$@%!

TUMBLAH

2011-04-11T17:57:00.000-07:00

Hey gang, thinking about phasing this here blog out in favor of my tumblr site. The design is way better and easier to modify than this beast. If you follow me here, I'd love to see you over there.
Johnny Sampson on TUMBLAH!!!
Thanks!

YOUR HIGHNESS

2011-04-06T10:44:00.001-07:00

This little guy is for a special advanced screening of YOUR HIGHNESS at the ALAMO DRAFTHOUSE in Austin, TX. I couldn't use any likenesses or scenes from the actual movie because there wasn't enough time to get any of the legal jazz cleared, (that's also why Tyler Stout or one of the other amazing Alamo poster artists didn't handle this one). Maybe that worked out for the best, I do like how it came out. These were screenprinted, 3 colors, 11x17. I don't have any for sale, so don't bother asking. Oh wait, no one bothers anyway. Thanks for looking, smell you later.

MISHKA

2011-03-07T06:56:00.000-08:00

The fine folks at MISHKA recently released a tee that I did for them. It's a Garbage Pail Kid inspired take on one of their recurring characters. This one was a lot of fun to work on. They also did a little piece on me for their blog, which gives you a little more insight to what goes on in my head. Lookie here if you're interested. Here's the final art and the uncropped version as well. I also did the lettering at the top (in Photoshop). The painting, as I'm sure you could guess by now, is gouache on illustration board, about 11"x17".

This is how I made this poster.

2011-02-27T18:32:00.001-08:00

First of all, I was contacted by the band to make a poster. They originally asked for sketches for two shows but we ended up using one poster for both. Yonder is a bluegrass band, and there's an old standard called "Under The Double Eagle" that came to my mind. I'm not even sure they play it, I just thought it called up some great imagery that would be a good fit for the band. The double eagle is also a Freemason icon, which is really appealing to me. So I sent the sketch and they liked the concept.

Next, I did the pencils for the final art in blue line pencil. I really like the look of the blue line, and sometimes I hesitate to ink it for fear that it will lose some of its spontaneity. Inevitably it does, but that's the nature of the beast, or at least as far as I know it to be.

I did all the inks with Speedball Super Black and a Windsor Newton series 7 #2 brush. I did some of the white lines with Copic opaque white and even some white out. The inspiration for the approach was from a stamp I found online that struck a chord with me. I liked how the background had these consistent horizontal lines contrasting with the sunburst behind the eagle. I also liked the idea of this looking stamp-like, so I used the perforation from the stamp to complete the look.

The final prints were done in two colors with minimal registration (my kind of print), 75 of each. I printed with plenty of bleed so I could cut the prints down to 16"x20" with the black extending to the edge. Very pleased with the way they turned out, I hope you enjoyed our little chat.

More Madness

2011-02-15T22:00:00.001-08:00

I've had a really great response to the prints I put up on my shop, thanks to everyone who took the plunge. I upgraded the store to accommodate more inventory and put up a bunch more aberrations, such as these fine ladies:

YOU NEED THESE.

2011-02-11T11:40:00.001-08:00

These fantastic mono-prints and others were done for the aforementioned show "Cosmic Aberration". Just scanned a bunch of them and put them up for sale HERE, ya hear?

The Reader Likes Me.

2011-02-03T08:56:00.000-08:00

Another illustration for the Chicago Reader. Read the article here. Thanks for looking.

Can you spare a dime?

2011-01-19T15:56:00.000-08:00

Breaking news- I put more stuff on my bigcartel store.
This lovely combo can be yours for the low price of $10 plus shipping:

http://johnnysampson.bigcartel.com/

"No Respect"

2011-01-08T11:05:00.001-08:00

Here's a scan of a print I did for the Gallery1988 show, "Is This Thing On?". It opened last night, wish I could have been there- sounds like it was a good time. Anyway, this is 8 colors on 100# 16x20 paper, edition of 50. I sent the gallery all of the prints, so if you want one that's where you need to go. Thanks for looking.

Dig those do's

2011-01-03T10:17:00.000-08:00

Hey-Ya! Here's some prints I just did for a show here put on by the Chicago Urban Art Society. It's the 3rd annual Winter Block Party for Chicago's Hip-Hop Arts, presented by our local NPR affiliate, WBEZ. These are all 4 colors screen printed on 4 different colored 12x18 papers (astro-green, pink lemonade, blue raspberry, and green apple). I was asked to contribute to the show after the gallery director saw my previous wig prints. "The Gumby" is based on a photo of a friend of mine who actually had that hairstyle back in high school.

Is This Thing On?

2010-12-27T07:22:00.000-08:00

Hey there, I almost forgot to mention that I'm in another show at Gallery 1988 called Is This Thing On?, a tribute to the great comedians of our time. As usual, there's a lot of great talent in the show, and an honor to be counted among them. This time around, all relevant information is first broadcast by FunnyOrDie.com. Until then, my piece and everyone else's for the show is top secret.

Recent work

2010-12-27T05:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a fun one that I did recently as a Christmas commission for an old friend who enjoys the finer things in life. I was especially happy to paint it for him since he's long been a enthusiastic supporter of my work. 8x10 acrylic on canvas.

Monsters Like Christmastime

2010-12-08T10:53:00.000-08:00

Monsters Like Christmastime
This is a song I wrote and recorded with my friends, Maximum Wage. Download it, pass it along if you dig it. I actually had delusions of being the next Bobby "Boris" Pickett. I have delusions about a lot of stuff. Merry Christmas.

Reader Cover

2010-12-03T09:48:00.001-08:00

Did this week's Reader cover for a story on public funds to help renovate Wrigley Field (home of the Chicago Cubs for all you Martians).

Caveman A-Go-Go!!!

2010-11-21T15:16:00.001-08:00

Here's a 3-color poster for a show that happened this weekend. Wish I could have gone, them's the brakes. If you clicked on the gifs from the previous post, you'll recognize them above. I wanted to do a quick animation for the show to put on youtube, but ran out of time. Maybe next time. Thanks, as ever, for looking. Now go tell all your friends about it!!!

T.G.I. Gif's

2010-11-13T13:02:00.001-08:00

Art for sale...

2010-10-20T12:35:00.001-07:00

These pieces and more are available on my Big Cartel store. If you follow me on twitter, I just posted a 10% discount code. Follow me @johnnysampson, if that's not your thing send me a message and I'll send you the secret code ...ssshhh!

HORRORWOOD part deux

2010-10-18T08:58:00.000-07:00

Here's the paintings I did for the aforementioned HORRORWOOD show at WWA Gallery. I posted details of them earlier. It's how I imagined the classic monsters might look circa 1974. Poor Larry really went through an awkward phase. Very inspired by a book we have called "Bad Hair" and a Jerry Wallace record cover. All are acrylic on canvas, 8"x10". Thanks for looking, now go and tell all your friends.

HORRORWOOD

2010-10-12T08:51:00.000-07:00

I posted some details of some new pieces that are in a group show at WWA Gallery in LA this Friday called HORRORWOOD. Stoked to be a part of it, wish I could be there. Here's the skinny:

WWA gallery

HORRORWOOD

Curated by Industrial Squid

Opens Friday, October 15th 7-10pm
Runs until December 4th

This October will be killer as WWA gallery presents the chilling group show Horrorwood. Curated by Industrial Squid, Horrorwood features the spine-tingling work of over 40 artists who were asked to pay homage to the Horror Film genre. From Psycho to Scream, from Frankenstein to Friday the 13th, this wicked group show is not for the faint of heart as it is sure to be as thrilling as the very horror films to which it pays homage.

Open to the public, the Horrorwood gallery reception is from 7 - 10pm on Friday, October 15th. In the spirit of Halloween and all things horror, the gallery welcomes guests to come to the opening in costume and there will be plenty of treats to be enjoyed as well as a few tricks too. The exhibition will run until December 4th.

Horrorwood features a diverse line-up of artists including:

David Ball, Jana Brike, Mark Bryan, Danielle Buerli, William Buzzell, Julian Callos, David Chung, Sean Clauretie, JAW Cooper, Dave Correia, Jeremy Cross, Jason Cullison, Jessica LL Dalva, James "Jimbot" Demski, Matt Duffin/Flannery Grace Horan, Mickey M Edtinger, Heeryoung Hong, Charlie Immer, Ben Kehoe, Jacob Livengood, David MacDowell, Jon MacNair, Apricot Mantle, Lily Mae Martin, Annie Owens, Cristina Paulos, Chris Roth, KRK Ryden,
Johnny Sampson, Nigel Sanders, Zachary Schoenbaum, Steve Seeley, Dylan Sisson, MomTried Myles Smutney, Sarah "Sae" Soh, Ric Stultz, Bryce Takara, Paul Torres, Ted von Heiland, Jessica Ward, Peat Wollaeger

About Industrial Squid:
Industrial Squid is a curatorial project comprised of Stephanie Chefas, Rob Faucette, and David Radford of WWA gallery. Industrial Squid is a labor of love born out of a passion for contemporary art and those who bring it to life. Their aim is to curate inventive group shows, with themes that give artists a veritable playground to work within.

About WWA gallery:
Located in the Culver City Art District, WWA gallery's goal is to present contemporary artists who have an individual perspective and clear vision and aesthetic. In 2010, we will present an array of shows with a wide range of established and emerging artists such as Bob Dob, Ben Kehoe, KRK Ryden, Miss Mindy, CJ Metzger, Rob Corless, Jim Darling, Tina Darling, Dan Barry, Edward Robin Coronel, Jeni Yang, Tracy Tomko, Dee Chavez, Lily Mae Martin, and Julian Callos. For more information and an upcoming exhibition schedule, please visit WWAgallery.com

For additional press inquiries please contact:
Stephanie@wwagallery.com or 310.836.4992

9517 Culver Blvd. Culver City, CA 90232
WWAgallery.com 310.836.4992
Hours: Tuesday to Saturday 11-5pm

COSMIC ABERRATION

2010-09-29T20:31:00.001-07:00

Far out, I'm in an art show. Look at the pretty pictures and read below:

Leo Handmade and Young Monster will present the opening reception for “Cosmic Abberation,” a brand new collection of the bizarre, yet meticulous screen-print art of Chicago-based illustrator Johnny Sampson on Friday, Oct. 1.

Review for Johnny Sampson:
Whether drawing Frankenstein or Skeletor, charcoal portraits of classic country stars or watercolor paintings of pulp-influenced giant squid attacks, it is clear throughout Sampson’s work that he’s a born illustrator with an comedic knack for visual storytelling. Sampson’s expansive portfolio spans from cover art for magazines such as The Chicago Reader to gallery shows across the country, as well as record sleeves and gig posters for garage rock favorites like King Khan and the Detroit Cobras.

Mr. Sampson will be present for the opening reception of “Cosmic Abberation,” a collection centered around the idea of outer space and inspired by “B-movies, Colorforms, low budget anything, rip-offs, and unofficial merchandise found at dollar stores.”

"The characters that inhabit these pieces represent our attempts at reaching for the unreachable: the small triumphs, the inevitable failures,” said Mr. Sampson. “Yes, that's some pretty big talk about pictures of monsters floating in outer space. Ultimately, it represents my point of view: I'm a weirdo floating through outer space who likes to draw weirdos floating through outer space.“

The reception will be from 6–9 p.m. on Friday, Oct. 1, at Leo Handmade Gallery (22 Frazier Ave.) and will include wine, refreshments and the rare chance to float through space with Johnny Sampson.

Following the reception, Mr. Sampson’s work will remain on display throughout the month of October.

For more information on "Cosmic Abberation," visit leogallery.blogspot.com or weareyoungmonster.com.

WIGS!

2010-09-20T16:07:00.001-07:00

I made some new prints for the Renegade Craft Fair here in Chicago. They were inspired by all the great wig stores we have in the city, their displays are really something to see. Got them up for sale on my etsy shop and at giposters. Make someone happy today!

Some new stuff...

2010-09-18T10:48:00.001-07:00

Here's some sneak peeks at some new paintings I did for an upcoming show. More details to come. Thanks, as always, for looking.

Reader Illustration

2010-08-19T11:39:00.000-07:00

Hi again, it's me, Johnny. This little piece is for an article in the Chicago Reader about an art contest here in Chicago. I was thinking about entering my KK&BBQ painting, but then again there's probably better ways to waste $65.
This is all done in Photoshop with my Wacom tablet, using the paintbrush and eraser and the lasso tool here and there. Thanks for looking.

New Tee Shirts!

2010-07-26T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hot off the Screwball Press, I just screened a grip of these suckers in time for Flatstock 26 at Pitchfork here in Chicago. Snatch em up here.

Is that another shirt for The Hundreds?

2010-07-23T07:08:00.000-07:00

Why, yes it is. Really stoked about how this came out. Looks sweet on a black tee, too. The original was done with gouache, about 11"x14". This is my favorite design I've done for them yet. Available soon on thehundreds.com.

Phunstyle

2010-07-22T08:16:00.001-07:00

Illo for a review in the Chicago Reader of Liz Phair's self-released new album, "Funstyle". It's not really what you would expect from the woman behind "Exile In Guyville". One of the biggest surprises is that she raps on it, hence the illustration you see above. For a preview of her songs, go to her site, for the review click this.

Attack Of The 50 Ft Warriors

2010-06-24T18:08:00.001-07:00

Here's the final piece, pretty stoked by how it came out. I'll be at the show, come out and say hi if you're in the neighborhood. Or just lurk in the corner like you do here.

Here's the official card, love the art.

Warriors painting process

2010-06-22T06:22:00.000-07:00

I'm gonna post a proper picture of this soon, but in the meantime, check out the process thread I put up over at gigposters.com here. Thanks for looking!

Duck Huffington Stickers

2010-06-17T11:43:00.000-07:00

Just got these in the mail today, super stoked by how they came out. Available from my big cartel store here and vending machines in crummy corner stores across the country.

The Hundeds in my home!

2010-05-20T07:33:00.000-07:00

ELEVATED.
Click the link, dink. Benjie from the Hundreds was in town for the weekend and paid a visit to my humble abode. He snapped a couple of pics and posted them on The Hundreds' blog. If you want a peek of how and where I work, prepare to be underwhelmed...

Tweet With Me.

2010-05-18T11:47:00.001-07:00

Yes, I am finally on twitter. Now you can read my random thoughts in 140 characters or less. To make it a little more attractive, I'll post sale codes or giveaways on there. I haven't sorted out all the details yet, but I'm sure I'll be able to come up with something. In the meantime, humor me and follow my shallow tweets @johnnysampson

THE HUNDREDS!

2010-05-14T11:48:00.001-07:00

Stoked to be able to finally show this one off, really happy with how it turned out. There's a lot going on in this one, I studied some serious dental tools and Russian prison tattoo art. Always a pleasure to work with these guys, can't wait to see it in person. Get yours here... www.thehundreds.com (should be under "summer 10" any minute now...)

More Twilight Zone Art

2010-05-11T18:35:00.001-07:00

The show opens May 20th, and I was gonna sit on these until then, but what the hay... I've seen a bunch of the other pieces for the show on various blogs and such, gotta say this show is gonna rock! Check out Kiersten Essenpreis's great pieces here and here. I also dig Travis Lampe's piece here. Looking forward to seeing the rest. You can, too, on Gallery 1988's site: http://www.g1988.blogspot.com/
Peace out.

Another Dimension

2010-05-06T05:23:00.000-07:00

Thrilled to be a part of what appears to be a spectacular line-up of artists for the upcoming Twilight Zone themed show at Gallery 1988, "Another Dimension". If you or someone you know will be in the LA area May 20th, stop in for the opening. The previous post will be there, more to come...

To Serve Jaws

2010-05-01T13:22:00.001-07:00

This charming gentleman is a piece for the upcoming Twilight Zone show at Gallery 1988. 16"x20" oil on panel. This is the first oil painting I've done in years, forgot how much I like using them. I've got two more in the works, stay tuned...

Dancing With the Apes

2010-04-05T07:31:00.000-07:00

I'm a sucker for rubber apes. These are Copic grayscale markers on typing paper. Do they even call it typing paper anymore? Probably not. Shows you how old I am.

New shirts for The Hundreds

2010-03-30T07:49:00.001-07:00

The fine folks at THE HUNDREDS asked me to do a few designs for their Spring '10 collection. I actually did these last year, so it's nice to see them finally see the light of day. Available as T-shirts and hoodies. There are a couple more to come, stay tuned...

Trouble In Mind Showcase

2010-03-08T14:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a poster for my friends Bill and Lisa's label, Trouble In Mind Records. They are doing an unofficial SxSW showcase featuring their stable of rocking bands. These are 3 screens, with two different split fountains of flourescent and glow in the dark colors. They look awesome under a black light. If you're in the Austin area for the festivities, keep an eye out for them, I think they're going to hang a ton of them up around town.

GREASEBAT!!!

2010-02-13T12:23:00.000-08:00

Here's the header card art I just finished for the talented Jeff Lamm's upcoming vinyl toy of his Greasebat character. Jeff's a real fan favorite, check out his awesome kaiju-inspired work at his site, www.greasebat.com
This little number is gouache on illustration board, about 8 1/2"x14".

Yonder Mountain String Band Poster

2010-02-10T12:27:00.001-08:00

Here's another poster for YMSB, 3 colors (black, red and silver) on 17x17 paper. I posted the cabin image a while back for the Cabin Fever tour 2009. That one was canceled but fortunately they could use the design for this year's.

Another Reader Cover???

2010-02-10T12:14:00.001-08:00

Yes indeed I did. This is a couple of weeks old already, I'm getting kind of lazy with the updates here. There's nothing more tedious than writing about yourself. Well, maybe reading someone's writing about himself, I don't know. This cover is for a Q&A piece with a lawyer who represents private companies that take over public works in cities across the country. Everybody's so happy that everything's for sale. My favorite little bit in here is the pothole. They are a HUGE problem in Chicago, probably wouldn't be such a bad idea to have someone come and take care of the problem. The city doesn't seem to mind them so much. Here's a link to the story if you're interested.
Oh yeah, it's gouache on illustration board. Sketched it on a Saturday, painted it on Sunday. Took a crappy photo of it on Monday. On the newsstand Wednesday. Far out.

Cosmo Skeletor, Gallery 1988's "Under the Influence: Masters of the Universe" art show

2010-01-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Hey there, thrilled to have been a part of Gallery 1988's "Under the Influence: Masters of the Universe" art show. This is my piece titled "Cosmo Skeletor", an intimate portrait of Eternia's skull-faced blue bad boy.
I also made prints of the art, 4 colors on 16"x24" Cougar natural paper, edition of 90. These are still available at the Gallery, or from my new online store. Thanks for looking, if you want to read more about it, check out Gallery 1988's blog here.

New Website???

2010-01-09T15:06:00.000-08:00

Still working out some bugs, this is my first attempt at a Dreamweaver site. There's probably a zillion things wrong with how I built it, but it seems to do the job. If you have any recommendations, feel free to lay them on me!
Check it out at www.johnnysampson.com

The Hundreds

2009-12-30T06:29:00.000-08:00

Here's a design I created for The Hundreds, a cool clothing company out in LA. This marks their partnership with Delorean Motor Company (they're coming back!). I was one of a few artists they asked to make limited edition tee shirts. They wanted a "Golden Book" kind of spin on the iconic car and their bomb dudes. Check out what the others look like here. This is one of a bunch of designs I've done for them this year, the others are still waiting in the wings and I can't wait to show you what they look like. Big props to Benjie for looking me up and keeping me busy this past year, looking forward to working with him again.

Supersuckers!

2009-12-28T10:13:00.000-08:00

Here's my latest poster, it's for the Supersuckers 3-night stand at Reggie's. If you buy tickets for all three nights, you get one of these signed by the band. It's just two screens each printed with a split-fountain (for all you non-printers, that's when you have two or more colors blending together on one screen). Shown here is the final print, along with the two screens printed separately. It's a cool effect, I'm thrilled with how it turned out.

Chicago Reader Fiction Issue Illo

2009-12-28T09:15:00.000-08:00

Hey there, loyal readers. Here's a little painting I did for the Chicago Reader's "Pure Fiction" issue, which showcases up and coming authors. This is for a piece by William Fletcher called "Dear Life" which has a noirish old-school vibe to it. Read it here. As always is the case when I do work for the Reader, I have to thank Paul Higgins for the nod, as he is quite capable of doing it himself. Also, big ups to Paul for getting all that ace talent. Recent notables include Kali Fontecchio, Yuta Onoda, Nick Butcher, and this week's cover artist, Gary Taxali. High fives all around!

Old Art, New Print

2009-12-05T09:22:00.000-08:00

Hey there, just did a smallish run of the cover art I did for King Khan and BBQ's new album, Invisible Girl. CMYK screen print on 20"x20" 130# Cougar paper, edition of 55. These prints are intended for those that dig the art but don't want to frame their record. If you're interested in getting one, you can here and here.

Frankenstein Book Report

2009-11-02T11:06:00.001-08:00

Here's an illo I did for my friend Nadine (from Sonnenzimmer print studio) who works for Say What Magazine, an extension of the Young Chicago Authors group. She asked for it to be 2 colors, so I did my best Michael Cho impression. He has such a neat style, he pretty much owns it but it's fun to pretend anyway.

Yonder Mountain String Band Poster

2009-11-02T11:01:00.001-08:00

Another poster for my friend's bluegrass band. Their merch handler suggested a Voodoo theme, being the House of Blues and all. So I used "Baron Samedi" as inspiration. 16"x20" 2 colors, red and transparent black. These sold out at the show, though I have a few AP prints that I can sell if you are interested.

The Ponys Halloween Show

2009-11-02T10:56:00.000-08:00

An intimate print for my friends' first Chicago show in a long time. 12"x12", 4 colors, did a variant with transparent blacks. This is one of my favorites.

CoCoComa Poster

2009-11-02T10:52:00.000-08:00

This one's a 4-color process + split fountain spot color, 16"x20".

Duck Huffington!

2009-10-08T06:23:00.001-07:00

Gossip Poster

2009-10-04T07:36:00.000-07:00

Here's a terrible photo of the poster I did for the Gossip show here at the Metro October 16. Thought a Nagle vibe was the way to go, very happy with the results.

Half Man, Half Party Animal

2009-10-04T07:31:00.001-07:00

5 color screen print on 11"x14" 100# natural Cougar paper

Publish Post

All The Colors Of Dark

2009-10-04T07:20:00.000-07:00

Hi there, here's a print for a 24 hour exploitation/horror film fest/print show in Philadelphia called "All The Colors Of The Dark" put on by the good folks at Exhumed Films, purveyors of the obscure and low budget. They asked for a print that would compliment the secret schedule of B-horror movies they will be showing, so this is what I came up with:

11"x14" 2 colors. I'll have them for sale after the show at some point (post-Oct 24).

Killdozer poster

2009-09-17T09:47:00.001-07:00

That's right, folks, KILLDOZER's back and he's mad as Hell!!! I painted this with gouache then did seps in photoshop, output it for cmyk screen print. Printed these suckers last night by hand, I sure am tired. Not sure the final edition size yet (somewhere around 140?), I still have to sign and number them. I'll be at the show, hope to see you there!

Scion Garage Fest Poster

2009-09-02T18:10:00.000-07:00

Here's a poster I did for the Scion Garage Fest. Vice Records curated it, chock full of garagey goodness. The inspiration is (obviously) the Attack of the 50 Ft Woman by Reynold Brown. In her place is the popular Portland statue "Portlandia" remodeling Burnside skate park. See you there?

Another Reader cover

2009-08-18T07:00:00.000-07:00

This painting is for this week's Reader cover story about Roberto Maldonado, who's a recently appointed alderman who owns quite a bit of real estate in the ward that he oversees, presenting a bit of a conflict of interests. Or something. I just draws em folks.

More King Khan & BBQ

2009-07-29T11:44:00.000-07:00

Here's the rest of the album art, the top one is the insert (record sleeve) and the bottom is the back (with song titles, etc). Seems like forever since this was finished, been about a month I guess. On to the next project that will surely razzle and dazzle. (I try to aim high)

Jonathan Bergeron at Yves Laroche Gallery

2009-07-29T09:02:00.001-07:00

Johnny Crap to most, Montreal's Johnathan Bergeron has been putting out some amazing work lately. These are from a show with the equally talented Chris Ryniak at Yves Laroche Gallery in his home town. I became familiar with his work through gigposters.com, where he often stuns everyone with his creative efforts. I'm kinda sick of writing about myself and he seemed an obvious one to gush on. He and Chris collaborated with the folks at Big Shot Toy Works and made a vinyl thingamajig for the show. I want:

The King Khan and BBQ Show

2009-07-22T16:06:00.000-07:00

Here's what I was giving a sneak peek of before, Larry at In The Red said it was ok to spill the beans, despite my large readership. (that was snark) To the five people that look at this regularly, I give you the art for the new King Khan and BBQ Show album due out in November...

There's more, but I'll let the suspense build until I show it. This is the cover, they liked it so much that they didn't want to sully it with any text. It's a real pleasure to work with these guys, they are such talented, stand-up dudes.

Flatstock XXI Poster

2009-07-16T09:36:00.000-07:00

This weekend is the Pitchfork Music Festival here in Chicago and I'm pleased to say that I'll be participating in the latest incarnation of Flatstock, the poster show put on by the American Poster Institute. I'll be among great company, the best and brightest poster makers around today. So if you're attending the fest, drop by and say hi. Part of the Flatstock tradition is making a poster to commemorate it, so here is my contribution.

Crazy4 Cult!

2009-07-08T09:19:00.000-07:00

I was asked to participate in the latest installment of "Crazy 4 Cult" at Gallery 1988 in Los Angeles, where artists pay tribute to classic cult films. I was asked to give my interpretation of "The Burbs". This is what happened. 4 color (cmyk) prints on 9"x9" paper, edition TBD for sale soon!

Sneek Peeks

2009-07-06T10:28:00.000-07:00

Here are some details from a project I recently completed. Specifics to come in the near future...stay tuned!

X poster

2009-06-23T12:49:00.000-07:00

This is for a series put on through the gigposters site, just like the Detroit Cobras one. Wanted to try something a little different, and this is an image I wanted to explore for a while now. Why a black plastic bag? Why not? Somehow, it fits (I think).

Magpie Print

2009-06-03T11:47:00.001-07:00

Here's a print I did for the upcoming bird-themed show at Signed & Numbered Gallery in SLC, Utah. It's a Magpie in honor of my daughter, Maggie, for obvious reasons. It's a pretty straight forward representation, the kind of thing you'd see in a Golden Book about the birds of the world or at least that's what I'm shooting for. Since I don't have access to a real magpie, I used images from a google search, but in the future I really want to make it to the Field Museum and do some more like this, Audobon-style from dead animals.
Below: the orginal gouache painting.

King Khan And The Shrines Poster

2009-05-15T15:03:00.001-07:00

Here's a new one for my favorite band playing right now, King Khan And The Shrines. This show is tonight, but I will be babysitting. If you're in the area, they are definitely worth checking out. Mark Sultan is supporting, who as you all know is the BBQ in the King Khan & BBQ Show, so there'll probably be some of that going on as well. Opening is my uber-talented friend, Ian Adams' band, Maximum Wage, which is essentially the Submarine Races without Steve. Hi, Steve.
FOR SALE NOW AT GIGPOSTERS.COM HERE.

Plastic Crimewave Caricature

2009-05-15T14:28:00.001-07:00

Chicago's very own Plastic Crimewave has been doing the fantastic strip, The Secret History of Chicago Music, in the Reader for I don't know how long. Wouldn't you know it, he also does caricatures at the Empty Bottle? Best $5 I've spent in a long time. I think he really captures my essence. Extra points for Sharpie on paper with no pencils.

YMSB Poster

2009-05-07T11:53:00.001-07:00

The fine folks over at Yonder Mountain asked me to do a poster for their shows at the Pageant. My first attempt at CMYK screen printing and definitely not the last. Edition of 100, I'll have a few AP prints for sale at some point or another.

Detroit Cobras Poster

2009-05-07T11:48:00.001-07:00

One in a series of Detroit Cobras done by various artists/designers on gigposters.com. This edition of 80 measures 12"x18", 3 colors on FLOCKED paper. Yes, indeed. I was going for a black velvet feel and decided to go all the way. These were a monumental pain in the a-s-s to print (Had to pull the white and orange screens 2 times, let dry, repeat). A true labor of love, they came out pretty darn nice if I do say so myself. Photo credit goes to Matt Booy of Australia, who has some great photos here.
On sale now at gigposters.com here.

SHIT SANDWICH Records Logo

2009-05-05T06:05:00.000-07:00

My good friend Norah's great little record label, SHIT SANDWICH, needed a new logo. The old one was great but the people at STIFF Records thought it was a teensy bit too much like theirs. So she asked me to come up with some new ideas and this one rose to the top of the heap. Maybe now she'll get a letter from Christopher Guest?

Chicago Reader Cover

2009-04-30T10:12:00.000-07:00

Got to do another cover for the Chicago Reader. Super short notice, sketched on Saturday, approved on Sunday, painted on Monday. It's for the Spring Book issue, featuring Asian-American authors. Depicted here is Hanuman, who is the Hindu God of Monkey Business or something, holding a pile of books in place of the mountain he is usually seen with.

CINEMAPOCALYPSE!!!

2009-03-07T17:34:00.000-08:00

I was thrilled to be asked to do a poster for the guys over at the Alamo Drafthouse. This is for an exploitation film fest that travels to LA, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle. They requested that "Ghetto Wolf" make an appearance to mark the occasion. The world could always use a little more Ghetto Wolf.

2009-03-06T12:58:00.000-08:00

New print coming soon, details to come...

Chicago READER Cover Art

2009-02-17T10:24:00.001-08:00

I'm thrilled about this one, it's the cover of the Chicago READER!!! For a piece about the race to fill the vacant seat of Rahm Emmanuel. Measures 16.75x15" more or less, gouache on illustration board. Big thanks to Paul Higgins for tapping me for this project. He is a man of considerable talent, look at his work here.

Stuff for sale...

2009-02-10T07:28:00.000-08:00

If anyone's interested, I just put a bunch of posters up for sale at gigposters.com. You should be able to find them here. I also have an etsy shop blowing in the wind, that would be here. It's kind of redundant, but what the heck, right? I also put a link to my cafepress storefront to the right here. I tried to sell the "Sarah Cuda" image there, but was denied. I set up the shop just for that so I may as well try to work it. I'm planning on doing more cafepress-specific art in the future, but for now enjoy the limited offerings I currently have.

MONSTERS!

2009-01-19T09:06:00.000-08:00

The Pageant Theater as Log Cabin

2009-01-19T08:48:00.000-08:00

This is for a Yonder Mountain String Band poster awaiting approval. It's for a two night stint at the Pageant in St. Louis, Missouri. For reference, I pulled photos from google maps, using the street view option. Log-arrific!

Hoover Dammit!

2009-01-02T09:01:00.001-08:00

This five-color beauty is for the upcoming "All The President's Men" silk screened art show at Signed and Numbered gallery in Salt Lake City, Utah. More info here.

Cowboy Undead Shark Attack?

2008-11-22T14:51:00.000-08:00

Dig it!

watercolor study

2008-11-19T16:07:00.000-08:00

Here's a study I did with my old Windsor & Newton travel watercolor box. You may not know this, but I am color blind. Yes I can see colors, but the reds and greens not so well. I recently flunked a color blind test and wanted a little reassurance, so I copied a painting from "It's A Man's World", my favorite book ever. The artist is uncredited, but the magazine it's from is called "BOLD MEN!" (If you have said book, look at page 89.) More pulp-inspired work to come...

Cooler By The Lake album art!

2008-11-11T05:54:00.000-08:00

As Kool-Aid Man once said, "OH YEAH!" These fine paintings will grace the cover of CBTL's newest release, Welcome To The Battle b/w A Battle Of My Own. More info at www.rorylakepresents.com

Rory Lake's Battle of the Bands V poster

2008-11-11T05:51:00.000-08:00

Rory in the full color glory that he deserves. He's printing a bunch of these, so you'll see them around town as well as for sale at the shows. At 18"x24", you won't miss them.

Thomas 2001 Travel Diary

2008-11-09T12:06:00.000-08:00

thomas2001.com RIP

2008-11-09T11:54:00.001-08:00

It's a sad, sad day in cyber-space. The very popular thomas2001.com has left the building for good. Where will people go to see poorly photoshopped pics of America's futuristic organ in various humorous situations? I guess here. Shine on Thomas 2001, shine on.

2008-11-04T08:50:00.000-08:00

Hey Portland peeps! This Thursday, go to Hecklewood Gallery and see an art show I'm in alongside some really great people. Unfortunately I won't be there, but it looks like there's free PBR... and really, which would you rather have?

Country Music Stars

2008-11-03T06:27:00.000-08:00

Keep On Shuckin'

2008-10-30T12:20:00.000-07:00

My submission for the upcoming Trucker-themed issue of Roctober.

Joe Biden Wacky Package

2008-10-14T06:58:00.000-07:00

So it's official: I'm insane. I guess I'm still a kid deep down. The instant I saw my first "Wacky Package" I thought, "I want to do that". Goes to show that my goals haven't really changed that much in the time since.
FYI: I had "Sarah Cuda" for sale on cafepress.com but they pulled my image for fear of a lawsuit by Topps for intellectual property/copyright infringement. They were really nice about it, and after all, I can't blame them since they're the ones sticking their necks out and selling them in the first place. I contacted Topps to see if I could get permission to sell the image. They forwarded my email to their in-house lawyer and she sent me a very nice letter saying that she can't tell me one way or the other if I could use the image, that I need my own lawyer to tell me that.
Nuts.

GARBAGE PALIN KIDS!!!

2008-09-28T17:40:00.000-07:00

Here's my contribution to the current political noise. It started as a play on words, then I thought, "why the Hell not?"
Get yer t-shirts, onesies, mugs, bags, etc at my cafe press store: http://www.cafepress.com/trashpop

Sonic Boom King Khan Window Display!

2008-07-17T11:30:00.000-07:00

Sonic Boom Records in Toronto's latest window display features Tim Oakley's interpretation of my work. My mind is officially blown.

Oh man, is that a HIPPIE DIPPIE?

2008-05-29T20:57:00.000-07:00

Stick it to the man with your very own "Hippie Dippie". Hand made in the USA, in my very own home (you have no idea what a pain in the ass these were to make). Limited edition of 22 resin cast figurines with silk-screened numbered blister cards. Each piece is signed on the bottom by yours truly. Available now at etsy.com!

King Khan & The Shrines Album Cover

2008-04-22T17:52:00.000-07:00

You heard right, dear reader, I am proud to say that I was chosen to create the album cover (and layout design) of VICE Records' upcoming release of King Khan & The Shrines greatest hits. His majesty originally contacted me to do a tour poster for the band and one thing led to another. We put our heads together and this is what we came up with. It was an honor to collaborate with such a talented dude, no joke. The band is hot shit, too. They all live in Germany or something, and this summer they'll be coming to the states. Catch them at Pitchfork Fest, then buy some posters at Flatstock while you're at it.

New Site Is Up

2008-04-21T10:52:00.000-07:00

That's right folks, the new and slightly improved johnnysampson.com is up and running. I haven't done much web stuff in a while, so it was nice to flex my Flash muscles. Hope you dig it. Keep checking back for updates, 'cause I'll be posting new stuff soon.

Earthquake In Chicago??? Whatever!

2008-04-18T07:57:00.000-07:00

I woke up this morning to what I thought was my wife shaking the bed. She thought I was doing the same. So the obvious conclusion was that rats were swarming our mattress. I just woke up, so it sounded reasonable. I haven't been that scared to look under the bed in a long, long time. Of course there wasn't anything under there other than massive dust bunnies, but we couldn't shake the feeling that something- animal or spiritual - was in our room. Then we saw the news.
The ironic thing is that we lived in California for five years and never felt a tremor as strong as the one this morning. Crazy.

HELLO MINOR T-SHIRT!!!

2008-04-16T06:08:00.000-07:00

Have you heard the good news? HELLO MINOR is putting out one of my designs on a t-shirt! Can you tell I'm excited? Check out their site and put in your order at: www.hellominor.com

Welcome to my Blog-mare...

2008-04-16T05:52:00.000-07:00

Hey howdy hi folks, thanks for stopping by. Welcome to my very first blog, stop back for exciting news and updates about yours truly, Johnny Sampson. First and foremost, I'm working on a new website for my drawings and paintings and stuff. This will be linked to it at www.johnnysampson.com
Catchy, huh? It will be up shortly. I'll still have my other site for a client portfolio. So if you want to see drawing after drawing of chewing gum spots and other commercial-riffic stuff, stop by the old one, www.johnpsampson.com
...I'll be waiting for you!

$@%!

TUMBLAH

YOUR HIGHNESS

MISHKA

This is how I made this poster.

More Reader illos...

More Madness

YOU NEED THESE.

The Reader Likes Me.

Can you spare a dime?

"No Respect"

Dig those do's

Is This Thing On?

Recent work

Monsters Like Christmastime

Reader Cover

Caveman A-Go-Go!!!

T.G.I. Gif's

Art for sale...

HORRORWOOD part deux

HORRORWOOD

COSMIC ABERRATION

WIGS!

Some new stuff...

Reader Illustration

New Tee Shirts!

Is that another shirt for The Hundreds?

Phunstyle

Attack Of The 50 Ft Warriors

Warriors painting process

Duck Huffington Stickers

The Hundeds in my home!

Tweet With Me.

THE HUNDREDS!

More Twilight Zone Art

Another Dimension

To Serve Jaws

Dancing With the Apes

New shirts for The Hundreds

Trouble In Mind Showcase

GREASEBAT!!!

Yonder Mountain String Band Poster

Another Reader Cover???

Cosmo Skeletor, Gallery 1988's "Under the Influence: Masters of the Universe" art show

New Website???

The Hundreds

Supersuckers!

Chicago Reader Fiction Issue Illo

Old Art, New Print

Frankenstein Book Report

Yonder Mountain String Band Poster

The Ponys Halloween Show

CoCoComa Poster

Duck Huffington!

Gossip Poster

Half Man, Half Party Animal

All The Colors Of Dark

Killdozer poster

Scion Garage Fest Poster

Another Reader cover

More King Khan & BBQ

Jonathan Bergeron at Yves Laroche Gallery

The King Khan and BBQ Show

Flatstock XXI Poster

Crazy4 Cult!

Sneek Peeks

X poster

Magpie Print

King Khan And The Shrines Poster

Plastic Crimewave Caricature

YMSB Poster

Detroit Cobras Poster

SHIT SANDWICH Records Logo

Chicago Reader Cover

CINEMAPOCALYPSE!!!

Chicago READER Cover Art

Stuff for sale...

MONSTERS!

The Pageant Theater as Log Cabin

Hoover Dammit!