I’m a huge fan of the Fest. It’s an opportunity to see a ton of my favorite bands in one weekend and see a bunch that I never knew would be my favorite. I made the trip to Gainesville, Florida in 2007 and again in 2008. I was happy to be a supportive sponsor both years. Doing this poster last year for Fest 7 was such a fun and rewarding project for me. Tony at No Idea Records asked me to do a shirt and to do my thing. So I spent a few nights doing what you see here.
My goal for the art was to create a memorable image that captured the vibe and spirit of the Holy Grail of punk rock festivals. I wanted to include some subtle references to No Idea records as well as the ubiquitous Florida Gator. Tony and the No Idea camp really dug it and had it for sale at the Fest 7 merch booth along side the art of one of my favorite designers Richard Minino (aka Horsebites). Richard has done the key art and merch for the Fest the past few years and has known the No Idea guys for a long time. So I was happy to have my tee included in the bunch.
I wasn’t fortunate enough to get a hard copy of one of my own shirts because they sold out of my size. But I did find a photo of someone wearing it on Flickr:
After I did the shirt, I worked with Jimmy Heartcore to print up some limited edition posters, which you can buy here. They’re a nice size at 18″x18″ and printed on a nice black, heavy, paper stock.
Woaw. I really like the textured aspect of the characters… And the integration of the banners in there.
Do the crocodile and the skull have a particular signification or not ?
It always amazes me how you can come up with such great an effective designs. I agree with @Simon, I do love the texture on the characters.
The gator is a Florida Gator. Gainesville is home to Florida University.
It’s making sense now
Haha, I live in Gainesville and remember seeing those all over town. Really cool design!