So much for every week, but I'm busy

I know it's been forever, but when you release a winter line of clothing with lookbooks, a black friday release, working live sales of the product and shipping twice a week.. Woof, it's been a busy 3 weeks since Thanksgiving. Right now I'm taking a week away from just about everything and beating the new Zelda. I am using a walk through to move along fairly quick. I know my gamer buddies will give me tons of hate for it, but I am in a hurry. As for the game itself, it's got great game play and is super freaken fun to play. The one beef I have, is that using the wii remotes is tiring and when you are used to playing via controller it can be tough to get up for some serious hours of play. Other minor grievances is that the map seems smaller than twilight princess... A lot of repeating temples from twilight princess... poor bad guys, and Zelda is ugly. I'm not trying to be superficial but when Link is hotter than Zelda, there might be a small problem.

Anyways, what this does lead to me wanting to do a video game bit about some of my favorite video games and my favorite style of games. Here's how were doing it, styles and favorite games within that style... Sometimes there's gonna just be a franchise.

Fighting:
Soul Caliber for game cube so you can play with Link (biased)
Old School Mortal Combat... either genesis or super nintendo
My Favorite Def Jam Fight for New York, This game is so much fun with the create-a-character and the fighters are all rappers and the storymode is quite entertaining with Hank Rollins as your trainer. I can't even fathom the hours I wasted on this game with my buddy J. Swindle in college. Funny too I found this movie on the previews for Black Dynamite and it has almost the same exact plot.

Role Playing/Adventure:
Zeldas... All of them.. My personal favorites were the stable third person games after the top scrollers such as Occerina of Time, Windwaker, and Twilight Princess. I love Zelda because of the story of the Hero, it's heart breaking, encouraging and charming. The fact that link will always find another way to go to hell and back for the princess.
Conkers Bad Fur Day, I get so sad at how few people played this game... In my opinion is probably one of the most creative, cheeky, raunchy and out right entertaining games of all time. It's re-release on xbox did it no justice that the game was basically the same and they ruined the multiplayer aspect which was one of the best parts of the game. I can't count the hours I wasted playing through that multiplayer with my buddy N. Britches. We used to wake up before work, crank out like 4 games of squirls v. nazi bears before we headed in.

There used to be a better poster of him passed out in the toilet but I couldn't find it
Grand Theft Auto these games were so much fucken fun, even the top scrollers were fun. San Andreas was probably my favorite, because of the map size and how much there was to do, was really a accumulation of everything they did.

Sports:
NHL Hitz(2001), another game that never got enough credit, everyone loves on the counterpart, NFL Blitz, but Hitz was far superior in game play, endless levels, season mode, and quality create-a-mode.
Fifa The last three Fifa games that have come out are some of the funnest sports video games to play... the game play and endless amount of teams and stadiums is amazing... Amazing
NHL 11-12 Could arguably be one of the best sports games ever, the controls are perfect (PS3) and the game play is sooo smooth. Great manager mode.

Alright, enough of video game ranting, since I rarely play vids anymore. Other things on the horrizon right now, trying to find a space for a NPO (NoPity Originals) pop up shop, getting more NoPity beanies in (lesson learned about not ordering enough product regardless of whether we think it will sell), I'm doing the front office season ticket holder patch again this year, with matching lanyard.

Still working on my own label ... Things are running smoothly, I have about 5-7 strong tee designs, Logo, and buisness plan (give or take). All that is planning on going into production, given I can find the right backing/promotion, in January. I'll admit I'm nervous about it... I want it to be well received that I won't even post any of the samples on here because I want it to be perfect. You don't really get many tries at this kinda thing, even with just a small tee shirt/hat line.

The website revision is proving to be a nightmare... I forgot how much I straight edited the wordpress php scripts... so now when I switch it over to a new theme or whatever, nothing but the posts stay. I came to the hard reality that I may be close to no where near done by my birthday in January. Big suck. It's ok, I still get plenty of promotion here and on the NPO tumblr.

Also I swear I'm painting again... I've been getting reamed out by some friends and family that I'm so flaky on doing more paintings, and I haven't had anything for sale since the "What the Timbers Saw" art show. The new No Hope website will have a section with paintings and what's for sale. I keep sitting on my artwork.

Listening too:
Ben Weasel The Brain that Wouldn't Die (live)

Two days late and a blog short

Maybe I should have said once a week. Ha. It was a super busy beginning of the week I had to in house freelance Monday Tuesday and Wednesday and then when I get out of that all I wanna do is have a beer, catch up on TV (Currently involved in Walking Dead, The League and How to Make it in America along with a plethora of cartoons) and maybe touch some of my crap. So blogging was just not gonna happen.

I'm getting old, I had about 4 beers with HC (from the Seattle retro live journal) on Monday night and woke up Tuesday with a splitting hang over... Now I can normally drink like a champ and always get a little bit of a head ache, but this felt like I was up all night with a bottle of Wild Turkey (my official break up remedy). As my 30th birthday approaches I become more and more apathetic and disheveled about my place in life. I only half mean that, I just really can't believe I'm gonna be 30.

Anyways on the making crap front, I forgot how exciting it is watching product roll in. I get so excited about nice clean swag, combine that with the fact I made it and I'm a kid on Christmas. So now it's all about getting another look book shoot put together so we can put product photos on the website and the tumblr... Not to mention one of the boys is working on a facebook page dedicated to merch... It's becoming glaringly obvious that we are outgrowing just being a little sect of the TA. We need more outlets than just the No Pity Van twitter.

On the No Hope Design front. I am actually starting to get business again and realized that not only do I not update the website or nohopedesigner.com but it is viciously out of date. So during the winter I'm going to start the long and arduous process of revamping the whole website. It needs better flow and organization in regards to showing off work so it doesn't look like a blog, that I can separate all the different things I do into better accessible categories and sell myself better as an all around designer who can work on just about everything.

Alright sorry for the delay, more exciting stuff including product pictures and possible names for my own apparel company next week... maybe Wednesday. ha.

Listening to:
The new Banner Pilot album Heart Beats Pacific
Best Midwest punk album this year if not the best album of the year
here's my favorite track Spanish Reds

1/11/11 ... a day late, a blog short

Timbers Army Merch Tumblr is up. Tumblr turned into me dorking out on HTML for way to long, prolonged this blog post a day. Right after I say I'm gonna be writing every Tuesday. Where does the time go? A busy week working on crap and getting ready for shipping out tons of Timbers Army product.

Order is in for one more winter style TA hat. No hints yet, other than a possible 107ist preorder in a week.

So I'm gonna give a whirl doing my own Clothing. It's going to be simple, one shirt, then maybe a shirt and hat, then if there is some interest and it all sells, then maybe we'll go broke. I'm going to stray away from No Pity on this project. Going to be done with a friend or two and we're going to build a brand from the ground. Don't worry if you like anything I do, it will be must. This is a very long term project though, my goal is to have the first order in for shirts shortly after Christmas.

Other than that I'm totally beat up from a long day. More on the way as always.

Listening to:
Raekwon Only Built 4 Cuban Linx
How sweet was the way the cartoon Boondocks incorporated the song Guillotine (Swordz) into an episode.

Starting every Tuesday a new Post

We will see how long this lasts with my combined busy schedule and procrastination. Though I feel this is something that really makes me happy and gives relevance to all the things I'm involved in. Anyways, got back from talking with the manufactures and we are a go for Timbers Army fitted hats, and I have to say they look dope as all get out.

Here's a version of the one style hat broken down

These will be ready for the winter line that comes out around Thanksgiving and runs through December, online sales only and free shipping (can't beat that with a flare from RSL). The lookbook for winter will also be online, through a yet to be named tumblr account. I will also do a print lookbook that will eventually be released with all the other lookbooks I've made in one giant book of all our product made since we started building the No Pity Originals brand.

Here's a snap shot of one of the winter hoodies that will be out in November

I can't wait, I've been wearing around that sample hoodie everyday for the last week.

Anyways I'm out the door to go to work, but next week I'll update with more writing and some snip bits about the winter line and personally exciting news. Also some non Timbers Army crap to show off.

Be good,

listening to:
Old Man Markley - Guts and Teeth , great punkgrass album.

New PDX flag Rose City snap back

They'll be here sometime in November... So dope. Limited order with Timbers Army usual snapbacks (scroll down to see). Been busy lately, stopped delivering wine and back to full time design... So technically I will be updating a lot more often. Especially since the Portland winter is upon us. Feels like summer just flew by.

You will notice on the below photo instead of ax and roses on the back these hats have a PDX flag. Fucking Smart. Here were the possible looks for the hat

My favorite was the blue... just thought it'd be cool to have a blue hat.

Other notable crap out or coming out;
Flat brim wool hats for the Timbers army. Just put the order in today, will have a sneak preview of them next week.
New Harpers Playground scarf. For University of Portland's Woman's Soccer program fundraisers.
New winter line for the Timbers army. Tons of work but it's going to be so worth it for everything to be in and ready before Thanksgiving. Look forward to the events and fundraisers during the silly season (soccer offseason).
Finishing the Timbers Army Summer Lookbook (haha I know it's late). It came out great though, thanks to everyone that helped. You can download a free PDF copy from my website, here.


Summer Wrap Up
Other fun things from the summer besides an asston of soccer at the beautiful Jeld Wen Field. I went on a bunch of great trips most notably an away game to San Jose. I started a twitter account for running diaries of this and future away trips @ta_on_tour. I find that twitter is gonna be my new way of doing running diaries as it's easier to write stuff on my phone than in a notebook that I have to haul everywhere. So I will let everyone know either here or on facebook about my fake twitter accounts used for running diaries on future events. I know I'm going to do one for the last game of the season vs Houston and capture the day in the life of working the trailer, setting up displays, drinking and dancing, and driving the Van (which means no drinking, but dancing). Should be fun.
Also from the summer I finished an awesome hockey league and ball hockey tournament with PDXballhockey.com a group I helped start. The final tournament was sponsored by New Belgium beer and was probably the most fun I've had since they sponsored the tournament last year. My team Speed Wolfe once again finished runner up... We can't officially make it the distance with all that delicious food and beer around. None the less was great. My league team The Bill McCreary Allstars unfortunately finished last, but were the only team able to beat the team that one the league... So that was good I suppose... None the less we had a blast as well. If you don't know who Bill McCreary is, my buddy Kyle and I worship his mustache, but he was one of the NHL's most respected referees and retired last year and we only found it fitting that we show some respect to the man... Pictured below.



Alright I'm out for now.

Currently listening to:
Men in Blazers Podcast from Grantland Network
Ellwood - Lost in Transition ... Some dudes from the Mad Caddies playing just some good drinking and chillin music. Very danceable!

It's finally summer in late July

Seriously a mind bender when the rain finally stops in PDX in late July. The summer is half over and it feels like it just started.

Anyways I've finally recovered from my bender post Timbers loss to Seattle. I regret nothing the game was intense and the stadium was buzzing... So glad I was there. But I do have to apologize for those who had to deal with me trying to passout with the water on in my buddies bathtub. I think it was just a release after being up for 4 days straight tracing and designing banners for the tifo display that I went all out and by 5 in the afternoon I had to be put to bed. Here's some Pics;

Just shot the Timbers Army Summer 2011 Lookbook. You can download the Winter 2011 Lookbook here. The shoot went great. It's amazing to realize how much more crap we've made per year and how better the quality is from back when we were selling TA merch out of the back of our cars. Shit, that was back when I had a car. Ha. I was telling someone the other night at the West Brom game, it really is a dream come true to have this opportunity to grow a brand out of nothing.

So, I was supposed to be back in Ohio this past weekend to go to the Columbus Crew v. Timbers game, but my little bro had to have his gallbladder taken out on Friday and had to cancel. There was no way I was gonna blow over a grand on planes, tickets, booze and bail to go without my little bro. The kids ultra. So I ended up watching the game at a swank bar with a few other buddies. I want to like the Timbers coach John Spencer (Spenny) so bad but man his game time decisions are going to be the death of me. I agree with my buddy Garrett, we gotta give him a year before the "Spenny Out" banners come out.

Ok I'm all out, gotta work on this Underdog promotional scarf. Plenty of crap to be made and things to do in PDX before the weather turns to shit again.

Listening to,
Portlands own MEAN JEANS... These guys kick mad ass... So classic '77 style punk rock.

Same stuff new looks

Been super busy lately. The blog is the first thing to get neglected in times like this. Anyways here's some peeks at what's new

More Hats for the Timbers Army... All new Bike caps and new limited flatbrims (Circa 1970's Oakland Athletics). Both are super limited so follow the NoPityVan on twitter.






There is also a brand new Timbers Army Cascadia shirt series. Here's some sneak previews.





Been working on beer labels for my buddy Vargo (yes who's wife threw my phone in the lower posts) here's some of the early comps.

Trip to Ohio also New Timbers Army Hats

It's been two weeks and I still don't think I've recovered... Got to see my dads beer labels that i designed, got to see a bluejackets game, and my buddies wife threw my phone... Not kidding video below.

Blue jackets game photo diary... too much happened to do a running diary, plus I forgot my notebook... I blame my little bro, but the pictures are fun enough.
album is here

Actual beer labels I designed for the dad:


My buddies wife throwing my phone... Luckily It was on video?... you can't see anything but just listen, it's quite funny. The best is the OOOHHHH NOOO my buddy Mike T yells. Wow...



Timbers Army Hats.
So Murray B and I just pulled a stunt over at he Rose Garden the other day to see how many people would buy a limited blazers color Rose City hat off us, just by releasing where we'd be on the Timbers Army Merch Van twitter account (scroll down to see the stunt timeline). We sold out, and it was hard to find us in that sea of red and black. But it went off without a hitch and we will continue to do marketing ploys for the white limited hat... which I affectionately call the Lew Alcinder (it's 1970's bucks design) ha. Here's the entire hat line.

Newly released designs

Now that the products are in the public I can show them off and brag about them.

First one is a Patch for the Portland Timbers to send out with their Timbers Army season ticket packages to commemorate the new inaugural season. I basically went for the combination of both the Timbers and the Timbers Army logos. Unfortunately they took my first try at it and I never got to keep tinkering with it. Make note kids.




Second is a scarf I designed for the Harper's Playground Foundation... This is a combination scarf between the Timbers Army and Harper's to spread word and gain donations for the cause.



Listening to Coquettish, Album "High Energy Politics"

Retro running diary fail

Cavs down by close to 40, 3 minutes into the 4th quarter... Me looking not so happy

It's been a week and I still can't do it. Not that it wasn't painful.. it was. Not that it wasn't ridiculous, it was. Not that we didn't have 4 obese full st pattys day attire wearing fans holding up a cleverly made Paddy Mills 4 panel sign sitting next to us, there were. And not because we had to sit in the back row, we did.

There is absolutely no reason that I didn't write a retro running diary of the game other than I don't think I ever want to relive it again. Ha... It was one of those rare occasions that was too weird to have really happened... The best part of the night was that I won a beer bet with Craig, as we were running late I gave him an over/under that the Cavs would be down by 10... he took the over and it was 11 to 2 when we entered, and that was the closest the game ever was. That's it... I'm not even all that stoked writing this... It's here, I noted the experience, I'll always have to look at this post... Moving on.

Listening to: Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All "Swag Me Out"

Coming up, Timbers Army merch 2011, Art Work for Pitch Invasion bennifit show. First trip back to Ohio in over a year and a half, and the last Blue Jackets game of 2011 (running diary with My Brother).

New Beer labels for Pops

Think I'm going to have to start charging the old man, but these came out really cool. Especially on a days notice.









In the works right now, Timbers Army product... Some special presents for season ticket holders, and artwork for a show.

Up coming posts, Retro Diary of the Cavs v. Blazers game... All the artwork for last years Timbers army merchandise. Including some stuff that didn't make it (probably)

Listening to; Nothing, couldn't do music this morning, shit's to weird. Been listening to old BS Reports.

HC and Jesse Roadtrip to Cascadia Summit Running Diary

A long time ago a pal Remington and I got the nicknames HC and Jesse after a string of drinking incidents that were neither our fault nor ended well. I have a comic idea that will never come to fruition about these events, but here is neither the time nor place. The point is whenever we decide to do something together it tends to just fit into that category regardless of the circumstance, and being that this was a sober endeavor it shouldn't have been. It was though, a trip that was eventful the whole way through. Here's the Running Diary of our trip to watch the Timbers play Seattle at the Cascadia Summit. Click on the PIC or VID for a visual

March 4th 2011
2:00pm Rem swings by the Ninny manor, I make him try on sample tees I just got from the timbers army printer (they gave me mediums like I could fit into them). I pack a lunch and some coffee and we're off to the races. PIC

2:30pm We have just entered Camas across the Oregon boarder. Rem receives a call from a buddy (who we'll refer to at Murray C) that is distressed, he got sick while on the away buses within the first block of leaving. - I'll jump in here to say, the away buses were taking people and alcohol up to the games, Rem and I were not signed up because we didn't think either of us could go for unrelated reasons... Hence our road trip. - Murray C had gotten sick to his stomach and had to leave the buses for fear of it getting worse. He wanted to try and catch a ride in Rems comfort sedan.
After careful consideration, we decided a buddy shouldn't have to miss an away day. We turn around to go pick him up.

3:00pm A very distressed, bewildered and super pale Murray C gets into the car. He immediately lays back rolls down the window and shuts his eyes... Unresponsive to our questioning, we start laughing.
"You can laugh at me but you don't talk to me" -Murray
We start laughing more knowing that his girlfriend is practically the only girl on a bus with kegs and drunk lads on it's way up to Seattle. PIC

3:15pm I learn Rem is that guy who ride all the way up in a disabled lane past a very packed line of cars and merges at the sign with the arrows at the last minute... He's that guy.

3:30pm Murray has been catatonic and figiting with the windows like crazy for 30 minutes.

3:40pm Rem just lined up a bunch of random popcasts to listen to ... #1 is first... It's a rave.
Took about five minutes of heavy beats for Murray has come out of his coma to tell us he might have to puke. Another five minutes pass and here is what transpires
"I can't wait I need to do this," Murray C
"Real talk dude, you can't puke in my car," Remington

3:50pm Rem pulls off at exit 41 on I5 north and Murray runs outta the car and down a hillside to go throw up (twice, walking back up the hillside and running back down). PIC VID1 VID2.

The poor kids a huge mess, we pour water out of bottles to wash him up and Rem finds a towel.

4:00pm The car smells like puke. We have driven a mile down the highway, and Murray has already asked us to stop again saying he needs to go doo doo brown. We stop at exit 49, a place made rem laugh so we stopped there... While Murray did work, we still had to pee, so we used the woman's room. Here's a picture of the woman's room, god knows what Murray had for facilities.. Notice there are no cowboy hats.
15 minutes later Murray emerges looking not good... We got him a whole bunch pepto-bismol and bail out of this extremely creepy truck stop.
"Your soldiering it the rest of the way there, buddy" -Remington
Poop jokes running wild.

4:50pm We've finally started making up some distance. With Murray snapping in and out of is coma to roll up and down the window. Rem and I are jamming out to some Popcast and talking mad footy. Can't believe that we're starting a whole new season of matches... Great feeling.

5:00pm Just started having a laugh about Murray (who's a capo in the TA) being on ESPN a whole bunch this season. We start mocking him and his "get-up" arm motion. Murray immediately perks up and asks how much longer we have.. There's still hours left in this trip.

5:30pm Snack time, on Popcast #11. Rem has a special k and nutrigrain bar... I dominate a bag of cheetohs puffs.

5:40pm Murray sighting "You think what? 30-40 minutes"

6:15pm Survived Tacoma traffic by cranking the jams super hard. We're almost there... Hourish to the match...

6:40 At the embassy suit parking lot. Gonna start the walk-up to the match. Too wet and rainy for my Journal... What we experience next will be show by a couple of pictures and plenty of over coverage by the media... We're here to start a new season supporter experiences.

here's my pics and video from the game, .

Walk Up
Barnacle Sighting
Ninja Chillin Hard
Video of a dooshy insane Sounders fan
First goal celebration


10:28pm What the fuck just happened... As I reflect over that game with Rem over some wendys, it amazes me the support and passion we had in a very hostile environment... I had such a blast, everything went off without a hitch... Murray C is on a bus back to Portland with his lady. Rem and I begin the trip back as well, fighting sleep and the urge to pee. reminds me of lost highway.

1:30am Arrive home to the Ninny loft. So tired, but it's not stopping me to look at some pictures and video of the game... The red smoke, the yelling, the singing and Spenny doing a some sweet celebrating. Epic away day.

to view the whole summit album (not much more) go here

Listening to: Jawbreaker "With or Without U2" (live)

Update on Timbers Army Summer Merchandise

Everything is getting finalized this week and ordered for this epic summer... The line looks tight too, lots of opinions and ideas went in and everything came out dope and "satisfactory." From what started by selling scarfs and tees out of car trunks is now turned into an entire operation, and I'm truly humbled to be a part of it. Look for teasers soon... Really soon, because of our procrastinating we have a month and a half to produce it...

In the mean time check out these vids I am loving right now

Tyler the Creater and his crew have an amazing thing going, albums, steeze, an appearance on Carson Daily w the roots backing them up, scaring a ton of white people in the process, ha. This video is amazingly produced and shot. Just wow.



Been loving this new Flatliners album, and though they still all look like little kids, their video is pretty good, and the song is just great.



Listening to:
None More Black- Here Comes Devereux off their new album Icons.

New Year of kickball (and the old logo)

New Year of kickball is on hand, and yes we play in the winter. Rain, snow or shine... We got our asses kick today, but we play in the tougher league and no ones even bothered to play for the last three months... We'll be back as soon as we can get a couple games in and warm up... As no one should practice for kickball. I'll post a picture to the team picture sometime soon. Here's the last years logo and well our logo until the summer league (when we typically redo the jerseys)

PDX Ball Hockey

The past year I've been an instrumental part in the creation of a Ball Hockey league in Portland. We hold sponsored tournaments and play pick up every weekend and some weekdays. The league has been taking off, this past weekend we had 24 players at pickup. Last tournament had 9 teams and was sponsored by New Belgium. Which lead our team to come in 2nd place... After too many of those fat tire and pale ales... we had no chance in the finals against a team from Seattle that had been drinking Gatorade all day. To learn more you can visit PDXBallHockey.com