felix sockwell

Helping myself... and my candidate

2008-10-06T18:05:44+00:00

Paul Jerde art benefit

2008-08-10T19:19:55+00:00

Attn: drawger cyclist/ painters: One of my dear friends, creative director Paul Jerde , was recently struck by truck in Dallas. On Saturday, June 14th, at approximately 12:00 noon Paul was riding his bike home when he was hit from behind by a light-weight pick-up truck. He was taken by ambulance to Baylor Medical Center in Dallas. He suffered a severe head injury, three fractured ribs and a punctured right lung. He as been in the ICU and has not yet regained consciousness. Its been nearly two months but Paul is slowly waking up. I'd like to ask you to donate your talents to Paul's Family by drawing/ painting a portrait of him (see more photos of him here on his get well blog) that can be auctioned off at a golf tournament in his honor on Sept 23 in Dallas. Let me tell you a little about Paul. Paul is a legend in the bizz (at least in Dallas) and has a great family and support system behind him. Here a few pics:

For those of you who have had the opportunity to work on an assignment with Paul you know what a gas he is, but also the tweaker he can be. If it gives you comfort, know that he once tweaked me for two weeks on the design of a back of a coupon! Amazingly, it was a good time. Paul is fairly capable illustrator and came to this site regularly for inspiration.

Heres Paul with his wonderful wife Patty and son Buzz. Buzz was named after Paul's cousin (RIP) who was seated next to one of the terrorists in the first plane that crashed into the Trade Center on 911.

Some time ago they had a benefit picnic... apparently Paul made quite an impression on people. His site is innundated daily with news, prayers and offerings. Of course, we'd love to show your work and tell everyone how nice you were to pitch in. As you know, medical bills aren't cheap and Paul's family could use the funds generated from the art auction to make ends meet. Waking up has been a slow process for Paul but he making great progress.

I don't know who made this banner but they knew Paul well.

Originally they had asked me to draw the poster but after some thought theres just no way I can touch it. Its too emtional and I'm really not right for this kind of portraiture. So again I'd like to ask you, my fellow drawgerers, to paint a likeness of Paul that captures his spirit and love for life. To get to know Paul read a few posts from his blog.

here is something I think would work; Paul's head juxt with some sort of golf course. A Poster will be printed up for the benefit (the "Jerde Cup"). I'll pay for all of your materials and shipping costs. As far as style of painting, well, do whatever you want but keep in my mind this needs to look as much like Paul as it can because I'm sure most of his friends (including me) will have it framed and look at it every day. Let me know your thoughts and I appreciate you reading all this. Its for a great guy and great family who will appreciate it, trust me. drawgerers currently submitting art: Leo Espinosa Don Kilpatrick III Dale Stephanos Harry Campbell THX fellas. Keep em coming. I'll be updating this post regularly to keep you abreast of whats going on. Thx again. They're gonna love it.

New Times Od Ed AD

2008-07-25T15:54:03+00:00

Leanne Shapton is the "new Op Ed girl". Time to kiss some serious ass boys. I believe this is the first African American woman to be elected to that post. Wow. How far we've come.

Here is a piece from Leanne's site. I've never met her but home girls got some skillz, B.

I've never talked to her but here is a poor-trait of our new Op Ed director in chief. Nice. The Jason is supposedly her secretary (you may know his wife Tamara from all her work in the Times). Let's give a heart-felt terrorist fist jabb to the shapely Ms. Shapton, the newest (and first) in a long line of talented Op Ed ADs. Gentlemen (and women), drop your pencils and let the ass-kissing begin.

Blitt's NYer Cover Controversy

2008-07-14T14:29:56+00:00

There is an interesting debate happening right now on over at Huffpost and if you read the comments (always cartoon, never illustration) and weigh the arguments (offensive or hilarious?) you quickly realize how stupid Huffington Post bloggers are. But it was nice to hear Blitt being compared to Jonathan Swift. my favorite Huffington Post slur: "Britt you are an idiot, get a new profession!!" and to think... just because Barry is Brittish.

new iPhone nytimes GUI

2008-07-11T19:01:07+00:00

Today the iPhone/ nytimes app releases. I've drawn GUI before but this one was special. For my news of choice and another chance to work with renowned web wizard Khoi Vinh and designer Caryn Tutino.

Here is the secondary, ancillary pitstop where you configure out what you want most.

They had to work in old Grey Lady grey scale as well as black and white in 29X29 pixels. Once approved, the png art was integrated into the app (which is free btw).

GUI is an ugly process, but an interesting one. Pixel reduction is a nice diversion from drawing my linear crap. I mean "art". here is a peek inside some of the process, which was considerably smooth.

there were some interesting things (concessions?) that happened along the way. Most notably, and my favorite was the icon for Heller's favorite gig, that of the Obituary section. I went straight to the grave initially. "Too morbid" they said. Then we landed on a single flower in front of the gravestone. Done. But wait. A week later the editors came back; "still too morbid". So we went with a single flower. I am still curious if a flower denotes death. I guess we'll wait to see if anyone finds offense.

and here are the final "ready for prime time players". It was weird seeing them for the first time live on my iPhone. Would love to hear what you think of this often ignored form of information illustration.

Brian Rea waves goodbye

2008-06-24T18:43:04+00:00

Brian Rea has left the New York Times building where he served 3.5 years as Op Ed art director. He did one helluva job. Was committed. Even Tempered. And extremely pragmatic (not to mention talented as hell, for proof see todays op ed under his pen name Grady White) We love you buddy. Have a great time chasing down those waves in L.A. Any thoughts or anecdotes you have for Brian are welcomed and encouraged...

Death to Grady White, Long live Brian Rea

2008-06-24T18:27:56+00:00

Bad ode to Carin Goldberg

2008-05-13T16:58:01+00:00

Here is a series of Carin Golberg prints I've had hanging all over the house for about 4 years running. I can't seem to quit them. Here is my favorite in the living room.

here is the entire set, which I purchased for a mere $80.00 from an AIGA, NY auction. They were silkscreened in China in split-fountain colors. Gorgeous. Al of em. I love em.

Do not adjust you set! Gulp. Behold American silk screening. It looks as if my ink cartridges are going bad. Whew.

Here is how they would've looked I guess, had this guy.. well, urgh, I can't even talk about it right now. It wasn't a bad idea; continual line and colors. theoretically you could lock these up around the block.

I would've been kinda nice to see the subtleties... in the actual printing, in leu of running film, they decided to xerox and stat it - which rasterized the lines into oblivion.

Did I mention all the hick-ups? Well, I have no plans for em. If you are a client or friend and would like a free set, send me an e mail. I will be signing (a different set) June 6-8 at the Burlington Discover Jazz Festival in VT. In the interim know theres a good American printer out there somehwere... and I'll find her.

My WSJ

2008-04-14T15:51:46+00:00

I love the new Ann! check out this http://www.wsjparody.com/ great new parody of the wall street journal which hit newsstand early yesterday and was reported in the NY Times today: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/14/business/media/14journal.html?ex=1365825600&en=15b4ec4e0fd4acc4&ei=5088&partner=rssnyt&emc=rss If any in the city can get their hands on one of these babies today pls post some images. I'm dying to see more.

Here is something I pulled off Huff Post. I always loved the Brodner vs Zahidahadenough "artichoke" anecdote but this surely tops them all. ....and here are the people responsible (what talent!): EDITOR IN CHIEF TONY HENDRA EXECUTIVE EDITORS David Blum, Todd Hanson, Jeff Kreisler ART DIRECTOR Milan Zrnic DESIGN CONSULTANTS Pentagram WRITERS RICHARD BELZER: Guest Editorial: We The People (Page 8), STEVE BODOW: Bad Times (page 17), ANDY BOROWITZ: Bush Abolishes Death, Taxes (page 1) Wha? News? (page 1) Could Hillary Win (page 1 � see below Tony Hendra credit), BONNIE DATT: Brangelina Solves China�s Problem (page 10) Cleaning Lady Sees Virgin (page 15), TODD HANSON: Wha? News? (page 1) Humorous Cartoon (page 8), TIM HARROD: My Police Blotter (page 22) Wha? News? (page 1) , TONY HENDRA: Ad Copy Chuck is Dead (Page 2) Page 3 USA (page 3) Poor Nations Eating US To Standstill (page 4) Mad-Pig Disease (Page 5) South Will Secede If Obama Wins (page 6) Editorials (page 8) Ad Copy Bare Sterns (11-12) Here Comes Meta (page 14) Ad Copy Holy Shroud of Ron (page 21) WWJDD? (page 23) Could Hillary Win? (page 1) was based on an item from The Borowitz Report by Andy Borowitz, STEVE HIGGINS: By Classified I (page 7) By Classified II (page 23), ANN HODGMAN: Mourning in America (page 9) Obitcharies (page 11) Swallow Don�t Spit (page 14), SCOTT JACOBSON: Cindy Madams Column (page 11), TERRY JONES: Letter From London (Page 9), JEFF KREISLER: Next Bubble: The Bubble-Bubble? (page 7) Hot New Toys (page 20-21) , ROB KUTNER: NewsCorp Launches Mother Dow-Jones (page 17) , IAN LENDLER: 2008 Trophy Wives (page 20), CLAUDIA LONOW: Sexecutive Column (page 15), PATRICIA MARX: Obitcharies (page 11) NewsCorp Acquires English Language (page 23), BRUCE MCCALL: British Royal Family Sold To Int�l Ambassador of Money (page 4) Int�l Ambassador of Money and His Bride Renovate Fifth Ave Fixer-Upper (Art and Text pages 18-19) Dear Leader Kim Jong Il (Art and Text page 24), JOE QUEENAN: Fed Clones Roil Markets (page 6) Condom Deliver Screws Moody�s (page 7) Guest Editorial: The Surge is Working (page 8) Desert Island Scumbag Rigged? (page 23), ELLIS WEINER: Thugs Dictators Sign Inhuman Rights (page 4), ANONYMOUS: Madness Avenue (page 16) Profound thanks to everyone for countless ideas, premises, visual concepts, headlines, last minute touches and other contributions to the whole. ARTISTS RON BARRETT: Texacon Ad (Page 5), RANDY GLASS: Fox News Fox Tease (Page 1) Stipple Ann Coulter (Page 3), RICK MEYEROWITZ: Baruch Obama (page 1) Froot Richgrinch (page 8) Manny�s of Syosset (Page 11), JAY MONTGOMERY: Holy Shroud of Ron, PAUL SZEP: John McCain Head (page 1) Firing Line In Heaven (page 9) Roger Ailes (Page 23) PHOTOGRAPHY/PHOTOSHOP/ADS... DREW HEFFRON: Cindy Madams Headshot (page 11) Sexecutive Art (page 15) Mother Dow-Jones Cover (page 17), JONNY LEATHER: Landmark Ledge Fund Ad (page 3) Rebel Jets (Page 6) , JEFFREY SCHIFMAN: ARMY Fragrance Photo(page 6) META meat Photo (page 14) Minimum Securities Photo (page 22), MARK STINSON: Meta HQ (page 14) Hot New Toys: Offshore At Home, Bradley Fighting Limousine (pages 20-21), MILAN ZRNIC: Black Hillary (page 1) ARMY Fragrance (page 6) Hairless Trump and Post-Donald Do (page 10) Sarkozy-Coulter (page 10) WWJDD? cover (page 23) Stipple heads (various) Profound thanks to those responsible for Parody Ads: Chuck Is Dead (page 2) Hyena Fund (page 10) Bare Sterns (pages 12-13) NetPets (page 15) Moneymerica (page 17) Minimum Securities (page 22) and Madness Avenue Products (page 16), Jessica Balaschak, Larry Durocher, Dave Gibbons, Nikola Gottschick, Drew Heffron, Wendy Hu, Todd Jackson, George Kalogerakis, Jonny Leather, Mark Stinson, Mishna Wolff, Drea Zlanabitnig and People-Who-Shall-Be-Nameless-But-Who-Know-Who-They-Are. MANHATTAN MEDIA, LLC President/CEO Tom Allon Group Publisher Alex Schweitzer Editorial Director David Blum Director of New Business Development Barbara Goodwin Marketing Director Tom Kelly Production Manager Mark Stinson Art Director Wendy Hu Assistant Production Manager Jonny Leather Editorial 212-268-0454 Advertising 212-284-9715 General 212-268-8600

Paul Rand for AIGA

2008-03-18T20:20:19+00:00

I got a "donation" call a few months ago to draw the likeness of Paul Rand for a book the AIGA was producing. A high honor. Sure. Why not I thought. Its free. I can do what I want. But as we got into it it became clear I was hired as a set of wrists, and nothing else. Here is the quientessential Wikiphoto of Rand in his later years used in the Apple "Think Different" campaign.

No, said the art director. I want him young. Just his face. In white line on a black background. And he sent these photo references for me to ponder. THe upper left photo is a dead ringer for Derek Jeter. The other are forgettable.

I should have killed the job there, but I thought, perhaps if I can show him how the pose is just as important as the likeness there may be a way to salvage this strange new relationship. I quickly traced the image with my Clintiq screen and started messing around with things...

After a 10 or so versions with wrinkles and glasses and this and that I decided to go sans loopy hair. In case it didn't work I added a quote mostly because I'm lazy. I do love the quote though. For me it means "You can't force creativity." THe posters are being printed for paul-rand.com and I may get em up on illogator soon too... but don't hold your breath Zimm (I'm lazy).

Most people remember Rand as a stone-cold carmudgeon, but I think you'll find warmth in this blanket he designed... that recently sold for $500 on Ebay.

and a detail...

and thats it. A killer blanket from the master. I told the AD this linear style of mine wasn�t an easy way of drawing likenesses.. so no surprise it was killed. as Rand used to say (paraphrasing) �Pro bono? Sure. I�ll let you have it for free as long as you use as I suggest. If you decide not to use it the fee is then $10,000. If you change the design (using the work in a manner unbecoming) the fee is then $15,000.� something to think about the next time you spend your day doodling on bono... antecdote courtesy another legend, Jerry Kuyper

Cuneo's World

2008-02-06T22:19:29+00:00

Just flipped thru Esquire today.. just another handsome young lad.

another look... hey thats our boy! Congrats John. Don't even think about going SIlent this year you sexy bitch. For the life of me I can't tell if thats a bottle of scotch or a Bible under your right arm. Pray tell.

Op Ed Queens

2007-11-16T20:37:14+00:00

Sam Weber just rang, and seeing Brodner's post yesterday, I thought I'd add a bookend to the U.S. Bridge Federation silencing.. Here was my first shot.

here was another "just in case" I presented of the same shot.

and another trouble-shootery of the 2 X 2.5 space. Gotta get both ingredients in there. I won't give away which one you'll see in the paper in the morning. You'll have to guess. In the interim, your thoughts? Its always an interesting balance doing work for the Op Ed page and no one navigates it better than Sam and Rea. I like the vaguery of the first but see the potency of the second. The third? Nah. Sam will be leaving soon. Off to do his illustration thing full time; and what a wonderful thing he does. I guess it was always in the cards. Thanks Sam; for making sure we get paid on time as well as being a swell collaborator.

Blechman's NoZone spread

2007-11-05T15:08:54+00:00

All gas'd up & no where t'guzzle, Fuchs & I spent a few hours (OK, days) spinning yarns and dropping names for Nicholas Blechman's upcoming Nozone:Forecast. Heres our spread. Blechman's last Nozone effort, Empire (Princeton Archtectural Press) focused on our empirical foreign policy, war time capitalism and so forth. One of my favorites in that book was Ward Sutton's logo strewn Nascar omage (I'm not going to explain it, just buy the book!) Niemann's Stately messaging was also read loud and clear (and over and over). Hopefully this latest Forecast will be as sickening and meaningful as his previous efforts. OK, I could go on about my near-full Nozone collection but heres another sneak peak at our spread...

My original drawing was sent back (thank you Nicholas!) so I refocused with a more humorous logo spoof analogy ala GOP100 and Sutton's excellent spoof. Some of these work more successfully than others obviously but its a tight balance this thing: writing, designing and illustrating. Where one lacked, another propped.

The process here usually started with naming, the napkin, then computer. Our time was helped along by this logo site which, if you haven't already used it, is an essential bookmark. We had a pretty big time working on this thing. Fuchs had a big workload so I had to carry the brunt on most of these, yet one of the real gems ("EXXODUS") was actually e penned by the legendary Jerry Kuyper who designed the original AT&T globe and World Wildlife Federation logos while working for Saul Bass. If you can think of one we may have left out, take a gander and write us. Who knows, there could be a poster stationed on the horizon.

ahh, the signatures... signed in oil on a hot Texas blacktop. Two birds on a wire. But whos who?

NYT Op Ed: Al Gore

2007-10-14T19:20:55+00:00

Over the course of ten years doing these New York Times Op Ed / letters pieces, I've come to change my tack: a little design, very little illustration and whole lot of name dropping. Here was the process for saturday's Op Ed on Al Gore winning the Nobel Peace Prize. Friday. 5:15pm. Ring. Hello? Brian Rea:"Whats the fastest job yo'll ever do?" This one. Five minutes later...

Then there was this awards driven idea/ word.

30 minutes...We getting hotter? Al says so. Seems the press is finally warming up these days. "Goreward" was my hot choice, but couldn't run because the editor didn't want to say his name (there was a congrats ad nearby) so this is where we headed next... but it too was a little off.

45 minutes... The final approved image was this. Not terrible. Not great. Always a good time with B Rizzlea. The whole naming thing, over time, has really made me reconsider what it is I do and how I sell things. Its not design. Its not illustration. Its not naming... yet it has to be all three at once: DesiNamustration� Looking back... Gore Green? C'mon. Somebody'll burn that into their chest (T shirt)...

Doodle all day in Mapleweird, NJ

2007-09-30T12:39:09+00:00

I'm looking for green illustrators willing to donate themselves to Maplewood Green Day this saturday October 6th. I'll supply the tent, easels and materials. You supply the rest. 100% of the proceeds generated from your artwork goes to a local green initiative here in Maplewood- just 25 minutes (via Amtrak) from NYC. I'm working in tandem with the local Maplewood Lions Club and Geralyn's art shop. There'll be plenty of other activites throughout the day so feel free to bring friends and family and enjoy meeting the locals, hanging out with fellow drawgerers and working to support our local green initiative here in town. Heres a map. Just let me know if you are interested and I'll have your name added to the list to give to coordinators. Meet some of my neighbors you'll be drawing. We're good times. OK, who's with me?