We Don't Squid Around

It's been awhile. In fact, I am working at switching this account to a tumblr, but in the meantime here is my submission for the PLNDR stick contest. It's title is We Don't Squid Around. Which is kinda hilarious.

Jack

Above is a print, I've created for a friends wedding.

Strip

And that's where your emails went grandma.

Unearthed

The above image is a warning shot across the bow. A flare to announce the work that has begun on the next Glory Glory video I am creating. Maybe you can tell what it is, maybe not. It required a lot of green cloth, cardboard and patience.

Easter

Happy Easter everyone,

I guess Jesus came back from the dead today. Some think that Easter is about Jesus's death but anyone can die, it's coming back. I knew a lady who was hit by an 18 wheeler and died for like a couple minutes and she came back all creepy. So I guess Jesus came back and he came back pretty normal. Wait to go buddy.

Easter Card from Jack Carr on Vimeo.

Best Part of Waking up

My friends in Glory Glory asked me to make them a poster for an ECMA (East Coast Canadian Music Award show (that isn't their acronym)) After party showcase. Since this was a special time and they wanted to impress we created a two color print.
Printed on Bristol board this actually cost less, excluding screens and oh man power, than anything else we looked into, plus they are sleeker and sexier. So here's to more screen printing.

To All of You.

This Valentimes let your heart sing.

I made this animated card as a gift to everyone. I hope you all enjoy it.

Valentines Day.

Above is another card made this weekend, Sorren's Valentines Day card. It is by far my favourite and I think the funniest. Sorren really makes me feel dirty. All the time. It's great.

Happy Birthdays.

This weekend marked two friends' birthdays. Being the week before Valentines, I was already in the card making spirit- if that is a known spirit. So, I went to work creating two cards- these in addition to Sorren's Valentines Day card and a special animated gift for all of you out there; on the internets.

The cards were both ideas I had earlier but never could right. The mermaid was something I thought about but every time I tried to draw her I found there was something missing. I tried a shell bra, a large chin, more barnacles- nothing worked. Believe it or not in the end it was simple lines for hair, which is supposed to be seaweed, that made the whole thing come together. I am always surprised by the way a simple line or a very obvious idea can make something come together, but I guess I should be more surprised at how I can just be totally oblivious to the answer.

Also, this has erupted a new passion for me- hand lettering. I was always struggling with fonts, trying to create my ideas of type with these rigid, wrong fonts and wondering, how can I get the emphasis I want? Now I know- spend three times as long doing it myself. It was a great experience.

I really loved the end result. Lately, I have been working overtime to master screen printing and, if you read my last post, I have been having trouble with getting the quality I'd like. This time I decided to simply create the cards and then have them printed. I love what I got. I always assume that you can't get a quality print from a home printer but these cards proved me wrong. The color isn't 100% but who am I to complain, I didn't have to smash anything or get so frustrated I had to surrender.

Failure.

I created this print for Sorren's work's Christmas Party Auction. I was really excited, I had a great idea for a print and a lot of time to do it. I wasn't being paid or anything but I thought this would be a great way to put together something fun.
I started with the idea of the magician and the magic pouring out of his hat. Next came the part I really liked, out of the bottom of the hat comes another magician sombrely pulling a rabbit out of the hat. This is the sort of seemingly easy part of the print that made me feel really great about the print. I had once read a biography of Philip K. Dick and it said he couldn't avoid adding that twist at the end, just something that sealed the story and added that dark joke at the end. That's where 90% of my joy for this print was derived- rabbit, magic sure sure - but the bottom of the hat revealing a magician with a single rabbit was where all my attention went. I even like to imagine unimpressed children not paying attention, or worse just crying and screaming for cake.






After two weeks of working and getting this together, this is the best I got. My lines were too thin, I also think my screens mesh is too loose to get the line quality I want. Mounting issues made me miss my deadline and extend it to the night before it was due. As I worked on it again, I decided to get rid of the canvas and just do it on a piece of paper. I tried it printing the magic gradient at the top, it didn't work. I was so frustrated I smashed my screen while cleaning it for another go; don't worry I can fix it. But I realized for this one I am the bottom magician, trying to get the trick just right, and still not feeling the magic.

YAH GIFS!

I guess my problem has always been, I love animated .GIFs, but hate people who make them. Self loathing aside. Above is something I whipped up, by accident, at lunch- thought I would post it. Now I’m thinking of making an animated banner, but that I'll leave to another day. Feel free to decide whether you hate me now or not, I wouldn’t blame you if you did.

Below is a pick of the prints I did for my friend's birthday. I taped the second layer of the print to the screen and I think that's why I got the smudging. You can see it to varying degrees in on the image below. Particularly the yellow/red combo, which was a shame because out of all of them that was the most gruesome.

I am working on another print right now and am learning more and more about this antiquated method of printing.

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Print.

Happy New Year.
In honour of the New Year, and my friends birthday, I created this print. Adam, the lead in GGMU (the band I do all the graphic work for) was in need of a birthday present and I decided a print was something he'd enjoy. The great thing is Adam also understands the amount of work, sweat and tears that can go into print making. So the card, along with a couple of burnt compact discs - the latest in antiquated media - was more than enough to satiate the birthday gods - in fact the print is all about that. I wanted the card to really exemplify our relationship so I created a sort of anagram on his name and an image that shows symbiotic nature these sorts of relationships. I give my guts- he gets a card. SYMBIOTIC.

ZOMBIES!!!

Below is the finished video for ZOMBIES!!! The video I directed for my friends in Glory Glory Man United. The cinematographer was Steve Martella, and the Production Designer was Ash Pringle. Sorren Isler was the producer, it was shot in Blair Young's backyard and Glory Glory paid for the experience. It was awesome and I think it looks stellar.

Thanks Everyone,

Zombies!!! from Jack Carr on Vimeo.

Glory Glory New Poster

My friends, Glory Glory Man United, asked me to make them another poster. I think this makes the count at a million, but it's ok, because I love it.



This poster is channelling my love for all things old-timey. I wish that this could have been screen printed but this show is in PEI and we would have to send the poster via the mail and end up costing more that the show itself. Promotion is like a shouting at an echo. Wait no it's not.

Good-Bye Mustache

Over the course of November I grew a mustache. It was a lot of work and lead me to a lot of things I didn't know about myself. Mostly that I can grow a mustache, and I could probably grow a beard.
I looked awesome, but every day was a new challenge- from the day I realized that my upper lip was totally numb, to the time I felt it bristle in the wind. It was an emotional time and it's now over.
I didn't want to admit this, but I didn't raise any money. I figure, I had a mustache for every person that quit. A lot of people quit, so when they quit their money deferred to me- so I raise a hell of a lot of money.

Poster from August

Above is a poster I made way back in August. It was hand printed and looks pretty sweet. I really want to do a run of posters which are not under a fierce deadline, but sais la vie. I am also working on a huge print which should be up in the next couple of weeks.
If anyone is interested in a print or needs a poster done I would love to try.

The video

I have also been working on a video for my good friends in Glory Glory Man United. A couple of weeks ago they asked can we have a video and my response is what is about to be released. I just need to show it to them and have the last of the effects put in and the world will soon see my efforts.

There is no rest for the wicked and no love for the damned.

Screen Printing

I am going to make a post about screen printing. Not yet, but in preparation here is a group of prints I did the other night.






Screen printing's great challenge is learning to work with what you have. It gets really tough.

Design Submission

Design I did as a submission to work with Big City Lights in Halifax. I was up against some stiff competition, I don't think it worked out but I was proud of what I put together. This shows the designs versatility. I have a bunch of things I am working on right now, I'll update soon.

Hounds Tooth

This is a short 1 page-ish comic I made. I think it's the inverse of bearable.