Queer For Beer

One of my (many) peculiar habits is that when I hear that a band I like is gonna be playing in my hometown, I start thinking of poster ideas for the show. Even if nobody asked me to actually do the poster, I always like to be prepared in case anyone does ask me to do one. So when I heard about legendary veteran punks The Queers coming to town, I got this image in my mind. So when my pal Larry (from that hip teen combo The Merinuks) asked me to do a poster for this show in Hamilton, I was real glad to have a chance to use it. I think it came out pretty well, I dunno. Stay tuned for MORE KICKED OUTTA THE WEBELOS ACTION!
 

Estrus uber alles!

 

Wanted to put the preorder link for this sure-to-be-amazing forthcoming book, the glory and the story of Estrus Records told for the first time in a deluxe, full color art book from well-known publisher Korero Books in the UK. The bands, the art, the festivals, it's all here! Lots of work by legendary artists like Art Chantry and Coop, plus I'm in there too, sneaky little weasel that I am. If you like lowbrow trash in all its many and wondrous forms, you should nab a copy of this book! Still up for preorder as I pen these deathless words, you can reserve your copy here: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/estrus/estrus-shovelin-the-shit-since-87?fbclid=IwAR1JBdxFRdi9uh2hhCHod4illOjP3NgjOwVwOh2N1EZf-3CX1HLCwabW1oU Stay tuned more MORE HIGH-FALUTIN' LITERARY TYPE ACTION!

Candy is dandy.

 

Sorry for the lack of posts, but comin' back with a bang! Here's the front and back art of my new sleeve for the first new 7" by one of the greatest punk rock combos ever, the mighty Candy Snatchers! Mighty proud to have been able to do some work for these guys! Available for pre-order now, there's lots of cool color vinyl and limited collector-oriented alternate versions of this one, so look up Interstate 94 Records for all the details. Thanks, Jim! Stay tuned for MORE EVENTUAL ACTION, MAYBE?

Flashing back to the very beginning of my professional (?) career (??), here are the 4 covers I drew for the esteemed Canadian rock'n'roll fanzine What Wave. Drawn in my grim teenage bedroom on a farm lost somewhere on the vast prairies, they represent a dim first attempt at grappling with commercial art, rock'n'roll art and all the stuff my life ended up being filled with. Thanks to Dave and Rena for publishing my stuff and making it possible for me to live this bizarre and unnatural lifestyle, and for introducing me to most of my favorite bands. What Wave forever! Stay tuned for MORE ARCHAIC ACTION!

Gas, Grass Or Ass

 

Sorry for the lack of  posts. Here's my most exciting news in months though: Back in 1997 I drew this art which was meant to be the cover for a single off the debut album by Los Ass-Draggers that never came out. So the art languished until earlier this year when I heard from the band who wanted to use it for the cover of a live album. So a mere 23 years later here 'tis, slightly revised but raring for action, and in color, no less. Plus it's a great album, the kinda high speed trashy rock'n'roll the A-Ds are justly renowned for, featuring "Limbo Dancer" (the song meant to be on that unreleased single), "Treat Me Like A King" (my personal theme song) and a cover of the Raunch Hands' immortal hit "Never Coming Home". Out now on Family Spree Records outta Spain and highly recommended. Stay tuned for MORE EVENTUAL ACTION!

Stuff

Sorry for the lack of updates. Here's some new stuff and a coupla newly scanned oldies. You figger it out. Stay tuned for  MORE INCREASINGLY INTERMITTENT ACTION!

Double Shot

 Long time between posts but here's some pretty hip news: TWO new Merinuk 7" sleeves available now! First up is a 4-song split EP by a coupla stripped-down 2 piece combos: Magnetix from France and Digger & the Pussycats from Australia in a future-primitive battle of the bands! Next in line is the debut release by new French punk combo the Jet Reactions, featuring ex-members of Flying Over. These records are so nutty that it took 6 labels to put them out; I'm not gonna type out all the names so just buy 'em if you wanna know that little detail. For all the info check out this link. Stay tuned for MORE FRANCOPHILE ACTION!

Gone Ape

New art for hip Alberta combo Thee Primitive Sound, soon to be emblazoned on T-shirts, stickers and what have ya. Got a few more new things finished recently, just waiting for official approval to post 'em so... Stay tuned for MORE ANTHROPOID ACTION!

Record Riot!

Couple brand new 7"ers in stores now: The Unreleasables 6-song EP on Creatures Of The Night Records outta the UK and Richie Ramone's "I Fix This" 45 on Outro Records from the good old USA. A coupla fine old-style punk records unfortunately marred by more of that tasteless Merinuk sleeve art. Both drawings are repurposed oldies; the brain art was originally drawn as a cover for a Queers tribute CD back in the '90s sometime and the Richie art was a poster for a show he did in Hamilton, Ontario a few years back. Both were newly kustomized for rekkid sleeve use. More new/old stuff comin' soon so keep them eyeballs in high gear, kiddies. Stay tuned for MORE 7 INCHES OF PLEASURE ACTION!

Retro Roundup

 Here'a a selection of prehistoric crud unearthed from my moldering archives, all newly scanned from the original art. Not gonna try to explain any of this stuff, you figure it out and let me know. Got a couple new things in the works and a few finished projects that I'm waiting for the go-ahead from my clients before posting so... Stay tuned for MORE (EVENTUAL) ACTION!

Rock Super Action!

Poster for an upcoming benefit show for veteran Vancouver rocker Jay Millette from the Black Halos, Spitfires, etc who lost everything in a fire recently. Here's hoping this show will give him a boost and help him get back on his feet. Wanted to do something fun and upbeat for the poster and somehow or other this led me into the realm of Wayne Boring, Dick Sprang and Pop Art superherodom in general. Stay tuned for MORE APPROVED BY THE COMICS CODE ACTION!

Miscellaneous, etc.

A few random recent things: Top: Logo design for Toronto garage/psych combo The Try Umphs. Middle: Cover for an unreleased 7" by Winnipeg garage/trash/punks The Incinerators, penciled in 1998 and inked in 2016. Bottom: Punky illustrations for my pal Willy B's punkpatchesonline.com website. Bonus! Rat Fink fan drawing just for fun. I recently finished a few new record sleeves and will be posting those soon so... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

How Much Art Can You Take?

Here are a few more recent pieces, including a poster for a local punk rock show, a new poster for the Calgary record show and a couple things I did just for fun. I reckon these can speak for themselves, anyway I don't have much to say about 'em except... Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

It's Trash!

I originally did this art for an LP by Argentinian one-man band Trash Colapso back in 2010 but the record never came out. Now it's finally on the way to your local record shoppe so I fixed up the art a bit and added in the new and very tasteful logo I designed for the hip French label Strychknine Recordz. This was meant to look like the kind of weird old religious record you'd find in a thrift store for a quarter but I suspect that the sound on this LP will be pretty surprising to any born again types who happen to pick it up. Stay tuned for MORE DEEPLY RELIGIOUS ACTION! 

Wide World of Crap

Well, my book project got cancelled at the last minute so you'll have to stick with back issues of Gent, Home of the D-Cups for your reading pleasure. Here are some recent-ish drawings, awkwardly lumped together in an attempt to bring this blog up to date. Stay tuned for MORE ACTION!

Rockin' Weird

Got a backlog of stuff to post but first the big news: Rockin' Weird, the first ever book collection of my work is on it's way! With 216 big pages and more than 440 drawings spanning the last 25 years, RW features the best record sleeves, rock'n'roll posters, zine illustrations, comic strips and miscellaneous ephemera of my career, plus a bunch of previously unpublished stuff as well. You can preorder a copy of this majestic tome, surely the most significant book since the Bible, here. Buy two copies in case you drop one in the mashed potatoes. Stay tuned for MORE GIVE A HOOT, READ A BOOK ACTION!