Studio Notes #47

Hello hello, Fine Folks. Here's issue #47 of Studio Notes™—quick bits delivered to you each Friday.

🦑

These DIY book nook kits are intriguing. Like a Lego set—but in the end you'll have a miniature, super-detailed, lighted, scene-in-a-box that you can tuck in between books on the shelf. Like, who wouldn't want a tiny, abandoned submarine sitting next to a battered copy of Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Seas?

🪪

A fun little article by Elizabeth Goodspeed: The Casual Archivist’s Short History Of The Business Card, From Versailles To Microsoft Word. It really is a lost art, and something anyone take a crack at. And it's funny, while watching The Gilded Age recently, I was admiring the veritable introverts dream of having "calling cards" delivered to people via a footman on a silver tray for stress-free correspondence. Let's bring these back, it'll be fun to design 'em.

🦈

I grew up on Richard Scarry's picture books. The way he illustrated everyday characters, jobs, buildings, “people”, neighborhoods, etc. It was all so idealistic and innocent in a good way. Plus, hunting for Goldbug was fun. I also love Jaws. So, to combine these two things with perfect execution is a thing to celebrate. I mean, Quint Gorilla crushing a can of Narragansett is a detail that makes me smile. I hope the artist makes prints of this—I'd buy one in a heartbeat.

🛣️

On repeat over here this week is Last Missouri Exit, the debut record from Case Oats. The plainspoken vocals (and storytelling) from Casey Gomez Walker are refreshing, and the sparse production (and drumming) from Spencer Tweedy is pitch perfect. Scratchy fiddle and pedal steel in just the right spots. If you're still not convinced, there's a thorough, in-depth review of the album over at Paste.

• • •

What are you working on?

This week I ordered more silkscreened decals that very few of you will purchase. But they needed to be real. And so they will be. And here's a bonus link! The history of the Santa Cruz Skateboards logo.

See you here on Tuesday, where I'll officially launch our new typeface, Turbeau. (Already unlock-able as a free pre-release for Gold members ;)

Cheers,