We were thrilled to get the honor of helping Wilco promote their new film “Ashes of American Flags”, which as the band’s website puts it: “Ashes of American Flags is a new film presenting Wilco live in concert during their 2008 tour. Culled from concerts in five quintessentially American venues, the film captures the energy, poignancy and musicality of a Wilco concert and tour.”

Get a Clue Design Studio helped in the form of six different posters to be used at film festival openings and as general promotion. The six larger sizes were also used in movie theater light boxes. Each poster features a different band member and can be seen here for the first time, unless you were fortunate enough to be at one of the earlier movie screenings. All designs were printed in New York City on a traditional 4 color press. Larger versions below:

Wilco HQ just reported that Ashes of American Flags is the #1 DVD on the Billboard Music DVD chart (by a long shot). Pretty sweet.

In addition to the posters, we also got to help design a new tote bag for the film. Made from all natural cotton canvas, the tote features the Ashes logo. This updated version is made thicker and more durable; straps extended for added shoulder comfort. Perfect for carrying vinyl, books, groceries, children, etc.

To purchase the film, tote and other yummy items (like a vinyl Wilco toy made by UNKL), please visit the band’s store site here:
http://wilcoworld.net/store.html
Visit the film’s website here:
http://ashesofamericanmovie.com/

“I would like to salute the ashes of American flags, and all the falling leaves filling up shopping bags.” – Jeff Tweedy

A little while ago, we had the privilege of having the design students from the Appalachian State University Advertising program in Hickory visit our studio.

A very eclectic and talented group of folks, each with unique goals and areas of interest within the creative professional trades. Many good questions were asked about the business of art/design/print and how we do what the heck it is we do. We hope the answers were helpful…if not, hey, it was a free tour, plus we handed out free buttons and stickers, c’mon! We really enjoyed the visit and wish them all the very best!

Here’s the student group photo(talented instructor Laura Brittain took the photo).

The group’s blog can be found here: www.freshbrainsdaily.blogspot.com

Here’s me, trying to say something witty, smart and helpful…hopefully I got at least one out of three. (Editor’s note: Notice the phone in my hand; yep, self employed, ya get to play secretary too. Also, in the group photo, there’s an essential ingredient in doing freelance sitting on the steps: COFFEE.)

Here is our poster in support of Record Store Day on April 18th. We created this for the poster show “Lyrically Speaking”, a show organized by Chuck Keppler and Leia Bell. Happy to be a part of this neat event!

It’s a pretty cool idea: let artists interpret song lyrics however they wish to! We opted to let The Beatles classic song “A Day In The Life” inspire us…There’s a couple “hidden” items, such as the actual newspaper photo of the car wreck that killed Tara Browne, once a close friend of John Lennon and Paul McCartney. As the story goes, Lennon was reading The Daily Mail newspaper, scanning news articles as the two of them created the now infamous song.

So, sometimes common things like the day’s newspaper, getting the groceries, etc, can in small and at times big ways change your life, in ways you may not expect.

The show will be opening at Signed & Numbered/Slowtrain Records in Salt Lake City, Size Records in Oklahoma City AND 52.5 Records in Charleston, SC.

The 9″ x 12″ three color poster (black, tan and white ink) was masterfully printed on French Speckletone Old Green stock by the great folks at The Half and Half. Available for purchase soon! Signed and numbered edition of 100.

Go buy the poster… and a vinyl record while you’re at it…
http://www.recordstoreday.com

Detail of design and print below:

We are selling our 5 color print that we did for Wilco last year that supported their Fairbanks and Anchorage dates. Prints signed and numbered. Five colors on this bad bear makes it nice and fresh (like the fish).

Click here to see the ad at Gigposters.com and go get you one!
www.gigposters.com/classifieds

See some of the process here:
http://getacluedesign.blogspot.com/2008/08/wilco-poster-design-catching-copper.html

Printed by D&L Screenprinting.