So, as an avid fan of his books, I just finished Eating the Dinosaur by Chuck Klosterman, the man’s recent essay collection.  The collection is very good, providing something a little more than previous works with essays that reflect on our need for recognition rather than just simply how our love lives are ruined by John Cusack.  Don’t take this the wrong way-I love the previous essays very much.  But the new seem to show a side of a perhaps seasoned author, develing into subjects such as the Unabomber and This American Life in a way that makes me think his books have grown just like I have reading them the last 4 or 5 years.

Granted, there is an entire essay, lengthy as it is, devoted to football.  Klosterman’s awareness of his fan base is included in this essay, which is both funny and thoughtful.  He discusses the rise and fall of Garth Brooks in a way that makes me almost cherish the times as a child when I was forced to listen to “Friends in Low Places.”   Simply by interviewing a master of interviews, Ira Glass, Klosterman makes me feel smarter and more intellectual, which I am reluctant to admit, and perhaps proves some of his points about culture discussed in the same essay.

Though it doesn’t really have the same humorous tone as Sex, Drugs, and Cocoa Puffs, Eating the Dinosaur reminded me a lot of Killing Yourself to Live.  It contained a certain vibe of self-discovery that usually only comes from the ability to be self-aware amongst this pop culture we feed upon.  When I read Sex, Drugs…, I laughed and related to the analysis of trival things that I loved.  In Killing Yourself…, I saw things about myself mirrored in his road trip, even if it was only 85% truth.  And about this book, I felt the same.

PS:  Here’s a really cool (but old) interview with Chuck Klosterman over at The Sound of Young America.  It also features an interview with Dave Foley, one of the original Kids in the Hall and one of my favorite actors, for reasons not quite understandable to even myself.  It’s great–give it a listen.

We all knew that one day, two of the greatest things in film making–stop motion animation and Wes Anderson–would come together, and the result would be so awesome that the universe of awesome would explode into a million awesome pieces, like stars of greatness, like that scene in The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy when they blow up earth, but better because now, Earth survives. 

And likewise, we will not panic, but also, freak out because Fantastic Mr. Fox is the dream’s things are made of and looks amazing:

I heard about this a while ago, peed my pants, and then totally forgot, because at the time, 2009 seems so far away. I was too busy being excited about Sweeny Todd and finally finding a copy of The Life Aquatic Criterion Edition on DVD at Half Price Books.

But now, this trailer, with a fox dressed like Richie Tenebaum and a soundtrack that I’m sure features David Bowie, I couldn’t be more excited.

Double Cheers!

My dearest blog readers,

Remember that time when I didn’t write for a really long time and then I came back and started writing things again and everyone stopped being sad and we because besties once again like the olden days of this blogtown?

Remember that?  Me too, but you know what I don’t remember?  All of the gifts that I was supposed to be showered with that never arrived at my apartment.  I understand–postage just went up.  The economy. Global warming.  Tough times.

So I know how you can make it up for me.  You wanna know how?  By sending me a copy of this book, The Whimsical Works of David Weidman.  Really.  You can even buy it here online.

See, look how pretty this thing is:

See how cool? We could share it.  I could have it MWF and you could have it TR and the weekends.  Like a puppy we don’t have to feed.

Love,

Astrid & Inez

Paul Rand, who is probably my most favorite modern designer (well, apart from the Eames), left a legacy of work, theory, and methology that matches no other.  He gracefully and bravely changed the way we think about idenity and design, advertising and convention.  Basically, he’s the boss.  He’s the Charles in Charge.  (what?!)

Paul-Rand.com is a new and excellent site dedicated to the work and philosophy of Rand, with a huge gallery of work, biographies, lots of quotes, and links to stores across these old intenets where you can find first edition children’s book and old IBM packaging.  It has everything.  Everything Rand. Check it out!

(Found via GrainEdit RSS)

PS: You also should watch this amazing short video created by Imaginary Forces as a tribute of his illustrations.  It’s great.

Ok, so, a few weeks ago, I rented Singing in the Rain, because I’d never watched it in all my years, sad face.  And it was awesome.  So I told my mom, and she gave me a short list of 50s movies that I need to lay my eyes on.  And one of those films was Blackboard Jungle, or as they say around my apartment, Lean On Me: This Time, Morgan Freeman is White.  But sarcasm aside, this movie was awesome.

It was thrilling, socially-conscience, and a poient glimpse at the human condition, survival and who we really are in our darkest hour.

Starring Glen Ford and featuring Sidney Poitier, Blackboard Jungle tells the story of Mr. Dadier, a Navy vet, who starts his first teaching job at a poor, inter-city high school.  He is confronted by students with no direction or self-worth, other teachers who harbor hatred for their students, and his own demons in relation to race, human will, and seeing the good in all men.

And fun facts, the film, released in 1955 (!), is considered the mainstream launchpad for Rock and Roll, featuring the Bill Haley & His Comets smash hit Rock Around the Clock in the titles and the ending.  I guess, and according to IMDB, the song was a b-side that didn’t recieve much airplay until the movie was released.  After its debut, the song was at the top of the charts, and selling 25 million copies.

You should see this movie. It’s got racial tension, gangs, 50s slang, and a knife fight.  This is the kind of stuff that they should show in school instead of Dead Poet’s Society (which is good, but come ‘on.  Enough already!). I would have much rather watched this in American History instead of clips from Glory….That is a really good movie too, though….  Ok, so I would have rather watched this in class instead of Dead Poets. There.  That sounds better.

Cheers!

I ran out of time putting this together yesterday, so here’s this week’s  Illustration Thursday:

Vintage Illustrations, especially that from the 1950s-early 1970s, are some of my favorite things.  The style, the use of line work, the color, printing process-it’s just all awesome.  Anyways, I’ve put together a list of some of my favorite vintage illustration pools, sets, and groups from Flickr, which has an abundance of examples.  Enjoy!

1. Fun Ephemera

This is a fantastic collection of illustrated ephemera from Ward-o-matic.  Fantastic! (get it?…..har har…sad face).

2.  Mid-Century Illustrated

HUGE Flickr group with over 1,500 members.  Features everything from magazines, to brochures, to logos, childrens books, signs, ads, etc.  Great way to spend the rest of your afternoon.

THREE MORE after the jump!

(more…)

The lovely people up at the UPPERCASE Gallery in Calgary, O’Canada have put together and released their very first magazine, and it looks just awesome.  It’s a quarterly issue magazine filled with awesome reading and design inspiration.  Oh, how I wished I lived in Canada….

You can subscribe online, with the price a little deep for my pockets, but if you’ve got it, spend it, because I’m sure it will not disappoint!

MagCloud is a great new(er) site where one can publish, print, and sell your very own magazines for very little money, and this looks like a fantastic idea.  The site is free to join, and free for people to buy.

You just upload the PDF of your magazine and these guys print and ship to your subscibers when they order for only 20cents a page.  They are printed on high quality magazine paper and sitched together when they are order, so there’s no lag or heavy fee or minimum orders.

What a fantastic idea!

This. Is. Awesome!

Using discard books and recycled paper, these journals from Neilsen Handmade are handcrafted, collaged, and stitched to make some pretty snazzy pads of paper.  I just love the layout of this cover, the title, and that spider web type stitching at the bottom.

Fantastic!

Mitch over at SpaceSick has created a whole series of AWESOME “novelizations” of movies in vintage book cover style, and they are just great.  Everything from Space Jam to Mean Girls to Temple of Doom, these book covers convey the film and a certain quality that you only though you’d find on an old Penguin cover.  Cheers!