GD USA Winners Posted Online

I got an email from GD USA informing me that the winners for the 2009 American Graphic Design Awards had gone live on their website.

Click here to check out all of the different categories!

Click here to see the original posting!

The 100 Shot Zine Project #002

The second book in The 100 Shot Zine Project was titled Dream. This was the first part of a short story that I had written a few years prior to making the book. The story is continued in The 100 Shot Zine Project #018 titled Dreams. The booklet is hand written and drawn. Like Pin, the cover is hand stamped along with the included stickers.

Since these zines were only made in limited quantities, I have decided to post the entire story here in this blog entry.

Dream

I should have known better than to look back.

The drive was a long one. It wasn’t unbearable, since the radio passed the time easily. I had stopped once for gas and a quick lunch in some hole-in-the-wall diner, and then I was on my way again. The drive was quite peaceful, actually. There was something about the ocean or just water in general that has always had a calming effect on me. I love streams and running water, and if I could live next to one, I would. The sky was just starting to get dark when I arrived.

I never thought I’d go back, but I did. There was no particular reason as to why I did it; I just did. Why I came back to the town that I had abandoned, the old friends I had left behind, the life I had once lived was truly a mystery to me.

John and I were the best of friends. At least we were at one point back in high school. I don’t exactly recall what happened to us. I guess we just stopped making an effort to keep in touch. Life is funny, and it has ways of doing things like that. I recall being over at his house all the time. We would just hang out and do the things that boys do. John had an older brother, Jim, who I vaguely remembered. He was there, but he just never made any impact in my life whatsoever. John was my childhood friend, and I decided to pay him a visit since I was in town.

As I pulled into the driveway I realized that John’s house looked exactly as it had looked the last time I had paid him a visit, which seemed ages ago. The brown leaves scattered everywhere served as a reminder of the impending winter. He came to the door after a few knocks and was pretty surprised to see me. It was as if he had seen a ghost. This was not very surprising since I left town without a word to anyone. He quickly invited me in and we talked in the halfway for a good ten minutes.

That was when I saw her. She had short dark hair, flipped out towards the bottom. The kind of hair that looks disheveled, but you still know it is clean and it smells good. She was wearing a yellow pastel summer dress that really accented her beautiful body. She had on summery sandals that matched the color of her dress. I had always thought she had a great sense of style.

I froze. My breath was lost. My mind was blank. My mouth was dry. Time stopped. I had been talking to John when I looked past his shoulder and saw her. The thought of why she was there did not even cross my mind. All that I cared about was that she was there. It was as if the floodgates had been raised and a torrent of emotions had rushed forth. Anything coming out of John’s mouth was now a distant chatter. I had to speak to her. Yes, I definitely had to speak to her.

"Hey, you remember Tony; don’t you?" said John. She nodded. I think she was as surprised to see me as I was to see her.

We walked down the neighborhood very slowly. John had gone inside the house to finish up some chores. Side by side we tried to catch up on each other’s life. How can anything make up for all those lost years? My hands swung closely to hers. They were almost touching, but not quite. It had been a long time, and being next to her felt really good. There was a tingly feeling inside my stomach.

"I love you. I always have, and I still do." I blurted out.

"I know," she said. She looked very sad.

She told me that she was slightly involved with someone. I didn’t know what she meant by that, but my heart still sank. She was the one for me. She always had been. Sure I’d been in and out of relationships, but none of them was important enough to mention. I had been too scared to let her know how I had felt in the past. Now that I did, it was too late. Life can be so cruel sometimes.

I wanted to die.

I wanted to hold her tightly. I wanted to talk to her about anything and everything. I wanted to kiss her. I wanted to stare into her eyes. I wanted to run my fingers through her hair. It did not matter what I did as long as it was with her. I wanted all these things so badly that my heart ached. It ached badly because I knew none of these things would ever happen. I just needed another chance. Life is so full of regrets. If only I had done this. If only I had done that. How was I supposed to know such a simple mistake could haunt me for a lifetime?

I later found out that she was involved with John’s older brother Jim. Towards the end of high school, they became somewhat involved, and now she has his son. Why they were not together, I could not comprehend. Who would not want to be with her? I guess the grass really is greener on the other side. I wish for what I cannot have, and I am sure Jim would like someone else, too. I think of it as the curse of humanity. There are very few in this world that are truly happy with what they have. Most people always ask for more. They always hope for something better.

I had always believed I was quite simple. I appreciate some of the most common things, and it does not take much to make me happy. I feel that life is beautiful, and I don’t want to miss the tiniest detail. For a fleeting moment, I wondered how I would be if I was really with her. Would I move on and want someone else? "The grass is always greener on the other side," someone once said. I abruptly pushed the notion aside since I cannot imagine being with anyone but her.

We spent most of our short walk in silence.

After much persuasion, I was finally convinced to stay for dinner. The whole experience was very awkward. I now saw Jim in a different light. Not awkward in a bad way, just a really weird way, if that makes any sense. We all discussed life, friends, school, jobs, and the usual topics discussed with those you have not seen in a long time. It was all so fake to me. I just wanted to leave. I wanted to smoke a cigarette badly, although I’d quit for over a year. I wanted to drink my worries away. I just wanted to get away from this town. I wanted to get in my car and drive off. I wanted to get away from her.

But at the same time, I wanted to stay. Something had brought me back here. I wanted to see how the story unfolded. Deep down inside, there is always hope. I had hope. It may have been a tiny glimmer, but it was there. So I stayed. I sat through dinner the best I could. Then, I said my good byes. Before I left, I made plans to meet her for lunch the next day. There was something I saw in her eyes when I hugged her "goodbye". What it was exactly I could not tell. Was it a sense of sadness? Was she happy to see me? I guess I will find out soon enough…

Instant Gratification, Los Angeles

Instant Gratification, Los Angeles. January 9, 2010. Be there or be square!

Octoblot Surfaces!

Did you almost forget about this little octopus? Well this cephalopod hasn't forgotten about you...

It's here! The new Octoblot Limited Bubblegum Glow Edition has finally surfaced, just in time to expel ink in your face! Complete with glow-in-the-dark ink splatters. This is the perfect companion to all your Phantom Friends! Check out the day/night photo below.

Eye Candy

Here are two photos that I just found of a few various Phantom Friends in their packaging, along with random Zine Packs.

The 100 Shot Zine Project #001

According to Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary, the definition of a zine is: "a noncommercial often homemade or online publication usually devoted to specialized and often unconventional subject matter."

I made my first zine in my sequential storytelling class while in college. Shortly after, I started working on The 100 Shot Zine Project. I was going to make one hundred different zines, varying in size, content, print runs, etc. Some were to be strictly type, some with only illustrations, some a combination of the two, some hand drawn, some computer generated, some fiction, some non-fiction, etc. The whole purpose of the project was for me to experiment, to learn, and to grow from.

My first zine was titled Pin. It was an illustrated reinterpretation of Pinocchio set in a dark, post-apocalyptic future. Each cover was hand stamped. I included a pair of stickers with every copy. The stickers were hand stamped by a rubber stamp which I had carved.

Blast from the Past

I just remembered that I had promised to post the Moji Mayhem Series about a bajillion years ago. Sorry about that. Well, here they are in all of their low-resolution glory. Enjoy!

By the way, can you guess what type of camera that girl is holding in the first image?

Halloween!

The Pumpkin Minion Phantom Friend says, "Happy Halloween!" Now say that ten times fast.

Invitation for the Shuffle Gallery Exhibition

I know that it is still a few months from now, but please save the date! Here is the invitation I received today:

Hello Artists and Friends,

I am curating a group show at Hibbleton Gallery and am excited to extend an invitation to you to participate in this exciting event. Attached is a synopsis of the show details as well as the gallery contract. Please read over in detail and consider if this is a project you would be excited about being a part of.

The show is February 12th, 2010, and is called SHUFFLE. It will include an OPENING EXHIBITION, which will feature finished works by a variety of professional artists. Each work will correspond to a song chosen by the artist to be represented through the medium of their choice. The title of the song of choice will be the title of the piece. (ie. "Beat it: Michael Jackson", By John Smith). Each work will be in the suggested size of either a vinyl album cover (12" x 12"), vinyl single, (7" x 7") or cd cover (5" x 5"). The content/Representation is up to the artist. I have personally selected artists that I feel truly convey the spirit of the show I'm hoping to create.

Please get back to me when you can, so I can lock down my list of artists. Please include your Name, Contact Information, as well as some type of recognition that you are committed to this show and the conditions listed. This is going to be an amazing event, and I hope you will all choose to be a part of it. If you have any questions or comments, please let me know!!!

Blessings//Gratitude
Jenikah

My Portfolio

I went on an interview for a freelance graphic design position last week. The amount of pieces was a bit on the excessive side, but I wanted to show a variety of work. Here is a photo of the contents of my portfolio.

Polaroid Gallery Exhibition

A few months ago I submitted few Polaroid photos for Instant Gratification: A Polaroid Party Gallery Exhibition. I went with a nostalgic materialistic 1980's theme, so I purchased some expired film (to get the washed out vintage look I was going for), gathered my childhood items, and snapped away. The camera used was an old, partly broken Polaroid One-Step. The whole process brought back a lot of very fond memories. Can you guess all of the items in the photographs?

Graphic Design USA Competition

A few months back, I received a call for entries for a design competition hosted by Graphic Design USA magazine (GD USA). I'd never entered anything like that before, but had always wanted to do so. I decided to submit a tri-fold registration brochure I had recently designed for the 2009 AVN Adult Entertainment Expo in Las Vegas. Unfortunately, I was doing this independently from my company, so I was not able to submit the entire campaign . Instead, I chose one of my favorite pieces and sent that in to be judged.

I waited for a month. Then two. No word from the magazine, which made me a little down. Eventually, I just forgot about the whole thing.

Then a few weeks ago, I was bringing in the mail when I noticed a large envelope. I opened it and pulled out a certificate(?) and a letter which read:

CONGRATULATIONS!

You have been selected as a winner in the 2009 AMERICAN GRAPHIC DESIGN AWARDS.

Yes!!!

Busy

Hi all. Sorry for the delay in entries, it has been a really busy summer for me! I will update with many entries very soon!

Kogi Shirt Competition

This is my entry for the Kogi shirt competition. What do you think?

2nd Place!

I received an email saying that I got 2nd place in the sticker design competition! I want to thank everyone for the votes, I couldn't have done it without you!

Also, congratulations to the other winners. I think that all the designs turned out great. My absolute favorite has got to be 6th place. I love how the eyeball is substituted for the "O", and the use of negative space to depict the buildings is excellent. It is a very quirky and clean design. Well done!

For a closer look at my design, click here.

Meet Octoblot

I didn't sleep at all last night, but it was worth it! After a weeks worth of planning, sketching, sculpting, prepping, silicone curing, and mold pouring...

I present to you Octoblot, the second Phantom Friends toy. Ghost Phantom finally has a friend to play with. Posted in this entry is the first batch of the fresh-out-of-the-mold, unprepped, unpainted, naked photos.

I just need to prep, paint, package, and they will be ready for public consumption. I hope you like calamari!

Stickers Everywhere!

I just got an email blast from Pop Monster with this crazy image of all the stickers in the sticker contest. From what I can see, they all look pretty awesome. Hopefully I can come in sometime this week to check them out before the competition ends!

Sticker Competition at Pop Monster

This is my entry for a sticker competition being held at Pop Monster these next two weeks. Wish me luck!

There were some restrictions, such as the size (no bigger than 4" x 4"), and the color palette limited to green, red, and black (Pop Monster colors).

I had a blast working on this sticker! I have decided to do a full color version of this as well. It might just see life as a print...

Social Networks

Here is some social network contact info. I love making new friends, add me!

Facebook
Myspace
Twitter

How Phantom Friends are Born

In case anyone was wondering how Phantom Friends are made...they are hand cast from a silicone mold. Cool huh?

By the way, I have some for sale. Click here for the current edition choices. Please email me at tuan@tuanvutran.com for availability and pricing. Thanks!

More Photos from Pop Monster

Just got these highlight photos from Pop Monster! I will post the rest when I get them.

Grand Opening Night for the Meet My Moji Show

I have to say that the event was a huge success. The turnout was a lot bigger than I had expected. All of the sleepless nights and the hard work finally paid off. The show will be up for another two weeks for those that still want to check it out. Directions and other information can be found in my earlier entries.

I want to thank every single person that came out to the show. Thank you so much for the support and encouragement and I want you to know it means a great deal to me. Thanks again!

Postcard Refresh

New postcards featuring work in progress for the show. Check it out!