Hero Design Studio + Boutique

New Hero Website, New Hero Blog

2010-03-04T18:11:00.000-05:00

So the time has FINALLY come, we have a new website up!! Check it out at www.heroandsound.com. It's still a work in progress, but the god awful, seriously outdated portfolio that we had up, is finally gone!!!!

We are still adding stuff to the new portfolio and we have to tweak our existing web store a bit to properly sync up with the new site, but it is there! We also have a new blog, which we are very excited about, so please change your bookmarks and update your feed links. We will no longer be updating this blog and we'll be posting in the new blog on the website the way we always did with this one. We hope you enjoy the new format as much as we do. It is more organized, so if you are only interested in new things at the Boutique or events we have coming up, it should hopefully be easier navigate.

The second phase of the new Hero website involves a brand new, revamped web store that will be more organized, and much easier to search for things, we are super excited for that, so keep an eye out for it later this year.

We owe a big thanks to our friend Mike Literman, who helped us with customizing the code to make this work exactly how we wanted it to, and for helping us fix the site every time we broke it and sent emails with lots of curse words as the subject line.

"Greatest Moments in Sports" Poster Show at Gallery1988

2010-03-03T10:43:00.003-05:00

If you are in Los Angeles, be sure to check out the opening of the "Great Moments in Sports" Poster Show at Gallery1988, this Thursday, March 4 from 7-10pm. Presented by Gallery1988 and OMG Posters - all of your favorite posters artists, including Hero, will have work in the show. The show will have limited edition, signed and numbered posters/prints depicting some of the greatest moments in sports history.

Our print (shown above) is titled "Wide Right, The Curse of the Buffalo Bills". This print is a 4 color silkscreen poster, and it's an edition of only 100 prints. If you are from Buffalo, I think you can guess what moment this is depecting. Our poster will be available for purchase at the gallery through the duration of the show and on the Hero website after the show is over.

"Greatest Moments in Sports" runs from March 4 - 26, 2010. For more info check out the Gallery1988 blog.

The Winter Blues Mystery Tube Sale

2010-02-26T14:00:00.000-05:00

The Winter Blues Mystery Tube Sale

Have you got a case of the winter blues? Personally we're over this yucky cold, blowy and snowy weather! We're hoping this mystery tube sale will cheer you up.

Each tube will be filled with the following randomly* chosen screenprinted items:

2 - gigposters
2 - large artprints
1 - 8"x10" artprint
1 - greeting card

ONLY $50

New Test Prints listed in our Etsy Shop

2010-02-24T11:03:00.010-05:00

Over the last few weeks, we finally took some time to scan and photograph some more of our one-of-a-kind 8" x 10" Owl Test Prints and full size Test Prints that we had in a put aside here at the studio and they are available now in our Etsy Shop. We plan on scanning and photographing a bunch more of our other 8" x 10" and full size test prints this week and next, so look for those.

These are all available in our Etsy Shop and at the Hero Boutique. We are loving making test prints these days and even though we always have them available at the Hero Boutique and the different shows we attend, we are working really hard on making more available online.

"What's a test print?" you ask.

A test print is a magical one-of-a-kind print created from layers of different prints we've made over time. We use them to get colors right, fix a mistake when screenprinting, and for lots of other reasons. Sometimes the layers just come together in such a beautiful way that a strange piece of paper with lots of stuff is turned into a finished print.

Be sure to look through all of our listings for different test print designs, we have loads and we are always adding more.

Skwak Oil Slick Dunny 8"

2010-02-17T11:47:00.003-05:00

Oil Slick Dunny 8-Inch

Strike it rich with this eye-popping, super limited Dunny from French artist Skwak. Sporting a maniacal grin and clutching two cans of liquid fortune, Oil Slick Dunny is covered nearly head to toe in a healthy splattering of the crude stuff. Just don’t let him drink your milkshake.

At only 500 of each edition made, Oil Slick Dunny drops tomorrow at Hero. The “gold” edition of Oil Slick Dunny will be available only at Kidrobot stores and select retailers including Hero. The black “oil” edition will be available exclusively at kidrobot.com.

Valentine's Day is right around the corner!

2010-02-11T12:29:00.004-05:00

Valentine's Day is on Sunday, but there is still time to come by the Hero Boutique and pick up some stuff for your lover.

We're going on tour.

2010-02-10T13:58:00.003-05:00

We are very excited to announce that we will be on the road for two whole weeks this March.

Our first stop will be in Baltimore where we were hired by the University of Maryland for a 2-day feature during Design Week. The first day we are going to be guest lecturing a group of design students and the second day will be running a day-long print workshop. We will be posting more info about this soon.

From Baltimore we're back on the road and driving to Bowling Green, KY to hang and print with our good friends Connie and Jim of Print Mafia. We are producing a Hero/Print Mafia collab art print that will debut the following week at Flatstock 24 at SXSW in Austin, Texas.

Then back in the car with our pal Ron from Madpixel in Louisville, who is joining the tour in his wheels, for the long drive to Austin for Flatstock and SXSW. Flatstock runs Thursday 3/18, Friday 3/19 and Saturday 3/20 in the Austin Convention Center.

We are also very excited to announce that Hero was asked to be a featured speaker on a panel at SXSW's Music Festival this year. Mark will be one of just a few featured speakers on a panel called, "It's So Big! Packaging Design from CDs to Vinyl to Merchandise." We will be posting more about this panel soon, but, if you are headed to SXSW this year, plan on attending, the panels are free to attend with your badge and this one promises to be an exciting, thought provoking and informative discussion.

Lastly, we will be releasing a new poster at Flatstock for a movie that is debuting at SXSW's Film Festival. We are super excited about the film and this project and we can't wait to share more about it with you.

So there you have it, we will be escaping the last few weeks of the miserable weather in Buffalo, missing our pets like crazy and packing up the Element for the first BIG road trip of the year. We are stoked!

FREE Screen Printing Demo Workshop with Hero at WNYBAC

2010-02-05T16:46:00.005-05:00

In conjunction with our Retrospective Exhibit "Pulled to the Limit" at WNY Book Arts Center we are teaching a FREE Screenprinting Demo on Wednesday, February 17, 6-8pm at WNYBAC.

Screen printing is a great and fun way to exhibit artwork or advertise an event like a concert or exhibition. Silkscreen printing (also known as serigraphy) is a method of print making in which the negative of an image is blocked out of a screen of fine mesh, and ink is pulled through the open areas of the mesh onto the printing surface. In this workshop, we will introduce you to the basics of screen printing while demonstrating the printing process. We will discuss the basics of file and film preparation, mesh selection, frames, stencil systems, printing techniques, ink, reclamation of screens, and how screen printing affects the finishing processes.

This is a FREE demo workshop, space is very limited, and pre-registration is REQUIRED to attend. To pre-register please send an email to info [at] wnybookarts [dot] org, please include your name and that you wish to attend the Screenprinting Workshop with Hero. After you have received confirmation of your place in the workshop, if you find you are unable to attend, we just ask that you contact WNYBAC to cancel your spot, so that it may be given to someone else that wishes to attend.

As an attendee you will be given an opportunity to print and a copy of the finished poster that we will be producing during the workshop.

Pulled to the Limit runs until Saturday, February 20.

Western NY Book Arts Center
468 Washington St. at Mohawk
Buffalo NY 14203

716 348-1430

Hero was at the Grammys with Ringo Starr

2010-02-01T13:26:00.006-05:00

Last night Ringo Starr sported a tee designed by Hero, to the Grammys. It was a shirt we designed for Electric Fetus, an amazing independently owned record store in Minneapolis. We might be geeking out just a tad bit today!!

Here's a close up of the graphic!

Photo credits from top: 1) Michael Caulfield / WireImage.com 2) Getty Images

The latest Jordan Buckley vs. Hero Collab ETID Tour Poster

2010-01-26T16:20:00.000-05:00

Every Time I Die 2010 Australian Tour Poster

This is the latest Jordan Buckley vs Hero Design Studio collaborative ETID tour poster. This print is the fourth in a series where the illustration line work is done by Jordan and handed over to us where we handle all the color, typography, the layout and any additional illustration, and of course the screen printing.

This poster sold out while they are on tour in Australia and we have a very limited supply for sale now.

We also still have a few (only about 5) of the last poster for their European Tour available for sale, once both of these posters are sold out they will never be made again.

I want to make beautiful things.

2010-01-26T14:23:00.003-05:00

Watch this. Inspiration.

Gloomy Zipper Pulls

2010-01-19T15:33:00.002-05:00

Gloomy Bear Zipper Pull Series
1-Inch

by Mori Chack

Mori Chack's malevolent icon returns in an assortment of 1-inch zipper pulls.

Some are bloody, some are not, all are ferocious.

Attach Gloomy to your hoodies, jackets, and backpacks.

This 23 piece series is blind assortment.

Valentine Variety Packs Available Now

2010-01-15T20:35:00.002-05:00

After two days of printing and a day of shooting photos, our brand new Valentine Variety Packs are now available.

Spread the love with this set of 12 silkscreen Valentine's Day cards.
There are 3 cards each of 4 different designs plus 12 red envelopes.

Each card is a 5" x 5" square single panel card, that is blank on the back. These were hand silkscreen printed and they are limited edition. Packaged in a clear plastic box and sealed.

Send these to your one true love, your crush, your mom, your roommate, hairdresser, whoever! These 3-4 color cards are screen printed with non-toxic inks on acid-free archival 100 lb cover bright white paper.

You can buy these from our webstore, our etsy store, and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

Dunny Fatale Series Release & Trading Party at Hero.

2010-01-15T11:13:00.005-05:00

Dunny Fatale Series
Release + Trading Party at Hero
Thursday January 28 - 6-9pm

Dunny gets a makeover in our latest series, featuring designs from 18 prominent and talented female artists. Come to Hero and get your hands on these lovelies before everyone else, meet fellow collectors, get your trade on and win awesome prizes.

Some are cute and sweet, while others are bold and in your face.

Each blind boxed 3-inch figure comes with a trading card and some include accessories.

Artists in this innovative series include Alex Anderson, Catalina Estrada, KLOR, CW, Aiko, Kathie Olivas, Wendi Koontz, Koralie, Baroness, Anna Chambers, Amanda Visell, Amy Ruppel, Julie West, Toofly, Junko Mizuno, Aya Kakeda, Tara McPherson, and Sara Varon.

Join Hero for an exciting release and trading party. Be the first to get your hands on this highly anticipated series and swap with the other dunny collectors. We will have food, drinks, super rad giveaways and more!

When:
Thursday January 28
6-9pm

Where:
Hero Design Studio + Boutique
93 Allen Street
Buffalo, NY

*** RSVP to the Facebook Event here
*** Download & Print the checklist here
*** More info about trading parties here

Pulled to the Limit - Hero Design Studio Retrospective Exhibition

2010-01-06T14:28:00.003-05:00

Hero Design Studio Retrospective Exhibition at WNY Book Arts Center
Wednesday, January 13- Saturday, February 20, 2010

Artist Reception Friday January 29 6-9 PM
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In a relatively short time, Hero Design Studio has become a fixture in the Buffalo music and design scene. Their limited edition silk screened poster and design work for bands and special events has appeared internationally and has been featured in Spin, Print and How magazines and in such books as Gig Posters: Rock Show Art of the 21st Century alongside the most renowned practitioners of this art form, which has enjoyed a national renaissance in the last few years. Hero is husband and wife team, Beth Manos and Mark Brickey. The screen printing, illustration and design duo have created hundreds of hand printed posters and art prints since starting as Hero in 2003 and expanded their presence via their Allentown studio/shop. Silkscreen printing (also known as serigraphy) is a method of print making in which the negative of an image is blocked out of a screen of fine mesh, and ink is pulled through the open areas of the mesh onto the printing surface.

Pulled to the Limit at the Western New York Book Arts Center's gallery will feature the most comprehensive exhibit of Hero's silkscreened works to date. Along with limited edition prints and posters, the exhibit will feature one-of-a-kind prints, experimental work and works-in-progress that will help explain the creative and production process.

An artists' reception will be held mid-Exhibit on Friday, January 29, 2010 for a meet and greet, a special live printing demonstration with a commemorative poster for the exhibit being made on the spot, refreshments and more.

An additional Demo day, free and open to the public will be presented February 17th 6-8pm that guides participants through the specifics of how screen printing is done . This event is free and open to the public but pre-registration is required.

Western NY Book Arts Center
468 Washington St. at Mohawk
Buffalo NY 14203

716 348-1430

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-12-28T13:13:00.002-05:00

We have a limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday December 28 at 12 pm EST until Monday January 4 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last. Each and every poster in the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale is available online and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

This is the last Ten Dollar Poster in the series!! Thanks for the support and for making this a successful series!!

Back in stock at the Boutique.

2009-12-28T12:22:00.002-05:00

Buds Blind Box Series III from Jamungo are available now at Hero and they are a killer series!

Featuring designs from MAD, Jesse Ledoux, Yuck, Jon Burgerman, FERG, Superdeux, Aesthetic Apparatus, VanBeater, Pedini, Kenn munk, saurkids, Jim Koch, Frank Kozik, oooOOOooo (Brian Morris) and Muttpop.

Jibibuts Wooden Blindbox by Noferin

Noferin continues to bring fine quality wooden figures to your door with their affordable blindbox series, the Jibibuts. Fun for adults and children alike!

One display case guarantees a complete set. There are 12 characters to collect plus two super secret rare Gold and Silver editions packed randomly. Sizes range from 2.5 - 3.5 inches. Made from sustainably harvested rubber wood.

Jibibuts sp., are long-lived forest dwellers native to the west coast of Carrara Island. Found mostly in moist temperate climates, they scurry about the forest floor consuming all manner of fallen leaf litter. Jibibuts sp., are important biological indicators of forest health. Specimens discovered by the Biological Institute of Carrara.

Every Time I Die - 2009 European Tour Poster

2009-12-23T13:07:00.004-05:00

The newest Every Time I Die poster for their Fall/Winter 2009 European Tour is on sale now! Number three in the series of Jordan Buckley -vs- Hero collaborations. The 10" x 24" three color silkscreen is printed on Accent Opaque Smooth White 100# cover stock, the bottom copy is printed in a super shiny metallic silver ink.

Each print is signed and numbered edition of 150. The majority of the posters were sold on the tour, so we have a very limited amount available and they will go fast. Illustration by Jordan Buckley, design, layout and printing by Hero Design Studio.

Look for more Hero / Jordan collabs in the coming months.

Late Hours at the Boutique

2009-12-21T18:45:00.001-05:00

We're open late till Christmas for all of your last minute gift buying needs!

Jamungo BUD Series 3 are Available Now at Hero.

2009-12-16T11:04:00.004-05:00

The Buffalo First Coupon Books are available now at Hero!

2009-12-15T10:08:00.003-05:00

The Buffalo First Coupon Books are available now at Hero! The books are $15 and they make a great holiday gift. Hero along with dozens of other local businesses are featured in the book, with wonderful savings to make shopping local even easier!

The coupon books feature a free local guide, hundreds of local/green tips, and beautiful full-page photos of Buffalo's best.

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-12-14T15:39:00.000-05:00

We have a limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday December 14 at 12 pm EST until Monday December 21 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last. Each and every poster in the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale is available online and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

Win The Vannen Winter Exclusive Watch at Hero

2009-12-14T11:00:00.003-05:00

Enter to win the Vannen Winter Exclusive Watch designed by internationally renowned artist Christopher Bettig. The watch incorporates traditional holiday colors in such an intricate and alluring way that the watch is completely wearable beyond the month of December. Chris also designed the "snow globe" packaging - a clear poly-bag filled with non-toxic artificial snow and decorated with snowflakes.

There are only 100 of these festive limited edition timepieces in existence and each one comes with a two-color silkscreen print designed, printed, signed and numbered by Chris.

Make any purchase of $20 or more at the Hero Boutique from Monday, December 14 to Monday, December 21 and you will be entered to win the Winter Exclusive Watch. One winner will be chosen at random on Monday, December 21 at 6pm and you will be contacted immediately to claim your prize, so you can wear it to all of your holiday festivities.

Be sure to check out Series 1 of the limited edition Vannen watches at Hero now, before they are gone!

Vintage Reborn Necklaces. At Hero Now.

2009-12-11T11:24:00.006-05:00

Made from vintage molds, these designs are anywhere from 40 - 150 years old. These beauties are available at Hero now and are the perfect gift for the vintage loving lady in your life, or they make for a wonderful guilt free reward to yourself for all your hard work this year. Oh and the best part? They start at just $20

Last Minute Panic Holiday Marketplace.

2009-12-11T10:53:00.002-05:00

Still have some last minute gift buying to do? Looking for something unique and handmade? Don't panic....

Today and tomorrow you can do some shopping at the Last Minute Panic Holiday Marketplace.

At the main gallery, 1st floor of the Western New York Book Arts Center 468 Washington St at Mohawk in Downtown Buffalo

Friday Dec 11, 4-8pm & Saturday Dec 12 12-6pm

Free admission and open to the public

Artists, craftspeople, printers, & other handmade/self published/locally produced items. Perfect gifts for giving or hoarding.

Stop by the Hero booth, we'll have some brand new goodies that aren't even available in the Hero Boutique yet, and check out the full list of vendors here

The Hero 2010 Calendar Print is Available Now!

2009-12-09T16:51:00.007-05:00

2010 Calendar Silkscreen Print
"Good Day Sunshine"

A stylish and fun way to keep track of what day it is in 2010! No matter what the weather is doing outside, it will always be sunny inside.

Buy this print and we guarantee 2010 will be the BEST and sunniest year yet!

The traditional Sunday - Saturday calendar at the bottom of the print is laid out so that it can easily be cut off, if you want to keep the print hanging without the calendar after 2010 is over.

This is a 16" x 20" three color silkscreen print, printed with non-toxic water based ink, and printed on Springhill Index in Ivory 140# index. Limited edition of just 75 prints, each print is numbered and signed.

This is a great holiday gift!!

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-12-07T12:05:00.000-05:00

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday December 7 at 12 pm EST until Monday December 14 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last. Each and every poster in the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale is available online and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

Printed II - An Exhibition of Hand Printed Art

2009-12-03T19:09:00.004-05:00

Hero is very proud to be a part of a great exhibit, Printed II, An Exhibition of Hand Printed Art, that opens Saturday night in LA at Crewest Gallery.

“Printed II” an exhibition curated by Two Rabbits Studios and featuring the best selection of hand printed art posters by some of today’s most innovative street artists, activists, and designers. As hand-printed art posters re-emerge in suburban and urban areas all over the world communicating political and social messages to everyday people, Crewest takes a moment to platform this growing genre and open its doors for the public to enjoy. Prints, prints and more prints are what you will see in December at Crewest!

Printed II has it's Opening Reception December 5th, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm featuring live printing by Two Rabbits Studios and a special installation by Paperworks Laboratories for all you serious art collectors and art fans. Opening Reception: Saturday, December 5th, 2009 from 6pm to 9pm featuring live printing by Two Rabbits and featured artist Ron Donovan of Firehouse & the Nor-Cal Posse plus a special installation by Paperworks Laboratories for all you serious art collectors and art fans. The show runs thru December 31st, 2009. Exhibiting Artists: Adam Hathorn, Ashira Siegel, Billy Bishop, Bill Green, Branded, Hit + Run, Cat Cult, Clint Wilson, Contra One, Dash 2000 Fidel, Delicious Design League, Deadmundo, Dethkills, DKNG, Enik, Euth One, Firehouse, Geraldine Lozano, Hero Design Studio, James Bentely, Ken Garduno, Lucky Bunny, Mas, Max Nuetra, Mad One, Man One, Michael Alvarez, Michael Hsiung, Miles Grobman, Neko Sluts Crew, Ron Donovan from Firehouse & The Nor-Cal Posse, Septerhed, Shark Toof, SPRFKR, The Bungaloo, Tom Haubrick, WERC, Will Manville, Vyal, Yo What Happened To Peace and more...

Crewest Gallery is located at 110 Winston St., Los Angeles, CA 90013, (213) 627-8272.

The Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale in Chicago

2009-12-03T12:54:00.001-05:00

Hero will be setting up shop with over 150 of today’s finest indie-craft and contemporary design talents at the Renegade Craft Fair Holiday Sale on December 5 + 6 from 11am – 7pm at the Pulaski Park Fieldhouse in Chicago, IL!

Those looking to shop handmade and support small business this holiday season will surely find something for everyone – from jewelry and clothing, to ceramics and stationary, with everything from bath products, housewares, posters, comics and plush objects in between – at this large-scale, free-to-attend art, craft and design extravaganza!!

Come by the Hero booth, say hi, introduce yourself, and check out ALL the new goodies we have. New art prints, a calendar, pillows and more. Hope to see you there.

Check out all the amazing-ness that is Renegade, they really put on a FABULOUS event :
Special this year: Free Trolley Rides between the Fair and a handful of Wicker Park hot spots will help keep holiday shoppers out of the cold! Stops to catch the trolley along Division St. (between Ashland Ave. and Hoyne Ave.) include our very own Renegade Handmade, Nina, Greenheart Shop and Small Bar, who will be holding a weekend-long $3 draft drink special on PBR – sponsor of this special trolley service!

As always, the Fair is FREE TO ATTEND and other event features include free raffles of publications from Chronicle Books, items from Jenny Hart’s Sublime Stitching, papergoods from Pinball Publishing, and Faythe Levine’s Handmade Nation – both the book and the DVD documentary! Free copies of Readymade and TimeOut Chicago magazines can be found at the Renegade Craft Welcome Station and don’t forget to pop into the free-to-use photo booth provided by Magnolia Photo Booth Co. The Chicago Independent Radio Project (CHIRP) and other local DJs will be playing the jams all weekend long!

Food and beverages from Treat Restaurant and TipsyCake will be available for purchase! Alcoholic beverages will also be available for purchase, including beer, wine, bubbly and mulled-wine!

Vannen Watches Series 1 - Get to know the artists...

2009-12-02T16:40:00.003-05:00

Buff Monster

Buff Monster lives in Hollywood and cites heavy metal music, ice cream and Japanese culture as major influences. The color pink, as a symbol of confidence, individuality and happiness, is present in everything he creates. Buff is known for putting up thousands of silkscreened posters across Los Angeles and also in faraway places. When his original and one-and-only wheat paste brush was no longer usable, seven years of frequent poster missions came to an end. Having given up a very productive street art career, he now works exclusively on fine art paintings, collectible toys and select design projects. His works have been exhibited in numerous galleries, usually accompanied by large installations to enhance the paintings. Aside from his Happy Creamy Vannen watch, he has many other projects in the works.

Vannen "Happy Creamy" by Buff Monster

Watch packaging for Buff Monster's "Happy Creamy"

"It's a fun and happy design. I keep exploring all these other crazy themes in my paintings, but this is a core Buff Monster design. A watch is a really functional item, so you have to take that into account when you're designing it. And the packaging is really simple, but I really like the cardboard bubble pack that it comes in."

The art of Buff Monster

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Chris Ryniak

Chris Ryniak was born in 1976 in a safely distanced suburb of Detroit. He spent his childhood basking in the warm glow of Saturday morning cartoons, monster movies and flipping over rocks in search of insects and reptiles. In his teenage years, Chris' attention would shift to the world of skateboarding and the artists associated with the skate community, which later led to interests in commercial illustration. A graduate and former instructor at the Ringling School of Art and Design, Chris is now a painter and sculptor of all manner of critters that grace canvases as well as toy and print platforms. Chris' work has been exhibited in galleries throughout the world and his paintings have also been published in numerous books and periodicals. Chris currently resides in a coastal Ohio Dutch Colonial with his wife, two children, cat and frog.

Vannen "The Order of Things" by Chris Ryniak

Chris Ryniak watch packaging for "The Order of Things"

"Chris Ryniak: The design is basically a carefully cropped version of my painting "The Order of Things." It was the first painting that I did that reflected my current visual direction, plus it was centered and had a face...like a watch. I had never given any thought to putting my art on anything that wasn't a large solid area (like a skateboard). I knew I wanted to use as much of one painting as possible, so I went through a lot of my paintings, trying to find the right one, and at the time, this one made the most sense to me to use on the watch."

The art of Chris Ryniak

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Brian Morris

Brian Morris lives on the southern side of Chicago, married, eats a lot of red meat, prefers pinot noir, favorite color is black, draws because he likes to, second favorite color is black, born in '76, works in advertising, '62 Cadillac in the garage, dead kitty's name tattooed on his wrist, doesn't believe in God, believes in people, heavy metal poser, country music, Sharpies, Faber-Castells, doesn't correct his drawings, tattoos, deep in love, early to rise, saver not a spender, knows you can't take it with you, raised in a small town, college degree, practice makes perfect, loves toys, collector of HotWheels, enjoys the darker side, steak, potatoes, breakfast with his wife at the Ramova Grill, not a big fan of TV, would go to bed at 9PM if he could, smokes too many cigarettes, doesn't smoke enough cigarettes, loves black cherry Kool-Aid, boobies, and he won't design you a tattoo.

Vannen "Time Waits For No Man" by Brian Morris

Watch Packaging for Brian Morris' "Time Waits For No Man"

"Brian Morris: Themes of life and death play a big role in the works that I create. This watch was an excellent opportunity to share my belief that "time waits for no man." I hope that each time the wearer checks the time they are reminded to make the most of every moment. Time will pass you by if you let it, but the end will not. [Watch design] has its challenges: The shape, materials and functionality were all things I'd not worked with before. The art was created in the same way I produce all of my drawings; it was the application that was real fun part."

The art of Brian Morris

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Damon Soule

As a child Damon became so engrossed with drawing that it became a distraction; at age 16 he dropped out of school opting for the immediacy of a GED. At 19 he moved to San Francisco and enrolled in the Interdisciplinary Program at the San Francisco Art Institute. In 1996 Soule became the Art Director and Co-founder of FIT Skateboards and Civilian Clothing. After art directing the brands for a number of years, he sold his portion of the business to pursue art full-time. Soule's art has been featured in group exhibitions in San Francisco at 111 Minna Gallery, Punch Gallery, Southern Exposure Gallery, Culture Cache, New Langton Arts and Yerba Buena Center for the Arts. Recent shows also include "New Works by Oliver Vernon and Damon Soule" at BLVD Gallery and "Green Art Exhibition" at Robert Berman Gallery.

Vannen "Square Takes The Circle" by Damon Soule

Watch packaging for Damon Soule's "Square Takes The Circle"

The art of Damon Soule

Vannen Watches have arrived at Hero.

2009-12-01T09:24:00.006-05:00

Created on the premise that this genre of wearable art would never get made otherwise, founder David Stowe and an amazing lineup of artists have come together to bring Vannen to life. The first collection of limited edition Vannen Watches features designs by Buff Monster, Brian Morris, Chris Ryniak, Damon Soule each watch design is a limited edition of just 500 watches.

Individually inspected, assembled and packaged by hand in the USA, every watch is treated like a true piece of art. Each selected artist is given a plastic watch as a canvas to showcase their original artwork and connect with the world. Constructing wearable art that is both functional and accessible - but still exclusive - Vannen has given the public a fun new way to show their taste in art and fashion and support a new movement in artistic achievement. And all artists design their own custom packaging.

Based loosely around the Swedish word vännen (meaning "friends") brings some of today's best lowbrow art to wrists. Longtime watch fan and founder David Stowe wanted to fill the void in a medium that doesn’t always pair fashion with function, while incorporating his idea that working with friends helps people discover artists thus creating new friends.

Stowe also hopes that Vannen Watches will transform the insular nature of collectors. “If someone buys an art toy, book or print, it sits on their shelf collecting dust only to be seen by people who come to their houses. With our watches, you can show the entire world your taste in art and fashion.”

The inaugural series invites you to experience a new world where art meets fashion. And at $65 per timepiece, anyone can afford to have art wrapped around his or her wrist. Created on the premise that this genre of wearable art would never get made otherwise, founder David Stowe and an amazing lineup of artists have come together to bring Vannen to life. The first collection features designs by Buff Monster, Brian Morris, Chris Ryniak and Damon Soule.

The heart of Vannen Watches is to expose extraordinary artwork to people that may never have the opportunity to discover it, much less incorporate it into their lives. Each collection of watches is produced with one goal in mind – to support the global art scene by bringing awareness to each artist and invite the world to experience something new. Vannen is not only collectible art; it transcends all ages, genders and nationalities.

The first series of watches are available now at Hero and we have a limited supply of each. Get to know the artists here.

Have your Kidrobot and eat it too.

2009-11-30T17:54:00.004-05:00

Local bakery owner, Zilly of Zilly Cakes, stopped by Hero today for the first time. She was sent to us by our friends at Sunday Skate Shop, after she went there asking if they carry Kidrobot. She came in and asked for me by name, carrying a HUGE white box that she said 'was something she thought we might like'.

Zilly had a huge Kidrobot logo cake that she made for a customer that didn't pick it up. She brought it by since she heard we carry and love Kidrobot. She gave us the cake and just wanted us to 'enjoy it in good health'.

The cake is beautifully made and it is about 12" long and about 6" high and it is layers of white cake with white frosting in between and the whole thing is covered in a beautiful homemade fondant.

I think this calls for a cake party. Who's bringing the milk?

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-11-30T13:52:00.001-05:00

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday November 30 at 12 pm EST until Monday December 7 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last. Each and every poster in the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale is available online and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

Black Friday / Black Saturday. Extending our sale till tomorrow...

2009-11-27T18:15:00.000-05:00

Today was great and we are now officially in the Christmas mood! Thank you to everyone that came by today. We're feeling so festive that we have decided to extend the sale into tomorrow, to continue the feeling!

So, if you couldn't make it today because you were stuck with family, too tired from door busting at 5am or just still full of Turkey from yesterday, come by Hero tomorrow 12-5pm and get in on the killer deals.

The 29 Tubes of Christmas - Hero's Online Scratch + Dent Sale

2009-11-27T17:35:00.000-05:00

The 29 Tubes of Christmas are available now! This is the first time we have EVER offered our discounted Scratch + Dent posters to our online shoppers. It's a great way to grab some super cheap posters you've been eyeing up and maybe even some holiday gifts! If you have any questions contact us at hero.design {at} mac {dot} com

Black Friday at The Hero Boutique...TONS of great deals!

2009-11-25T17:42:00.003-05:00

We have VERY VERY few of these available and they are already sold out on kidrobot.com so if you are looking to get one, you will want to be here RIGHT at 12pm!!

MUNNYWORLD are at Hero Now.

2009-11-25T14:34:00.004-05:00

All of MUNNY’s new MUNNYWORLD friends are available now.

You can start making your own new world of toys!

These are a great way to make some unique gifts for people on your list, that appreciate your creative skills!

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-11-23T14:49:00.004-05:00

We just reprinted our popular owly in a brand new colorway and we are releasing it today! We only have 10 prints available at this very low price of $10 (thats 50% off), then the price will go up to $20. It’s the perfect price for a holiday gift.

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday November 23 at 12 pm EST until Monday November 30 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last. Each and every poster in the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale is available online and at the Hero Boutique in Buffalo, NY.

Lots of new stuff at Hero now...

2009-11-19T16:46:00.005-05:00

Santa came to Hero a little early and we have something for every one on your holiday list, no matter if they are naughty or nice!

Swamp Folk Mini Figures
The Scary Girl adventure continues with Nathan Jurevicius’ latest mini series. All 9 Swamp Folk, plus the two chases, come blind boxed with accessories and an insert that tells their twisted tales.
Available now at Hero.

Krunk-A-Claus Dunny 3-Inch
Get in the Yuletide spirit with TADO’s Krunk-A-Clause Dunny. With a bottle of ‘nog and ice cream cone, the jolly Krunk is the gift that keeps on giving. But watch out for the crowbar wielding, holiday hating chase! Blind-boxed and at Hero now!

Xmas Wonderland Labbit 5-Pack
Frank Kozik spreads a little holiday sneer with this set of 5 ferociously festive 1.5-inch Labbits. Ranging from flocked to frosted, this pack is available now at Hero.

Time to drool over House Industries again...

2009-11-19T10:39:00.008-05:00

Every time an email shows up in my inbox from House Industries, I can expect I am going to be wanting most of what is contained. This week's email is no exception, they are featuring their new Holiday Objects and of course, I want way too many things. (Hint hint, Christmas is coming up - I am making it easy for you, buy me pretty much ANYTHING from House and I will be happy.)

Check out all of House's wares on their website and if you are in NYC today, you'd be stupid not to hit up their one day Pop-Up Shop at the Type Directors Club to touch and feel both old and new Housewares in person:

House Industries Pop-Up Shop
November 19th from 11:30am-6pm
Type Directors Club
347 West 36 Street, Suite 603
New York, New York
212-633-8943

Our pals Allison and Craig from Strawberryluna, got me the Ampersand Cutting Board for my birthday last month and it rules my face!! I have it on display in our kitchen and it makes me happy every single morning. (thanks again guys)

New Poster: The Swell Season in Mesa, AZ

2009-11-18T10:35:00.005-05:00

Our poster for The Swell Season's show in Mesa, AZ last night, is available now. This 18" x 24" four color silkscreen poster was printed on Accent Opaque Smooth White 100# cover stock. It is a signed and numbered edition of 200. The majority of the edition was available from the band last night at the show, so we only have a small amount available for sale.

If you get a chance to see The Swell Season on this tour, definitely do. Their new album, Strict Joy, is great and they are one of the best live shows I have ever been to. I suppose while I am plugging and sounding like a super fan, if you haven't seen the movie Once yet, rent it ASAP. Part of the inspiration for this movie, was the result of soundtrack The Swell Season created for Jan Hrebejk's movie, Beauty In Trouble. 'Once', is a low-budget Irish indie film that turned out to be one of the most successful independent features of 2007. The pair not only wrote the songs for the movie but they both starred in it as well.

Applying the "Think Different" (a look back at the last three years)

2009-11-16T16:04:00.003-05:00

It's pretty safe to say that no single company has ever inspired me more than Apple Computer. I have read (maybe) ten books in my life and Steve Jobs' biography makes that very short list. The first time I walked into an Apple store two things occurred to me; one, if there is a heaven this must be what it looks like, bright white, open and beautiful. The second thing that I immediately realized is, this place isn't just built for selling computers, but it was also built to sell their brand, the lifestyle and most importantly the human experience.

Three and half years ago Hero called a 250 square foot office on Main Street, "home". We were busting at the seams there, using a hallway for our poster inventory and printing our posters in a friend's basement, miles away. People would walk by and bang on my window, and proceed to yell to me that they wanted to come in, to purchase a poster. Although it was cool to sell our posters using the same system as a meth dealer, it was time for a change.

We needed more space, but we also needed more money for said space. It was time to get even more creative than we were already trying to be, but instead of being creative with a "Built To Spill" poster, we needed to be creative with our entire business. In times like those, I have to take a step back and look at everything I love and admire, and everything that inspires me, to see how I can apply it to my personal situation. I immediately thought about the Apple Store and thought, "WHAT IF?". The design industry for the most part is a closed door world, hidden away on the third floor of some office building. What if we took it to the street and opened the door? What if we invited other creatives or fans of creativity, into a space and offered them a chance to experience all things design? What If we applied what we had always loved about Apple and started to "Think Different" about our own little business?

Three years later, we're on the street level and we have had an open door that entire time. People have been able to come in, look over the four-foot counter that separates our store from the design studio, to see what we're designing. They have been able to look in the back and see us screen printing our current project, they've been able to look at the walls to see the posters we've created over the past 4 years and they have been inspired from shelves and shelves of designer toys from artists all over the world. It is 700 square feet of all things design and creative, all happening in real time, right in front of your eyes. Three years later, in our hometown of Buffalo, more people than ever know who we are and we realize we are selling so much more than our posters, toys and design services. Just like our inspiration, Apple, we are selling ourselves, our brand and our own personal human experience.

The second best thing about this entire experience, which came as a surprise to me, has been the people. Many of our customers have become some of our best friends. After all, we help their loved ones pick out their gifts for birthdays, Christmas, and other special events in their lives. We have spent many of our favorite nights in Buffalo with these people in our tiny little store, drinking, eating and listening to good music, all while celebrating our common bond, a love for design. Some come in every other month, some a couple times a month and a few every single week. They don't always buy something, but for us it's not just always about making money, it's about getting out of our chairs, putting the project or client on hold, and just shooting the shit with a good friend. The people, our customers and friends, have made this business enjoyable to us and they make going to work even more exciting than it already is.

What has been the BEST thing about this entire experience for me, you ask? It is doing what I love for a living, with my favorite person, who is both my partner in life and in business, all while our dog is laying at our feet. I may not be a wealthy man and my bank account can prove that, but I am a happy man and my laugh lines are a badge of honor. This little store has supported my dreams while others are still dreaming.

Thank you for three great years! Let's make it thirty more!

Mark Brickey
Husband, Designer, Printer, Store Owner, Businessman, Friend, Dog Owner & Community College Drop Out

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-11-16T15:22:00.000-05:00

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday November 16 at 12 pm EST until Monday November 23 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last.

Our Posters, Your Walls

2009-11-12T15:10:00.000-05:00

Built to Spill - Oakland, CA

We ship our posters all over the world and it is always so amazing to see where they end up. So we are putting together an album of our posters in their final resting places, check out the album so far.

Do you have a Hero poster hanging in your favorite dwelling(s)? Send us your photos to hero.design {at} mac {dot} com with your city + state and we'll get it added to the album. Thanks!

Tomorrow the Hero Boutique Celebrates Three Years!

2009-11-12T14:55:00.003-05:00

That's right, time really does fly when you are having fun! The Hero Boutique has been open in Allentown for 3 years already and we have a HUGE stack of $5 posters available to you!

Stop by the Hero Boutique to celebrate with us any time from 12pm - 10pm tomorrow Friday the 13th to take advantage of the great deals listed above and more importantly come by between 7pm and 10pm for cocktails, giveaways and more!!

What? You wanna get us a birthday present?
The best gift you can give us is your continued support so we are able to stick around for many more years to come! Stop by our store, buy something for yourself, for a gift, or get a jump start on your holiday shopping. Even the smallest purchases support our store and allow us to continue to bring you the newest and coolest goodies.

RSVP to this event on Facebook.

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-11-11T12:37:00.001-05:00

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday November 9 at 12 pm EST until Monday November 16 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last.

Coming to Hero in November from Kidrobot...

2009-11-09T11:03:00.006-05:00

Get a jump start on your Holiday shopping in November at Hero. Don't wait till December, some of these releases are so limited they will be gone very very FAST!!

MUNNYWORLD
MUNNY’s world is about to get bigger! Meet TRIKKY, BUB, RAFFY and ROOZ, 4 new characters all ready for scribbling, piercing, painting and posing just like the original. Each 4-inch MUNNYWORLD figure comes with 1 of 3 foil wrapped accessories made especially for them, retails for $9.99 each, and is available at Hero the week of November 23rd.

Swamp Folk Mini Figures
The Scary Girl adventure continues with Nathan Jurevicius’ latest mini series. All 9 Swamp Folk, plus the two chases, come blind boxed with accessories and an insert that tells their twisted tales.
Available at Hero this November.

Krunk-A-Claus Dunny 3-Inch
Get in the Yuletide spirit with TADO’s Krunk-A-Clause Dunny. With a bottle of ‘nog and ice cream cone, the jolly Krunk is the gift that keeps on giving. But watch out for the crowbar wielding, holiday hating chase! Blind-boxed and retailing for $9.99 each, the 3-inch Krunk-A-Claus is available at Hero this November.

Xmas Wonderland Labbit 5-Pack
Frank Kozik spreads a little holiday sneer with this set of 5 ferociously festive 1.5-inch Labbits. Ranging from flocked to frosted, this pack is available at Hero this November.

Nutter 5-Inch
Nut up with the shell-shocked squirrel from South African illustrator Kronk. Armed with an acorn grenade complete with removable pin, this super limited 5-inch figure—only 500 made worldwide and bombs his way into Hero on Black Friday, November 27th.

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-11-02T12:32:00.006-05:00

In celebration of Dia De Los Muertos or Day of the Dead (which is celebrated yesterday, November 1 and today, November 2) - this week's Great Ten Dollar Poster is our Sugar Skull art print.

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday November 2 at 12 pm EST until Monday November 9 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last.

The Hero Boutique is Turning Three...

2009-10-30T12:00:00.000-04:00

It's our party and we'll give great deals if we want to.

Stop by the Hero Boutique to celebrate with us any time from 12pm - 10pm on Friday the 13th to take advantage of the great deals listed above and more importantly come by between 7pm and 10pm for cocktails, giveaways and more!!

What? You wanna get us a birthday present?
The best gift you can give us is your continued support so we are able to stick around for many more years to come! Stop by our store, buy something for yourself, for a gift, or get a jump start on your holiday shopping. Even the smallest purchases support our store and allow us to continue to bring you the newest and coolest goodies.

RSVP to this event on Facebook.

Daily Drop Caps - Free Hand Crafted Capitals

2009-10-29T18:15:00.005-04:00

o you have a hard time finding that perfect first letter to really show off the mood you are trying to set in your blog post? Are you looking to give your blog posters a designer edge? Then Daily Drop Cap is just the thing for you. Sure this could be perceived as totally unnecessary, but who doesn't love to look at beautiful ornate letters?

Super talented typographer and illustrator, Jessica Hische has an ongoing collection of hand-crafted decorative initial caps that she updates daily. A quick copy of the code into your blog, and you have set yourself apart from all the others out there.

via Apartment Therapy
(images: Daily Drop Cap by Jessica Hische)

Just in time for Halloween - Patricio Oliver's Cucos at Hero Now!

2009-10-29T17:15:00.003-04:00

Just in time for Halloween and from the dark recesses of Patricio Oliver's mind come the bizarre children known as the Cucos.

Led by the elusive and sinister Cursed Twins, this collection of 3-inch evildoers only exist to cause madness and horror wherever they go.

This blind-boxed series includes 13 figures, 2 of which are chases.

Yummy Breakfast - They're Bacccckkk.....

2009-10-28T14:10:00.003-04:00

The ever popular Yummy Breakfast Keychain Series are back in stock at Hero now!

You asked, so we got them back in for you. These will go fast, so hurry in and get some soon!

New from Hero - Autumn Art Print!

2009-10-27T15:27:00.010-04:00

Our brand new Autumn 8" x 10" Silkscreen Art Print is available for sale now on Etsy and at the Hero Boutique in Allentown.
And check out the giveaway that our pal Buffawhat is doing on his blog, and enter to win a copy of this print.

Here are a couple photos taken during the process:

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-10-26T12:39:00.002-04:00

We have a very limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast. Offer valid from Monday October 26 at 12 pm EST until Monday November 2 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last.

The Ultimate List of iPod + iPhone Apps for Creatives and Designers.

2009-10-21T16:31:00.004-04:00

If you are anything like us, your iPhone is LOADED with useful apps for all different areas of your life. Check out this ultimate list of iPod and iPhone Apps for creatives and designers.

Wish it were always this easy...

2009-10-21T15:51:00.003-04:00

Best Client Letter Ever. Wish it could always be this way.

(via @swissmiss)

This week's Great Ten Dollar Poster...

2009-10-19T17:38:00.002-04:00

We have a limited supply available at this special price so get yours fast, last week's Great Ten Dollar poster sold out in less than 24 hours. Offer valid from Monday October 19 at 12 pm EST until Monday October 26 at 11:59 am EST, or while supplies last.

New Mongers Filter Kings Available Now at Hero

2009-10-14T15:19:00.000-04:00

Mongers Filter Kings

Get addicted to a fresh pack of Mongers in the 3rd installment of Frank Kozik’s infamous series. Each of the 19 flavorful figures, including the 2 chases, are 2-inches tall, and aim to satisfy your fix at Hero.

Frank Kozik established himself in the mid-eighties by reviving the lost art of the concert poster. His success designing posters segued into artwork, namely album covers for music powerhouses like The Sex Pistols and Nirvana. Today, Kozik’s main artistic focus is in the design and production of vinyl toys.

Kidrobot x iPhone

2009-10-14T14:41:00.010-04:00

Being iPhone users and obvious lovers of Kidrobot, we definitely thought this post from the Kronikle was worth reposting for you guys.

You can put Kidrobot on your iPhone screen for free!

It’s super-easy.

Method 1

Visit this page on your iPhone.
Tap the image you want as your background.
When it pops up big, tap and hold it for 2 seconds and choose “Save Image”
Leave your browser and go to your Photos app, view the image you just downloaded and tap the icon in the lower left corner, then choose the “Use as Wallpaper” option. That’s it!

Method 2

Visit this page on your PC or Mac.
Click on the image you want as your background.
When it pops up big: Right-click it (option-click for Mac users) and save it to your desktop, then email it to your iPhone.
Pull up the new mail with the image attachment on your iPhone. Tap and hold the image to save it.
Leave Mail and go to your Photos app, view the image you just downloaded and tap the icon in the lower left corner, then choose the “Use as Wallpaper” option. That’s it!

iPhone Backgrounds

All copy and images copyright of Kidrobot and via Kronikle.

Every Time I Die's New Junk Aesthetic 2009 Tour Poster

2009-10-12T16:31:00.005-04:00

Every Time I Die's New Junk Aesthetic 2009 Tour Poster released today at 12pm and it is this week's Great Ten Dollar Poster. We have a limited supply at the sale price, so make sure to get one fast. After the limited supply is sold at $10, they will be $25 each.

Also available is a super limited color variant that was only available at the Toronto and Buffalo shows. We have a very limited supply of these. (These are not part of the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale)

Illustration line art by Jordan Buckley, design, layout and printing by Hero Design Studio.
**Both posters sold out very quickly on the tour and we have VERY few copies available for sale.

Even More Framed Hero Mini Test Prints - Available Now

2009-10-09T13:13:00.005-04:00

We just put a whole new batch of mini framed test prints up in our etsy store. Check out all of em here and keep checking back, we'll be adding more soon. And come by the Hero Boutique to get some too, a whole different batch are on display and available in store.

"What's a test print?" you ask.

A test print is a magical one-of-a-kind print created from layers of different prints we've made over time. We use them to get colors right, fix a mistake when screenprinting, and for lots of other reasons. Sometimes the layers just come together in such a beautiful and accidental way, that a strange piece of paper with lots of stuff is turned into a finished print.

We've recently gone through our stacks of test prints and cut some down into 5" x 7" prints and framed them. Each print is available in an unfinished pine frame. If you are interested in purchasing more than one, contact via message on etsy or email and we can offer a discount depending on how many.

Buff Monster 8" Dunny tomorrow at Hero

2009-10-07T15:37:00.001-04:00

Indulge your sweet tooth with the 8-inch Buff Monster Dunny. Topped with the artist’s trademark heavy metal-inspired, ice cream art and limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, this vinyl confection is only available at select retailers, get it at Hero tomorrow at 12pm!

The Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale Starts Today at Hero

2009-10-05T12:28:00.004-04:00

To learn more about the Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale and to purchase this week's poster go here!

Hero Greeting Cards on Etsy

2009-10-02T16:25:00.005-04:00

Now you can browse all of our hand printed silkscreen greeting card designs in one place online - start shopping for greeting cards in our etsy store now. You can also purchase a set of 4 greeting cards here or 8 greeting cards here (mix and match however you'd like).

Upcoming Kidrobot Releases at Hero

2009-10-01T14:22:00.007-04:00

Buff Monster Dunny 8-inch
October 8.

Indulge your sweet tooth with the 8-inch Buff Monster Dunny. Topped with the artist’s trademark heavy metal-inspired, ice cream art and limited to 1,000 pieces worldwide, this vinyl confection is only available at select retailers, get it at Hero on October 8.

Mongers Filter Kings
Mid October

Get addicted to a fresh pack of Mongers in the 3rd installment of Frank Kozik’s infamous series. Each of the 19 flavorful figures, including the 2 chases, are 2-inches tall, and sell for only $4.99, aim to satisfy your fix at Hero this October.

Frank Kozik established himself in the mid-eighties by reviving the lost art of the concert poster. His success designing posters segued into artwork, namely album covers for music powerhouses like The Sex Pistols and Nirvana. Today, Kozik’s main artistic focus is in the design and production of vinyl toys.

Cucos Minis
Late October

From the dark recesses of Patricio Oliver’s mind come the unique and bizarre group of children called the Cucos. Led by the elusive and sinister Cursed Twins, these 3-inch terrors torment Hero in late October.

The Great Ten Dollar Poster Sale at Hero

2009-09-30T12:55:00.004-04:00

Beginning this coming Monday, October 5 and every Monday until the end of 2009, we will announce a new poster that will be available for just $10, that week only!! Some quantities will be very limited at that price, so you will have to get 'em quick.

Each $10 poster will be available in store and online** in the Hero web store only!

Also available:

A 5-poster Mystery Tube for only $40. We will choose 5 of the $10 posters at random for your tube.

or

Get a subscription to all 13 posters for just $100. These will only be available from October 5 to October 19 at 12pm EST. These subscriptions will ship the first week in December.

*We are not announcing the posters ahead of time, so each Monday check out the blog and our website to find out what that week's $10 poster is. There will be a page on our website where the featured poster will be available for sale, along with all the details about the mystery tube and subscription.

**Online purchases are subject to regular shipping fees.

Tim Burton's Magical Fashion

2009-09-29T12:46:00.009-04:00

I am a big fan of fimmaker, Tim Burton's work. The colors, the intensity, the exaggeration - it is just all so beautiful. In anticipation of his retrospective at New York's Museum of Modern Art, Burton reimagines the season's dark delights for Harper's Bazaar. Photographs by Tim Walker.

Many of Burton's movies fall on my all time favorite movies list and I am eagerly awaiting Alice in Wonderland, now it looks like I may have to make sure I get to New York for his retrospective at the MoMA.

In addition to Tim Burton, Halloween and the Fall are my absolute favorites, so to get you in the mood for the season, check out these fabulous photos, see the entire collection here.

Dunny Series 2009 are Almost Sold Out!

2009-09-29T11:15:00.005-04:00

Hoping to get your hands on some of the newest series of Dunnys, Series 2009? Hurry and get 'em now before they are gone. We are down to the last two boxes and they are going super fast! We are unable to order more, so get yours while you can!!

"Flintstock", "Graphic Beauty" and "Flashback" - Music & Posters in Flint

2009-09-25T15:34:00.011-04:00

Flintstock is happening this weekend in Flint, Michigan (yes, I said, Flint)! What is Flintstock you ask?

Flintstock will take place at the Flint Institute of the Arts (FIA) this Saturday, September 26, 2009 from 12pm - 10pm. It comprises of 7 legendary bands and TWO poster art shows, so it's kind of a big deal. Check out the great feature Paste Magazine wrote about the show!

We have 10 posters in the exhibit entitled “Graphic Beauty: Contemporary Rock and Roll Posters”, which features posters from over 30 contemporary working poster artists from around the US, some of whom will be on hand at Flintstock, selling their works. Also being shown in conjunction, is an amazing retrospective called “Flashback: Posters from the Golden Age of Rock and Roll”, the 80-plus posters, taken from the Bill Graham collection, will include psychedelic art luminaries like Rick Griffin and Stanley Mouse, but also lesser-known works from New York and Boston that departed from the famous psychedelic look.

Both exhibits will be on display at FIA from September 26 - November 8, 2009. For more info on Flintstock and the poster exhibits, visit the Flint Institute of Arts website here.

Things we are into right now... Chicago Edition

2009-09-24T16:01:00.009-04:00

With this being our fifth or sixth trip to Chicago in the last couple years and second trip this summer alone, we thought it best to put together a "Things we are into..." for Chicago. Chicago has slowly become one of my favorite cities, and this trip has a lot to do with that. We are hoping to be going back again in December for another festival. So here are just SOME of our favorites from Chicago.

Delicious Design League
Jason and Billy from Delicious are two of our favorite people in the whole world. Like Hero, they are a screen printing, illustration and design duo. Their level of talent just makes my head hurt!! Their work is very vintage-esque in the most authentic way possible. They recently they set up shop in a new raw warehouse studio, you check out photos of their new space here from our last trip to Chicago in July. On this trip to Chicago, Jason, his lovely wife, Margaux, and of course their super adorable son, Desmond, put us up at their place and that made this visit, by far the best one yet.

Anne Benjamin
Another one of our good friends, Anne Benjamin, makes our favorites list, because she is just plain RAD! Anne, too is a printmaker and illustrator, she makes custom letterpressed invites, cards and prints. Her work is beautiful and I was so happy to get to see some of it in person finally at her booth at Renegade. You may recognize her name and work from the custom show we did last year, Anne made this beauty. On top of being über talented, Anne is one of the sweetest and funniest people I know.

Threadless Kid's Store
If you aren't familiar, Threadless is an online, community based, artist submitted, t-shirt company. Members of the Threadless community submit t-shirt designs online; the designs are then put to a public vote. A small percentage of submitted designs are selected for printing and sold through an online store. Creators of the winning designs receive a prize of cash and store credit. In 2007 they opened a store in Chicago and in late 2008 they opened a kid's store in Wicker Park. The store was just up the street from our booth at Renegade and our friend Margaux works there, so I stopped in to see her and of course left with a couple of great Christmas gifts! Tons of great designs and styles to choose from and they even have tees for grown-ups, too.

Wrigley Field
What is there to say about this classic that hasn't already been said. We went there to see the Cub's play at my first major league baseball game, and I couldn't think of a better place to have seen it. Wrigley Field is the second-oldest ballpark in the majors behind Boston's Fenway Park and this year marked it's 96th season. With all it's history and to be with such good friends, it just gave me chills. Shit, they even had gluten free beer, being at a baseball game, with good friends, kettle corn and a beer in hand...I could have died happy in that moment.

Marcello's
When you think of Chicago, I guarantee the thought of deep dish pizza enters shortly thereafter. With my gluten intolerance this was never a possibility for me, so on all of our trips to Chicago, I had to sit by while everyone else had pizza, multiple times. This summer on our first trip to Chicago of the year, our good friend Billy Delicious told me about a local Chicago pizzeria that served the famous Chicago style deep dish, and that also served gluten free pies. No, my pizza wasn't deep dish, but while everyone else got their deep dish, I could also enjoy pizza! And it was quite possibly, some of THE best gluten free pizza I have found yet. And in my searching to write this review, I learned that they DO in fact also have deep dish gluten free pizza, so I will be back!!

Intelligentsia Coffee
I have had Intelligentsia's coffee on multiple occasions and every time I ask, "what is this coffee, why is it so good?". So on this trip, while having a fabulous brunch at Feast in Wicker Park, after tasting the coffee and asking those very same questions, I then asked "where can I get it?". So we walked up the street to Cipollina and I grabbed a bag. I'm not a fancy, coffee know-it-all, so I can't tell you what makes it so good, I just know I really like it!

Photos from Hero's Dunny Series 2009 Trading Party

2009-09-24T14:54:00.004-04:00

Thanks to everyone that came to the Dunny Series 2009 party at Hero a couple weeks ago. We had an amazing time and we hope that you did too. Each party is better than the last, since each time people bring even more goodies to trade. Quite a few full cases were bought, we gave away some great prizes and lots of trades were made. I even picked up an entire binder of Garbage Pail Kids! SCORE!!

Check out all the photos from the party and make sure to get your ass to the next one - they are so much fun!!

Photos from Seattle

2009-09-24T11:53:00.005-04:00

I am far too scatter brained right now to post a proper follow up from our trip to Seattle for Flatstock 22 from a few weeks ago. So, between the "Thing We Like" post that we put up yesterday and this photo collection on Flickr, you should be able to get a pretty good idea of what a rad time we had!!

We hope you enjoy.

See all the photos we posted here.

Things we are into right now... Seattle Edition

2009-09-23T23:24:00.000-04:00

Seattle is one of our favorite places that we are fortunate to visit each year, so writing this was so both fun and hard too, since it made us sad that we'll have to wait a whole year to go back and experience this all again. We had an amazing time at Flatstock 22 and Bumbershoot this year and we will be posting photos soon, but until then, here are some things we like in Seattle. - Beth & Mark

Pike Place Market
It is hard to think of Seattle and not think of the Pike Place Market. One of my favorite places in the entire world. It is THE best farmer's market you will ever go to and if we weren't flying home, I would try to buy one of everything to take home with me. With fresh produce, flying fish and beautiful flowers everywhere, this bustling indoor/outdoor market has over 200 year-round vendors, there is definitely something for everyone there. We make the trip to Pike Place yearly and as part of the trip, we also make a visit for lunch at Lowell's. A three floor restaurant and bar that overlooks the Port of Seattle. Lowell's has some of the best seafood I have ever eaten in my life, and a couple years ago that is where I tried my first fish taco! YUM!

Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store
After our yearly trip to Pike Place and a filling lunch at Lowell's, we decided to do some walking so we didn't all pass out. Our best pal and traveling partner, Strawberryluna asked if we could stop by a gallery/boutique that carries her work. We walked to the Capitol Hill area and stopped into Bluebottle Art Gallery and Store. It is small, quaint and it instantly made me happy. I saw artwork from some of our very talented friends, like Strawberryluna, Tad Carpenter, Eleanor Grosch and also work from some of my other favorites, Amanda Visell, Drake Brodahl, Julie West and so so many more. Bluebottle is owned by husband and wife team, Andrea and Matthew Porter. Bluebottle serves as headquarters to Matthew, who is an artist and Children's Book illustrator. I am a big fan of Matthew's illustrations, I bought his alphabet book last year as a gift for my nephew, Noah, and wanted to buy it again this year for my brand new niece, Teagan. Matthew was manning the register at his lovely store and was kind enough to sign both books that I bought. This store had so much stuff I wanted to buy, I really had to hold back.

Dick's Drive In
One of the greatest things about living in a free society is fast food. The idea that you can simply pull into restaurant, cough up two bucks and be on your way with a burger, still blows my mind. So, I try to exercise this right as much as possible and thank my lucky stars that I live in the glory of freedom and not a communist country like Europe. Needless to say, nothing symbolizes my right to choose like a fresh bag of Dick's! With a overly simple menu and even simpler pricing, they turn it over quick. I prefer the simple burger and not the fancy one. I also always have the strawberry shake, which sometimes I pretend is Pepto Bismol, so I don't feel like I'm stuffing myself too much. Sure, the skeptics will complain that you have to pay for ketchup, but I say, ask any European if they'd pay a nickel to be free! Hero Fun Fact No. 238: I (Mark), have never spent over 24 hours in Seattle without putting some Dick's in my stomach!

Easy Street Records
It's easy to see how Seattle keeps such a great music and design scene. With Easy Street sitting proud to nurture the ears and eyes of Seattle. It's big but not overwhelming. It rocks, but not too loud. It lets you be, but is friendly if you need help. It's everything that is right about an indie record store and everything that is missing when buying a track off iTunes. For the kids at Hero, it's our second favorite record store in the world! Number one being ear X-tacy in Louisville, of course!

The Mecca Cafe
The Mecca is a fabulous 80 year old dive diner/bar up the block from the hotel that we stay at every year. Complete with vintage vinyl booths, a jukebox and most of the original decor from it's beginnings in 1929. We love to hit the Mecca up for breakfast, we love their super delicious unpretentious coffee and the Salmon Saute is pretty much the most amazing breakfast, with the freshest salmon you could ever imagine. Oh and I have three words for you, THICK CUT BACON!!! (see above photo) Probably the best bacon I have ever eaten. The Mecca is also a great watering hole, but most times we are drinking on the rooftop of our hotel with the fabulous view of the Puget Sound.

Area 51
On our day off while walking, we stumbled on this great furniture and housewares store, Area 51. A huge space filled with new and vintage, modern furniture and housewares. So many beautiful mid century modern pieces that I would die to come across in a thrift store or at a garage sale. Obviously, these items were all carefully selected and far out of my price range, but I could have spent all day in there. They had the largest collection of over sized sign and marquee letters I have ever seen in person. I had to fight wanting to walk out with one.

So much insanity...

2009-09-23T17:56:00.006-04:00

September has been one THE craziest months ever for Hero. So, sorry for the lack of posts on the blog.

In the coming days look for - 'Things We Are Into' posts, reviews and photos from Flatstock and Renegade, photos from the Dunny party, new releases at the boutique for the next month and much more!

We'd also like to update you on the Artvoice art-stealing debacle, but there really isn't much more to tell you at this point. We had hoped to handle the situation as amicably as possible, however their response to us and choice of how to handle their mistake, didn't quite mesh with what we thought was fair, given the circumstances. So, we chose to not take their offer and are continuing to move forward in other ways. More on that when there is more to tell.

The 7th Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago

2009-09-08T12:30:00.000-04:00

Hero will be participating in the 7th Annual Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago will be September 12 + 13 from 11am – 7pm on Division St. between Damen Ave. and Paulina St. in Wicker Park! click here for directions

Over 300 artists are traveling from all over the country to participate and sell their handmade goods: from clothing and accessories, to stationery and concert posters, with everything from bath-products, ceramics and housewares in between! This FREE TO ATTEND DIY craft, art and design extravaganza occurs in one of Chicago’s liveliest neighborhoods, on its busiest block!

So make sure you come by the Hero booth and check out all of our goodies, including a bunch of new greeting card designs and brand new Hero pillows!!!

Read more about Renegade Craft Fair in Chicago here.

New Buffalo Prints from Hero Design and Buffalo Rising

2009-09-01T15:49:00.004-04:00

Buffalo Rising Print
16" x 20" - 4 color silkscreen print

We were proudly commissioned by Buffalo Rising to create four, brand new limited edition Buffalo Art Prints for their online store. Each design is a 16" x 20" silkscreen print and each is an edition size of only 150 prints, the colors vary from 3 to 5 colors per print. They are all printed on Accent Opaque Smooth White 100# cover stock.

The prints are available now and can be purchased online in the Buffalo Rising store or in person at the Hero Boutique at 93 Allen Street in Buffalo, NY.

From Buffalo Rising:

We've had the good fortune of working with Hero Design in the past and, based on that experience, we were anxious to find another opportunity to work together. Well, we found it and we couldn't be happier with the results.

If you're not familiar with Hero Design, take some time to check out their work. They are hyper-talented young designers the city should be proud to be home to and their work has been lauded in Spin Magazine and elsewhere.

We commissioned Hero Design to create, design and print four distinct Buffalo-themed prints. The results are four unique, beautiful, hand-crafted prints which capture different parts of the Buffalo identity.

Queen City Print
16" x 20" - 4 color silkscreen print

Good Town Print
16" x 20" - 3 color silkscreen print

Steel A Great City Print
16" x 20" - 4 color silkscreen print

Hero at the Bumbershoot Music Festival and Flatstock 22

2009-08-31T12:10:00.006-04:00

If you are in Seattle this Labor Day Weekend Hero will have a booth at Flatstock 22 at Bumbershoot Music Festival - stop by and say Hi and buy some stuffs :) There will be over 60 different poster artists from all over the world displaying and selling their work. Come grab posters and hear the stories behind them straight from the artist. 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 is an all-ages event.

Bumbershoot Music Festival
Seattle, WA
Sept 5, 6, and 7
11AM to 8PM

Flatstock 22, presented by Bumbershoot Arts And Music Festival and The American Poster Institute, will be held for three days, Saturday, September 5, Sunday September 6 and Monday September 7 at The Fisher Pavillion, Seattle Center in Seattle, WA. You must have a Bumbershoot Music Fest Pass to get access to the Flatstock show.

Find more information on the event and band line up at www.bumbershoot.org

Below is a map of the festival grounds so you can easily find your way to us. Click to view it larger.
(Thanks Strawberryluna)

A little bit more about what 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.

Dunny Series 2009 - Pre-Release and Trading Party at Hero

2009-08-28T13:00:00.000-04:00

Mark Wednesday, September 9 on your calendar with the epic release of Dunny Series 2009 at Hero. We will be having an OFFICIAL Kidrobot Pre-Release and Trading Party!! Meet fellow collectors, get your trade on and win awesome prizes. More info about the party can be found here.

Click here to download the trading check list!

See you there!

Get ready for Dunny editions of Devilrobot’s To-Fu Head Son and Mori Chack’s Gloomy Bear, plus a new bunch of wild figures equipped with the necessary accessories to wreak havoc on your collection. Keep an eye out for 2 chases that slipped into the line-up, plus Golden Tickets redeemable for an elusive 3-inch Dunny by the NYC-based artist, Pon.

Officially dropping September 10, these 3-inch figures will be available for $7.99 each.

Artists in this series include Amanda Visell, Andrew Bell, Amy Ruppel, Brandt Peters, Dalek, Devilrobots, Gary Taxali, Mori Chack, Huck Gee, Jeremyville, Kozik, Kronk, Luke Chueh, Mad, Pon, MR. Shane Jessup, Shawnimal, SupaKitch, Travis Cain, and Thomas Han.

Cant make it to Hero? Check out the list below of all the other OFFICIAL trading parties across North America and get to a store near you!

At Hero Now

2009-08-26T21:20:00.003-04:00

Slightly off & and super soft, Choop! hails from TADO's Fortune Pork Mini Series 2. All grown up in this 10-inch plush version, Choop! is the kind of toy that will color your world with sinister surprises & sweet thoughts. Only 1500 made. Available NOW!!

We are victims of Design Thievery!!!

2009-08-22T12:52:00.007-04:00

Hero has become a victim of design thievery. This time on an inconceivable level.

Local publication, Artvoice, stole original artwork that we created for the band Iron & Wine and altered it VERY slightly for a full page back cover ad, advertising their publication and their upcoming "Fall Arts" Issue. They even used our color scheme and textures. All of the major elements of the full page ad were stolen directly from our poster and used without our knowledge or permission!

This is a violation of the copyrights associated with our artwork and we are not going to deal with this lightly, we plan to take action and we are prepared to do whatever necessary to insure that this doesn't happen again. Not only to us, but to other artists that the Artvoice and it's designers could potentially steal from in the future. Another point to be made is when stealing artwork from a local artist, like us, whose work is known in the community, this causes causes confusion with respect to the source, sponsorship and/or our approval of their products and the services of their company. Within hours of the issue being on stands, and before we even saw it, we began getting phone calls, emails and texts asking if we started working with Artvoice and why did our artwork look like that, etc. This is embarrasing and potentially damaging to us and our company's name and reputation locally.

Whether its a young designer or a seasoned veteran this has got to STOP! Stealing original artwork from another working artist is disgusting, let alone another working artist in your own city. (Our offices are mere steps from each other.)

We also learned that one of the two elements that they added to our original design (beyond the type elements) was also stolen, from our good friend Julian Montague's book cover for Mark Goldman's book City on The Edge.

Check out this mess below.
Also take a minute to read the post we put up a couple of months ago regarding copyrights.

Their back cover design

Our original poster

A closeup detail of the skyline

A closeup detail of the skyline created by Julian Montague for, City on The Edge.

Hero is now booking for Fall and Early Winter...

2009-08-19T12:00:00.001-04:00

Hero is now booking design jobs for the Fall and early Winter and our schedule is filling up fast. You've seen what we can do, now let us do it for you.

Contact us about your upcoming job, whether it be a custom illustration, packaging project, branding your company, event poster, whatever.

While we finish up our new website and update our outdated portfolio, browse our catalog of posters which we think is the best showing of our creative capabilities. And let us know if we can get a promo package out to you so you can see some of our work in person. Contact us here hero.design {at} mac {dot} com

Vote for this SXSW Panel!! It's So Big...

2009-08-18T11:30:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, our good friend Susan Tanner, of Righteous Babe Records, approached about this idea for a SXSW panel, she asked our thoughts and suggestions on it and if we would consider being panelists on it. We loved the idea, as we have lots of opinions on this subject and said we'd love to be on the panel. Her panel suggestion has made it to the next level and is now in voting!!

The panel is called "It’s So Big! Packaging Design from CDs to Vinyl to Merchandise". You can read more about it and vote here.

You do NOT have to be registered for SXSW to vote but you do have to create an account, though. (it takes just minutes). Please take the time to vote for this and tell your friends, too.

This week at Hero - Donkey Dunny, Double Punch Week and a free $5

2009-08-17T11:30:00.001-04:00

We need you! Help support Gigposters.com!

2009-08-07T14:05:00.007-04:00

Gigposters.com is an amazing website run by our dear friend Clay Hayes! This website has really been an amazing source of information, inspiration, laughs, and so much more for us for many years.

When we got into screen printing our own posters, gigposters.com was an endless source of everything we needed to know about screen printing and gigposters. We literally had one person at the studio with the press and the other on a laptop searching the archives of the gigposters.com forums trying to find answers to all of our questions, and trying to figure out how to fix what we messed up.

Even if you have no interest in screen printing and design, this website is a phenomenal archive of gigposters and fliers for events and shows from all over. There are close to 108,000 posters in the archive, featuring nearly 10,000 differernt bands and over 8,000 designers from all over the world.

Gigposters.com REALLY needs your help now!! We all need this website to stay around and we are asking for your help to keep this gem around!! Please give or do what you can!!

Here is what you can do to help:

Buy the book! - if you haven't got your copy of the Gig Posters: Volume 1 book, please consider ordering it. (they make great gifts too)

Buy Merch! - coloring books, decks of cards, clothing, posters etc. There are a bunch of amazing items from so many great designers.

Go Premium! - get yourself extra site features and support this site.

Sell in the classifieds - sell your own posters, tees, handmade toys etc

Buy a banner ad - advertise your studio or business

And...if none of this interests you, and you still would like to help there is a donate button on the front page.

Matisyahu Album and Poster Giveaway.

2009-08-07T11:00:00.003-04:00

JamBase is excited about Matisyahu's new album, LIGHT.

In celebration of the release they're giving away five (5) copies of Light, as well as a grand prize package of 27 of the unique silk-screen posters by Hero Design Studio from Matisyahu's Fall 2008 tour.

More info on the new record, the posters and to enter the contest go here.

(*the posters shown above are just a random selection of posters from the poster series we did, not necessarily what is included in this giveaway)

New at Hero and Available Now!

2009-08-06T14:10:00.003-04:00

Futurama Mini Figures

3-Inch

Vinyl

Time warp to the 31st century with cast of Futurama!

We've teamed up with Matt Groening and David X. Cohen for the second time to bring your favorite Planet Express employees to vinyl.

From the cryogenically frozen Fry to the ancient Dr. Zoidberg, 12 iconic characters, including 2 chases are coming at you blind boxed in the very near future. Each figure in this series comes with a sticker and some include accessories too!

Smorkin' Labbit
10-Inch DayGlo Polka Dot Edition

Vinyl

Spots are the new solid, or so Labbit thinks after smorkin' a few too many and getting experimental with his coat.

Because of his smork-induced slip-up, this 10-incher's now puffing away on a candy cigarette, and though he probably won't admit it, we think his DayGlo spots make him just a little bit happy.

Only 850 made.

Rippers Zipper Pulls
1-Inch

Metal

Can't kick your Kozik habit?

The King of Smork just coughed up a fresh pack of 1-inch Mongers and they're like nothing you've seen before.

Made from smooth enamel slabs, these little addicts clip onto your jackets, hoodies and backpacks so you can satisfy your inner smork everywhere you go.

Collect Labbit, Captain Blood, Sarge, and rest of the gang in this 23 piece series!

Japanese Matchbox Labels

2009-08-05T14:50:00.003-04:00

Found these lovely 20's/30's Japanese Match Labels on one of my favorite blogs Delicious Industries (which they got from Christian Northeast's blog, Lunch Tongue). Apparently Christian has a scrapbook full of them, I wanna see more!! See the original post here.

I am such a sucker for all the flat and over simplified matchbox and matchbook labels, no matter where their origin. They are always so dynamic yet perfectly understated at the same time.

Images copyright Christian Northeast.

Flatstock follow-up and photos

2009-07-29T10:52:00.004-04:00

The Hero booth at Flatstock 21 at Pitchfork Music Festival

Sorry for the late post, but things have been crazy since we've gotten back! We had a fabulous time in Chicago filled with a super rad road trip, great friends, huge root beers, great music, posters, vodka smoothies, expensive ok-ish bloody marys, zoo trips, and so much more. We always love to hang out with all of our amazingly talented friends from all over North America, live the carnie lifestyle for a few days and to meet a ton of people that geek out over design and printing the way we all do.

Thank you to everyone that came out, said 'hi', bought posters, bought us ice cream (I'm looking at you phoondaddy), Dan Crosshair and the API for putting together another successful Flatstock and an extra special thanks to Grizzly Bear and Blitzen Trapper for hiring us to do the exclusive posters for their shows at Pitchfork. We are of course fans of both bands so they were super fun gigs for us and it was a pleasure to hear both of them live again, too.

Here are just a few of the highlights from the trip - you can see all of our photos from the trip in our Flickr set.

Us and Strawberryluna with our HUGE root beers from a rad old timey drive in somewhere in Indiana

Us on our day off in Chicago

A visit to Delicious Design League's new HQ

Our booth neighbor (our forever neighbor) Strawberryluna

Flaming Lips at the end of Sunday night at Pitchfork

Friends. Lincoln Park Zoo

A stop off on our drive home to a Fireworks Warehouse in Indiana. My first time. I got Wonder Hands!!

New stuff at Hero today!

2009-07-23T11:01:00.004-04:00

Fortune Dunny 8-Inch in Gold by MR. Shane Jessup

Limited edition of only 1000!

Holy Roller FatCap 6-Inch in Green by Deph
Limited edition of only 1200!

Yummy Donut Plush 12-inch in pink and brown

And the winner is...

2009-07-23T10:41:00.003-04:00

And the winner* of our

Modern Housewares Contest - AllModern.com Giveaway

is...

Aesthetic Outburst said...
Oooooo! I can't resist entering this give-away because the Eames Hang-it-all rack has been on my wish list for a million years. Not only is it lovely and functional, but I'd like to walk past it every day and be reminded of Charles and Ray Eames, a couple I find very inspiring.

Thanks again to everyone for being a part of this contest, for posting your comments and reading our blog!!

Hopefully this is the first of many contests like this!!

* winner was chosen at random using random.org

Modern Housewares Contest - AllModern.com Giveaway

2009-07-15T13:37:00.003-04:00

Eames ® Hang-It-All ® Rack

Alessi Paradise Birds Set - Salt and Pepper Set, Milk Jug and Sugar Bowl

Alessi - Tigrito Cat Bowl (you choose the color)

Blomus Wine Set - Cioso Wall-Mounted Wine Bottle Holder and Vinotto Wine Set

Modern Housewares Contest - AllModern.com Giveaway

If you follow the Hero blog, you know about our love for designer housewares and home accessories. From limited edition prints and collectible toys to bedding and vases, and everything in between.

Which is why we are thrilled to have teamed up with AllModern.com to give away must have items from their site. The winner will have a choice of one of the prizes pictured above.

HOW TO ENTER:

All you have to do is share with us in the comments section, what you think is a must have, well designed houseware that you cannot live without or tell us which of the above items you would like and why?

The winner will get to choose from one of the following prizes:

Eames ® Hang-It-All ® Rack

Alessi Paradise Birds Set - Salt and Pepper Set, Milk Jug and Sugar Bowl

Alessi - Tigrito Cat Bowl (you choose the color)

Blomus Wine Set - Cioso Wall-Mounted Wine Bottle Holder and Vinotto Wine Set

**The small copy**
Please note that this giveaway is only for residents of the United States.

The contest closes Wednesday, July 22 at 11:59 pm. A winner will be chosen at random (using random.org) and announced as a comment on this post and as a separate blog post on this blog, on Thursday, July 23. After we post the winner, if you are the 'chosen one' you will be expected to contact us by Thursday, July 30, to choose which prize you would like and send us your shipping info. If you have not contacted us by that date, another winner will be chosen. We suggest subscribing to receive email follow-ups in the comments if you really really want to make sure not to forget to come back and check for the winner.

I had the pleasure of choosing the items for the giveaway so I spent a lot of time on AllModern.com. All Modern has a fantastic selection of modern furniture and home accessories from many leading designers. Part of CSN Stores, All Modern is just one of over 260 retail sites that offer a diverse array of products from Herman Miller’s popular Aeron Chair to cookware by Rachael Ray.

Pitchfork Music Festival Exclusive Posters for Grizzly Bear and Blitzen Trapper

2009-07-15T13:14:00.000-04:00

We were lucky enough to work with two great bands, Grizzly Bear and Blitzen Trapper, to create posters for their Pitchfork Music Festival 2009 performances.

These posters will be available exclusively from us at our booth at Flatstock 21 during Pitchfork, Saturday July 18 and Sunday July 19. Read more about these events here.

Get yours before they sell out!! If any copies remain after the festival they will be available in the Hero web store after Monday July 20 (but we make no promises).

Grizzly Bear

Blitzen Trapper

Hero at Pitchfork Music Festival & Flatstock 21

2009-07-14T16:45:00.007-04:00

Hero will once again be in Chicago this upcoming weekend for Flatstock 21!!! Flatstock 21 is being held at Pitchfork Music Festival in Union Park. Saturday & Sunday July 18th & 19th, noon to 10pm both days!!!

Poster artists from around the world will be pitching tents in Union Park for the world famous convention sponsored by the American Poster Institute, dedicated to the promotion of music poster art and design worldwide. Come grab posters and hear the stories behind them straight from the artist. Since beginning in 2003, Flatstock has presented 20 events in the U.S. and Europe and has become the epicenter of the current phenomenon in handmade poster art.

FLATSTOCK is free for everyone with a Pitchfork Music Festival pass so if you are gonna be there, make sure to pass through Flatstock. 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 is an all-ages event.

Be sure to stop by the Hero tent and say 'HI!' We have a bunch of new posters, including some brand new artprints, exclusive posters for two Pitchfork 2009 performers, and lots of other fun things!

This years Pitchfork Festival has an phenomenal lineup including: The Flaming Lips, Built to Spill, The National, Grizzly Bear, Blitzen Trapper, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart, The Thermals and so much more. Go to pitchforkmusicfestival.com to check out what's happening this year.

A little bit more about what Flatstock is: