Chances are, you may not have heard of Eric Joyner, but a lot of people have. He has won awards from Spectrum Fantastic Art, and has been hired by the San Francisco Chronicle. His art is very popular among technology executives, and some movie stars have been known to collect some of his art. J.J. Abrams is a huge fan. (LOST baby!) I only came across him when I saw a preview for his book, “Robots & Donuts: The Art of Eric Joyner”, published by Dark Horse Books. Joyner paints his robots with an out of time feel and a vintage quality that never seems to get old. It is also right on time with the retro style that is ohh so popular today.

Joyner decided in 1999 that he was going to focus his art strictly on Robots and Donuts after his work in commercial illustration became too tedious. (I cant help but laugh to myself as I write this. Picturing someone fed up with commercial art, and saying “humm, well I love donuts, and robots seem really cool too, so maybe ill just focus on painting them. And ONLY them). All of his paintings start with an idea, then a photo opp featuring some robot toys from Japan. After he has his subject matter ready, he does a sketch and paints that with some acrylics. He finalizes his paintings with thick oils and 2 coats of spray Demar varnish. Joyner’s art is so refreshing that you can’t help but to love it. He paints with a childish, retro feel, and the subject matter forces a smile onto your face. I mean how can you NOT smile at Japanese Robots fighting giant donuts?

Im sure everyone has noticed that ad campaigns have really taken on a life of their own lately. You find yourself laughing or staring at ads, without even realizing what product the ad is pushing at first. Apple has really been at the forefront of pushing new ad material, and they showed the world that ads can be simple, sexy, and slick. I found a few really cool ads that I think did an awesome job of grabbing the attention of the consumer. Many of the ads also used space in a new and innovative way. Enjoy!

Nikon used the publics obsession with celebrities as a way to draw attention to its ad for the new Nikon D700 model camera. This ad was set up in a Seoul subway station, on a huge flat light box. When a person would walk by, the flashes were automatically triggered, giving it a real red carpet feel. On top of an already killer ad, the red carpet lead out of the subway station and into a mall, where the consumer could walk right into the Nikon store and purchase the camera. SOLD!

Feel The Bubbles! This Nestle ad is one of the coolest I have seen in a long time. Not only does it make me want to go out and shred, it makes me want chocolate. NOW. Bob Burnquist kills it in this one. Video also attached for your viewing pleasure.

This ad is for Frontline Flea and Tick Spray, with the slogan, “Get Them Off Your Dog”. It is placed on the floor of an Indonesian building, with the actual people meant to represent fleas and ticks. Gross, but amazing at the same time.

Sometimes ads dont have to cost a million dollars to produce, and then another million to be seen on prime time T.V. This company in Indian realized 2 important things about night clubs. Everyone gets their hand stamped, and most could use a ride home to avoid a D.W.I. So Simple it almost makes me mad I didnt think of it first.

Spy VS Spy. Do I really need to say anything more about this one? I LOVE IT!

Mike Giant is, well, a GIANT. He is a super influential graffiti artist turned clothing designer, who has made quite a name for himself using his medium of choice, the sharpie (he even has his own line of Sharpie markers. How cool is that?). He was born in Upstate New York, and soon moved to Albuquerque New Mexico, where he began his life as a graffiti artist. He got the name Giant from a friend, who said that when he fell off his skateboard, it sounded like a Giant hit the ground. After taking a job designing for Think Skateboards, Giant moved to San Francisco, where he teamed up with some fellow artists to form Rebel 8 Clothing. Giant is by far one of my favorite artists, so Ill let his art and personal bio do the rest of the talking.

“Birth. Upstate New York. Drawing. New Mexico. BMX bikes. Heavy Metal. Skateboarding. Punk rock. Hip-hop. Thailand. College. Dishwasher. Raves. Lorelei. First tattoo. San Francisco. Dharma. Think Skateboards. Angi. London. Adult bookstore. Computer animation. Tattooing. New York City. Newskool. Skullz Press. Everlasting. Track bikes. Brooke and Leia. Tokyo. Tattoo 13. Plum Village. Albuquerque. Stay Gold. REBEL8. Manifestations. Ordained minister. Megan. 36. Amsterdam. Right here. Right now.”