Gross Anatomy: Die Struwwelpetra Tour Poster

Who wants to buy CDs anymore? Playing live doesn’t really pay the bills of touring like it used to. You fucking nitwits who download everything are too blame. Of course, I’m a fucking nitwit, too, and Aesop has a blog that’s nothing BUT musical downloads. We are the problem and the victims.

A3 size, edition of 150, 4 color
For saleĀ in the Doktor Sewage Shop

Now that I’m working at Monolith Press, the fucking BEST rock poster shop (fuck, if I’m printing, it must be) and there’s more and more business as musical acts look to other avenues to generate the all essential dough to pay the bills. Of course, in 2012, when the world ends and there’s no more oil, forget about touring and learn how to fight zombies. For now, though, novel items like a concert poster are in vogue. Try and download a screen print, turkey.

Here’s a quickie on the Ludicra tour poster we are selling right now. I started by coming with a tour name. “Cut Down All Your Fucking Trees Tour” was my first try, but that didn’t make the cut with the rest of the band. Then I got this inspiration:

der struwwelpeter

It’s an old German children’s book with, in typical German fashion, stories made to scare the shit out of children and make them behave. The title is roughly translated as “sloppy Pete” or more famously as “shock-headed Peter.” I liked the idea of twisting this just a touch to reflect the angry feminine energy of Ludicra, and we ended up with “Die Struwwelpetra Tour.” The dirty, dirty girl.

Around this same time, I saw the movie, “The Stoning of Soraya M.” a most depressing true-story of the framing of Iranian woman by her husband as an adultress so he can have her stoned and get with some 14 year old. Gross. She was buried at the waist and stoned to death or being a dirty girl, do the two combined into this angry poster idea.

Ludicra sketch

In this first sketch, “loose” by the most polite standards. I like masks, so I added a “scold’s bridal” to her head, and old medieval torture device for women. You’d think I was mysoginist at this point, but I swear it’s a critique of repression, not a celebration. I had the notion of adding an AK-47 to this poster. What a dumb idea, but it took me two sketches to realize it.

Ludicra sketch 2

More refined, but not right yet.

Ludicra sketch 3

The suggestion to drop the AK by Kasey was a good one, so I did and it was much better.

Ludicra pencils

This full drawing was scaled down from the final poster size at 12×14. Initially I had planned an 18×24 inch poster.

Ludicra inks

The inked image is done and ready to be have color separations added. Luckily, I work with Mauz Parillo, master printer, and he’s taught me a lot about prepping a poster for the printer. I use the channels in Photoshop, picking spot colors based on Pantone books for each layer of the screen print. This makes it easy for Mauz to input the final screens and print the films.

Ludicra seps

Final color comp image… This is four colors using a translucent yellow to create more colors, namely the dirt and flesh tones. At Monolith, we print some clients who are amazing at getting a lot of colors out of a few, so I’ve tried to learn from them. Marq Spusta’s work always comes to mind. Mauz also suggested resizing to a standard European size, called A2, just in case any tasteless fool bought my work and considered it art enough to frame. I did that in the computer, editing the art. I really try to avoid that, but I’m bad at planning ahea. (chuckle here)

Ludicra uncut sheet

This is a photo from my phone of the final uncut poster, surrounded by some business cards. It’s on the only paper I do any poster on to match with the others. It’s all gloss ink with brown line and a copper ink for that touch of class it so needed.

We probably could’ve hired a much better artist than myself, but the DIY ethic runs in my blood (as does a penchant for self promotion and constant need for ego stroking). Mr. Davey D’Andrea, for example, who made a lovely Ludicra poster for his series at Roadburn. I couldv’e done something similar, but my aesthetic is more along the lines of the angry, ugly side of Ludicra’s energy. It’s better I go for a gut punch than a shoulder rub, in my humble opinion. Anyway, it’s 100% ours and 100% unique to these shows. Download that, bitches.

Ludicra merch table

dispatched from Die Struwwelpetra Ludicra 2011 European Tour

This poster can be purchased in the Doktor Sewage Shop

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