Back in 2011, SPC wanted to make a big splash for a baked beans themed product launch event.
Somehow, Studio Bauhaus (where I used to work) was tasked to create some visually fun stuff for, I think, a press kit — CDs, posters, flyers, tees, probably some other junk as well.
For my part, based on a specific flatulent-filled brief from SPC, I drew up this one-page comic — can't recall if it wound up as part of the press kit or maybe a trade magazine one-pager, or even used at all.
Just now realised I haven’t blogged anything since [see blog post below this one]… not that it matters, based on the almost nonexistent site views.
So, I guess it’s time to update no one out there on… whatever.
I’ve been drawing up stuff for work, but not ready to showcase it, at least for another month (or more)… I do have some possible gems found in the archives, might be suitable page fillers for this blog in the coming days.
Whenever I take time off from work, I usually let the company know by email with an embedded doodle in the message. The one time I didn’t do that, my boss enquired “… where’s the doodle?”. I responded with the above doodle.
Vectored this up minutes before the 2014 Super Bowl kickoff for a restaurant chain’s social media feed that didn’t go ahead… a case of marketing not talking to account managers not talking to marketing not talking to managers et al…
“Mak” Makowoski (the bunny) announces he’s taking time off work to recoup … as there are no bridges to burn down, Mak throws a water balloon into the offices for good measure.)
A silly, little dumb doodle emailed to Workplace Proximity Associates as I take some annual leave.
What do you do when you’re frustrated with EVERYTHING?
Your only option is scramble out of your hidey-hole, raise your bunny fist in the air and scream out loud:
Actual quote from my fellow workplace proximity associate.
The mind goes to a dark place when you’re overwhelmed designing more & more Pokémon licensed product concepts.
A little doodle to help pass the time.
One more W.P.A. has left the company, I guess to explore more avenues beyond anything apparel-themed (and that, I damn well respect).
So, as per the norm nowadays, the company issued a request for her caricature.
Apart from a few scattered micro chit-chats we had in the break room over the course of 7 years, I really didn’t know much - if anything - about her… apparently, she was an “online specialist”. That could mean just about anything these days.
It has something to do with computers? Maybe? Who knows.
Work’s I.T. guy is retiring, so I had to doodle up a caricature.
Didn’t go the usual route by throwing in computers, floppy disks, et al… instead, I used the useless knowledge this person worships a football team, to wit, its mascot is a tiger.
Need I go on?
This was quickly drawn up, replying to a rambling, long-winded, nonsensical work-related email inquiry.
A couple-o-bunnies drawn up for the company’s Easter festivities — sketched up for silver dollar coin-sized stickers to be slapped onto Easter Eggs.
I only had enough time at work to quickly sketch up these two on screen, color and print out stickers - the “blinking” I animated at home as part of my now ongoing destress routine.
Once in a blue moon I get called up for a special one-of-a-kind project for Mitch Dowd, the apparel company I work for.
In 2018, when enthusiasm for the recent season 2 release of Stranger Things was at a record high, Mitch Dowd’s BossMan pegged me for a special project: push out an "eye-popping" Stranger Things retail-oriented proposal for Target.
This was a solo project from start to finish - no other "designers" contributed to the effort. And this is what I do best: left alone for a time to my own devices and getting deep into the weeds.
Started the project during work hours by essentially conceptualizing (roughly) on both sketchpad and on screen. Then, over a full weekend, I dug into the subject matter, pulling reference material from both official and fan-based web sources - no style guide available to pluck assets or ideas from.
To get into the mood further, I found a 10+ hour track of the Stranger Things theme music on a loop on YouTube and had it playing in the background… the original youtube mood music link, seen on page 5 of the proposal, has long since been deleted.
Presentation for each page of the proposal was treated as if they were episodes, or "chapters", of the show — note the font treatments on the page headers, call-outs and text content.
I knew from the beginning, real-world execution of most-to-all concepts created for the proposal would not have been cost effective to properly design, construct and install in a department store setting. AND be completely unrealistic for a single department store to dedicate valuable floor space to only one license with, at the time, a limited market appeal — it's now 2022 and Stranger Things’ appeal has greatly broadened since then.
Some concept imagery from the proposal can already be seen here.
The whole point of this exercise: get the foot in the door. If Mitch Dowd could secure a bare minimum of Stranger Things apparel orders, then this whole exercise would’ve been worth it.
In the end, the proposal was repackaged for another local retailer (Big W) starting a wave of interest and eventually ORDERS! More retail chains have gotten onboard in the last 2 years.
The payoff for Mitch Dowd continues to this day. I'm just content to be a part of that venture from the very beginning - I only wish I could do more special projects like this: they're challenging, creatively intensive, but darn satisfying in the end (it would certainly get me out of designing men’s apparel day after day!).
The latest in a line of caricature requests from my WPAs (Work Proximity Associates), this time with a distinct Smokey And The Bandit vibe.
And, yes, this father (reference photo below) and kids are haulin' a trunk full of bootlegged Coors beer in his most-beloved Fiat coupe across state lines, with a dusty column of law enforcement posse with Sheriff Buford T. Justice in the vanguard.
Update: And, of course, the client wanted another option - replacing the Sheriff and posse with a lighthouse and a winding road.
The new scenery is supposed to be Aireys Inlet, complete with sea captain-manned lighthouse, hence the pirate parlance signage reading “YARRRreys Inlet”.
Today I’ll be playing hooky… because…
… just don’t tell the boss!
Or Boris & Natasha!
A doodle in response to an email alerting me of some new Stranger Things 4 assets added to work’s style guide drive… here, I’m depicting my inner screwball demons ready to inconvenience my colleagues by taunting to delete said files.
Why? Because I can. Quite easily, in fact!
There is a room at work where everybody neglects to turn off the lights… so Boss Man tasked me to draw up one of my cartoony signs to hang in its doorway.
Yup… that’s Mr. Boss Man swingin’ that fist in the air.
Featuring parody Pokémon character "PikaPoo."
[1] JOY; [2] INDIGNATION; [3] FRUSTRATION; [4] UTTER CONTEMPT.
Loosely penned while striving to fabricate Pokémon-slash-Valentine's Day sleepwear apparel and, in typical BortQ convention, flamed out in the end (with a side order of self-loathing)… as depicted in the above Instagram screengrab.
yyyyyyyyeah... blame your gluttonous compulsions on the Easter Bunny Twins...
Another fun project, just in time for Easter.
The company's idea: hand out a hot cross bun 6-pack to every worker, with a sticker slapped on top reading copious amounts of appreciative words penned by the head honcho.
"Eugene 'Boss Bun'" - the sentient spiced baked good - was added for a little merriment to the whole thing.
Additionally, and on my own volition, I drew up 3 smaller bonus stickers that were to be slapped on alongside the main sticker.
2 of the 3 supplemental stickers found their way onto the hot cross bun packs... take a guess which of these didn't make the cut.
Quick little weekend doodle as we soon say fare-thee-well to the company's number-crunchin' accountant guy, Ken.
