I was going through some old work yesterday and this old bike logo popped off a board. Any designer who’s been around know what I’m talking about. It was an old stat, and the rubber cement had dried. I think I did this logo as part of an idea I was pitching a local bike shop, circa 1985. So I wanted to have some fun with it.

Years ago I saw Hatch Posters at a museum exhibit up in Seattle. If you’re a graphic designer you have to love this stuff. If not, you should at least appreciate what they are doing. I wouldn’t call myself a purist, but this tugs at my inner being as a designer.I can almost smell the inks. This is like comfort food to me. In the video, Jim Sherraden talks about the Monoprints coming from “Happy accidents” I get goose bumps. I’ve always loved the make-ready pile at print shops. Here Jim has taken it to a the level of art.

Every year as the 4th of July approaches I begin to reminisce  about some old poster designs I did for Conner Perpherals. Conner sponsored a holiday concert at Shoreline in Mountain View, CA. Just fun to wind the clock back a look at work you did, oh so many years ago.

This week’s poster design idea is inspired by a book cover design for Øl og Snaps by Danish Artist Paul Høyrup in 1948. I’m Dane-by-Marriage and have come to be familiar with Snaps. I think it’s one reason that Denmark is regarded as the happiest place on Earth. What I really like is that this cover illustration has a real A. M. Cassandre feel. Cassandre is one of my design heroes. So I wanted to try to emulate the grainy stipple techniques that are one characteristic that Høyrup’s illustration shared with Cassandre’s work. I borrowed the color palette and subject matter from Høyrup’s cover.  The intent wasn’t to copy, rather to recreate the essence. The goal is to draw on the knowledge gained when I find my new found skills appropriate for a given design solution. Here is the result of my design exercise:

The results are in. The finalist have been selected for the Jeff Dunham Achmed Fan Poster design contest. No, My entry isn’t a finalist. Check out the poster designs that have been chosen for the fans to vote on. Which one is your favorite?

I had recently vacationed in Vegas, where my wife and I happened to see Terry Fator, a popular ventriloquist. Fator is one of two great contemporary ventriloquist acts. The other super star is Jeff Dunham. Well, one evening my wife was on Facebook and sees that Jeff Dunham is having a poster contest. Fans are encouraged to design an Achmed the Dead Terrorist poster. First thing I asked was when the deadline ended. She says I had three days left. What the heck, I have often designed posters in less than a week for my “Poster-a-Week” project. It had been a while since I faithfully produced a weekly design. After 6-months my special project has been more like “Poster Whenever” project. The purpose of the project was to be creative, to explore styles, try new techniques and just have fun. Sounds like an Achmed poster was a perfect fit.

I approach any project the same as if I was working for a client. There wasn’t any creative brief, or defined marketing objectives. You had two images of Achmed to choose and that was about all the parameters outlined in the contest rules. Although I’m familiar with Jeff Dunham’s Achmed character I went to you tube to watch some clips. The obvious catch phrase for Achmed was “Silence! I Kill You!” I realize that this was easily recognized Achmed statement, maybe too familiar. I wanted something different. I like the bit in the act where Jeff bumps Achmed’s feet. Jeff is a master, he sets up his comedy with perfect timing. Here is a puppet that was willing to blow himself up, yet is upset that his feet are all askew. This was something I could us to build a visual pun. A visual pun in design works much the same as a well timed comedian’s joke. To use any catch phrase with out first setting the stage would be random and ineffective. After sketching a few thumbnail ideas I had my direction. I would have Achmed’s face at the bottom of the poster and his feet flying off the top. The juxtaposition would build a sort of visual pun. The phrase, “ What the hell happened to my feet?” would tie it all together. I would fuse the image of Achmed into asphalt with his hands raise as if he is trapped in the asphalt, trying to escape. There is also an element of surrender. After all, Achmed never really seems to want to be a terrorist.