Mini Munny Mobile Decorating Party at Hero 4/19!!

Check it out....



We're supplying the Mini Munny Mobiles FREE for you to customize and we'll even supply all the decorating materials you could need - just bring your creative self here on April 19th. Much more info coming soon including times, specials on other custom toys that day ONLY, age restrictions, etc.

Not in the Buffalo area and wanna attend a Mini Munny Mobile Decorating Party? Check out this list of stores all over the country that are having parties that day too:

Exclusive Tree Huggr Dunny AWOL Edition 8-Inch at Hero 4/9!

Tree Huggr Dunny AWOL Edition 8-Inch

Shh…Kidrobot is releasing an AWOL Edition of South African illustrator Kronk’s Tree Huggr Dunny to select retailers worldwide. Only 500 were made and Hero is one of the select retailers.

Please note that this colorway will not be available in Kidrobot stores or at kidrobot.com.

The AWOL Edition officially drops at Hero on April 9 at 12pm est. We will be getting a VERY VERY limited amount of these, so get here right at noon on the 9th to guarantee you get one, we will NOT hold any and it is strictly on a first come, first serve basis.

At Hero Now!

Available now at Hero:

Buffalo featured in Venus Zine's City Guide

Look for our Flatstock roundup, photos, new prints, etc, next week, as I have been stricken by the Flatstock Flu aka SXSW SARS! All the hand shaking, late nights, alcohol and flights actually got me this year!! (Somehow, I have managed to avoid it every other year, BLAH!)


For now enjoy this feature on Buffalo in Venus Zine that includes Hero and many of our Buffalo friends. Venus Zine is an independent print + online publication that focuses on women in music and other creative arts. They are based in Chicago, and are working on putting together indie guides to cities around the country. Buffalo was their third feature!

Here is the link:
https://venuszine.com/articles/art_and_culture/travel/5466/VZ_City_Guides_Buffalo_NY

SXSW is calling...

Hero's Flatstock 20 poster - available for purchase exclusively at Flatstock
(and on our website when we return if any copies remain)

We're leaving bright and early tomorrow morning for Austin to participate in SXSW and Flatstock (see our previous post about what these are). We're pretty stoked 'cuz the party starts REAL early this time since the second leg of our flights tomorrow comes complete with built in BFFs. The Strawberryluna crew is on our second flight and we're gonna cause a ruckus in row 18!! HOLLA! And to add to the fun, the "Hero party van" is making a reappearance this SXSW and we'll be rolling six deep with the Strawberryluna and Doublenaut crews through the streets of Austin. (ok so it's a min-van, but whatevs)

The boutique will still be open while we are away, normal business hours - but there will probably be VERY little blogging happening till I get back! Stay tuned though, when we get back we'll post photos of our adventures, show you all the new prints and tees that we've been working on that are debuting in Austin this week and probably have lots of good stories to share :)


**Oh and hey, if you are coming by Flatstock this weekend, make sure to mention that you read our blog and we'll give you a little gift. Here is the floor plan of Flatstock 20 in the Austin Convention Center to help you navigate your way to us and all of our super talented neighbors.**

Miss you, friends.

Buffalo Small Press Book Fair

If you are in Buffalo this weekend, be sure to check out the 3rd Annual Buffalo Small Press Book Fair. Even though Hero will be at Flatstock at SXSW in Austin, we are still gonna have a booth at the book fair this year. YUP it's definitely magic! We'll be debuting a few new prints there for sale and have a huge collection of our existing prints for sale.

The Buffalo Small Press Book Fair is a regional one day event that brings booksellers, authors, bookmakers, zinesters, small presses, artists, poets, and other cultural workers (and enthusiasts) together in a venue where they can share ideas, showcase their art, and peddle their wares.

The 3rd Annual Buffalo Small Press Book Fair will be held on March 21, 2009 at Karpeles Manuscript Library Museum, 453 Porter Avenue, Buffalo, NY. For more information, see the Attend page on their website!

Remember this event is FREE and open to the public!

Read more about the Book Fair here and check out all the vendors and the schedule of events.

What is Flatstock??

So I am sure you have heard us mention "Flatstock" a million times so I thought I would take some time to tell you just what exactly Flatstock is:

The FLATSTOCK poster show series is presented by the American Poster Institute (API). It is an ongoing series of exhibitions featuring the work of many of the most popular concert poster artists working today.

The API is a nonprofit corporation dedicated to serving poster artists and promoting the art form. Both the API and its FLATSTOCK series were organized in 2002 as a result of conversations between interested artists and supporters frequenting the popular web site GigPosters.com. The best concert posters have always captured both the essence of the music they promoted and the spirit of the time in which they were produced. This is as true today as it was in San Francisco during the Sixties.

The FLATSTOCK shows provide the general public with an ongoing series of opportunities to see fine poster art in person and to meet the artists who've created it -- they provide the API with a way to present the poster artists collectively while showcasing the breadth of individual styles they represent.

FLATSTOCK 20 is being held in Austin, Texas in conjunction with the world's premier Music Festival South By Southwest. Poster artists from around the world will hit The Austin Convention Center for the bi-annual convention sponsored by the American Poster Institute, dedicated to the promotion of music poster art and design worldwide. You've heard the sordid tales of deluxe poster prints sold to you the fans by the artists themselves, now come see for yourself. FLATSTOCK 20 is FREE for everyone so come one come all. Show up early and be ready to be overwhelmed with amazing posters (you might want to bring some dough too since you won't want to leave empty handed.) FLATSTOCK 20 is an all-ages event.

Flatstock 20 is now a FOUR DAY EVENT and Hero has a double booth again this year, so be sure to come by and say "Hi!", we're gonna have loads of new stuff. Including brand new posters, artprints and exclusive t-shirt designs, etc.

FLATSTOCK 20 SCHEDULE:

• Thurs. March 19 from 1:00 pm - 6:00 pm.
• Fri. March 20 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Sat. March 21 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.
• Sun. March 22 from 11:00 am to 6:00 pm.

Check out this year's exhibitors here.

ALSO CHECK OUT:

To get the true music collector’s experience at SXSW, don't forget to also set time aside for the Record Convention and Guitar Show.

Flatstock Print Demos

Thursday - Sunday
All Day Screenprinting Demos

As part of Flatstock 20, the public is invited to drop by the on-site screenprinting demonstration set up by the API and its members. Andy MacDougal, author of “Screen Printing Today, The Basics,” will be leading multiple workshops during show hours. He will produce a number of original multicolor poster prints on-site Friday and Saturday. These unique workshops will allow you to see the process in action. You will learn how ideas and artwork are transformed into the thousands of amazing gigposters on display at Flatstock through the screen printing process. Participating Flatstock arists will be contributing work that Andy will be printing all four days. These works will be available for purchase when they are completed. Special guest artists will also contribute small prints which will be entirely created and produced at Flatstock.

“My Posters Stink” With Mig Kokinda
Saturday at 2:00 p.m.

Local Austin whiz kid Mig Kokinda will demonstrate the laborious mysteries of making the most kick ass rock posters you’ve seen with nothing but an exacto blade and Krylon. Come witness how to cut stencil after stencil and the process of turning those into multi layered works of art with the bonus of fumes! Mig has been making poster art and tattooing folks for well over thirteen years and few, if any, share his unique style.

For all the true poster junkies, be sure to watch the screening of Died Young, Stayed Pretty a documentary by Eileen Yaghoobian featuring many of this year's exhibitors.

A.C. Newman Poster

This 16" x 20" three color silkscreen is hand printed on Springhill Index in Ivory, 140 lb. index, signed and numbered edition of 110. From the March 10, 2009 show in Ithaca, NY at Castaways.

Available now in the Hero web store.

Besides this new poster, we have been producing lots of new posters, art prints and greeting cards at Hero the last few weeks, most of these will debut at SXSW next week so you'll have to see them there first or wait till we get back. Who knows though, maybe we'll give you a little sneak peek of some of them before we leave.

All of the new stuff will be available for purchase at SXSW at Flatstock 20 March 19-22, and in the Hero web store, Friday, March 27th at 12pm EST. Get excited.

Coming in April to Hero from Kidrobot

Here is a sneak peek of everything we're getting at Hero from Kidrobot in April:

APRIL 9:

Tree Huggr Dunny 8-Inch
Discover nature’s sinister side with South African illustrator Kronk’s Tree Huggr Dunny. 1 in 12 are super-light and rare. Available April 9.

*** Hero will ONLY have a SUPER RARE red alternate version of this Dunny that is exclusive to select stores. NOT even Kidrobot stores or Kidrobot.com will even have this version!!***

APRIL 23:

Gamma Mutant Space Friends Mini Series
Pastel punk illustrator Tara McPherson’s Gamma Mutant Space Friends land on earth April 23. Series includes 10 figures and 2 chases. Blind–boxed.



1984 Labbit 10-Inch
Labbit circa 1984. San Francisco artist Frank Kozik’s 10-inch icon goes on sale safety pins and all April 23. Only 1000 made.



Alphabet! Keychains
Underground DJ and graphic designer Mike Davis’ Alphabet! zipper pull keychains offer a new way of learning. Collect all 26 starting April 23. Blind-boxed.

Also available sometime in April:

Plush 'Stache Labbits 7-Inch
San Francisco artist Frank Kozik’s iconic furball adds new plush flavors to the addiction menu. Available in blue and pink this April.

New Apparel from Upper Playground, Mechtorians and Peleda Owl Wind-ups

Another busy week FULL of new releases at Hero - stop in soon to check it all out:

Sorry for the quiet bloggy...

It's gonna be a quiet week or two around here, Hero is gearing up for SXSW and Flatstock 20 next week and besides shipping ALL of our stuff to Austin, we're printing TONS of new posters and artprints. So right now there is lots of packing, organizing, printing and a little bit of freaking out going on over here.

More info to follow on what SXSW and Flatstock are, but until then try not to miss us too much.

Clementiny: Tiny Clothes for Tiny People

Clementiny was created by Hero's friend, Buffalo-based Kari Smistek and is inspired by her beautiful daughter, Clementine. All of the clothes are designed and handmade with the most beautiful and colorful textiles and often times she uses vintage and repurposed fabrics and items. You will find yourself actually wanting a little one, if you don't already have one, just to dress them up in these lovely outfits.

Everything at Clementiny is ready to ship, but she also takes custom orders and will create the perfect, one-of-a-kind outfit for your perfect, one-of-a-kind kid!

Hero on Twitter

So, we've been on Twitter for sometime now, but since it's gotten so HUGE the last few weeks, we figure 'what the hell' - we will be totally shameless and plug our page like everyone else is doing . Why not right?

So check us out on Twitter http://twitter.com/HeroDesign
Mark and I have personally accounts too, find us on there if you wish to follow those updates.

Even more new stuff at Hero!

We've got tons of new stuff this week, here are more releases that are available now:

WaoDogs at Hero now.

WaoDogs

The handy 8" keychain plush with a secret stash pocket hidden in its belly.

Waotoyz are designed with great care in Wao's secret lab nested in the Swiss mountains and produced in China using the most advanced technologies and mutation-inducing chemicals.

Materials Terry towel / rubber keychain.

Ultra limited 250 pcs Black and 250 pcs Mint.

Sweet Meats Plush Toys at Hero Now

These are super adorable and made of great quality materials. Hurry in though, these are very limited and we have a limited supply. Stuff Boeuf and Porky Chop are both safe for all ages and pet safe. Hambone is safe for ages 3+ and is not safe for pets.

We have a limited supply of buttons available free with your purchase of a Sweet Meat:

About Sweet Meats

History:

Sweet Meats are the brainchild of Lauren Venell (nee Fleischer), a San Francisco product designer with butchers on both sides of her family. She originally constructed the first “Hambone” as a personal art project, but commissions for the plush hams became so popular she decided to bring Sweet Meats to the masses.

Sweet Meats are currently available in three styles (Stuff Boeuf t-bone steak, Porky Chop and Hambone) and two sizes. Each meat is handmade in limited editions of 300 pieces.

Commitment to Responsibility

Sweet Meats takes environmental and social responsibility in business very seriously. All Sweet Meats are made from 100% recycled, super cuddly fleece, and colored with recycled dye materials. Their sewing partners have the highest internationally certified working conditions and product quality standards on the planet.

Germusu Single Celled Pouches at Hero now.

Lots of new goodies at Hero this week. Here is some background info on the Germusu Single Celled Pouches

The Germusu “are mini storage microbial pouches” from artist Vanessa Germosen. The 2009 lineup includes five new characters: Achu (teal), Gou (green), Coli (yellow), Eri (red) and Zoa (gray).

Achu is annoying
but she doesn’t make you sneeze
she’s that stinky fella
that lives in your blue cheese.

Gou is kinda shy
he always likes to hide
in the inside of your ear
or the corner of your eye.

Coli is so evil, Coli is so mean
he’ll make you burp
and make you hurt
and then he’ll eat your spleen!

Eri’s kind of stinky
rot’s his favorite scent
he loves your smelly toes jam
and your bits of belly lint.

Zoa’s really boring
he likes to mope about
he’ll dawdle and sulk all day long
and then he’ll just pass out.

Upcoming Gallery Shows

Hero's work will be showing in two different gallery exhibitions that both open this upcoming weekend.

(poster design by Madpixel)

The first is at the Kentucky Museum of Art and Craft in Mark's hometown of Louisville, Kentucky. The exhibit titled "Gig Posters: The Art of Contemporary Music Promotion", runs March 6 - May 16 and the opening reception is Friday March 6, 2009, 5 - 9 pm. Our great friend and Louisville based designer, Ron Jasin of Madpixel, will be screen-printing one-of-a-kind posters for the show, live opening night.

The exhibiting artists include: Alana Twelmeyer, Anna Martine Nilsen, Bangout, Bill Green, Christian Peters, Cricket Press Brian & Sarah Turner, Dan McCarthy, David Brooks, Hero Design Studio, Gary Houston, Ian Gordon, Jake Early, Jason Munn, Julie Hill, Kraken, Kristen Thiele, Lars Privat, Michael Fluckigeiger, Miles Tsang, Patrick Jones, Remi, Rhys Cooper, Rokitmul Design Studios, Ron Lilberti, Ron Jasin, Sean Higgins, Stephano Manzi, Steve Mockensturm, The Farm Barn, Tiny Little Horses.




The second of the gallery shows we are lucky enough to be participating in is "Prints Are People Too!" at Headquarters Galerie + Boutique in Montreal, Quebec. This show runs March 7 - March 31 and it is a group exhibit that features prints from various independent artists and designers from around the globe. The opening reception is Saturday March 7 from 7-11pm with drinks-music-prints-people.

The exhibiting artists include: Amy Blackwell , Kristiana Parn, Betsy Walton, Julia Pott, Hero Design Studio, Ryan Berkley, Laura Berger, Mati McDonough, JKL Design, Ashley G., Fifi Lapin, Monster Galler, caitlin shearer, Olivia Jeffries


If you are in the area of either of these exhibits, definitely swing by and check it out, then take lots of photos and send them to us so we can geek out, (yes, we still do get geeky about seeing our stuff in galleries).

Happy 5th Birthday Derby!

If you have ever been to Hero, then you have met our most valuable employee, Derby Lou. She is our Bull Terrier baby and she comes to Hero with Mark and I everyday. Derby is a leap year baby so that means every year but the leap year we get to celebrate her Birthday for two days! So this weekend was Derby's weekend and I baked her a fresh batch of her favorite homemade Peanut Butter treats and we got her a new plush chipmunk to destroy.

Here is the recipe for the treats, they are super easy to make and dogs LOVE them. I made these for friends and family with dogs for Christmas and printed little bags.


Derby's Favorite Homemade PB Treats

2 cups whole wheat flour (I use organic)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 cup natural peanut butter
1 cup skim milk (I use organic)

preheat oven to 375. combine dry ingredients in one bowl and pb and milk in a separate bowl. add wet mix to dry mix and mix well. knead on lightly floured surface to 1/4in thick and cut with cookie cutter. place on greased baking sheet (I just spray it very lightly with Pam) bake 20 min. cool on rack and store in airtight container. yields about 30 medium size treats.

I can't remember where online I found this recipe so if anyone knows where it originated so I can credit them, let me know.