#bands seem to be getting more creative with merch lately which I appreciate
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When I saw the Marvelous 3 back in October I was struggling to stay upright 3/4ths of the way through the show, my brain and body were so burnt out. Last night was proof positive I’ve got my old spark back. The band launched into “Rio” and I couldn’t have stopped dancing if I wanted to. That state of ritual intoxication is essential to my spiritual well being, and I was terrified that I had sustained permanent damage, and would be unable to find my way back. Turns out all I needed was some R&R and a horse tranquilizer Hard Reset.
P.S.
The documentary was what I really swung by the merch table for, but I couldn’t resist a LCC branded poker chip while I was at it.
#bands seem to be getting more creative with merch lately which I appreciate#gig diaries#low cut connie
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Hello! I was wondering if you wrote for Johnnie Guilbert? If so, I was gonna request Dating Headcannons for him :D !! ( Only if you’re comfortable, ofc! )
𝙙𝙖𝙩𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙝𝙚𝙖𝙙𝙘𝙖𝙣𝙤𝙣𝙨 | johnnie guilbert
a/n: yes i love him <3 take some little dating headcanons, (sorry its short)
•you either meet johnnie from my digital escape, which was a collabrative youtube channel with alternative people
•or he first sees you on omegle while streaming for the first time, shocked to see a punk person
•he gives you his instagram that day after talking with you for sometime and you start dming
•he was quite awkward and shy when you first started talking and calling on the phone, not used to this
•it took a long time of being friends with johnnie for him to ask you out, but you were okay with that because it was worth it
•after my digital escape you didn’t continue with having a social media presence other than instagram
•he never made it a thing to announce it to his viewers, he just kind of included you in videos, and people understood you were together
•at the start of your relationship, he never wanted to be touchy in public or do pda but the more he fell in love with you he didnt care about other peoples opinions
•he would definitely hold your hand, and kiss your cheek, but the rest was private
•would never admit it, but he was a hopeless romantic which means he would always be trying his best for you, and wanting to be near you
•when filming for his youtube or his friends, he would always invite you along, and it was beneficial for both of you, it helped his anxiety and it made you feel included
•he would deal with constant looks and sometimes laughter when he would go outside or go on omegle, but he would never let it get to him, just turning it into a joke
•but when people would comment on your looks, he’d be more harsher and protective
•after a long day of filming, he would collapse into your arms, and cuddle with you, saying he wishes he could just stay there forever
•you would totally go on late night walks or adventures with him to seven eleven
•date wise, he would always get creative and find stuff to do with you
•you both liked going to a different cafe every week or so, ordering something new and just enjoying your time together since you were both busy working most days
•but he still loved just watching netflix on the couch with you, having a night in
•eventually you found a show you both loved, and now you wait to watch it together every friday evening
•he wasn’t one for outside activities, but you encouraged him to go hiking and rock climbing with you and he began to like it.. other than being sweaty and the mosquitoes
•you guys would totally share music, make playlists for eachother and johnnie would eventually encourage you to start singing because your voice was one of his favourite sounds
•he would take you to his favourite bands concerts and gigs, and you would do the same, him loving all of the music you listen to
•as a tattoo artist, you would totally design tattoos for him, and find ideas for his merch line
•he was never one to take things super seriously, but when it came to your relationship, and thinking about the future, it was always thought through
•when you got a cat, he was googling everything to do with the breed, the best food it should eat, healthcare information, which may seem normal, but tell that to the 11 pages of cat research on your living room coffee table
•when you got your first apartment together, no longer having to be in the same space as his roommates, it was such a relief
•he would wait by the door, with your cat, longing for you to come home from the tattoo parlour, and when you did he would be all over you
•i dont care what anyone says, he would be so clingy, just loving your presence
•his love languages are definitely quality time and physical touch. acts of service is up there though
•he loved feeling appreciated
•he would be the sweetest and just the perfect person to be in a relationship with.
#johnnie guilbert#johnnieguilbert#johnnie guilbert headcanons#johnnie guilbert x reader#my digital escape#mydigitalescape#jake webber#yung scuff#anticipatecrime
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Survey #348
“nothing will be free / nothing will be done / black out the sun”
Do you have any famous relatives? My third or so cousin is the author of Not Without My Daughter, but she's not like a smash hit or anything that most people know. I really do recommend the book, though. It's a long read, but a beautiful, true story. Do you care about celebrity gossip? Nah. Have you ever failed a science course in high school? No; I was very good at science. What’s your favorite breakfast food? Cinnamon rolls. Does your house have a basement? No. No house I've ever lived in has had one. Do you like Hot Topic? Well duh. Do you think imagination is valuable? VERY! Just imagine how many incredible things wouldn't exist without it. What was your reaction to your first time falling in love? Unspeakably happy, and I felt like I was building a future with someone. I felt like I had purpose, which I should mention to anyone reading is a mindset to NEVER adopt. No one gives you purpose; you're born with it. How much weight can you lift at once? Ha, not a lot. When you have your own house someday, what color Christmas tree do you want and how will you decorate it? I want a black one with faux snow on the branches, then maybe red ornaments. Kinda look like blood dripping off. Sounds metal. Name three YouTube channels you’ve been loving lately. Lately, John Wolfe, The Dark Den, and Aim To Head Mix. Have you ever bought a designer purse? No. Do you wear jewelry often? No. What color was your senior prom dress? Black. Are you colorblind? No. Name the people you know who are colorblind. Jason's older brother is colorblind to two colors, but idr which. Would you ever consider a career in writing? I'd love to. What was your first favorite color? Red. What do you think about horror movies? I love them. If you love them, what’s your favorite? I really enjoy The Crazies and both The Blair Witch Project movies. Oh, and of course Silent Hill. Got any cool Christmas presents picked out for family or friends yet? I don't have the money to get anyone presents... and while I sometimes get ideas about something I could make someone, then it wouldn't be fair to the rest of my family if I don't make them something, too. What’s your favorite word and why? I really like the sound of "serendipity," as well as its meaning. It's just a pretty, nice word. Do you like to do craft projects? If so, what’s the coolest thing you made? Not really... I think the coolest thing I made was when I put the clay heart I made in Art into a shadowbox, and a poem I wrote was in the background. It was a gift for Jason. I remember working really hard on the whole process and being really happy with it. I don't want to know what he's done with it since. What’s one occupation you think gets paid too much and doesn’t deserve to? I don't know. What’s something you are currently saving money for to buy? Everyone knows about Venus' terrarium by now... Do you smoke/vape? If so, what brand do you smoke/what device do you use? No. Ever done drugs? No. Tell me one of your worst habits. Catastrophizing. I take a tiny seed of something potentially bad, and in seconds it's a damn redwood tree. And I do mean "in seconds." What’s a weird quirk you have that no one else you know does? I don't know, I don't have any particularly unique ones, I think. If you game, what type of headset do you use? I just use earbuds. Do you think you would be a good therapist? You know, it's funny, I've actually pictured myself as one a few times, given my level of understanding and empathy for people, as well as how deeply I want to see others succeed and spread the word that recovery from things like depression is very possible. I've never truly entertained the thought, though, given I'm quite sure I legally couldn't be given my suicidal past and mental illnesses. There is also NO way I could listen to so many people's suffering and manage to stay healthy myself, so, no therapist position for me, thanks. Have you ever been to a Chinatown? No. Do you prefer chunky or creamy peanut butter? Creamy, 100%. Do you stop to pick up heads-up pennies? No. Do your pets have collars? Describe them: Roman has an adorable navy one with a bowtie. Do you have any friends that speak any languages you don’t understand? Old friends, sure. What is something you want to begin learning? I want to improve my ability to perform what in therapy is called "opposite action," where you do the opposite of what your depression (or other conditions) make you want to do. It always helps me feel good, like when I draw even when I don't initially feel like it, but it's rough to really force yourself to do it. What is a food you find comforting when you are sad? Ice cream is my comfort food. What is a quote you find comfort in? There are really a lot, but none come to mind immediately, gah. What is one Tumblr blog you really appreciate? I actually haven't been on my main Tumblr in months, but oh my god there is a Markiplier blog called "lady-raziel" and she is FUCKING HYSTERICAL. The meme quality is A+. What is a comfort movie/show for you? When I actually liked watching movies, I enjoyed watching Silent Hill when I was down. That whole franchise just makes me so happy. What is a recent creative project that you are proud of? That I'm PROUD of, idk. I'm not that happy with the last drawing I made, and I haven't done any serious writing lately that I find noteworthy. What is a video game that you find comforting? Shadow of the Colossus is probably #1. I find it so relaxing while equally epic as fuck. The soundtrack is to die for, and after playing it a billion times, it's pretty easy for me to kinda breeze through and just enjoy myself. Do you know how to bake bread? If so, what is something you’ve baked recently? No. Would you rather live in the mountains, city, beach, or the forest? THE MOUNTAINS!!! Particularly in the woods IN the mountains! Are you closer to your mother’s or father’s side of the family? Mom's. I don't even remember anyone from Dad's. Have you ever been in a “perfect relationship”? I thought so. Have you ever lost a fingernail or toenail? No. Were you a Disney or Nickelodeon kid? I preferred Disney. Have you ever been inside a jail/prison? No, and I don't plan on it. Have you ever dated a guy with a beard, mustache, or goatee? Jason had a goatee usually. He'd go clean-shaven sometimes. Did you ever name your stuffed animals? I named every single one I got as a kid. Now I don't, really, unless they're really special. What’s the name of the person who cuts your hair? I'd rather not share, given her name is very unique. Do you like cheeseburgers? Yes, they're one of my favorite foods. Do you have a Flickr? Yes, but I don't use it anymore. Did you ever want to be a fashion designer? No. Do you drink milk? Yeah, I love milk. Where was your FB display pic taken? My room. Have you ever burnt your tongue like REALLY bad? If so, what on? Yeah; white rice. My dumb ass didn't realize it had JUST come off the stove. My tongue hurt literally for weeks. Have you ever gotten your legs waxed? No. Do you own any CLOTHES from Victoria’s Secret? Er, are undergarments not clothes? But I know what you mean. No. What are your grandfathers’ names? William and... I can't remember Dad's dad's name. Have you ever seen a snake in real life? Well yeah. Are you against seances? I don't know if I believe in them being effective, but either way, they seem like a bad idea. Even risking luring a negative energy/spirit to you is something I'd stay away from. Do you own any superhero shirts? No, just Harley Quinn ones, some with the Joker on them, too. I need to toss 'em though because I am like, violently against romanticizing their abusive relationship. I used to just like them as a story character couple, but I got to a place where it just seemed... wrong to "glorify" it by wearing merch and stuff. What band has the best guitar solos? Metallica, durrrr. Who is the biggest jerk you’ve ever met? Can you believe that would be my former best friend? Have you ever swerved off the road to avoid hitting an animal? I've never had an animal in my path. Have you ever grown your own herbs? No. Do you like kissing in public? If you're my serious s/o, I could care less, so long as it's a simple peck. I'm not making out in front of people. Do you think someone has feelings for you? I don't know. Do you want to be in a relationship this year? I don't know. I'm lonely and love feels amazing, but I need to get my life on track before I can be a good partner to someone and not just dead weight. Has anyone told you they don’t want to ever lose you? Huh, funny, he's the one that walked away. How long can you just kiss until your hands start to wander? Uhhh that would depend on how serious we are, where we are, and just what mood I'm in. What’s the sweetest thing anyone’s ever done for you? ugh What’s the sweetest thing you’ve ever done for someone? also ugh What’s your dirtiest secret? TMI AHEAD. Probably receiving oral while bare-ass naked on the chaise in the living room while we were home alone. Or having sex in my sister’s bed. Oops. Would you ever get lyrics tattooed on yourself? Yeah. I already do, anyway, and I plan on getting another. Can you photoshop images well? I'm decent at it. Where did you last drive to? Mom and I went to go get our Covid vaccines today. What’s the first verse of the last song you listened to? "I don't know what we're supposed to be, but I know we lost it along the way to something better, something so much more than pleasure that we seek, so blind inside to fill these holes left by these lies that we tell to ourselves as we manufacture our own hell." What do you hear right now? The aforementioned song: "BLACKOUT" by 3TEETH. What was the last thing you laughed about? This is so fucking immature lmao but when we were driving earlier, we passed a gas station that had a sign that was advertising Coke, but due to space limitations, it abbreviated to "2 liter Cok" and I cackled like a child. Mom laughed harder than I did. Do you know any gay people personally? Ye. What was the last thing that startled you? I think it was a car hoonking at somebody the other day. What was the last thing to make you even remotely sad? Today's been a kind of rough PTSD day thanks to Facebook. My old high school friend had her beautiful daughter, a childhood friend just got married the other day, another friend is due to have her baby in just a couple weeks... It's just weird but even more painful to know it was the life I once fantasized about with a guy that just dropped me and made a break for it. I hate admitting that there's this deep, deep bitterness in me about it, like he took my life away from me, even though that's of course very unfair to say. I don't want to talk about this anymore, so moving on with my day.
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I’ve seen this 5SOS ask meme floating around a few times and I don’t do ask memes but I do love me a questionnaire so I decided to just fill it out, not that anyone else will care.
1. When did you first find out about 5sos?
The first time I remember hearing one of their songs was in 2016, but they didn’t properly come onto my radar until early 2018. I know, I know. I was super late to the party.
2. How did you find out about them?
In February/March of 2018 they were guests on the BBC Radio 1 Breakfast Show, which I listened to because I liked the host, even though I live on literally the other side of the world. I wasn’t familiar with the band at that point, beyond Want You Back, which had been on the radio pretty much every single day, and which I actually really liked. But hearing their interview made me want to look them up and find out more about them. And now I’m here, 8 months later, filling out a 50-question ask meme because apparently I have nothing better to do with my time.
3. What was the first song you heard by them?
She Looks So Perfect, in 2016.
4. Have you ever seen them live?
Yes, in Melbourne for the Meet You There tour. They were great and I would definitely see them again.
5. Have you ever met any of them?
Nope.
6. Who was your fave when you first started to like them? Are they still your fave now?
Ashton has been my fave from the beginning, and he still is now, but I like them all for their own reasons.
7. What is your favorite 5sos song?
Ghost of You.
8. What are your favorite lyrics?
I’ve got a jet black heart and there’s a hurricane underneath it – Jet Black Heart
9. What is your favorite music video?
I don’t really watch the videos much but I think Valentine is the most creative and visually interesting.
10. What is your favorite cover?
As in, song they’ve covered? No Roots, which they did in the BBC Radio 1 Live Lounge. I made it my ringtone I love it so much. Their cover of Stay for Spotify is fantastic too, though.
11. What is your favorite album/EP?
Youngblood.
12. What is your favorite bromance?
Probably Cashton.
13. What is your favorite livestream/twitcam/keek/interview /etc?
The Zach Sang interview they did in early 2018 is probably the one I’ve watched the most. It’s actually what turned my vague interest into proper obsession.
14. What is your favorite hair color on Michael?
Most of the colours were before my time but I am partial to his galaxy hair.
15. What is your favorite thing each of them has tweeted?
I don’t have fave tweets, but Ashton’s twitter in general is just a place of positivity and love, and I appreciate that.
16. How many of their albums/EPs do you own?
I own all three albums and various songs from the EPs, but none of the EPs in full.
17. Do you have any 5sos merch?
OMG, yes. Too much, considering I’ve only been a fan for 8 months. I think I’ve got 5 t-shirts, plus one more coming, a long-sleeve, a hoodie, the signed Youngblood litho (which I framed), three other posters (one signed – also framed) and the book. Yes, I bought the book, even though it precedes my time in the fandom by about 4 years. There might be other bits and pieces that I’ve forgotten about, but you get the gist.
18. Do you have any 5sos posters on your walls?
Yes, four. See above.
19. When they come on in the car/store/etc, what do you do?
I’ve never heard them in stores, but when they come on the radio I always cheer and get stupidly excited.
20. Who in the band do you think you’re most like and why?
Probably Michael. He likes cats, he’s a gamer, he seems more introverted than the others – all things that I definitely relate to.
21. Who do you think you’d get along with the most? What about the least?
I think Michael is either the one I’d get along with the best or the least. We’d either be too similar in a good way or a bad way.
22. If you could ask them each one question right now, what would you ask?
I’d like to ask Luke if he thinks he was too young when he got into all this. Personally I think he was, and I think we’ve seen the consequences of that, but I’d like to hear his thoughts on it.
I’d probably ask Ashton what his favourite cocktail is.
I’d probably ask Michael something gaming related.
I’m not sure what I’d ask Calum. He’s always been the one I relate to the least, so he’s a bit of an enigma to me.
23. What was you first impression of each of them?
I thought they were all generally pretty funny, but I actually thought at first that Ashton and Michael didn’t like each other. I think I just got a string of interviews and appearances where Ashton was particularly talkative and Michael was particularly quiet, and there seemed to be a lack of eye contact between them. I’ve since watched all these interviews again and I definitely see them differently and I pick up on more of the subtext now, but I was kind of confused initially.
24. How do you feel about the blonde in Calum’s hair?
Again, before my time, but I’m pretty indifferent.
25. How do you feel about the length of Ashton’s hair?
I prefer it short and I love the curls, but whatever he’s happy with is fine with me.
26. If you were trapped on a deserted island and could only bring one member with you, who would it be and why?
Probably Ashton. He seems like he’s got a good head on his shoulders, so he could potentially do something about getting us off the island, but he also likes to have a good time, so I think he could make our time there enjoyable, even as I was growing more and more dehydrated and sunburnt.
27. If you could switch everyone’s instruments, who would play what?
I love Ashton on guitar. It just does something to me. Also, that video of him on guitar when they did Teenage Dream? That was so cute? He was bouncing all over the stage, having the time of his life.
As for the others: Luke on bass, Michael on drums and I guess that leaves Calum with the other guitar.
28. Which Don’t Stop superhero would you prefer to be rescued by and why?
They all look pretty horrendous, but I think I’d laugh the least if I was in a bind and Mike-Ro-Wave showed up.
29. What is one song you really want the band to do a cover of?
I’d love them to do a country song with Ash on vocals, but that’s the most I’ve thought about it.
30. If you had 48 hours with your fave what would you guys do?
Oh god, I don’t know. It would definitely involve Ash and an acoustic guitar. I think I’d really just like him to take me to all his favourite places in LA and hang out with him and listen to him talk. I reckon 48 hours with Ashton would be the most fun and exhausting and exhilarating 48 hours of my life, but I’d be up for it.
31. If your fave were to propose to you right now, would you say yes? How would you want him to do it?
Well, it would depend on if this proposal were just out of the blue or if we’d been in some kind of serious relationship first. If the latter, then yes, probably. As for how: I feel like Ashton is the kind of person who would either go really big, super over the top with a proposal, or be really, really low key and just kind of ask at home while you’re doing something really normal and boring. Either would be fine with me.
32. If you could rename the band, what would you name them?
Luke and the Penguins? That’s literally the first thing I thought of. I’ve never thought about this before in my life. Seriously, though, I like that they seem to have embraced ‘5SOS’ as an identity, rather than just an abbreviation. ‘5 Seconds of Summer’ feels very much of its time and feels out of place in the current music world. ‘5SOS’ feels more true to who they are now.
33. What is your favorite thing about each of them?
I love the tongue thing Luke does. You know what I’m talking about.
I love Ashton’s sense of humour and his passion.
I love how Calum thinks Ashton is the funniest person alive.
I love how excited Michael gets about really nerdy things.
34. If you could change one thing about each of them what would you change?
I’d change Calum’s smoking habit, because it’s unhealthy and I worry for him, but other than that I wouldn’t change anything. They are who they are because of the choices they’ve made, good and bad.
35. What 5 words would you use to describe each of them?
Ashton: funny, passionate, driven, focused, storyteller
Luke: rockstar, vulnerable, electric, dorky, angel
Michael: adorable, quiet, genuine, caring, sweet
Calum: underrated (musically), solid, reliable, thoughtful, dedicated
36. If you could be the lead role in any 5sos music video, existing or not, what song would it be for?
Maybe Talk Fast?
37. If you could steal one thing from each of them (clothes, hats, etc) what would you take?
Ashton’s leather jacket, Luke’s black boots, Calum’s green hoodie and Michael’s necklace (that really long one he always wears).
38. If you were sharing headphones with your fave what song would you put on first?
Worry ‘Bout Nothin’ by Keith Urban.
39. Would you rather meet 4/4 but never get to see them live or see them live but never get to meet any of them?
See them live but never meet them. I’ve only been to one of their shows, but it was amazing and so fun. Plus, if I met them they’d forget about me pretty quickly because they meet fans all the time. If I can’t be special enough to remember, I’d rather have the full experience of a show than a quick hug and photo.
40. Would you rather catch Luke’s guitar pick or Ashton’s drum stick?
I’m an Ashton girl so definitely the drum stick.
41. Would you rather never be able to sing one of their songs again or never watch any of their music videos again?
Never watch their music videos. I don’t watch them much anyway, and half the fun of loving a band is getting to sing along. Honestly, one of the moments I’ve ever felt most alive was singing along to Jet Black Heart with thousands of other people at the MYT show.
42. Would you rather be brought on stage for an entire song or meet only 2 of them in public?
Probably meet 2 of them in public? I think I’d feel super awkward being on stage for an entire song. Everyone would be staring! I wouldn’t know what to do with my hands! Plus Ash would be behind the drums on stage and, therefore, unreachable. At least in public I’ve got a chance for a hug.
43. Would you rather play video games with Michael or go on a road trip with Ashton?
That’s super hard, because I’m a gamer but Ash is my fave. Hmmm… Probably road trip with Ashton, because that’s not something I would normally do anyway, and there would be plenty of time for talking and rocking out to whatever playlist he loads up.
44. Would you rather have Calum give you a tattoo or Luke give you a haircut?
I have more faith in Calum’s tattooing skills than Luke’s haircutting skills, so let’s go with the tattoo.
45. Would you rather date your fave but have the others dislike you or be friends with all of them but not be able to date/hookup with/kiss any of them?
Be friends with all of them. Definitely. I’m not sure dating them would be much fun anyway, in reality. They’d always be gone or going away. And they just seem like the kind of people you would want to be friends with.
46. Would you rather sing a duet with Luke or write a song with Calum?
Sing with Luke. More fun. Plus I’m already getting that tattoo from Calum.
47. Would you rather go to the fair with Malum or go stargazing with Lashton?
Stargazing with Lashton.
48. Would you rather touch Calum’s butt or Ashton’s biceps?
Ashton’s biceps. I am a girl who loves a nice set of arms, and Ashton’s are very nice.
49. Would you rather get high with Michael or drunk with Calum?
Drunk with Calum, but only because I’m not into taking drugs.
50. Would you rather have Luke give you his 'You Complete Mess' shirt or have Michael give you his denim jacket?
Michael’s denim jacket.
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American Standards Interview
The following is from Mind Noise Network, a website of which I am an Underground Reviewer. This was my first interview, written in the 3rd person as it was posted from another person’s account:
Tom had the chance to chat with Brandon, vocalist of harcore punk band ‘American Standards’. Tom talks to them about their recently released album ‘Anti- Melody’, their unique recording set-backs and their long- term goals.
Tom: Thanks for chatting with us today.
Brandon: It’s a pleasure! Thank you for having us!
So firstly, your new album “Anti-Melody” came out earlier this year – what’s the reaction been like?
It feels like we did something right. People seem to either love it or hate it and I’ll take that any day over luke warm response.
What is your favourite song from Anti-Melody?
That question is always like having to pick your favorite child (or in my case, dog). I love them all and they each mean something a little different to me. Where songs like “Writers Block Party” and “Carpe Diem, Tomorrow” were chose to be the singles early on, I’ve grown a fonder appreciation for songs that we play live less often such as “Churchburner”.
You seem to take a DIY approach to music, do you find this beneficial?
It’s definitely the more labor intensive and time consuming route but there’s just something appealing about knowing what you get out of it is a direct result of the work that you put in. I think that every since I was young I kind of strayed away from trying to be a part of something that was already established and well defined. I always wanted to build something new that was my own. The band and taking the DIY approach is probably just another manifestation of that.
How have you evolved your music to its current sound?
I’d like to think it was an organic process of melding all our influences while also being open to new ones. We’ve been a band for almost 6 years now and over that time we’ve all grown and changed as musicians. I feel there’s a lot of truth in the saying that if you don’t evolve, you die off.
You suffered a big couple of set-backs during recording. Tell us about them.
We did face some unique set backs in recording. After scheduling time at Kingsize Studio in LA (Bad Religion, Letlive, Mars Volta), we lost our founding guitarist to suicide. Soon after, my father suddenly and unexpectedly passed to cancer. Being a somewhat political band in this new climate of division, it forced us to take a new and harder approach of writing much more personally, using the the music as therapy to deal with the experiences. We did so while balancing the message we wanted to get out about what was going on in the world around us.
Have you got touring plans?
We’re always out on the road as much as life will let us be. You can keep up on our socials or by following us using the bands in town app.
What is your favourite part of playing live?
It’s one part the almost out of body experience you get from the energy of the crowd mixed with the humbling feeling of connection when you realize people are alike all over. There’s no better way to see the world then from a van with your best friends.
If you could tour with one band right now, who would it be and why?
Ah, that’s tough. If we were to keep it to bands that we’ve yet to play with, Cancer Bats, Alexisonfire and Poison The Well are all high on the bucket list.
Who did you grow up listening to?
Mainly the stuff that my older brother listened to. It probably started with a mix of Beastie Boys, Pantera and Rage Against The Machine. In the late 90s I got bit by the Nu Metal bug and started jamming bands like System Of A Down, Slipknot and KoRn then in the early 2000s I stumbled across hardcore.
What are your plans for 2018?
We’re already writing new songs which I’m excited to get out early in the year. I think this time around we may do an EP or maybe a series of singles with videos to accompany them. More then anything, we just want to try new things and get creative with how we connect with people.
What are your goals as a band?
The same goals as any band… to try to take over the world. Or at minimum, to create something that lasts a bit longer then the fleeting moment that we’ll be on this Earth for. If that something can positively impact or influence someone to do the same, that’s really all that matters.
Is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
Nothing more than thank you for the support. Your eyes, your ears, your time. That’s more then we deserve and we appreciate it.
And finally, would you rather fight 10 Eagle sized Elephants, or 1 Elephant sized Eagle?
100% the 1 elephant sized eagle. It’s always better to have a central focus and build around it.
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The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers
[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]
Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.
On Oct. 10, 2014, a new page appeared on Facebook, attributed to illustrator Aaron Horkey and creative director Mitch Putnam. The first post was a sketch of distinctly Horkey-an creation—an ink drawing of a building, organic sacs clinging to Ionic columns. Etched in the marble frontispiece was a single word: VACVVM.
A day later, there was a rumbling in the niche world of poster collectors. Horkey had started an Instagram account. With a career cloaked in radio silence, his fans’ surprise was palpable. His first post was a pencil and gouache piece titled “Osprey #1.” It was hashtagged #itsme #aaronhorkey. “I don’t possess the desire to bask in the spotlight or be the center of attention,” Horkey says. “When Mitch suggested having a dedicated online outlet for my work, I thought I’d rather build a team with my friends than go it alone.”
The lone bit of information the mysterious Minneapolis-based illustration group known as The Vacvvm offers about itself on its social media platforms simply reads: “An international illustration cult. Co-founded by Aaron Horkey and Mitch Putnam.” It’s an altogether vague explanation if you are not aware of either of those names, and the “illustration cult” descriptor does nothing to clarify its purpose or goal. But for fans who follow the group’s work on its website and social media accounts—including an Instagram following of 45,000 and counting—The Vacvvm acts as a brand, creating and selling limited-edition art prints and goods from top-tier illustrators and artists. In Putnam and Horkey combined, the art collectibles world has its own Steve Jobs—a name that guarantees a preeminent level of quality control. Many devotees preorder limited-edition prints they’ve never seen, in full confidence they will not be disappointed.
[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]
As a concept, The Vacvvm is an attempt to turn the inherent solitude of the artist and illustrator into a group effort—creative motivation found beneath a common banner. The group takes the role of the isolated illustrator and places it in the context of a team. The Vacvvm is cult-building, a brand applying the existing tools of spectator sports to the craft of art creation. Horkey explains: “Growing up I was obsessed with underground comix and skateboarding. The mythos of the Zap artists in the late ’60s/early ’70s and the assembling of the Bones Brigade and, later, the formation of the initial Plan B team in the early ’90s, were serious inspirational touchstones for putting together The Vacvvm.”
The Vacvvm is comprised of illustrators who work in the world of gig posters, editorial illustration, book and package design, as well as personally commissioned work. Through his role as creative director at Mondo, the boutique poster gallery and art department of the Alamo Drafthouse, Putnam is constantly working with illustrators and printmakers on pop culture–based posters and other collectibles. With Horkey at his side, they set out to take those creatives and, as Putnam puts it, “create an environment conducive to the creation of personal, exploratory work.”
Randy Ortiz
The roster of The Vacvvm is an international collection of like-minded illustrators including Randy Ortiz (Canada), João Ruas (Brazil), Nicolas Delort (France), Ken Taylor (Australia), Vania Zouravliov (Russia), Vanessa Foley (England), as well as U.S.–based artists Mike Sutfin, Brandon Holt, Teagan White and Jes Seamans. The number of members continues to grow as Putnam and Horkey discover new artists that fit within the aesthetic of their vision for the team.
The makeup of the group began with Horkey and Putnam’s own tastes. Each artist invited to join was seen through a lens of kinship. These are artists Horkey and Putnam admired and felt deserved more attention than they were receiving. “We also tried to keep the domestic artists rooted in some way to the Midwest,” Putnam says. “We are headquartered in Minneapolis, and the five American members are either living in Minnesota, or are close to the area. The other six are international, which we felt was important, as they often face the biggest challenges with print publishing, selling and shipping.” The concept is as practical as it is altruistic.
“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White
Mike Sutfin
Winnipeg, Canada–based member Randy Ortiz echoes Putnam’s sentiment. “I think The Vacvvm has exposed (I know this a trigger word for most professional artists, but stick with me here) me to a wider audience,” he says. “I know when they post some of my work on their Instagram, I get a ton of new followers and eyes on my work. But aside from that, it’s also a great way to sell my prints. I don’t think I’d get half as many prints sold on my own. Plus, Mitch does all the fancy packaging and shipping stuff that I passionately hate doing myself. It might seem minor, but it really helps free up my time to just keep making more art.”
In Putnam, each member has an outlet for turning their personal work into something tangible—a poster, a T-shirt, a pin, button or patch. Once the art is final, Putnam takes over and makes it a reality, handling all aspects of the production, marketing and shipping. As Australian member Ken Taylor puts it, “Being part of The Vacvvm enables me to have the confidence to be able to release something purely based on the idea of doing something I love, with no real regard to commercial confines. Releasing a piece through The Vacvvm ensures that all the right eyes will see the work and more often than not appreciate it accordingly.”
Vania Zouravliov
“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey
“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey
For the first year of its existence, The Vacvvm was purely a digital endeavor. The artists joined together via the group’s website and communications with Putnam. There were no set release dates and no deadlines for any of the members. The group was there to act as a catalyst for the creation of personal work in between paying gigs. “Going into this, I knew that each member would have varied output,” explains Putnam. “Plus many of them work very slowly. I do my best to work around everyone’s schedule while also suggesting projects that will advance the presence of the group.”
The first release, “Black Lake,” was a timed edition by Horkey. The art was from a gig poster Horkey had done for the Portland-based metal band Agalloch, for a leg of performances in 2011. At the end of the 24-hour purchase window, the one-color letterpress print ended as an edition of 442. With no marketing outside of a Facebook post, The Vacvvm was an immediate success.
Art is Not Made in a Vacuum
“A lot of good and regular art gets made because of who you talk to. No one is immune to human contact and art is not made in a vacuum.” This quote, attributed to the artist R.B. Kitaj, has been used in art history texts as a way to explain the phenomenon of iterations of ideas.
For Horkey and his illustration cult, the name of the group can be seen as acceptance of this fact. The Vacvvm’s artists carry with them the wealth of experience, both shared and in solitude, that has formed their visual styles. Art is not made in a vacuum, but is an active dialogue between yesterday and today, the internal and the external. In the illustrations of Brandon Holt and Nicolas Delort, you see the influence of the classic engravings of Gustave Doré—an ongoing conversation across history.
The name and logo are Horkey creations, ones he chose for their design quality. “A big consideration was how the word would appear visually, and having all those zigzag lines broken up by a single curve of the ‘C’ was very appealing.”
The constricted band of inverted lines has been used on a body of merchandise that is integral to The Vacvvm. Putnam clarifies the role of these branded items: “I think part of the idea was always to put more branded projects out there. We like to refer to The Vacvvm as a cult, and we’re constantly trying to expand the cult. It is my job to make sure that as many people know these artists as possible, and every time someone sees a shirt or a pin on a friend, the message spreads. So even though merch isn’t a big profit center, it is our chosen form of advertising, while also putting small, affordable pieces of art into the world.”
The logo, printed across various products in a bevy of styles, applies the brand-awareness tools of a company like Nike or Adidas to a crew of reclusive illustrators. It serves as a step toward making art as vital to everyday life as more accessible forms of entertainment from the worlds of sports, music and film.
A Move Toward the Physical
The Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis sits alongside two sets of train tracks, an optimal location for its first use when it was built in 1917, to store and ship seeds across the country. The building now hosts more than 180 tenants, most of whom are artists. This is the home of The Vacvvm.
Putnam relocated his family from Sioux City, IA, to Minneapolis with the intention of moving his inventory of posters and other merchandise out of his house and into a proper space. With members Mike Sutfin, Holt, Horkey and Teagan White calling Minneapolis home, the space also acts as a workshop. “Spending time together definitely leads to more camaraderie, and the conversations naturally gravitate toward future projects.” This is how Putnam describes the beginning of a new endeavor for The Vacvvm: “gallery events.”
“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley
“Masque,” Ken Taylor
“Silent Aviary,” the first exhibit from The Vacvvm, combined the talents of White and the group’s newest member, the England-based Vanessa Foley. Together, they have a shared love of flora and fauna, the wilderness and the creatures that mill about the forest terrain. “The theme for the show was native Minnesotan birds—again, Mitch’s idea—but after that each artist had free reign as to how that was interpreted,” Foley explains. Each member of The Vacvvm (minus Zouravliov) contributed a piece, as did a host of outside illustrators and fine artists.
The majority of Foley’s work is for American galleries, which she rarely gets to visit. She was flown out to attend the opening of “Silent Aviary,” a chance to meet and shake hands and put faces to names. Providing this opportunity is essential to The Vacvvm and Putnam’s other projects.
They are attempts at creating connections and community, building something beyond an email list, and putting artists in the same room to see what happens—“Magic, for lack of a better descriptor,” Horkey says. He puts this above all else in his vision for the group. “It’s more than just raw talent, which everyone in the crew has in spades. All the members of The Vacvvm produce work which excites me to no end, and they all do so with an unnervingly natural ease; nothing is forced or contrived. For instance, when you watch Brandon [Holt] summon a drawing, there’s no hesitation involved. The piece is just lying beneath the surface, and he’s excavating it—pure alchemy. I also wanted to build a squad of not only the finest draughtsmen, but of honest, stand-up humans, and that’s precisely what we ended up with.”
Nicolas Delort
Brandon Holt
Jes Seamans
‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release
In late 2016, Delort arrived in Austin, TX, from Paris to attend MondoCon, a poster and collectibles convention where The Vacvvm had a booth. For Delort, it was a chance to meet collectors, fans and others that had supported his career throughout the years. Putnam brought out fellow members Taylor from Australia and João Ruas from Brazil to simply be there and be seen. Taylor spent the weekend painting a mural and signing posters for fans while Ruas and Delort sketched at the booth alongside Sutfin and Holt.
Each member had a new print released at the event, but what the group’s attendance gave the spectators falls in line with Horkey’s initial inspiration for the group: “I think of The Vacvvm more as a skateboard team than an art collective; we have a team manager, an insane roster of pros, a few amateurs working their way through the ranks, and some younger folks on flow. Most of us travel together and just shred.”
Brand Building 101: How to Build, Manage and Market a Brand
The post The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers appeared first on HOW Design.
The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers syndicated post
0 notes
Text
The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers
[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]
Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.
On Oct. 10, 2014, a new page appeared on Facebook, attributed to illustrator Aaron Horkey and creative director Mitch Putnam. The first post was a sketch of distinctly Horkey-an creation—an ink drawing of a building, organic sacs clinging to Ionic columns. Etched in the marble frontispiece was a single word: VACVVM.
A day later, there was a rumbling in the niche world of poster collectors. Horkey had started an Instagram account. With a career cloaked in radio silence, his fans’ surprise was palpable. His first post was a pencil and gouache piece titled “Osprey #1.” It was hashtagged #itsme #aaronhorkey. “I don’t possess the desire to bask in the spotlight or be the center of attention,” Horkey says. “When Mitch suggested having a dedicated online outlet for my work, I thought I’d rather build a team with my friends than go it alone.”
The lone bit of information the mysterious Minneapolis-based illustration group known as The Vacvvm offers about itself on its social media platforms simply reads: “An international illustration cult. Co-founded by Aaron Horkey and Mitch Putnam.” It’s an altogether vague explanation if you are not aware of either of those names, and the “illustration cult” descriptor does nothing to clarify its purpose or goal. But for fans who follow the group’s work on its website and social media accounts—including an Instagram following of 45,000 and counting—The Vacvvm acts as a brand, creating and selling limited-edition art prints and goods from top-tier illustrators and artists. In Putnam and Horkey combined, the art collectibles world has its own Steve Jobs—a name that guarantees a preeminent level of quality control. Many devotees preorder limited-edition prints they’ve never seen, in full confidence they will not be disappointed.
[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]
As a concept, The Vacvvm is an attempt to turn the inherent solitude of the artist and illustrator into a group effort—creative motivation found beneath a common banner. The group takes the role of the isolated illustrator and places it in the context of a team. The Vacvvm is cult-building, a brand applying the existing tools of spectator sports to the craft of art creation. Horkey explains: “Growing up I was obsessed with underground comix and skateboarding. The mythos of the Zap artists in the late ’60s/early ’70s and the assembling of the Bones Brigade and, later, the formation of the initial Plan B team in the early ’90s, were serious inspirational touchstones for putting together The Vacvvm.”
The Vacvvm is comprised of illustrators who work in the world of gig posters, editorial illustration, book and package design, as well as personally commissioned work. Through his role as creative director at Mondo, the boutique poster gallery and art department of the Alamo Drafthouse, Putnam is constantly working with illustrators and printmakers on pop culture–based posters and other collectibles. With Horkey at his side, they set out to take those creatives and, as Putnam puts it, “create an environment conducive to the creation of personal, exploratory work.”
Randy Ortiz
The roster of The Vacvvm is an international collection of like-minded illustrators including Randy Ortiz (Canada), João Ruas (Brazil), Nicolas Delort (France), Ken Taylor (Australia), Vania Zouravliov (Russia), Vanessa Foley (England), as well as U.S.–based artists Mike Sutfin, Brandon Holt, Teagan White and Jes Seamans. The number of members continues to grow as Putnam and Horkey discover new artists that fit within the aesthetic of their vision for the team.
The makeup of the group began with Horkey and Putnam’s own tastes. Each artist invited to join was seen through a lens of kinship. These are artists Horkey and Putnam admired and felt deserved more attention than they were receiving. “We also tried to keep the domestic artists rooted in some way to the Midwest,” Putnam says. “We are headquartered in Minneapolis, and the five American members are either living in Minnesota, or are close to the area. The other six are international, which we felt was important, as they often face the biggest challenges with print publishing, selling and shipping.” The concept is as practical as it is altruistic.
“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White
Mike Sutfin
Winnipeg, Canada–based member Randy Ortiz echoes Putnam’s sentiment. “I think The Vacvvm has exposed (I know this a trigger word for most professional artists, but stick with me here) me to a wider audience,” he says. “I know when they post some of my work on their Instagram, I get a ton of new followers and eyes on my work. But aside from that, it’s also a great way to sell my prints. I don’t think I’d get half as many prints sold on my own. Plus, Mitch does all the fancy packaging and shipping stuff that I passionately hate doing myself. It might seem minor, but it really helps free up my time to just keep making more art.”
In Putnam, each member has an outlet for turning their personal work into something tangible—a poster, a T-shirt, a pin, button or patch. Once the art is final, Putnam takes over and makes it a reality, handling all aspects of the production, marketing and shipping. As Australian member Ken Taylor puts it, “Being part of The Vacvvm enables me to have the confidence to be able to release something purely based on the idea of doing something I love, with no real regard to commercial confines. Releasing a piece through The Vacvvm ensures that all the right eyes will see the work and more often than not appreciate it accordingly.”
Vania Zouravliov
“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey
“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey
For the first year of its existence, The Vacvvm was purely a digital endeavor. The artists joined together via the group’s website and communications with Putnam. There were no set release dates and no deadlines for any of the members. The group was there to act as a catalyst for the creation of personal work in between paying gigs. “Going into this, I knew that each member would have varied output,” explains Putnam. “Plus many of them work very slowly. I do my best to work around everyone’s schedule while also suggesting projects that will advance the presence of the group.”
The first release, “Black Lake,” was a timed edition by Horkey. The art was from a gig poster Horkey had done for the Portland-based metal band Agalloch, for a leg of performances in 2011. At the end of the 24-hour purchase window, the one-color letterpress print ended as an edition of 442. With no marketing outside of a Facebook post, The Vacvvm was an immediate success.
Art is Not Made in a Vacuum
“A lot of good and regular art gets made because of who you talk to. No one is immune to human contact and art is not made in a vacuum.” This quote, attributed to the artist R.B. Kitaj, has been used in art history texts as a way to explain the phenomenon of iterations of ideas.
For Horkey and his illustration cult, the name of the group can be seen as acceptance of this fact. The Vacvvm’s artists carry with them the wealth of experience, both shared and in solitude, that has formed their visual styles. Art is not made in a vacuum, but is an active dialogue between yesterday and today, the internal and the external. In the illustrations of Brandon Holt and Nicolas Delort, you see the influence of the classic engravings of Gustave Doré—an ongoing conversation across history.
The name and logo are Horkey creations, ones he chose for their design quality. “A big consideration was how the word would appear visually, and having all those zigzag lines broken up by a single curve of the ‘C’ was very appealing.”
The constricted band of inverted lines has been used on a body of merchandise that is integral to The Vacvvm. Putnam clarifies the role of these branded items: “I think part of the idea was always to put more branded projects out there. We like to refer to The Vacvvm as a cult, and we’re constantly trying to expand the cult. It is my job to make sure that as many people know these artists as possible, and every time someone sees a shirt or a pin on a friend, the message spreads. So even though merch isn’t a big profit center, it is our chosen form of advertising, while also putting small, affordable pieces of art into the world.”
The logo, printed across various products in a bevy of styles, applies the brand-awareness tools of a company like Nike or Adidas to a crew of reclusive illustrators. It serves as a step toward making art as vital to everyday life as more accessible forms of entertainment from the worlds of sports, music and film.
A Move Toward the Physical
The Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis sits alongside two sets of train tracks, an optimal location for its first use when it was built in 1917, to store and ship seeds across the country. The building now hosts more than 180 tenants, most of whom are artists. This is the home of The Vacvvm.
Putnam relocated his family from Sioux City, IA, to Minneapolis with the intention of moving his inventory of posters and other merchandise out of his house and into a proper space. With members Mike Sutfin, Holt, Horkey and Teagan White calling Minneapolis home, the space also acts as a workshop. “Spending time together definitely leads to more camaraderie, and the conversations naturally gravitate toward future projects.” This is how Putnam describes the beginning of a new endeavor for The Vacvvm: “gallery events.”
“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley
“Masque,” Ken Taylor
“Silent Aviary,” the first exhibit from The Vacvvm, combined the talents of White and the group’s newest member, the England-based Vanessa Foley. Together, they have a shared love of flora and fauna, the wilderness and the creatures that mill about the forest terrain. “The theme for the show was native Minnesotan birds—again, Mitch’s idea—but after that each artist had free reign as to how that was interpreted,” Foley explains. Each member of The Vacvvm (minus Zouravliov) contributed a piece, as did a host of outside illustrators and fine artists.
The majority of Foley’s work is for American galleries, which she rarely gets to visit. She was flown out to attend the opening of “Silent Aviary,” a chance to meet and shake hands and put faces to names. Providing this opportunity is essential to The Vacvvm and Putnam’s other projects.
They are attempts at creating connections and community, building something beyond an email list, and putting artists in the same room to see what happens—“Magic, for lack of a better descriptor,” Horkey says. He puts this above all else in his vision for the group. “It’s more than just raw talent, which everyone in the crew has in spades. All the members of The Vacvvm produce work which excites me to no end, and they all do so with an unnervingly natural ease; nothing is forced or contrived. For instance, when you watch Brandon [Holt] summon a drawing, there’s no hesitation involved. The piece is just lying beneath the surface, and he’s excavating it—pure alchemy. I also wanted to build a squad of not only the finest draughtsmen, but of honest, stand-up humans, and that’s precisely what we ended up with.”
Nicolas Delort
Brandon Holt
Jes Seamans
‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release
In late 2016, Delort arrived in Austin, TX, from Paris to attend MondoCon, a poster and collectibles convention where The Vacvvm had a booth. For Delort, it was a chance to meet collectors, fans and others that had supported his career throughout the years. Putnam brought out fellow members Taylor from Australia and João Ruas from Brazil to simply be there and be seen. Taylor spent the weekend painting a mural and signing posters for fans while Ruas and Delort sketched at the booth alongside Sutfin and Holt.
Each member had a new print released at the event, but what the group’s attendance gave the spectators falls in line with Horkey’s initial inspiration for the group: “I think of The Vacvvm more as a skateboard team than an art collective; we have a team manager, an insane roster of pros, a few amateurs working their way through the ranks, and some younger folks on flow. Most of us travel together and just shred.”
Brand Building 101: How to Build, Manage and Market a Brand
The post The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers appeared first on HOW Design.
The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers syndicated post
0 notes
Text
The Vacvvm: An International “Cult” of Illustrators & Poster Designers
[Call for Entries: The International Design Awards]
Meet The Vacvvm, a creative “cult” that empowers like-minded illustrators from around the world.
On Oct. 10, 2014, a new page appeared on Facebook, attributed to illustrator Aaron Horkey and creative director Mitch Putnam. The first post was a sketch of distinctly Horkey-an creation—an ink drawing of a building, organic sacs clinging to Ionic columns. Etched in the marble frontispiece was a single word: VACVVM.
A day later, there was a rumbling in the niche world of poster collectors. Horkey had started an Instagram account. With a career cloaked in radio silence, his fans’ surprise was palpable. His first post was a pencil and gouache piece titled “Osprey #1.” It was hashtagged #itsme #aaronhorkey. “I don’t possess the desire to bask in the spotlight or be the center of attention,” Horkey says. “When Mitch suggested having a dedicated online outlet for my work, I thought I’d rather build a team with my friends than go it alone.”
The lone bit of information the mysterious Minneapolis-based illustration group known as The Vacvvm offers about itself on its social media platforms simply reads: “An international illustration cult. Co-founded by Aaron Horkey and Mitch Putnam.” It’s an altogether vague explanation if you are not aware of either of those names, and the “illustration cult” descriptor does nothing to clarify its purpose or goal. But for fans who follow the group’s work on its website and social media accounts—including an Instagram following of 45,000 and counting—The Vacvvm acts as a brand, creating and selling limited-edition art prints and goods from top-tier illustrators and artists. In Putnam and Horkey combined, the art collectibles world has its own Steve Jobs—a name that guarantees a preeminent level of quality control. Many devotees preorder limited-edition prints they’ve never seen, in full confidence they will not be disappointed.
[Related: 20 Beautifully Illustrated Alternative Movie Posters | 7 Video Tutorials and Exercises for Poster Designers]
As a concept, The Vacvvm is an attempt to turn the inherent solitude of the artist and illustrator into a group effort—creative motivation found beneath a common banner. The group takes the role of the isolated illustrator and places it in the context of a team. The Vacvvm is cult-building, a brand applying the existing tools of spectator sports to the craft of art creation. Horkey explains: “Growing up I was obsessed with underground comix and skateboarding. The mythos of the Zap artists in the late ’60s/early ’70s and the assembling of the Bones Brigade and, later, the formation of the initial Plan B team in the early ’90s, were serious inspirational touchstones for putting together The Vacvvm.”
The Vacvvm is comprised of illustrators who work in the world of gig posters, editorial illustration, book and package design, as well as personally commissioned work. Through his role as creative director at Mondo, the boutique poster gallery and art department of the Alamo Drafthouse, Putnam is constantly working with illustrators and printmakers on pop culture–based posters and other collectibles. With Horkey at his side, they set out to take those creatives and, as Putnam puts it, “create an environment conducive to the creation of personal, exploratory work.”
Randy Ortiz
The roster of The Vacvvm is an international collection of like-minded illustrators including Randy Ortiz (Canada), João Ruas (Brazil), Nicolas Delort (France), Ken Taylor (Australia), Vania Zouravliov (Russia), Vanessa Foley (England), as well as U.S.–based artists Mike Sutfin, Brandon Holt, Teagan White and Jes Seamans. The number of members continues to grow as Putnam and Horkey discover new artists that fit within the aesthetic of their vision for the team.
The makeup of the group began with Horkey and Putnam’s own tastes. Each artist invited to join was seen through a lens of kinship. These are artists Horkey and Putnam admired and felt deserved more attention than they were receiving. “We also tried to keep the domestic artists rooted in some way to the Midwest,” Putnam says. “We are headquartered in Minneapolis, and the five American members are either living in Minnesota, or are close to the area. The other six are international, which we felt was important, as they often face the biggest challenges with print publishing, selling and shipping.” The concept is as practical as it is altruistic.
“Hibernal Solstice,” Teagan White
Mike Sutfin
Winnipeg, Canada–based member Randy Ortiz echoes Putnam’s sentiment. “I think The Vacvvm has exposed (I know this a trigger word for most professional artists, but stick with me here) me to a wider audience,” he says. “I know when they post some of my work on their Instagram, I get a ton of new followers and eyes on my work. But aside from that, it’s also a great way to sell my prints. I don’t think I’d get half as many prints sold on my own. Plus, Mitch does all the fancy packaging and shipping stuff that I passionately hate doing myself. It might seem minor, but it really helps free up my time to just keep making more art.”
In Putnam, each member has an outlet for turning their personal work into something tangible—a poster, a T-shirt, a pin, button or patch. Once the art is final, Putnam takes over and makes it a reality, handling all aspects of the production, marketing and shipping. As Australian member Ken Taylor puts it, “Being part of The Vacvvm enables me to have the confidence to be able to release something purely based on the idea of doing something I love, with no real regard to commercial confines. Releasing a piece through The Vacvvm ensures that all the right eyes will see the work and more often than not appreciate it accordingly.”
Vania Zouravliov
“Black Lake,” Aaron Horkey
“The Snare,” Aaron Horkey
For the first year of its existence, The Vacvvm was purely a digital endeavor. The artists joined together via the group’s website and communications with Putnam. There were no set release dates and no deadlines for any of the members. The group was there to act as a catalyst for the creation of personal work in between paying gigs. “Going into this, I knew that each member would have varied output,” explains Putnam. “Plus many of them work very slowly. I do my best to work around everyone’s schedule while also suggesting projects that will advance the presence of the group.”
The first release, “Black Lake,” was a timed edition by Horkey. The art was from a gig poster Horkey had done for the Portland-based metal band Agalloch, for a leg of performances in 2011. At the end of the 24-hour purchase window, the one-color letterpress print ended as an edition of 442. With no marketing outside of a Facebook post, The Vacvvm was an immediate success.
Art is Not Made in a Vacuum
“A lot of good and regular art gets made because of who you talk to. No one is immune to human contact and art is not made in a vacuum.” This quote, attributed to the artist R.B. Kitaj, has been used in art history texts as a way to explain the phenomenon of iterations of ideas.
For Horkey and his illustration cult, the name of the group can be seen as acceptance of this fact. The Vacvvm’s artists carry with them the wealth of experience, both shared and in solitude, that has formed their visual styles. Art is not made in a vacuum, but is an active dialogue between yesterday and today, the internal and the external. In the illustrations of Brandon Holt and Nicolas Delort, you see the influence of the classic engravings of Gustave Doré—an ongoing conversation across history.
The name and logo are Horkey creations, ones he chose for their design quality. “A big consideration was how the word would appear visually, and having all those zigzag lines broken up by a single curve of the ‘C’ was very appealing.”
The constricted band of inverted lines has been used on a body of merchandise that is integral to The Vacvvm. Putnam clarifies the role of these branded items: “I think part of the idea was always to put more branded projects out there. We like to refer to The Vacvvm as a cult, and we’re constantly trying to expand the cult. It is my job to make sure that as many people know these artists as possible, and every time someone sees a shirt or a pin on a friend, the message spreads. So even though merch isn’t a big profit center, it is our chosen form of advertising, while also putting small, affordable pieces of art into the world.”
The logo, printed across various products in a bevy of styles, applies the brand-awareness tools of a company like Nike or Adidas to a crew of reclusive illustrators. It serves as a step toward making art as vital to everyday life as more accessible forms of entertainment from the worlds of sports, music and film.
A Move Toward the Physical
The Northrup King Building in northeast Minneapolis sits alongside two sets of train tracks, an optimal location for its first use when it was built in 1917, to store and ship seeds across the country. The building now hosts more than 180 tenants, most of whom are artists. This is the home of The Vacvvm.
Putnam relocated his family from Sioux City, IA, to Minneapolis with the intention of moving his inventory of posters and other merchandise out of his house and into a proper space. With members Mike Sutfin, Holt, Horkey and Teagan White calling Minneapolis home, the space also acts as a workshop. “Spending time together definitely leads to more camaraderie, and the conversations naturally gravitate toward future projects.” This is how Putnam describes the beginning of a new endeavor for The Vacvvm: “gallery events.”
“Occultation,” Vanessa Foley
“Masque,” Ken Taylor
“Silent Aviary,” the first exhibit from The Vacvvm, combined the talents of White and the group’s newest member, the England-based Vanessa Foley. Together, they have a shared love of flora and fauna, the wilderness and the creatures that mill about the forest terrain. “The theme for the show was native Minnesotan birds—again, Mitch’s idea—but after that each artist had free reign as to how that was interpreted,” Foley explains. Each member of The Vacvvm (minus Zouravliov) contributed a piece, as did a host of outside illustrators and fine artists.
The majority of Foley’s work is for American galleries, which she rarely gets to visit. She was flown out to attend the opening of “Silent Aviary,” a chance to meet and shake hands and put faces to names. Providing this opportunity is essential to The Vacvvm and Putnam’s other projects.
They are attempts at creating connections and community, building something beyond an email list, and putting artists in the same room to see what happens—“Magic, for lack of a better descriptor,” Horkey says. He puts this above all else in his vision for the group. “It’s more than just raw talent, which everyone in the crew has in spades. All the members of The Vacvvm produce work which excites me to no end, and they all do so with an unnervingly natural ease; nothing is forced or contrived. For instance, when you watch Brandon [Holt] summon a drawing, there’s no hesitation involved. The piece is just lying beneath the surface, and he’s excavating it—pure alchemy. I also wanted to build a squad of not only the finest draughtsmen, but of honest, stand-up humans, and that’s precisely what we ended up with.”
Nicolas Delort
Brandon Holt
Jes Seamans
‘Machine Hat’ by João Ruas for The Vacvvm’s MondoCon 2015 release
In late 2016, Delort arrived in Austin, TX, from Paris to attend MondoCon, a poster and collectibles convention where The Vacvvm had a booth. For Delort, it was a chance to meet collectors, fans and others that had supported his career throughout the years. Putnam brought out fellow members Taylor from Australia and João Ruas from Brazil to simply be there and be seen. Taylor spent the weekend painting a mural and signing posters for fans while Ruas and Delort sketched at the booth alongside Sutfin and Holt.
Each member had a new print released at the event, but what the group’s attendance gave the spectators falls in line with Horkey’s initial inspiration for the group: “I think of The Vacvvm more as a skateboard team than an art collective; we have a team manager, an insane roster of pros, a few amateurs working their way through the ranks, and some younger folks on flow. Most of us travel together and just shred.”
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