Studio Notes #109

Good Morning, Friendly Folks. Here are this week’s Studio Notes™—quick bits delivered to you each Friday.

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Apparently I’m about a year late to this, but Cheetos Pants was a thing that actually happened and existed and you could even buy them—and wear them. Not only did they have a cargo pocket large enough to house a full bag of Cheetos, but also a color-matched, towel-like patch for wiping your orange cheese fingers on. No further comment necessary.

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I'm loving these stop motion animated skateboarding shorts by Jack Hyde. The paper cut-out style fits the street skating footage so well. It seems the flow of skateboarding is such a perfect fit for this type of animation.

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A little zine featuring various casino carpets of Las Vegas? Yes, please. What a fantastic reason to photograph and publish (on paper!) the wild designs underfoot in the wackiest city in America. And I’m assuming equally as interesting (and full of type inspiration) as their Vegas Casino Matchbook Zine.

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Speaking of stop motion, the work of Alina Golovlova is incredible. Largely using needle and thread, felt, fabrics, etc. Big brands are smart for hiring her human-made visuals. And that seems to be a trend lately? At least I hope it is. Companies leaning into deliberately non-AI, handmade techniques for commercials, branding, video, etc. When it’s done well, it’s obvious and refreshing. HI (Human Intelligence) for the win.

This Week’s Poll

Last week I asked if your town has any “ghost signs” and I was happy to see that more of you have them than not! Cheers to historic preservation.

Danmade This Week

Sometimes it’s okay to be slow. So I made a new Slowpoke Decal to wear as a badge of honor. Stickers are such a simple way to make something tactile and that’s why I keep making them. When everything is trapped inside of a screen, holding a physical thing that you’ve made becomes more meaningful—even when it’s just a little sticker. They don’t change the world, but maybe they can help make it more amusing and colorful for a minute.

It's been in the 70s this week here in New England, and while that is downright wrong for November, I’ll take it. I hope you have a warm weekend, and hope to see you back here next week.

Cheers!