Thursday Ephemera
Letterpress Printing: Expanded Version
The follow-up class to the Letterpress class I took this summer at UArts. It’s 10 weeks of typesetting by hand! Don’t worry if it’s your first time, the class promises to cover the basics and build up to more advanced techniques. If you are in the Philadelphia area, and have a love for type, I highly recommend it. I’m definitely signing up! I’m registered!
Type Culture: Movies
Speaking of type, TypeCulture has a handful of great videos on typesetting and some of the old metal juggernauts like Letterpress Printing, The Linotype, and The Ludlow Typograph Machine. My favorite is an excerpt from The Design to The Print by Frederic W. Goudy called The Creation of a Printing Type. Getting to watch Mr. Goudy working is thoroughly humbling.
The Descent
Finally! The Descent—the movie that scared me shitless back in April—is finally being released in the US next Friday (August 4). Despite the lame US poster that is clearly trying too hard, and the less than enticing marketing (“From the Studio that brought you Saw and Hostel”), The Descent delivers a satisfying, if not gasping panic-filled, breath of fresh air. If only there were more horror movies like this being produced.
Money Matters
A brief, but inspiring, article from the latest ReadyMade on how to start saving and planning your future for all of us freelancers and self-employed. This is something that often gets grossly overlooked when you go out on your own. You still have to cover your ass, and it’s much easier than you think.
Sponsor Me
I’ll be taking part in the Multiple Sclerosis: City to the Shore Bike Tour on September 16th by riding 75 miles (from Cherry Hill, NJ to Ocean City) with a bunch of friends on Team Schmeam. I’m trying to drum up some pledges to reach my goal of $250.00. Every little bit counts, and only takes a couple minutes to pledge. So, if you have some time and a couple bucks, please help me out. I promise to do my best not to pass out on the ride. Luckily for them, The MS Society’s reception of your pledges isn’t contingent on me actually making it.
I told my girlfriend about “The Descent” back when you seen it in april, and reminded her of it yestarday at the theatres. She can’t wait.
I am just *so* jealous of the Letterpress class. I wish we had something like that here in sunny Wales.
Mark: I can’t believe there isn’t something like that over there. Half of the metal type I’ll be using probably came from overseas. Or is it just Wales? You could always come stay here for a while… we could host you!
Movie looks good. I’ll probably see it.
I’m going to take a letterpress class in my Spring 2008 semester probably. I can’t wait.
About the MS ride: I’ve got a couple of articles that can give you ideas on how prep and survive a ride like that. Let me know if you want them.
Stan - I love the shot of you in heavy training. Good luck with it.
Smallest Photo: That beer isn’t gonna drink itself!
Thanks very much to those of your who’ve pledged! If I ever meet you in person, make sure to hit me up for a free drink :D
Jason: There’s probably some stuff going on in London, in fact I know there is at London College of Printing for example. Oh, I’d love to come over. So. Tempting. :D
The Descent is really, really poor.
I will pledge $25 if you don a pair of either a) hot pink spandex biking shorts, or b) lime green spandex biking shorts.
If you do not don said shorts, you will basically be robbing the charity.
paul haine: It’s usually best to back up an opinion… why did you think it was poor?
Mike D.: Either of those shouldn’t be too hard to find in South Philly :D
For anyone in the Seattle area, the School of Visual Concepts has some great letterpress classes. They’ve got a great little shop there. A couple of years ago they held a one day workshop hosted by Jim Sherraden of Hatch Show Print. It was a very inspirational day.
On Letterpressing.…Our local Letterpress Company posted a link to this nifty video on letterpressing:
http://elsa.photo.net/video/firefly-small.mov
I really love the letterpressing work our local company does. So much…that I think I’m going to have them print my business cards whenever I re do my site.
As for the Money Matters article.…I might add that you don’t have to go through a giant like PayPal to get good money markey rates. Our town has state owned credit unions, non-state owned credit unions and wanna be credit unions(kind of like co-op banks) that all offer money market accounts in the 4% range.
June: Thank you very much for that link! I posted it long ago, but in watching it again, I find it really hits me this time around.
Oops! Sorry I didn’t realize you had already posted that link.
Its too bad the guy they interview isn’t more optomistic about the fate of letterpressing.
One of my friends says its already pretty popular out on the west side. And I personally think its on the rise over here on the east side.
June: I know, I found myself actually getting sad towards the end of the video. He paints a bleak future for Letterpress.