Box Fresh

IPHONE FASHION

Joyce, a fashion retailer based in Asia, has just unveiled Truly Gifted III, an annual collaboration with fashion’s best. Last year the retailer created a USB with Alexander McQueen, and this year they’ve stepped up their game, producing six, amazing, iPhone cases. The designers involved this year are Rick Owens, Dries Van Noten, Marni, Etro, Bless and Anna Sui, with the standout being Bless’s offering, a incredibly life-like rock-shaped cover, and Rick Owen’s scaly reptile skin. The items are sold in Joyce shops (located in Hong Kong, China and Taiwan) and their affiliates. So looks like these are on the ‘covet’ list for now. 

BE PREPARED

Scout books are a lovely Portland-based company producing customisable pocket-sized notebooks. They have a range of cute designs ready to buy, but also offer the option to create your own! Starting from $195.00 (US) for 50 notebooks, it’s an affordable way to make promo items, wedding favours or presents. Customised notebooks can only be printed in one colour, and must reproduce well on the chipboard cover. International shipping is coming soon, so bookmark www.scoutbooks.com if you’re feeling inspired. The books are 3.5-inches x 5-inches, contain 32 pages and are made from 100% recycled papers and soy inks.

ALMOST AMOS

Amos has collaborated with skate brand Almost to release an awesome range of decks featuring James Jarvis’ beloved In Crowd. Characters from Amazing Plastic Band, Forever Sensible Motorcycle club, Young Ruffians and The Old Guard grace the decks and correlate to a skater from Almost. It’s a great idea and beautifully executed, with the clean decks no doubt appealing to skaters and toy nerds alike. No word on release price that I can see, but keep an eye out (maybe go harass Matt at the Outpost), these are pretty great.

THREE INCHES HIGH AND RISING

Is it just me or has Kidrobot reaaaallly gone to the dogs?  I’ve never been a huge fan of the vinyl juggernaut, but over the years they’ve produced some killer pieces (like the MadVillians).  Their latest hip hop release, celebrating the 20th anniversary of De La Soul’s 3 Feet High And Rising, is, in my opinion, below par. As Clutter Magazine’s blogger put it “weird Happy Meal-esque figures (IMO they’re way too small) that look as if they’re made from rejected Peecol figure parts, Dunny arms and topped with a weird nose sculpt”. Exactly. Nevertheless, taste is a personal thing and I’m sure the little guys will find an audience. The set of three retails for $50 US and the figures stand at 3-inches. They will be available at www.kidrobot.com and selected retailers from Mar 18.
 
TERRY’S TEASERS

Raunchy and hilarious photographer Terry Richardson has recently started a tumblr that showcases behind the scenes, candid and finished shots. There are lots of boobs (obviously), but he also posts pictures from shoots as they happen, with some recent goodies being the cast from Jersey Shore, Michael K. Williams (Omar from the Wire) and Jared Leto. Bookmark it! www.terrysdiary.com

Follow Me!

Good news, readers! I’ve joined up to Twitter, so follow www.twitter.com/anjacy for updates on the best new design/art/pop culture etc postings on the internet, hooray!

Hey Kids! Comics!

KING CITY #1–4 – Brandon Graham

(Image)

Fun in the city

King City is an urban fantasy full of detail, with so many little things to read in the background, maps and cutaway views, it’s almost a Top 10 level of cruft. There’s graffiti and manga in Brandon Graham’s style and the chapter heading looks like a rap album cover, with big-bottomed girl, laughing skulls, flying needles and guys with fish on their heads. Okay, that last touch is incongruous. That’s what King City is about, juxtaposing the ordinary – like nine panels of overhead cables, with a maelstrom of odd, not-quite human characters. The protagonist is Joe, a spy with a magic cat that requires injections to unlock its powers – it turns into a hoverboard or a periscope or copying machine, depending on the injection. There’s constant inventiveness both in the story and its presentation, with a cut-out monkey toy on the back of one issue and a scenic view of the city with arrows pointing out the main characters’ locations. Pages that look attached by paper clips explain the city’s ins and outs, like spy hotels called the Launch Boxes, one of them run by a Siberian Sasquatch. Side stories follow the side characters – one, who looks like Dumb Donald from Fat Albert, works in gangland security, another has a boyfriend troubled by flashbacks to some kind of zombie war – enriching a setting that’s already worth visiting.

****   

JODY MACGREGOR