Ludicra will be playing the 3-day Alternative Tentacles 30th Anniversary Fest on November 6th at the Great American Music Hall. Come on out and celebrate this momentous event with us and Jello Biafra and The Guantanamo School of Medicine. Details below:

"Today I'm just reading about John McCain's Orwellian named "Internet Freedom Act". As my Senator, I know you will fight this legislation. It would allow a corporate takeover of the Internet, an invention that was given free to the people for the benefit of humankind by self-sacrificing scientists. We cannot allow McCain's bill to hand over a retro-active patent to Internet service providers who already benefit so well financially from something that (for now) belongs to the people. Thank you for defending the correct actions of the FCC and for protecting net neutrality." Copy and send, people.

I answered a few questions on behalf of Ludicra for Alternative Tentacles regarding their 30th anniversary. Check it out:

Heya

I'm heading out in January / February to play bass for Wolves in the Throne Room again. We have a couple of North West shows and then it's off to Europe for a tour. Finally, we end with a fest back in the states. Hope to see as many of my friends as possible!

Here's a list of the shows by country or autonomous region:

Bundesrepublik Deutschland
Jan. 23 Rostock - Jaz
Jan. 25 Berlin - Cassiopeia
Feb. 15 Nürnberg - Kunstverein
Feb. 18 Dresden - Beatpol
Feb. 21 Bitterfeld - Festung

Česká republika
Feb. 16 Praha - Klub 007

Euskadi
Feb. 5 Bilbao - El Balcon De La Lola

Kongiriget Danmark
Jan. 24 København - Loppen

Koninkrijk België
Jan. 27 Brussel - Dna
Feb. 19 Antwerpen - Scheldapen

Koninkrijk der Nederlanden
Jan. 22 Groningen - Vera
Feb. 20 's-Hertogenbosch - W2

Principáu d'Asturies
Feb. 6 Oviedo - Sala Whippoorwill

Reino de España
Feb. 8 Madrid - Ritmo y Compas
Feb. 9 Barcelona - Be Good Club

Repubblica Italiana
Feb. 11 Milano - Magnolia
Feb. 12 Roma - Circolo Degli Artisti
Feb. 13 Livorno - Cage Club

República Portuguesa
Feb. 7 Porto - Porto-rio

Republik Österreich
Feb. 17 Wien - Arena

République française
Feb. 3 Paris - Boule Noir
Feb. 4 Ville de Bordeaux - Heretic Club

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland
Jan. 28 London - The Underworld
Jan. 29 Bristol - The Croft
Jan. 30 Brum - Barfly
Feb. 1 Manchester - Star and Garter
Feb. 2 Brighton - The Engine Room

The United States of America
Jan. 16 Seattle, WA - Underground Events Center
Jan. 17 Olympia, WA - The Big Room
Feb. 28 Atlanta, GA - Masquerade

The grind band C.U.N.T., ever-so pleasantly named, contacted me a couple months ago about doing a shirt design for them. I finally got around to doing it, just in time so they could print it up for their trip to Mexico. Herein lies the process and the results.

The band hails from Wilmington, a town heavily beset by oil refineries. Their concept was to have two landmarks of their home town, the ConocoPhillips "jack-o-lantern" storage tank and the town's "welcome" sign, prominently featured with an oil refinery. Their logo was to be coming out of the smokestacks. A cheery picture of life at home, indeed.

The pictures they supplied me for reference included the following:









That jack-o-lantern is freaking retarded looking. Apparently, they actually pass out candy at the oil refinery. The candy is probably more nutritious for the kids than the local water supply.

I definitely didn't want to depict a scene of blissful Halloween happiness, nor did I want to make a technical drawing for a band called C.U.N.T. I opted instead to work on something a bit more sinister looking, with forced perspectives distorting reality and dirty looking buildings to contrast the idea of being welcomed into this desolate burg.

Yep. Fucking deep.

I loosely sketched the overall design on a piece of 14"x17" bristol board. Why this size? Because it generally fits on a copier at Kinko's for reduction. More on my ghetto - budget method of scanning in drawings later...let's draw some happy little pumpkins!



My rotted drawing desk, scattered with reference material instead of the usual bills. The drawing had to be designed very horizontally, as C.U.N.T.'s logo is BIG and I wanted to actually re-draw it as part of the original piece. I next went to work filling in detail.



I started with the pumpkin, because really that piece of corporate bullshit was the centerpiece of this drawing. I took a few liberties with it, making it a bit angrier and more evil. I tried a few sketches where I'd really gone buck wild with a horrific version of the orange oil-storing gourd, but I felt it didn't resemble the actual landmark enough. I had to restrain it a touch.



More detailing...



I tend to actually draw the shading as if it's ink from a paintbrush. I think it helps me later on when I actually pull out the india ink to already have an idea of where I'm going to slather on the darkness. Or maybe I'm incompetent with a brush.



The pencils on the oil refinery are done. Basically, I just kept adding crap and dials and pipes and holes. I was channeling Geoff Darrow, or trying to... as he's infinitely more talented and skilled. The challenge was to put dingy details in a design that could be printed nicely on a tee shirt.



Because there were a lot of mechanical items in the drawing, and not just crazy zombies or guts, I started the inks with a pen. That's something I usually avoid in lieu of attacking it directly with a brush.



I went at it with a .3 pen, but I still tried to avoid using a ruler. The lines needed to curve with the forced perspective and keep a bit of organic, dirty quality. The last thing I wanted to do (or really, could do) was make this a clean, architectural blueprint.



See those transformers? I did a google image search looking for power transformers, and I ended up browsing through blogs about how rad the Takara Masterpiece Megatron toy was. I am easily distracted, it seems.

Eventually I came in with the brush and started laying down swaths of black, thickening lines, hatching, and giving varying weight to the lines to make 'em really pop. I also added some stippling here and there, as it tends to make things look even dirtier.



I really should've double checked the focus on my camera... ce la vie.

I could have skimped on the ink, especially around the edges of solid objects. Theoretically, that can be done in Photoshop. Instead, I prefer to know exactly what the completed piece is going to look like printed on black. Well, that's assuming a metal band is going to be printing on a black shirt. I feel that's a pretty fucking safe assumption to make.



The piece is done. At this point, I headed over to Kinko's. I reduce the drawing down there on the black and white copiers. This avoids Kinko's charging me a god damned arm and a leg to use their oversize scanners. There is nothing printed and the employees do none of the work save for ringing me up. Even the ringing up can take ages at a Kinko's, and it ends up being more than 20 clams. Rip off. Instead, I take home the perfectly printed and reduced drawing to my normal size scanner at home.

And then a family friendly band like C.U.N.T. can gladly peddle their wares at the local elementary school for the kiddies. Better them than ConocoPhillips.

Amongst many finer artists like Dan Seagrave and Miran Kim, I'm going to be included (and maybe slightly embarrassed given the calibre of talent on display) in an upcoming art show in Los Angeles. It's being put on by Kevin Fetus of Watch Me Burn / Fetus Eaters. I've sent down four black and white ink pieces I've done in the last year for some bands, as this is a patently rock 'n' roll art show.

I don't know how long it will be open for, but there is an opening night party on December 13 at Art and Mayhem Gallery, located at 3416 Glendale Blvd. in Los Angeles. I won't be able to be there, but if you're in the area you should definitely check out some of the excellent art that will be on display. Also, Lack of Interest is going to be playing live. PUNK!

Flyer below:

To all our future brothers and sisters in the North American Union --

Be warned! Impaled will be crossing the border into Canada in November! In our first visit to the Great Blighted North, the leaders in G.O.R.E. Metal promise to bring nothing short of complete terror and destruction to your provinces. We may even bring a missile defense shield!

Joined by our Canadian comrades in Fuck the Facts and Putrescence, Impaled will journey for the first, historic time in your land. Don't miss out on any of these terrifying dates!

Join Impaled, join the G.O.R.E. Corps for the Great Blighted North Tour 2008!

Nov. 5
Royal Albert Arms
48 Albert Street
Winnipeg, MB R3B1E7

Nov. 6
The Distrikt
1326 Hamilton Ave.
Regina, SK S4R2B5

Nov. 7
Walkers Night Club
255 3rd Ave South
Saskatoon, SK S7K1M6

Nov. 8
Mead Hall
10940 - 166 A St NW
Edmonton, AB T5P 3V5

Nov. 9
The Underground
731 10 Avenue SW
Calgary, AB T2R0B3

Nov. 10
The Cobalt
17 Main Street
Vancouver, BC V6A2V8

Nov. 11
Victoria Events Centre
1415 Broad Street
Victoria, BC V8W2B2

I'm going out on tour again, to visit these Blighted States of America.

Ludicra is playing three shows up in our second home, the Pacific Northwest. At the same time I'm filling in on bass for Tiger Beat's favorite black metal band, Wolves in the Throne Room, on their U.S. tour with Nachtmystium.

If you're up in PDX, Eugene, or Ashland, come see both! If you're in one of these other fine cities Wolves in the Throne Room and I are also playing, come see us!

Also to note, at the end of the Wolves' tour, I'm heading back post haste for Ludicra's very special 10th anniversary show, playing alongside our good friends in Asunder and Japanese doom legends Corrupted. This'll be Halloween night at Slim's in San Francisco.

I know, it gets terribly confusing. How about just a frickin' list of the shows I'm playing?

Oct 6 2008
The Vera Project
Seattle, Washington
Wolves in the Throne Room + Fauna

Oct 8 2008
The Knitting Factory
Los Angeles, California
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 9 2008
The Oak Street Speakeasy
Eugene, Oregon
Ludicra + Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium + Lucika

Oct 10 2008
Berbati's Pan
Portland, Oregon
Ludicra + Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 11 2008
Stillwater
Ashland, Oregon
Ludicra + Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 12 2008
Metro
Oakland, California
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium + Saros + Embers

Oct 13 2008
The Casbah
San Diego, California
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 14 2008
The Phix
Phoenix, Arizona
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 15 2008
Warehouse 21
Santa Fe, New Mexico
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 17 2008
Red 7
Austin, Texas
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 18 2008
Rubber Gloves
Denton, Texas
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 19 2008
The Marquee
Tulsa, Oklahoma
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 20 2008
Riot Room
Kansas City, Missouri
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 21 2008
Picador
Iowa city, Iowa
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 22 2008
The Melody Inn
Indianapolis, Indiana
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 23 2008
Uncle Pleasants
Louisville, Kentucky
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 24 2008
Mac's Bar
Lansing, Michigan
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 25 2008
Reggie's
Chicago, Illinois
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 26 2008
Box Awesome
Lincoln, Nebraska
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 27 2008
3 Kings
Denver, Colorado
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 28 2008
Burt's Tiki Lounge
Salt Lake City, Utah
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 29 2008
Gusto
Boise, Idaho
Wolves in the Throne Room + Nachtmystium

Oct 31 2008
Slim's
San Francisco, California
Ludicra + Asunder + Corrupted

Howdy...

I'm heading out with Impaled for a month, and the also filling in on bass for Phobia after we leave California... come out to these shows! Repost these dates everywhere!

And give us a place to stay afterwards.

Oakland is up first... hope to see a bunch of friends! Cheers

WAR ON EVERYTHING TOUR 2008
Impaled
Phobia
Malignancy (select dates)
Kill the Client (select dates)
Illogicist
Maruta

August, 22 2008 08:00 PM - The Metro
630 3rd St, Oakland, California 94607

August, 23 2008 08:00 PM - The Jumping Turtle
1660 Capalina Rd, San Marcos, California 92069

August, 24 2008 08:00 PM - The Knitting Factory
7021 Hollywood Blvd., Los Angeles, California 90028

August, 25 2008 08:00 PM - The Phix
1113 NW Grand Ave., Phoenix, Arizona 85007

August, 26 2008 08:00 PM - Gator's
1835 E Main St, Farmington, New Mexico 87401

August, 27 2008 08:00 PM - Chic's Billiards
9809 Montana Ave, El Paso, Texas 79925

August, 28 2008 08:00 PM - Rockstar Bar
7120 South Freeway, Fort Worth, Texas 76134

August, 29 2008 08:00 PM - Rock Bottom
1033 Avenue B, San Antonio, Texas 78215

August, 30 2008 08:00 PM - Red 7
611 E 7th St, Austin, Texas 78701

August, 31 2008 08:00 PM - Hi Lo Lounge
2239 St Claude Ave, New Orleans, Louisiana

September, 1 2008 08:00 PM - 1982
919 W University Ave, Gainesville, Florida 32601

September, 2 2008 08:00 PM - Churchill's Pub
5501 NE 2nd Ave, Miami, Florida 33137

September, 3 2008 08:00 PM - The Brass Mug
1441 Fletcher Ave, Tampa, Florida 33612

September, 4 2008 08:00 PM - The Haven
6700 Aloma Ave, Winter Park, Florida

September, 5 2008 08:00 PM - The Masquerade
695 North Avenue NE, Atlanta, Georgia

September, 6 2008 08:00 PM - Sonar
407 E. Saratoga St., Baltimore, Maryland 21202

September, 7 2008 08:00 PM - The Sterling Hotel
343 W Hamilton St, Allentown, Pennsylvania 18101

September, 8 2008 08:00 PM - The Knitting Factory
74 Leonard St, New York, New York 10013

September, 9 2008 08:00 PM - The Middle East
472 Massachusetts Ave., Cambridge, 02139

September, 10 2008 08:00 PM - Penny Arcade
4785 Lake Ave, Rochester, New York 14612

September, 11 2008 08:00 PM - The Jigsaw
5324 State Road, Parma, Ohio 44134

September, 12 2008 08:00 PM - Mac's Bar
2700 E Michigan Ave, Lansing, Michigan 48912

September, 13 2008 08:00 PM - Reggie's Rock Club
2105 S State St, Chicago, Illinois 60616

September, 14 2008 08:00 PM - Vaudeville Mews
212 4th St, Des Moines, Iowa 50309

September, 15 2008 08:00 PM - The Jackpot
943 S Massachusetts St, Lawrence, Kansas 66044

September, 16 2008 08:00 PM - The Blastomat
2935 W. 7th Ave., Denver, Colorado 80204

September, 17 2008 08:00 PM - Why Sound
30 Federal Ave., Logan, Utah 84321

September, 18 2008 08:00 PM - Studio Seven
110 S Horton St, Seattle, Washington 98134

September, 19 2008 08:00 PM - Satyricon
125 NW 6th Ave, Portland, Oregon 97209

September, 20 2008 08:00 PM - Thee Parkside
1600 17th St, San Francisco, California 94107