Dork Tower

A recent Twitter conversation led me to discover that John Kovalic, illustrator of the popular card games Apples to Apples and Munchkin, is a Blackwing user. Not only that, he uses Blackwings on all of his Munchkin work.

@Blackwing SERIOUSLY? I use Blacking for all my Munchkin work!

— John Kovalic (@muskrat_john) January 29, 2015

This led me to John’s other ventures, including his Dork Tower comic strip. I’m a big webcomic fan, and John’s jokes, references and musings are right up my alley. If you consider yourself a “dork” in any way, I suggest you check it out.

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Mahlon

Zanadu Comics

In January, I had the opportunity to spend a few work days in Seattle. When I’m on the road, my first order of personal business is to find the local comic shops. I like visiting comic shops because there aren’t exactly any nationwide chains, so each shop you visit has a unique look and feel to it. I found Zanadu Comics and decided to check them out. This place was RAD. They have a section dedicated to works by popular authors, they also have a section of books broken up by genre rather than publisher which I thought was a neat twist. The staff were super helpful and even offered up a quick tour of the store. If you’ve got some spare time and are in the Seattle area be sure to check them out!

John

Janet Jackson – Control (1986)

Control is a wild album.  Produced by the duo of Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis, it’s full of wild synthesizers, Russell Simmons–style drums, synth basses and even the odd 80’s guitar solo.  It’s Janet’s first album after she broke ties with her father Joe’s management, and she appropriately sings about finding herself as an independent woman and artist.  The real treasures on this album come towards its ending: “Let’s Wait Awhile” and “Funny How Time Flies (When You’re Having Fun)” are the album’s final two tracks and they’re the only slow-jams on the record.  The latter closes the album out with Janet speaking some sultry French as she reunites with a departed lover. 

The post Weekly Discoveries 01.29.2015 – Dork Tower, Zanadu Comics and Control appeared first on Blackwing.

Matt Fraction and Christian Ward’s ODY-C 

As a fan of comics and Greek mythology, I owe it to myself to check out the latest effort from Matt Fraction. This limited series titled “ODY-C” is essentially a retelling of Homer’s epic The Odyssey, of course with some twists. Said twists include moving the setting from ancient Greece to space, gender swapping of prominent characters and more. The first issue came out this week and I can’t wait to check it out!

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Grant

My Brother the Bear

I got a text from Willy Tea Taylor the other day that read “look up My Brother the Bear – Deadball. Do it.” So I did. You should too. His real name is Daniel Beyer and he’s definitely a songwriter’s songwriter. And everyone knows I’m a sucker for a song about baseball.

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Alex

Ien Levin

Tons of people are seduced by brightly colored tattoo art, but the true measure of a tattoo artist rests in his or her line work.  When I saw one of Ien Levin‘s tattoos for the first time, I was floored. Ien’s tattoos are almost 100% line work, and he is damn good at it. From fine lines, to bold strokes, Ien is truly a master of his craft. Don’t believe me? Check out his gallery. 

The post Weekly Discoveries 11.27.2014 – ODY-C, My Brother the Bear and Ien Levin appeared first on Blackwing.

Carl Anderson

I was familiar with Carl Anderson only as the writer of “Heavy”, a track off Andrew Combs’ debut album Worried Man. That a great writer like Andrew Combs would think highly enough of someone else’s work to cut their track on an album of otherwise original material indicates Carl’s talent. It wasn’t until I saw Carl and his band perform at Acme Feed & Seed Friday night in Nashville that I discovered his own music. I picked up an advanced copy of his upcoming album “Risk of Loss”, set for January release. Like Andrew, Carl writes and sings with wisdom beyond his 27 years.

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John

LAZY – High Density 60 CS (Great American Records)

Since playing with Lazy in Davis over Summer 2013, grabbing a promotional copy of the Obsession LP and becoming, well, obsessed with it, Lazy has been high up on my list of bands currently killing it. Lazy possesses the youthful ironical sting found in early records by The Fall, an undeniable male-female vocal chemistry reminiscent of X, and the tight musicianship of a group of seasoned musicians. All of it runs through a sci-fi filter, with samples and modulations abound. The brand-new High Density 60 cassette compiles the band’s singles, remixes, some live cuts and four-track demos recorded between 2012 and 2014.  “Soft Sheets” from the Volar Records single is worth the entire tape alone.

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Charles

Mary Kaye and Kristyn Harris

I’ve been on a bit of a Western music trend lately.  Here are two current award winning female Western music songwriters to look out for, Mary Kaye and Kristyn Harris. 

These were forwarded from one of my very best amigos Jay “Kelly” Veach.  Kelly writes many of his songs in the western style and it’s been a pleasure to watch his growing songwriting skills featuring  beautiful melodies and extremely poignant lyrics. He’s become a really nice storyteller with his music. I enjoy the chance to sit in on his songwriting group now and then so anything he recommends is certainly worth a listen.

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Alex

Silver Snakes

Last week, United Nations played at 924 Gilman Street in Berkeley with Silver Snakes as the opener (a show I didn’t get to attend, but that’s another story). Aside from the awesome Legend of the Hidden Temple reference, their name didn’t ring any bells, but I decided to give them a listen based on a recommendation from a friend who did make it out to see them.  I haven’t listened to a band signed to Bridge 9 Records in years, so I was a bit skeptical, but a few minutes in I was sold. Their sound is a mixture of post-hardcore and melodic punk, with a bit of sludginess thrown in for good measure. I’ve only listened to their most recent album, so I’m looking forward to going back through their discography to hear how their music has evolved.

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Mahlon

Mark Z. Danielewski’s House of Leaves

Written by Mark Z. Danielewski, House of Leaves, at the base level, is about a family who discovers that their home is a quarter inch bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. After returning from a vacation, the family discovers a room has appeared in their house that should extend well outside of the walls of the home, but doesn’t.  Written in a nontraditional way, some pages feature text crammed into a corner on the page while others only contain a few words. Some choice words are even inked in different colors. This is done to illicit particular feelings from readers such as loss of breath, claustrophobia, confusion and more. If you’re looking to read something a little different be sure to check it out!

The post Weekly Discoveries 11.14.2014 – Carl Anderson, LAZY, Mary Kaye, Silver Snakes and House of Leaves appeared first on Blackwing.

Ebbets Field Flannels

I, like all sane people, have a favorite hat. It’s a grey wool, six panel ball cap with a leather adjustable strap. Last week, my favorite hat decided it wanted to take a plunge into a mud puddle and, despite my insistence, it has refused to let go of its new brown tinge. When I went looking the manufacturer so I could order a replacement, I discovered Ebbets Field Flannels, and my bank account hasn’t forgiven me since. Ebbets Field Flannel is an apparel company based in Seattle that makes throwback ball caps, jerseys and more (they have a San Francisco Seals hat that I can’t wait to get my hands on). If you like high-quality, American-made apparel or have an appreciation for baseball history, you need to check them out.

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John

Blue Bubblegum Horchata

I spent part of my weekend at Stockton’s Open-Air Market.  The gigantic flea market features tons of storefronts, shops and a giant conglomerate of food vendors/shops right in the middle.  One vendor sells a wide variety of different-flavored horchata and fruit drinks.  The table featured giant tubs of chocolate, strawberry, lime, and coconut drunks but I was enticed by the blue bubblegum.  I bought a medium sized drink and fell in love.  I’ve been Googling the stuff ever since, but haven’t found it on the Internet.  Might be back for more this coming Sunday.

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Mahlon

Voodoo Doughnuts

Cash only. 24 hours. Doughnut shop. This is Voodoo in a nutshell. I had a chance to try this place out while I was in Portland a couple weeks ago and it was quite the experience. I went here at midnight and there was a line out the door and down the street, and I waited for an hour to take a crack at these doughnuts. For those not familiar, Voodoo offers your normal doughnut fare but what they’re famous for is their more eclectic doughnuts and their silly names. I picked up the ODB or (old dirty bastard) It was a chocolate doughnut with chocolate frosting, covered in a mountain of crumbled oreos, with peanut butter drizzled across the top.  Some of the other doughnuts they served were covered with cereal like captain crunch and fruit loops, and per their name, they offer a “voodoo doughnut” shaped like a voodoo doll with raspberry filling and white icing to detail the facial features.  If you’re ever in Portland be sure to give this place a try!

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Grant

Doug Seegers

I discovered Doug Seegers this week thanks to the Buddy and Jim Show on Sirius/XM radio. His story is almost as incredible as his voice. He was basically homeless, playing outside the bus depot in Nashville, when he was discovered. He recently released his debut album Going Down the River which features, among others, Emmylou Harris and Buddy Miller. If you like traditional country music, you’ll like Doug Seegers. If you don’t like traditional country music, you’ll still probably like Doug Seegers.

The post Weekly Discoveries 10.31.2014 – Ebbets Flannels, Horchata, Doug Seeger and Voodoo appeared first on Blackwing.

Higo No Kami Knife

I spent most of the past week in Portland attending Coffee Fest (and the Portland Retro Gaming Expo, but that’s another story). While there, I spent a good deal of time in the Pearl District, where I enjoyed some killer food (literally) and got to visit some of the shops that carry Blackwing pencils. One of those shops was Hand Eye Supply, an amazing tool/hardware/clothing store stocked with everything from hand-made axes and selvedge jeans, to aprons, hammers and hats. One tool that caught my eye was the Higo No Kami knife, a knife specifically designed for sharpening pencils. I couldn’t resist, so I picked one up and have been honing my pencil sharpening skills ever since.

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John

Woolen Men – Fear (Man Revisited) Tour Tape #4

Woolen Men are a sturdy DIY rock band straight out of the depths of Portland, Oregon.  There seemed to be a lot of hype surrounding Portland’s music scene a few years back, but that’s faded and true-blue rockers like Woolen Men endure.  They’re a three-piece band with each member contributing songwriting.  Delve into their discography to find years’ worth of home-recorded, home-dubbed cassettes, 7” splits and EPs, and an LP on Woodsist.  For each tour they release a tour tape – Fear might be the strongest one yet.  Five stellar songs that really capture the essence of a somber Portland fall.

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Grant

The Keen Garage (Portland, OR)

While in Portland last week, I stumbled into the flagship store and headquarters for Keen. They not only manufacture durable high quality clothing and footwear but their store design and vibe is worth the visit alone. You can take a break from shopping on one of these kegstools or in their lounge area (image 4507). But my favorite part, hands down (or heads up) was the Boot Chute.

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Mahlon

Ground Kontrol

Before going to Portland this weekend, several of my friends told me that I needed to check out Ground Kontrol. For those of you not familiar, Ground Kontrol is a BARcade, a bar that caters to gamers with 90+ arcade and pinball machines. We showed up around 10 PM and this place was already filled to capacity. After a 20 minute wait we were able to make our way inside. Once the excitement and wonder of all these active machines wore off, we decided to get to business.

We started with Sunset Riders, a four player shoot ‘em up with a cartoony wild west setting. We made it about ¾ of the way through before Chief Scalpem finally got our number. After the sun set on our riders, we moved on to TMNT: Turtles in Time. This is the one we had the most fun with. Some guy whose name I didn’t catch hopped into the game with us and helped us see it to the end. At one point near the end when we were getting light on quarters, he reached into his pocket and slammed a pile of quarters on the cabinet and said “We’ve come too far not to finish this!” I can’t even describe how cool the level of camaraderie felt in that moment. If you’re ever in Portland do yourself a favor and check out Ground Kontrol.

The post Weekly Discoveries 10.23.2014 – Ground Kontrol, Keen, Woolen Men and Higo No Kami appeared first on Blackwing.

Frank’s Noodle House

I’m a sucker for handmade stuff, and that includes food. Last night, I finished up the 12 hour drive from our headquarters in Stockton, California to Portland, Oregon, where we’ll be exhibiting at Coffee Fest later this week. Needless to say, when I rolled into town, I was starving. That’s when I discovered Frank’s Noodle House.

As the name suggests, Frank’s Noodle House serves noodles. Tons of them. And they’re all made by hand every day. I ordered the handmade noodles with tofu, served extra spicy (that’s three “x’s” on Frank’s hot meter), and it was delicious. If you’re ever in Portland, check it out.

Grant

Trigger Hippy

One part rock ‘n roll, one part rhythm ‘n blues, two parts The Black Crowes. I heard Trigger Hippy for the first time on Sirius’ Outlaw Country this morning. Their music is like a pretty girl you can’t get off of your mind. It’s been a while since I’ve heard such poetic soul, and I can’t wait to buy the record.

Mahlon

Kenner’s Recalled Alien Action Figure

This year the Alien franchise celebrates the 35^th anniversary of the original film’s release so, when I came across one of the film’s first merchandising ventures, the 18 inch tall Xenomorph figure produced by Kenner, I was floored.

Kenner struck gold after obtaining licensing rights to produce figures based on Star Wars.  Seeing Alien as “the next big Sci-Fi license,” Kenner acquired the rights to produce action figures based on the film. In 1979, they released their first figure to coincide with the film’s release.  Although the film was highly praised on its release, the figure wasn’t exactly a hit for parents. Parental outcry caused the figures to be recalled, but some of these figures can now be found selling for hundreds of dollars on eBay and in the homes of some lucky collectors.

John

Jorge Luis Borges’ Book of Imaginary Beings

I picked up Jorge Luis Borges’ Book of Imaginary Beings at Logos Books in Davis while visiting a friend.  It’s not quite a novel, not quite an anthology – it details 120 mythological beings and entities from various Eastern and Western cultures and religions. Borges did not mean for the reader to read the book from beginning to end – rather, he meant the reader to flip through its pages at random or by interest. My favorite entry is the one for Bahamut, an unfathomably large mythical fish that supports the earth. It can be quite rewarding to buy a book blindly.

The post Weekly Discoveries 10.16.2014 – Noodles, Trigger Hippy, Kenner, and Borges appeared first on Blackwing.

Whirr – Sway

I’ve neglected listening to Sway for the past few weeks, despite the near constant urging of my circle of friends. The album is currently sitting at 141 on Billboard’s Top 200 list and, for this genre, that’s an astounding achievement. Plus, their label Graveface records is “a small independent label with a focus on all things hand-made, hand-assembled & unique,” and they have a shop in Savannah, Georgia that sounds right up my alley. Good job Loren.

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John

Richard Hell – Time (Alternate Version)

My car’s CD player recently broke.  While in Portland this past August my friend gave me a couple of tapes for the road.  One of them was local record shop Mississippi Records’ Afraid of the Dark compilation, the 16^th volume of the label’s tape compilation series.  Each volume has a theme, and this one’s was old garage rock’n’roll from the 1960’s, 70’s and 80’s.  This song by Richard Hell and the Voidoids is on the B side.  Richard Hell arguably invented punk rock fashion, but his music was quite strange and eclectic for 1970’s rock music.

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Mahlon

Realistic Pokemon artist Arvalis (RJ Palmer)

On his DeviantArt profile, the first thing RJ Palmer (aka Arvalis) mentions is “I love dinosaurs.”  If you spend a couple moments browsing his works you’ll notice he also loves Pokemon.  RJ combines these two loves to create what he calls “realistic Pokemon”. RJ also has videos that take a look at how he creates his monstrosities and has even published a book featuring all of the “realistic Pokemon” he has created to date.

Blastoise

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Grant

Blake Mills – Heigh Ho

I was introduced to Blake Mills and his impressive resume (studio, touring and production credits with some of the biggest names in music by the tender age of 26), by Michael Witcher a few months ago. This week, I discovered Blake’s newest studio album, “Heigh Ho”. Not only did it live up to the hype, it deserves a lot more. You can’t pin a genre on it. Or maybe it’s more accurate to say that it fits many genres. His guitar work alone has catapulted him near the top of my  “top artists I haven’t seen live” list. Speaking of that, so when is Tom Waits hitting the road again?

The post Weekly Discoveries 10.09.2014 – Sway, Richard Hell, Realistic Pokemon and Heigh Ho appeared first on Blackwing.