The A-Sides

"It's been a long time, I shouldn't have left you, 

Without a strong rhyme to step to..."

So ends the summer of my discontent. 

It's been a rough while indeed, life had its ugly way with me & without goin' into unnecessary (& unpleasant) detail, let's leave it at that & get to the good stuff. 

I have felt not like myself for a hot minute & now I feel finally reinvigorated, rejuvenated & indeed re-inspired (sic?). In light of that, I have decided to kickstart my ass back into the proverbial artistic saddle by postin' my "top five" (with thanks & apologies to Mr. Nick Hornby) favorite pieces I've done thru the years; to clean out the virtual closet as it were to hopefully make room for some new stuff which I will hit y'all up with as soon as the inspiration flows from my inky fingers.

So without further ado & just a bit o' context, 

here are some works past & present to inspire the future...

We begin our archival journey in November 2008, Obama won his first term & my lovely bride danced in Brooklyn to celebrate. "Baby Got Hope" was featured in the wonderful book, "Design For Obama", & is pretty much the impetus for this here website~

Piece 2 (Woo-hoo!), really goin' far in the WayBack Machine, but Satchmo needs no introduction...

A bridge too far:

Kevin needs some context methinks: Part of a much larger installation called "Positivity", a collection of quotes I culled from folks who were HIV positive to allow for hope in a time of seeming hopelessness-

& we end the greatest hits (& misses) with the mackdaddy his own self, "Obama Said Knock You Out": quite a viral sensation, Tweeted out by none other than LL Cool J on election nite & becoming one of the biggest retweets of the evening (what the kids would call "viral"?) as well as in physical poster form traversing its way from New York to Cali & from Mexico to Japan & many points in between... 

Probably my real fave of all, not just 'cause of the hype (don't believe it, man!), but I feel it is truly the most successful piece I've done, artistically, technically, philosophically, politically, & spiritually~

Next episode: 

Deep Cuts: the B-Sides, Rarites & Outtakes, 

then on to the new grooves!

GOAT- in & out of the ring...

"Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth."

The State of the Union is...

KICK ASS!

"Obama Said Knock You Out" 2: electric boogaloo

My piece from Obama's 2012 campaign, 

"Obama Said Knock You Out", 

gets a shout-out in this wonderful 

article

by Harvard associate, Adrienne Childs.

Read & enjoy...

Cougar said knock you out

The mascot of the school wherein I teach is a cougar. They asked me to create a design for a new tee-shirt to replace the clip-art they've been using for too many years. Voilà...

Now my oh-so-supportive son told me this was "cheap". I replied it was only cheap if I used the design again after this. He then made me promise not to do so.

Kids. I hate it when they keep you honest...

Obama Said Knock You Out

Obama meets Ali 

with a little LL Cool J thrown in for good measure... 

This is free for all y'all to download, print, & disseminate.

Now I’d like to ask a favor of you, my dear readers.

I’d like to make this a bigger art project & I need your participation, both for me & our President.
If you would please consider printing this piece  & sticking it somewhere in your town or nearby cool place, snapping a pic then emailing me a copy, that would be utterly delightful. I’d like to post 'em up here.

I, of course, will link to your blog, website or other stuff when I do should you so desire.

Everywhere from Chicago to Cali to Provincetown to DC to Mexico to Japan & all points inbetween, you know who you are & where you are.
Email it to friends around the globe & ask them the same.
I’d love to make this a worldwide jam!

Go forth & spread the gospel~ 

Put it on every street corner & lamp-post, every bulletin board & kiosk, every juke-joint & house of ill-repute, every cafe, campus & construction site, every church, synagogue, mosque, & Bahá’í Center, every library & schoolyard, every domino table & methadone clinic, every nook & cranny you can find…

or  just stick it in your office. 

But take a pic & send it to me!

Remember there's no knockout in this bout, it goes the full 12 rounds. The judges' decision is final on 6 November, so get out & vote, my friends.

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 40 (Obama's got the rural vote)

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 39 (Philly 2: Electric Boogaloo)

The first two pieces in this bunch are some of my favorites. I met this gentleman as I plasterin' the town & we had a delightful repartee. He was reluctant to let me use the box as he claimed ownership of the space, but quickly relented when I offered to rent it. He did offer though that Obama was "going down". A good time was had by all. 

When I returned home, I found that an excellent photographer who goes by the handle Digital Witness had captured the moment perfectly. 

A wonderful surprise indeed! 

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 38 (People's Republic of Cambridge)

Playin' in the Ivy League...

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 37 (Straight Outta' Oaktown)

Barack-Ali hits the West Coast, boyeee!

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 36 (unattended baggage...)

@ San Francisco International Airport

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

オバマ米大統領はノックをして日本で

Okay, this is pretty damn cool indeed~

"Obama Said Knock You Out" has invaded the beautiful

Land of the Rising Sun...

Just wow.

 

 

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 34 (Man of the Century)

Aaron Lee sez- "I put the pic on my punching bag because #1, it fits the Drawing, and #2, no matter how hard or long u hit the bag, in the end, it will still stand strong!"

Remember, kids- Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 33 (El Día de los Muertos)

 

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 32 (Obama loves him some veggie steak)

 

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 31 (we are all a beautiful mosaic)

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 30 (the writing on the wall...)

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 29 (LOVE)

 

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...

"Obama Said Knock You Out" in the wild pt. 28 (小濱說 在敲你唐人街)

Please do send in any pix of the piece that you find in the wild, or better yet- please, please do put some up & send me the photos. I will post any & all that I receive.

Let's make this a worldwide jam!

I, & your President, thank you for your service...