ericshoemaker.com

SPRINKLE BRIGADE!

2008-10-10T16:17:00.001-05:00

If you need a good laugh, this is the place for you. Happy Friday!

OBAMA!

2008-10-08T09:47:00.001-05:00

3 reasons that Obama needs to become president:

Presidential debate Part 1
Presidential debate Part 2
Presidential debate Part 3

Make sure to vote!

"b-boy" — Ward Jenkins

2008-10-03T14:19:00.003-05:00

My buddy Ward is having an art show tonight. If you are in the Portland area, you need to check it out!

"b-boy is a tribute to the early boogie boys of the Bronx, the original poppin’ & lockin’ dancers who kept the parties live back in the day, back when hip-hop was in its golden, embryonic stage. Using various ‘lo-fi’ materials and surfaces, such as found cardboard, wood, and linoleum, Ward harks back to the essence of the early ingenuity and innovation of hip hop. During the 70’s and early 80’s, kids used a wide variety of surfaces to dance on and perform stylized acrobatic moves. Using what was available, they proved again and again that the brightest sources of creativity often come from the most humble of places. “b-boy”is a tribute to the beginnings of that movement, before the uninformed media brought it to near-fad status.

Ward is an animator and director currently living in Portland, Oregon with his wife and two kids. Originally from Atlanta, he has worked at several award-winning studios such as LAIKA/house and Primal Screen and over the past 12 years, has integrated his quirky style into many broadcast elements and commercials. Graduating with a BFA in Illustration at Georgia State University in 1995, Ward immediately sought work in the animation field. While doing research for a personal project in 2000, he caught the graffiti bug which forever changed his approach in creating his figures and characters. The experience of working larger and on different surfaces terrifically flavored his graphic work and profoundly changed his artistic identity.

In addition to being an animator, Ward is a designer, illustrator, graffiti writer and painter. He authors The Ward-O-Matic, a blog about “art, animation and anything aesthetically pleasing to the eye” and contributes to the highly successful illustration blog, Drawn! He is influenced to varying degrees by Jack Davis, Freddie Moore, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Robert Rauschenberg, Aurelius Battaglia, Alice & Martin Provensen, Jim Flora, Charley Harper, old school hip-hop, mid-century art & design, vintage children’s books and the vast multitude of uncredited illustrators found throughout the pages of vintage cookbooks and ephemera everywhere."

Old friends

2008-10-02T08:38:00.001-05:00

It's cool to see old friends doing good work. The five mile grace - a matthew miller photography joint.

1000 FPS

2008-09-25T18:59:00.000-05:00

People getting punched at 1000 FPS!

Wear a condom!

2008-09-23T15:42:00.000-05:00

This site is awesome.

Beautiful losers, my thoughts...

2008-09-19T10:08:00.003-05:00

I really enjoyed seeing Beautiful losers last night.

To sum it up.. "The greatest cultural accomplishments in history have never been the result of the brainstorms of marketing men, corporate focus groups, or any homogenized methods; they have always happened organically. More often than not, these manifestations have been the result of a few like-minded people coming together to create something new and original for no other purpose than a common love of doing it."

It also makes me really proud of everything I experienced growing up.

What did you think?

Beautiful Losers

2008-09-16T11:15:00.003-05:00

Some great clips from Beautiful Losers:

The Independents Show
The Price of Success

I am really excited to see this film!

Amazing Downhill Skateboarding

2008-09-11T16:38:00.001-05:00

This really makes me want to get a long board and find a good hill. Who is with me?

A Film by: Ari Marcopoulos
Director of Photography: Colin Blackshear
Producer: Neville Wakefield

erokCom and Twitter

2008-09-09T20:17:00.002-05:00

Someone asked me yesterday if I use Twitter.. Yes, I do...

Graphic Design and typography

2008-09-01T00:08:00.002-05:00

Thanks SwissLegacy for linking Typography Friday. Which reminds me; I need to come up with something for next week...

ZAZZLE + ARTSPROJEKT

2008-08-27T16:43:00.000-05:00

Awesome!

"Introducing… ARTSPROJEKT! We have just signed a partnership to power ARTSPROJEKT, an interactive and culturally-relevant community of artists, celebrities, action sports icons, and micro brands.

ARTSPROJEKT was founded by artist and former pro-skateboarder, Andy Howell, and is a collection of established and emerging artists and brands - providing an innovative way for artists to connect, collaborate, and share ideas as well create products and sell original art. Zazzle's retail-quality, speedy turnaround, and breadth of products - including the newly launched Skateboards Platform - makes it a perfect fit to power ARTSPROJEKT.

We encourage you to check out this exciting new partnership by visiting ARTSPROJEKT and experiencing the latest in Zazzle technology, now combined with some of the most cutting-edge content on the planet…"

Avenue A + WPP

2008-08-25T17:24:00.001-05:00

"Almost six months after the companies started talking, WPP and Microsoft have reopened talks that could have the software company unloading Avenue A/Razorfish. But the question is whether Microsoft could ever get anyone to buy the digital ad agency for the price at which it needs to sell it."

Read on.....

Leroi Moore, RIP..

2008-08-25T17:09:00.001-05:00

Dave Matthews tells an emotional story about his friend and band mate - Leroi Moore - on the night of his passing at the band's concert in Los Angeles (Staples Center) on 8/19/08.

Old videos

2008-08-19T13:48:00.003-05:00

This was my fav skate video back in the day.

And a few more:

The Bones Brigade video show
Powell-Peralta Future Primitive
The Search For Animal Chin
Useless Wooden Toys

I love how you can find just about anything on YouTube.

Avenue A | Razorfish Poised for Sale

2008-08-15T08:41:00.003-05:00

"Avenue A|Razorfish could be up for sale by Microsoft, a spy tells us, possibly to WPP. From the beginning of the relationship, AA|RF has been an odd fit for Microsoft, and based on a few strong indicators, we surmise a sell off before too long."

Read more..

Big Spaceship's co-founder/CEO looks beyond the digital divide.

2008-08-14T09:17:00.002-05:00

A very good read from Big Spaceship.

"The reaction I got from last month's Ad Age interview on HBO 'Voyeur' [ed. note: in which Lebowitz criticized BBDO and the awards process for failure to give full credit to Spaceship's work] was passionate and profound. It set off opinions from all sides that were, in aggregate, the beginnings of an important dialogue about the changing nature of creativity and collaboration in communications. BBDO came up with a great idea for a film, no question. And we transformed that into its digital manifestation—arguably the centerpiece of the campaign. I don't want to take away from what the agency did or from the project itself. This issue is about much more than filling up trophy shelves. The fervent response to my statements is proof that we are at a turning point. How interactive fits into the larger communications landscape is something people clearly need to talk about."

Check it out.

Put On a Happy Face

2008-08-12T20:16:00.000-05:00

"It seems you can't turn on your television, listen to the radio, or read the newspaper these days without hearing some new story about another bank collapse or whole neighborhoods getting decimated by foreclosures."

Read on..

Avenue A/Razorfish Socializes Banners

2008-08-07T16:52:00.002-05:00

"The three-month test with an undisclosed roster of clients is part of a partnership between the Microsoft-owned Web agency and Pluck, a social-software services provider to sites like WashingtonPost.com, USAToday.com and CircuitCity.com. Display ads for a product such as a camera, for example, will include customer reviews and ratings. Users can submit their own feedback directly in the ad unit. Another implementation would allow advertisers to solicit user-generated content that can be uploaded directly into the banner."
Interesting.

Fixed-gear bicycles

2008-08-05T16:12:00.001-05:00

"Fixed-gear bicycles, without gears or brakes were created for the controlled environment of a velodrome. This could not be more different from hilly San Francisco or car ridden New York, but their appeal as being both stripped down and minimalist as well as requiring considerable risk and commitment to learn to ride has made them fashionable in hip neighborhoods of large cities, such as New York’s Williamsburg."

Oil and greed

2008-08-01T11:14:00.002-05:00

I was listening to NPR this morning. The conversation was heavily weighted around the current cost of fuel in the USA. (Not that it’s new news) Anyway, they said that the Ford motor company is losing millions of dollars. They are even selling off the Hummer brand.

I think what shocked me the most was, they talked about how they were starting to do new research to design more fuel efficient/ hybrid cars. Now, why is it that it takes something like loosing millions of dollars, and the core temp of the earth rising to spark a change in today’s society? Why is everything driven by money and greed?

You would think they would be trying to come up with new ideas to be more efficient 15 years ago. But no. I suppose as long as the price of oil is low, and car companies make millions who cares about what it does to the earth. What do you think?

André 3000

2008-07-31T09:38:00.001-05:00

"At least according to one waiter in the ATL who served the OutKaster and got no tip for his efforts. Atlanta waiter Matt Moore claims he bent over backwards to cater to the rapper who came into the restaurant where Moore works."

I believe this guy was a Creative Circus student.

REALLY funny!

Nixon Roadie Watch

2008-07-29T16:55:00.000-05:00

Does anyone know where I can get a Nixon Roadie Watch - All Black? If so, please email me.

Poke New York Live

2008-07-23T19:43:00.001-05:00

A short video shot at Poke New York featuring our live web cam. Fun stuff.

Skateboarding

2008-07-23T14:10:00.000-05:00

For anyone who grew up skateboarding in the 80's, this is for you.