Throw Me the Whip!

Here's a 'piggy bank' I picked up for my fiancée...

[click thumbnail to enlarge]

Speed

[click thumbnail to enlarge]


I purchased this today. 6 DVD set=52 episodes.
Beautiful.



Oh, it's for...uh...my son...of course!

Time bombs

Some preorders came in.

One, a birthday gift from Rowan, arrived today:



...and the other, preordered last year, as soon as I found it about it:



Too bad I don't have much time in a typical day to read. I have 3 open books as it is, and my mouth is watering over the bio of The Broof.

Yes, I said The Broof.

--

And what I believe is the final, forgotten pre-order time bomb:



Love it all.

Birthday presents!

The foreshown Casio Exilim camera counts as a(n awesome) partial birthday present.

Also, from family, I got 2 more gems...

I knew this one was coming, and it's a friggin' doozie!



A legitimate copy of the entire Adobe Creative Suite 4, which includes (holy sh*t):
InDesign CS4
Photoshop CS4 Extended
Illustrator CS4
Acrobat 9 Pro
Flash CS4 Professional
Dreamweaver CS4
Fireworks CS4
Contribute CS4
After Effects CS4
Adobe Premiere Pro CS4
Soundbooth CS4
Adobe OnLocation CS4
Encore CS4
Adobe Bridge CS4
Adobe Device Central CS4
Dynamic Link
Version Cue CS4

!!!!!

But this one was a surprise...


It's really amazing to watch; breathtaking, beautiful and bizarre. Lovely with either with it's own classically British narration, or with the sound muted, replaced by instrumental progressive rock.

I found right away that Spirit Animal, the latest release by Pittsburgh/N.Y. duo Zombi, sounds like it was made for the visuals, and vice versa. Haha!

New toy

...from my fiancée...


This little thing is perfect for my needs.

Frost* - Experiments in Mass Appeal (Special Ed. CD/DVD)

Frost*
Experiments In Mass Appeal (Special Ed. CD/DVD)


This was intended to be a Christmas present, but arrived too late. It could have been saved for my birthday next month, but it was presented to me on my son's birthday last weekend. (Thanks, Mom)

The accompanying DVD is thoroughly entertaining from beginning to end. So far, I think I like it better than the CD itself.

The interaction between the band members, crew, etc. is hilarious and very British.

Jem's enthusiasm and eccentricity is astonishing. It's inspiring to watch him work in his home studio, dubbed The Cube. For I, as someone who struggles in precious, few, stolen hours to crawl his way about the keyboard and midi/recording software on a barely-adequate system, it takes some effort to be inspired rather than discouraged by watching someone who seems to have the life, career and talent I would desire for myself.

Addendum:
Oh, and the packaging...smashing!
Very tasteful graphic design; great, simple, well executed concepts.
Definitely the most impressive packaging of all the discs I bought/received in 2008 (including: Xmas 2008 gifts, CalProg 2008 purchases, NEARfest 2008 purchases

5h0p t1L u dr0p!

I've updated some aspects of my shop.

I've reduced the posters to clickable thumbails, and added my music CDR Menthol Ziggurat.

The t-shirts still haven't made it up yet, but they will eventually.

Regarding the once-great/now-defunct band BlowUpBlow's releases and merchandise, for the record:
If anyone were to ever order any of those items, profits would be split evenly between the former band members.

My 2008 CD: Menthol Ziggurat available

My 2008 CD: Menthol Ziggurat available

I sealed off my first batch of solo music in a 16 song CD entitled Menthol Ziggurat.

Here is the pixel art cover I made for it...



Here is the track listing:
1) Rowan's Run (intro theme)
2) The Heart Motorik
3) Menthol Ziggurat
4) Relative Happiness
5) Ten Speed
6) Hick Tickler
7) Distance 1
8) Distance 2
9) Neighborhood Watch
10) Royalty in Exile
11) Deroon, Chapter 5
12) The Decree of Ponzoos, Part I
13) The Decree of Ponzoos, Part II
14) Flashlight
15) Wright of Passage (R.W.-R.I.P.)
16) (work in progress)

It is a home-burned CD-R.

I will mail you a copy for $5.
PayPal to bobkurthy at hotmail dot com

Happy New Year!

---

Yesterday, on the last day of my "vacation" from work, I began working on new stuff...

Non-Amazon wishlist (updated 11-02-09)

I keep an amazon.com wishlist, but some things aren't on there.
Not sure where to put 'em, except here.
For my own personal reference (this list will be updated from time to time)

(Oh, and it's music):

Francis Dunnery - There's a Whole New World Out There Double CD
Available from Francis' website.

Majeure - Timespan Double LP

TRR145 on Temporary Residence Limited.

05Ric & Gavin Harrison - Circles CD
Available via Burning Shed.

05Ric & Gavin Harrison - Drop CD
Available via Burning Shed.

Transit Express - Priglactic CD
2001 reissue of a 1975 French release. The only place I can find to order it, so far, is a UK site: 121music.

I.S.S. (Ideal Social Situation) - Forget About the Girl CD
Available via Lobefood.

UKZ - Radiation EP CD
Order via The Globe Online Store

Black Bonzo - Guillotine Drama CD
Available from The Laser's Edge.

3rd World Electric - (self-titled) CD
Available from Reingold Records.Brother Ape - Turbulence CD
(I'm looking for a US distributer...)
[settled for downloading mp3 album, 'cos band said it was the best way to support them]

Beardfish - Destined Solitaire CD (Digipak)
SKU 710012 Order now from The Laser's Edge.
(bought at CalProg)

Indukti - Idmen CD
US release date 8-11-09 from Inside Out. Pre-order HERE.
(bought at CalProg)

Wobbler - Afterglow CD
Order from The Laser's Edge or Wayside Music.
(bought at CalProg)

Egg - The Polite Force CD
Available domestically from Wayside Music.
(bought at CalProg)

Von Hertzen Brothers - Love Remains the Same CD
I can't find a U.S. distributer, but you can order it at Record Shop X. [Thanks, Me!]

Pure Reason Revolution - Amor Vincit Omnia Limited Edition CD/DVD
To be released March 9, 2009 on Superball Music. Order it from The Laser's Edge.
[thanks Katina!]

Satellite - Nostalgia CD (Digipak w/ 2 bonus tracks)
U.S. release date: March 10, 2009, on Metal MInd Productions.
Order it online at MVD. Catalog #: MMP CD 0659 DG
(Thanks, Rowan! Can't wait 'til it arrives!)

Diagonal - Diagonal CD
Available at Rise Above Records.

Maserati / Zombi - Split LP
Available through Temporary Residence Records. Catalog number: TRR143
[couldn't resist buying myself]

Steven Wilson - Insurgentes CD/DVDA
A good deal on pre-order at burning shed.
[Thank you Katina!]

IQ - Frequency (Special Edition CD+DVD)
Order from the band's official store.

Agents of Mercy - The Fading Ghosts Of Twilight CD
Order from Brian Dorbuck: Send $27 (that includes shipping) via PayPal to:
nanoook@charter.net

King Crimson - Red (KCSP 7 CD/DVD-A)
This is the new remastered CD with bonus tracks, plus DVD-Audio of 5.1 Surround mixes by Steven Wilson and videos.
September 21st release. Details here. Pre-order from Burning Shed.
[ I preordered this one ]

King Crimson - In the Court of the Crimson King (KCCBX 1 4CD/DVD-A Boxed set – Limited edition.)
This is the new remastered CD with bonus tracks, plus DVD-Audio of 5.1 Surround mixes by Steven Wilson and videos.
October 12th release. Details here.
[I preordered the CD/DVD-A edition. Passed on deluxe ed., trying to be practical.]

King Crimson - Lizard (KCSP3 CD/DVD-A edition)
This is the new remastered CD with bonus tracks, plus DVD-Audio of 5.1 Surround mixes by Steven Wilson and videos.
October 26th release. Details here.
[I preordered this too.]

Christmas card 2008

Not among the all time greatest Xmas cards I've done, but it worked...

[ wave mouse over image ]

Loot: the discs

Joke gift from Uncle Mike

My brother couldn't resist pulling over and buying one of these absurd, stuffed...things? for his nephew/my son.
There are hundreds in the various series, but he chose...Nikky D.


[ click thumbnail to enlarge ]



(L-R front, back)

Unfortunately, Nikky D is temporarily banished, since it doesn't stand upright as in the above photo. It lays on it side and has become a speed bump, tripping up my baby boy. =trip-bump-waaaaah!=

Big image of Alex's Bar shirt, True Blood, Fangtasia, HBO

I've mentioned and posted photos of this shirt design I did years ago for Alex's Bar.

I'm bringing it up again because:
a) Alex's Bar has been appearing on TV lately. Scenes from the new HBO vampire series True Blood were filmed there. If you watch the show, then you'll know the vampire bar called Fangtasia. The Fangtasia scenes, with the red walls and curtains, velvet paintings, etc.; those were filmed at Alex's Bar. Pretty Cool.
b) A decent sized image of the shirt design has never been shown online.

...and so, here is the front...(click thumbnail to enlarge)



...and here is the design on the sleeves...(click thumbnail to enlarge)



Sorry, I don't have an image of the back of the shirt on hand at the moment, but it says the name of the bar in a nice-campy-60's-Mexican-horror-movie-kinda-typestyle

Again, these shirts are only available at the bar itself:
Alex's Bar
2913 E. Anaheim St.
Long Beach, CA 90804
(NE corner of Anaheim & Gladys, next to the Auto Zone, entrance in the back)
562-434-8292

BK shop is now online

As of today, the shop page is up and running.

I still have a few minor things to add/subtract/improve, but it's there for anyone wishes to purchase any of my wares.

:-)

Art show/Rock show Tonight in Long Beach

I will have posters hanging/for sale & my other band is playing at this...

Art show / rock show tonight!



Friday, Sept. 5th
at Nino's Italian Restaurant
3853 Atlantic Ave
Long Beach, CA 90807
(562) 427-1003

6-8pm:
Art Reception
Original ink drawings for flyers by Paul Sharar, artwork by Tom Vadakan, poster prints by Bob Kurthy, and more (I'm not sure who/what else will be up).
(allegedly free appetizers floating around)

Bands:
8:30-9:30pm - The Fifth Story Tenants (playing their final show...for awhile at least)

9:45-10:30pm - The Bolides

10:45-11:30pm - Not From The Jam (band playing cover songs of The Jam)

[ Special thanks to Julie Nishikawa for framing & hanging Paul & Bob's artwork ]

BK Shop under reconstruction

My online shop is being reconstructed and relocated.
I should have it up before the end of Sept. '08.

The "shop" was formerly the merchandise page for my band BlowUpBlow.
We disbanded in Summer '08, and I have since leveled the website, leaving the BlowUpBlow MySpace page as the only official website for the band.

Since I did the artwork for all the BlowUpBlow releases, T-shirts, flyers, etc., along with some other items involving other band members (such as the Potato Mummy comic I did with guitarist Eric Dunn) made available on the BUB merch page, I linked it to the 'shop' button on bobkurthy.com.

In the meantime, posters can still be ordered through the portfolio section.

Fidotrust Compilation CD

Fidotrust Records has released a beautiful compilation CD package entitled Trust Us; A Long Beach Comp. The disc features currently active, unsigned (or independent) bands based in Long Beach, CA, and the accompanying booklet contains a page of artwork submitted by each band. The quality of bands/songs and packaging is much higher than that of the comps annually thrown together by OC Weekly & Scratch Magazine, etc. Well, that's the word on the street, and I agree with it.

This is the artwork I did for BlowUpBlow's song Sunshine on the Front Line, Part 1, which has the fortune of being the disc's opening track...



The artwork submission guidelines included your typical CD insert template; hence my square design. But as I discovered when I recieved my copy of the finished product, the layout plan had changed; each band/song was given a 2 page spread, with the artwork inset, with no bleed and typed credit info on the opposing page. Bands who defied the template rules horizontally benefited from being able to have their artwork span the spread.

I treated the project as I would the cover of a single. This is the first BlowUpBlow design to combine the running themes represented in the record/cd covers (which can be seen and purchased here) and those of the flyers/posters (many of which are in the portfolio on bobkurthy.com)

Here is the cover of the comp (designed by Jason C. Walker at USDA Select)


and here is where to purchase it online.

Posters available - Cheaper!

The 3 posters that were previously only available through the AoMM4 art show & website are now available to order from bobkurthy.com for cheaper prices!

You will find 'buy now' buttons on the posters in the 'portfolio' section of bobkurthy.com.

Soon there will also be links to order them throught the 'shop' page...

Alex's Bar shirts back in print!

I designed a shirt for Alex's Bar a few years back. They've been sold out for awhile, but I've just been informed that a new batch has been printed.

At this time, you can only buy one at the bar itself. Call for size availability.

Alex's Bar
2913 E. Anaheim St.
(Next to the Auto Zone - entrance in the back)
Long Beach, CA 90804
562-434-8292

If you want to order one, you'll have to email them, hit 'em up on MySpace, or pick up the phone and call.

I'll post an image soon, but in the meantime:

I stumbled across this recent picture* of some of the employees & friends all sporting the shirt...



*Taken 1-6-2008 in Echo Park

Kurth' birth

Rowan Dean Kurthy
19"
8 lbs.