosen a subject who would probably never agree to do something like this. He’s spent the duration of his career rebelling against the aristocratic ideals these people epitomize. His work suggests a loathsome captivation with modern society, and eating dinner with the chick from Dynasty doesn’t seem like his cup of tea. Either way, here’s the trailer. You can purchase an advanced download of the entire film here. 
Discuss: Would you go see this even if it turns out to be a hoax?
Well, the Obama Action Figure has navigated his way from a Brooklyn loft in January 2008, to the Democratic National Convention last August, to the cover of Wizard Universe’s July 2009 issue of ToyFare Magazine. The actual Obama has circumvented his own exciting path and found his way from underdog, to chillin’ with murals of old dudes in the White House. As you can see from the image above, the action figure version is apparently hanging out with R2D2 and Princess Leia, looking dashing in his suit and tie. The little bubble quotes are ironic and cliche but then BAM! Megatron catches your eye and the sardonic flickers of vague disappointment in your brain disappear. In addition to making the cover, Wizard Universe has also teamed up with us to create and distribute a limited edition Barack Obama-Wizard Exclusive- Action Figure. It’s designed by J. Scott Campbell, and can be purchased in advance for $29.99 in Wizard’s item of the week section on their website. I just picked up a copy of the magazine today, and I have to say that Jason’s little creation looks fantastic. Go out and buy one of these because they will surely be a collector’s item one day. Thanks to Wizard Universe.
The brilliant thing about street art is that it’s not confined to one block or one country—it’s universal. A good sector of artists around the world have yet to be discovered, and that’s one of the most exciting aspects of the genre. Someone would need to embark on a journey from South Korea to Compton if they wanted a true understanding and appreciation for street art, and how it differs from place to place. It’s an inherent interest of mine to understand different cultures and I think one of the most applicable ways to do that is the study of their various art forms. We’ve featured some foreign artists on the Jailbreak in the past but I’m going to be more conscious about the relative influence of them from here on forth. Today I would like to introduce you to a Portuguese street artist named Vhils. He uses various mediums, from spray paint to power tools, in his creation of wall murals that not only decorate the space, but also alter its natural formation. He’s currently working on a project titled Scratching the Surface, and has created this cinematographically-rich video to accompany his finished works. 
Vihls, aka AlexandreFarto, is currently featured in two separate exhibitions. The first, Tunnel-228, is a collaborative project between the Old Vic Theatre and Punchdrunk, taking place under the Waterloo Station in England. The second is an festival called Fame in Grottaglie, Italy. For more information on the artist visit his website.
More photos after the jump. Via: Arrested Motion
A few months back, Papermag invited 15 of America’s consummate creative minds to “rebrand” the image of our rapidly transforming country for their May issue, and these are some of the finished products. Papermag Editor Kim Hastreiter spearheaded the project and received excellent contributions from Alex Bogusky* (of advertising agency Crispin Porter + Bogusky), Shepard Fairey, Dan Wieden (of creative school W+K12), recent Jailbreak interviewee Ron English, and graphic designer Peter Buchanan-Smith to name a few. In her pitch to who she called “creative communicators,” Hastreiter said, “as the times we are living in are so radical, I think radical ideas are needed to help save our proverbial asses and to create a new path forward into what I like to call the “new normal”. The best part of being in deep shit is that with it comes a unique opportunity for progressive thinking because the status quo is desperate.” You can check out the rest of the designs on papermag’s website. The images above are from Wieden, English, Bogusky, Bogusky and Fairey respectively. *Alex Bogusky recently recieved an honorary degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder at the same time and place I was getting my degree in journalism. I’ve never met the guy, but from what I’ve heard he’s a brilliant man. 
This is truly one of the funniest videos I’ve ever seen. It was created by Andreas Pohl, the Creative Director at Optix, for a finance group in Denmark called Bon Trust. They used various 2D and 3D techniques, including taking the money and making origami characters out of it. Definitely worth the watch–especially because they took the state of our economy and gave it sexual connotations. Thoughts?
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