Archive for 2008
The Nut Roast CD
Tenfold is a small, tightknit UK print firm with a broad range of skills. Each year, they do a holiday giveaway. In 2008, they gave away an exclusive mix CD by Chris Geddes from Belle & Sebastian with cover artwork doodled by Jon Burgerman. There were 75 signed and numbered copies, with 10 to win. And I managed to win one! As well as tasking Jon with creating the art, they also asked him to come up with some titles for the album. “Turkey Giblet Pie” was the first offering, which they politely declined. His second offering, “The Nut Roast,” (a homage to both Chris and Jon’s vegetarianism) is the one that stuck. Visit the Tenfold website for full details. Incidentally, I don’t even celebrate Christmas, and this mix is pretty terrific:
1. David Frost and Billy Taylor: Joy to the World 2. Jacob Miller and Ray I: Deck The Halls 3. Carlene Davis and Trinity: Santa Claus (Do You Ever Go to the Ghetto) 4. National Lampoons: Kung Fu Christmas 5. Lou Rawls: Christmas Will Really Be Christmas 6. Duke Pearson: Seigh Ride 7. Jimmy Smith: Jingle Bells 8. Harvey Averne: Let’s Get Together This Christmas 9. Run DMC: Christmas In Hollis 10. Jimmy McGriff: Jingle Bells 11. Staple Singers: Who Took The Merry Out of Christmas 12. Chambers Brothers: Merry Christmas, Happy New Year 13. Rotary Connection: Christmas Love 14. Clarence Carter: Back Door Santa 15. Jimmy Reed: Christmas Present Blues 16. Kurtis Blow: Christmas Rapping 17. Alexander O’Neal: Little Drummer Boy 18. Don Burrows: Jingle Bells 19. Duke Pearson: Jingle Bells 20. Joy Strings: We Three Kings 21. The Sonics: Santa Claus 22. Jimmy Smith: God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen 23. Honey and the Bees: Jing Jing a Ling 24. Rotary Connection: Santa’s Little Helper 25. James Brown: Santa Claus Go Straight To The Ghetto 26. Chuck Berry: Run Run Rudolph 27. Soulful Strings: The Little Drummer Boy 28. Huey ‘Piano’ Smith: Happy New Year
Munny Coloring Book for Kidrobot
Before there was this awesomeness, Jon made a little unassuming coloring book for Kidrobot. “Munny Coloring Book #10 contains special coloring pages by Jon Burgerman.” This was likely a promotion in conjunction with the DIY Munny toys.
Kidrobot Print
Unusual for Jon, but this recent Kidrobot print doesn’t have a title. It’s 17 x 23 inches and black, teal and white. According to Kidrobot, it’s a standard edition and limited run. They wrote: “UK doodler Jon Burgerman’s limited edition print has a secret message between the lines and is way radder than those optical illusion ones you used to beg your mom to buy you at the mall.” You can get it for $80 here.
New Robin Hood?
I picked up this interesting story in the Nottingham news:
THIS is Robin Hood as you have never seen him before. Nottingham artist Jon Burgerman is not constrained by tradition. The city artist is known for his drawing, animation and character design.
He has created a new image for Robin Hood, building the character around the trademark elements of his image, such as his green tunic and hat.Mr Burgerman said: I wanted to embolden Robin Hood.
“There are various key elements that suggest the character is Robin Hood, like the feather, the bow and the arrow and you can put that on anything and it is dressed up as Robin Hood. I wanted to reduce it down as much as possible. It is not the Robin Hood, it is a Robin Hood in the same way you get different James Bonds or Dr Who. It is a Robin Hood from a different universe. If you go back to a man in tights then it is going back but if you have the courage of conviction to make it modern and interesting and relevant there is a future.”
Mr. Burgerman sees his design as part of a new approach to Robin Hood in the city, where Nottingham makes much more of the legend, not just through branding. He sees potential for more for tourists to do in relation to Robin Hood, but also bringing out the city’s history, including recent history, as well. He could see his version of Robin Hood as a character guide to families around Nottingham.
As for if Robin Doodlehood is in the cards for Nottingham, Jon said: “It was just a speculative commission to see what people thought and what they’d look like. There are no plans for it to go any further.” Aw, bummer.
Posca Pen Packs
If Michael Phelps can be a spokesman for Speedo, it’s long overdue for Jon Burgerman to collaborate with Posca. So in collaboration with their most shining star and advocate, Posca produced limited edition pen packs with Jon’s artwork and stickers inside. The packs contain six extra-fine bullet tip pens in black, white, red and hard-to-find metallic silver and gold. Pack size is approx 140×90x10mm. The Posca pen packs are available in select shops in the UK and through Jon’s webshop here for £9 UK or £11 non-UK.
Reclaimed Envelopes 2008
Here is a selection of reclaimed envelopes from 2008. These drawings on used envelopes are one-of-a-kinds and measure 230×165mm. Some are still available in Jon’s shop for £95 UK and £105 non-UK.
Anxiety Wall Drawings
If you could get rich off anxiety, let’s just say I’d be a wealthy man. Unfortunately, anxiety is no fast track to early retiring, but perhaps, at least, a catalyst to creativity. As part of Jon’s Because I Can’t Sit Still, he created the Anxiety Wall–a sprawling installation of ink drawings wallpapering the entire back of the gallery. When the show ended, Jon dismantled the wall and availed each individual piece of artistic neuroses to his fans via his webshop. The original drawings, signed and chosen by Jon went for £10 ($15 USD) each plus postage and are currently sold out. I got a great doodle on green paper.
I’m Sorry If I Smell
When this happened, it was so unfair. I’ve been wanting to visit Japan for going on a decade now, but the moon and the stars didn’t align in time for me to make it to Tokyo in time to see Jon Burgerman put on his first solo show there. The “I’m Sorry If I Smell” mini exhibit opened at FewMany and ran through December 14th, 2008. Between Flickering food photos, Jon sent me some great snaps of the gallery installation. I’m digging all the tiny canvases with Japanese captions. I like how Jon has integrated elements of Japanese culture into his work, even by just using paper and envelopes from the various locations. I’d kill for the doodled airplane sickbag (to match my other one). Heroes of Burgertown figures and Burgermenos Egg Qees were also available at the show. I’m finally going to get to Tokyo, but I’ll have missed the show by about a year.
Lickens (Reclaimed) Screenprint
Lickens is an edition of 20 prints painted in white by Jon on pieces of reclaimed cardboard packaging and then screen printed by hand in yellow and black water-based inks. Every one is different. The prints are approximately 25 cm x 33 cm in size and have been signed and numbered by Jon. £70 at Idressmyself, the eco-friendly screenprinters (while available).
Pepsi Ad Campaigns
If Jon Burgerman has a personal preference between Coke and Pepsi, he keeps it separate from his professional endeavors. While he has contributed to the Coca Cola Trexi series, he has also done design work for Pepsi. Sometime in 2006, Jon did the above left print ad for Pepsi. I don’t know much about it, except an interesting bit posted by TADO on the Kidrobot Forum here around the time of the ad:
we love jons pepsi piece!! its a very respectable project to be asked to work on as well!! as far as working for certain companies goes, its just part of our job. some companies ‘get it’, others dont. we cant speak for jon, but we are extremely proud of our client list and certainly enjoy working for the larger companies. of course everyone is entitled to their own opinion about certain companies - it comes down to the individual about who they choose to work with. everyone has their own opinions and everyone should respect each others. we’re very lucky in that we usually manage to get a nice balance of commercial work and fun work, and this kind of job is what keeps us going. we’ve done work for several big companies. we really enjoy that kind of work - its what we do.
both jon and ourselves work freelance at this thing full time - we dont have 9-5 jobs. unfortunately doing art shows and toys certainly doesnt pay the bills - its something we do because we love it and enjoy it! working freelance means that without big jobs, there would be no way for the art shows, toys, t-shirt projects etc to happen. we’d be on the streets and burgerman probably wouldnt have any cake to eat. this would make him a very sad creature. again, we cant speak for jon, but we would say that we are just designers or illustrators - we get paid to draw things for people - thats our job.
That was in 2006. In 2008, Jon did a design for a Pepsi can (above right) in a series of international artists produced by Artco. The cans were launched worldwide in January, with the exception of the U.S. and Canada. I don’t really drink soda, but I would have bought a six-pack of these. Wonder why North America got excluded?
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