How Many Stars?

17 August 2010

While working in the studio a few days ago I asked my friends Fyn (8) and Felix (6) to paint a US flag from memory.
Their process was both intriguing and comic. Smart kids.

Welcome Cameo!

4 August 2010

I’ll keep this short. This video speaks for itself…

Introducing Cameo Wilson, representing Stacks and DVS in Vancouver BC.

Bang!

Welcome Sebo!

29 July 2010

Let’s Go Skating NYC

26 July 2010

This Wednesday and Thursday, the Maysles Institute in Harlem will be screening skate films that are all about NYC.  Wednesday night they will be screening “Deathbowl to Downtown: The Evolution of Skateboarding New York City” in honor of Andy Kessler. Followed by a screening on Thursday night of “Legends Never Die,” in honor of Harold Hunter, “15 Years of NYC Skateboarding,” by R.B. Umali, “In the Streets,” by Steve Marino, and “55 Nights on Your Couch,” by 5boro.

Don’t forget to show up early on Thursday.. 6pm to skate at Lenox Ledges (110th and Lenox) before scooting your way up to the theater. Screenings start at 8pm, with a reception afterwards.

Stacks is proud to be a contributor thanks to the work of our friend Joy Yoon.  Laura Coxson at the Maysles Institute was kind enough to send over some pics of Albert Maysles, the father of direct cinema in America, holding up the some of the decks that will be raffled off.

See you there!

Go Faster

22 July 2010

Stacks Quickstrike 2 preview…

Graphics inspired by a Summer watching motorsports in the studio.
We’ll also be releasing our first cruiser, The MidKnight.
Many thanks to Paul Hutchison for working with me on the graphics
and the super brains at Outside Council for making our website go…go…go.
This and more arriving in a couple weeks at Stacks. We’re just getting warmed up.

Sneaky Rascals

16 June 2010

I’ve been wondering what the story was behind this.  Did some digging this morning…

Imagine yourself as a major sponsor of the biggest and most successful Formula One racing team. Your identity and brand is intertwined with the race team and to some extent Formula One itself. You are in negotiations to financially sponsor this race team for the next five years and are willing to pay about $1 billion to do so. Unfortunately for you, the European Union is set to pass a ban on cigarette advertising and your company manufactures and globally markets cigarettes.

Obviously, Formula One qualifies as a cross-border cultural and sporting event, but you go forward with your sponsorship anyway. And you state that the race team’s Ferraris would simply not carry your brand’s logo where there was this ban in place.

This is exactly what has been happening with Marlboro. They’ve spent a ton of money to sponsor Ferrari’s Formula One team without being able to brand the cars under this sponsorship. Basically, the Ferrari’s appear to have no major sponsorship when raced in the EU. End of story? Not exactly.

The livery (paint job) features a predominately red car with a number of associate sponsor logos; Shell Gasoline, Ferrari itself, Bridgestone and a few others. The most striking aspect of this design and the subject of this article is a red, black and white barcode-like design on the canopy of the vehicle, as well as on the uniforms of drivers Fernando Alonso and Felipa Massa. Up close it just looks like a cool aesthetic touch but from a distance (and possibly even more clearly when moving 200 mph) it appears to resemble the packaging of a certain cigarette manufacturer.

Info courtesy Graphicology

As I was posting this I came across an update stating that Marlboro will be discontinuing the bar code logo and will be using a white rectangle marking the space where their logo traditionally appears.  Interested to see where this is headed.

Models 1

7 June 2010

Automobile Year: Book of Models
Jean-Rodolphe Piccard
Edita , Lausanne, France
Volume 1, 1982

Cars

27 May 2010

A collection of images by Benno Russell

Cycles Papillon

25 May 2010

I’m stoked my Portland riding partner Eric Duvauchelle is fulfilling his dream of starting a bike company.  Cycles Papillon, based in Portland, Oregon, has recently released their line of titanium commuters, 29ers, cyclocross and road bikes.

Founded with passion for all things two wheeled and designed with functionality, aesthetics and craftsmanship in mind, Cycles Papillon is offering complete titanium commuter frames, as well as, full custom 29er, cyclocross and road frames.

Several finishing options are available, including a proprietary wet/powder coat paint process, detailed etching, hand brushing, and more.

Prices start at  $1600 for custom frames.

Congrats buddy!

Check out:  www.cyclespapillon.com

Stacks Captain 3D Glasses

20 May 2010

We’ve been working on some 3D projects in the studio over the last few months. In the process of learning about the state of the medium, we noticed that we were unable to find any RealD glasses that didn’t look like a space alien’s Oakleys from 1984.  The same ones you are asked to wear in theaters.  Stacks is not an eyewear company, but we do make products that fit our lifestyle, and this is one we felt was worthwhile.

Circular polarized 3D glasses are for viewing RealD movies (like Avatar). RealD or ‘Circular’ (RealD is to Circular polarized as ‘Kleenex’ is to facial tissue) has become the de facto standard for theatrical 3D viewing and is also being used as the next generation standard for Home 3D.

I asked artist Greg Wieber to stop by the studio yesterday and shoot a few of us in the style of his recent Screen Tests. The glasses are now available online in the Stacks Shop and later this week at Project Space in Los Angeles.