Written and illustrated by Blair Drawson and published by Reactor, the EPub book, An Odd Sea is available on Apple’s iTune Store in the iBook classics section.
An Odd Sea is a liberty-taking retelling of Homer’s classic. Blair turns a satirical eye on war, sex, identity, technology, misbehaving youth, and the follies of all-powerful gods. The novel is liberally illustrated throughout with Blair’s powerful images.
Meatscape, a new painting by Alëna Skarina
September 6, 2013
On August 15th, 2013, Roots celebrates the 40th anniversary of the store and the brand.
For four formative years in the mid-1980s, as creative director at Reactor Art + Design, I worked closely with Roots founders Michael Budman and Don Green, directing all the company’s visual branding including advertising, brochures, in-store signage, apparel graphics and the creation of several private-label brands. I have many fond memories of the regular Friday afternoon “creative” sessions that Michael, Don, Bill Grigsby and I had in the back alcove of my office at Reactor.
Primarily a footwear and leather-goods retailer when we first began working with them, Michael and Don recognized the need for Roots to expand its product offering, and saw athletic wear as a perfect entrée into the apparel market. To brand this new venture, I appropriated Heather Cooper’s beaver from the original Roots logo, and added the varsity-style typography. This logo design, still in use today, has been printed on [probably] millions of tee shirts and sweatshirts, and has become a Canadian icon. The phenomenal success of Roots Athletics helped propel Roots out of its footwear niche and set the stage for its subsequent success in the larger apparel market.
Below are assorted logos and hangtags we designed for some of Roots’ private-label brands.
-Â Louis Fishauf
August 10, 2013
It’s finally here! Blair Drawson’s interactive visual narrative for the iPhone is now available for downloading from the iTunes Store.
July 11, 2013
From 1993 to 2000 Tomio Nitto frequently created covers for ORORA Magazine, a Toronto Japanese community magazine. Here are four perfect for Toronto’s hot humid summer.
Husband and wife team Henrik Drescher and Wu Wing Yee frequently take on projects working together as Babblelab. Recently they were commissioned to create a special art wrap for an Audi A4 for the Shuhe Arts Festival in Shuhe, Yunnan, China.
At the CANSCAIP – Packaging Your Imagination conference November 10th, Clayton Hanmer talks ‘Using Comics to Communicate with Kids’.
Alëna Skarina did the artwork for the center Seagram Can.  Available in tall cans in Alberta and Ontario for a limited time.  Seek them out before it’s too late.  Click on the image to link to the Seagram website.
WORN is launching their new issue on November 24th. Click on the image to link to the Magazine website. Â You can pre-order your copy today.
