Starving.

I was in L.A. when I saw Into the Wild. I fell in love with the character played by Emile Hirsch. He's so beautiful, like Jack Black's skinny little brother. I was so inspired by his determination and discipline. I've gained 25 lbs since I started this blog. I'd certainly love to gain 25 more, but I became aware that I would not carry it as well so many perfect gentleman out there without building strength. So, I decided to go at it another way. Think fit. Think muscle weighs more than fat. Think body potential. Think sweat and girth. Think control. Think daddy in training. I'm turning 35 in February. Watch out.

Personality is Everything. #1

The WG News + Arts
Q&A with Jason Gnewikow
Graphic Designer/Musician

Q1: I honestly believe that 10 years ago you had a big part in bringing Indie Rock into the modern design era. Was that a conscious effort?

I don't know if it was something I thought I was actively doing. At the time I was very interested in a lot of British/European music packaging. It just seemed to have a more sophisticated sensibility and that was really exciting to me. It was definitely a stark contrast to the deconstructed cut and paste style of design that was popular at the time. I'm a very DIY oriented person so when it came time to design packaging for my own band it felt like a real opportunity to do something fresh that wasn't really happening in American Indie Rock. I also wanted my band to stick out from our contemporaries and while we maybe didn't share that much in common musically with the artists typically associated with that style of design we never felt like it was out of our reach or inappropriate. I also happened to be fortunate enough to work with a lot other bands so it seemed like a lot of work happened in a really short period of time that sort of flooded the scene.

Q2: The guys at Punk Planet were also a part of that. How closely did you work with them?

I worked for a brief period with Dan Sinker and Josh Hooten in Chicago under the moniker "The Collection Agency". We shared a building with Punk Planet because Josh and Dan were designing and writing that at the time. It ended up being really brief because the band started to tour a lot more so I was doing less freelance work and eventually ended up moving back to Wisconsin to focus on music.

Q3: Speaking of the end of an era... Do you think technology made possible, but inevitably destroyed the infrastructure of Punk as we knew it?

I think the biggest change came with the way people communicated and networked. The world definitely felt a lot smaller and also more intimate. I feel like we didn't have as easy access to each other and the various resources used to book shows and put out records as we do now. The new generation of kids also seem hyper-aware of the larger music industry. Everyone's got a street team these days.

Q4: Did you see the movie Helvetica? I loved it and went straight home to scrutinize every font I used regularly... I'm quite ashamed about Arial Bold. You used Helvetica almost exclusively in your early work. What was you motivation for that?

Sadly I have not seen Helvetica. Again I was just responding to all that amazing British design. I was consumed by the Pet Shop Boys in particular and they had a long history with Farrow. They always made really great use of type faces like Helvetica. There is a real economy in that typeface. You don't really have to fuss with it too much and it just looks really beautiful and sophisticated.

Q5: Many successful people I know have given up they’re career to go back to school or move to a town with a better quality of life. What would you do if you got sick of staring at your Apple monitor all day?

I think about that quite often actually. I think I would love to do something a little more tactile like making custom furniture. Something that still requires an attention to detail and precision that doesn't involve a computer. I've also always been interested in photography. Something about the immediacy of it is really alluring. I've also often fantasized about being a bookshop owner, but that's probably just some weird romantic impulse, I get bored too easily.

N.Y. Story.

So, I have a new gig. I will be doing a personalities column in The Williamsburg Greenpoint News + Arts Paper. It will be formatted the same as my Testify! entries here on Riot Bear and will profile any number of people who live and thrive in these neighborhoods. There are so many terrible local publications, but the WG News + Arts is the first to connect with me aesthetically and editorially. It's gay owned and operated which isn't to say it's a gay rag, but let's all admit that the gays are clever and have an outsiders point of view. In other words, this newspaper "gets it." It's free in over 4oo locations in these parts of Brooklyn. I certainly plan on continuing this blog, but it might evolve. Stay tuned.

Showbears : Bears on Film #6

L.A. Story.

It's my last night in Los Angeles and I'm ready to go. I had a good time just living life... L.A. still feels like home. I ate at Fat Burger, In-N-Out Burger and lots of Mexican restaurants. I did one happy hour at the Eagle and met the sweetest, hottest and smartest bartender named Steve. As usual, I saw many celebs including Dita Von Teese at Barney's, Joel Madden in the drive thru at In-N-Out, Justin Chambers in front of Macho Taco on Vermont... But my finest moment was when Scott Caan talked to me shopping at South Willard on 3rd. The nicest boy named Ryan owns the store and when I went in he was shootin the shit with a group of surfing buddies. Not till I went to the counter did I realize Scott as one of them and he turned to me and complemented a scarf I was buying. He was tan and scruffy and beautiful. After his pals left Ryan and I chated about men's fashion and shopping like Cholos at Kmart. I miss So Cal white boys.