Hasil Adkins

Out of all the record sleeves I've done so far I think this is the one I'm most proud of. Getting a chance to make a sleeve design for a true mad genius like The Haze is a once in a lifetime deal and I couldn't be prouder to have contributed in a small way to the legacy of this West Virginny wild man. Rockin' Bones Records outta sunny Italy issued this 12" single back in 2003 in an edition of 500 copies. I thought I couldn't have been any happier about the whole deal until Rockin' Bones honcho Gaultiero forwarded this email from the webmaster of the official Haze site:

From:
To: "Rockin' Bones Records (Italy)"
Sent: Tuesday, November 11, 2003 7:08 AM
Subject: Re: Hasil Adkins record

>Hi!
>
>Hasil wants to thank the fellow who did the cover.
>Says he did a really great job.
>Hasil doesn't usually care for comic art, but he really really likes it.
>Loves the chickens, the foot through the drum, all of it.
>Could you please thank him for Hasil?
>
>Thanks,
>Jim
>

Like I said, I couldn't be prouder. I got to see a drunken, incoherent and totally amazing show by The Haze at the Las Vegas Rockaround in 2004, and even got to shake his hand afterward, but that email is gonna remain my fondest memory of the guy. Thanks to Gaultiero for givin' me the chance and to The Haze for 40+ years of amazing music. I doubt if anything can top this one but I will have more stuff for you soon so stay outta the gutter and... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

One Way

Speaking of comix, time to get some in here. I've shamefully neglected the form since the demise of Rockin' Bones way back when. My sporadic attempts to "get back into comix" haven't amounted to much (yet) but over the years a smattering of new material has appeared here and there. This is one of my better sequential art efforts, I think. I thought it had first appeared in the cool local alt comix publication Sunburn back in the '90s but I didn't come across it while taking a quick glance through all the back issues this morning. Maybe it was in Roctober? I'll have to update this post when I get it figured out. UPDATE: It doesn't seem to be in Roctober either. Maybe this comic strip doesn't even exist?!! Oh well... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

The Farrell Bros.

The Farrell Brothers are Winnipeg's all-time rockabilly champions. They've had 4 CD releases, numerous comp appearances and more live shows all over North America and Europe than I'd care to count. Above is the cover for the European version of their 4th CD, Dead End Boys, released in 2006 on Raucous Records outta the UK. As a long-time fan of these guys I was real happy to finally get to do a sleeve design for them. The skull-faced greaser character first appeared in 2004 as a sorta mascot/logo (see image below) which was used on stickers, buttons, patches and even a tattoo or two. The Bros. contributed a great track to Winnipeg Riot!, the Dionysus Records comp of all the coolest rock'n'roll combos our dusty prairie town coughed up in the late '90s/early 2000s, and they are still rockin' long after most of the rest called it quits. More wild cartoon madness coming your way in the very near future. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

I Think Up Demons For You

I took an animation course about 10 years ago and one of the kids in my class asked if I would pencil a drawing for him so he could try his hand at inking. I went home and sketched this up that very evening. I gave it to him but never got to see the finished product. A couple of years ago I decided to finish it myself so I traced it from a photocopy and here be the result. The girl w/sawed-off shotgun is a character of mine called Vikki Van Helsing: Monster Stalker and one of these days I am going to start work on some of the comic stories that she is going to star in. Don't hold your breath while waiting to see those but do... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Mack Stevens

This design for snake handlin' Texas rockabilly maniac Mack Stevens has to rate as one of my craziest record sleeves yet. Every song on this great LP is about murder and mayhem, including the serial killer ode B-T-K and a seriously warped take on a venerable blues standard, The Killin' Dozens. An album to file next to T. Tex Edwards' Pardon Me, I've Got Someone To Kill, Johnny Legend's True Murders and that Death Dealers compilation in your collection of sicko vinyl. This music is pure savage rock'n'roll by a guy who claims not to be influenced by any music recorded later than 1960 (and I believe him!). This should still be available (pressed up on blood red wax, no less) from Hog Maw Records over in France. I didn't realize that Mack was left-handed when I drew the back cover art, so it was reversed for the version printed on the LP (we strive for total accuracy around these parts, you understand). I think the original version works better graphically though, so that's what you see here. More stuff comin' up later today. Stay tuned for MORE HEADCHOPPIN' ACTION!

The Sweet Nothings

Here's a little tearjerker for all you lonely hearts out there. The Sweet Nothings were a really great but tragically short-lived local powerpop combo. They had great tunes, lots of energy and personality, everything you'd want in a band playing that kinda stuff. They recorded a 7" which I'm hoping will still see the light of day at some point. Most of 'em are carrying on in a new band called The Vibrating Beds which I'm planning to see real soon. Whilst I'm waiting to do that, more art will be drawn and, more importantly, posted right here. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Road Rat!

The Road Rat is part of the Sick, Sick Sickles series I'm working on with Big Daddy Norman, head honcho of the very cool Motorcycho zine. This piece graces the back cover of the latest issue of Motorcycho (#23), which also contains an interview with yours truly and lots of other neat stuff besides. Current plans call for me to come up 4 or 5 of these weirdo Sickle drawings, at which point they will be unleashed on the world in a form as yet known only to Mr. Motorcycho himself. More info on this when I find out something about it myself. In the meantime and in between time... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Subhumans

Way back in the early '80s I was a teenage punk rocker and The (Canadian) Subhumans were big time faves of mine. Their music really captured the sense of imminent apocalyptic catastrophe that hung over us in those days, with totalitarianism on the march, conflict exploding everywhere and the omnipresent threat of nuclear war poised to plunge us all into Road Warrior-style anarchy at any moment. I tried my best to capture that paranoid, Orwellian sense of impending doom in this poster. The band posted it on their website with some kind words, which made me really proud. The show was great. Guitarist Mike Graham, looking like a mild mannered middle-aged accountant, inflicted monstrous riff damage as they blasted through all their old classics and good new tunes from their comeback LP, New Dark Age Parade. Winnipeg's Unwanted played a great high-energy set, fronted as always by the Punkest Man In Showbiz, Mr. Norm Simm. Nice stuff. I hope that the apocalypse holds off awhile longer so I can see them both again. Also so I can post more stuff on this weirdo blog. See you in the fallout shelter, kids. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

The Angry Dragons

Sneak preview time. This here is the front sleeve art for the debut 7" of The Angry Dragons, due out sometime in the next couple of months on good old Transistor 66 Records. The Dragons are a truly boss mix of '60s garage, girl group sounds and The Ramones, so you better start saving your pennies for a copy of this thing 'cuz they're only pressin' up 500 of 'em and when they're gone, buddy, you'll be right outta luck. This is my favorite band in the whole wide world and I'm truly and totally privileged to have gotten to design the sleeve for their record. This image is kinda somehow inspired by the totally boss '60s flick Teenage Gang Debs, by the way. Mo' crazed and cryptic crud a'comin' soon... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Groovie Ghoulies

Here's a Moldie Oldie from way back in 1999 for ya. The Ghoulies were about the nicest band I've ever dealt with in the rock'n'roll action scene. Guitarist Roach made a point of finding me at the show to tell me how much she liked the poster, and singer Kepi told me he had the poster I made for their first Winnipeg show (with The Queers) in his scrapbook at home. Also on the bill were Winnipeg's legendary streetpunk/horror maniacs The Horribles. In fact, this was the show where singer Andy O. Horrible slashed his hand on broken glass and had to get about 20 stitches. "Is that real blood?" Sure was. Horribles drummer Brian, one of the coolest guys I've met in my rockin' years, is now beatin' the skins with The Demon's Claws amongst other kool kombos. Well, I found a few more drawings under the couch yesterday so... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

The Molting Vultures

Here's one I wrapped up a couple weeks back for a bunch of Theremin-infused Aussies known for blastin' forth a trashy mix of surf, garage and punk rock. I also did the art for their previous CD which featured the same Vulture character seen taking the big wipe-out in the background of this piece. The Vultures recently added the former guitarist of the Exploding White Mice to their lineup so I'm lookin' forward to hearing their next batch of recordings. More weird junk on the way tomorrow so... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

The Damned

Not much to say about this one, it's just your garden variety Severed Batwinged Frankenstein Head. This show never actually took place as the whole tour was canceled due to illness on the part of Damned chanteur Dave Vanian, but I believe EF and The Damned made up the dates early in 2009. Anyhow it was a major thrill to do a poster for a show by The Damned, one of my all-time favorite rock'n'roll combos. I'm workin' on a new LP cover for EF right now; thanks to Sal EF and Ron from Zodiac Killer Records for hookin' me up with that gig. More stuff soon. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Rowdymen

Here be the front cover for the upcoming CD by Winnipeg's rockabilly veterans The Rowdymen. This one will be rocketin' your way courtesy of Manitoba's one and only all-action record label, Transistor 66 Records! As I write these deathless words the band is still working on the recording so I would expect to see this one hitting the street late this year or early in 2010. More new stuff comin' up later today. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Deluxe 66

Okay, last one for today. Made this a few months back for this twin guitar powerhouse rawk combo from Norway featuring vocals by Magnum, ex-frontman of the mighty Basement Brats. Haven't heard whether the CD has hit the streets yet but I'm sure lookin' forward to hearing it. More stuff comin' real soon. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Billy Lee Riley

This drawing of Billy Lee Riley was made a couple months back for Flying Saucer Rock'n'Roll, the forthcoming compilation volume of interviews with wigged-out rockers culled from the esteemed pages of Roctober magazine. It also appears in the latest issue of Roctober (#47), sadly accompanying Riley's obituary. This guy was a true wildass rocker; I'm honored to have had a chance to pay him a well deserved tribute. New stuff comin' soon, kids. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Deadcats

Gonna kick this thing off with the art for the new CD by Vancouver's psychobilly lifers the Deadcats. Should be out real soon on Flying Saucer Records. Sounds like it will be a bitchin' album. They're makin' T-shirts with this art as well. More stuff when I figure out what the heck I'm doin' here. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!