Duran's World

Do it Yourself and never look back....

2012-01-22T10:06:00.000-08:00

Most Restauranteurs never even see this stuff, manuals & procedures guides. I wanted to design our own, what was in it and be specific about how I entice my staff to care about Dinky Dawgs and want to keep it beautiful and running smooth everyday. A clean shop is a smart shop and will last the test of time as a place our staff & customers can enjoy being inside as they enjoy working & ordering their fav Dawgs. Today I made the Clean up Guide. Open and Close Guide & our Recipes Manuals. Phew!

Big Time Tandam Sledding with Whistler Snowmobile!

2012-01-21T22:14:00.000-08:00

What a day for some serious powder and a great time this morning courtesy of Whistler Snowmobiling! Big shouts out to Alex, Dan - www.dgphotography.ca, Rider and the whole gang up there - thanks guys - First Class outing!

A little Day Dreaming does Dman good...

2012-01-11T12:58:00.000-08:00

From the first moment when I conceived the entire concept for Dinky Dawgs I had a pretty tight vision. I knew I had to prove the brand in a place like Whistler. I also knew it would that when it came time to return to the city, I had to consider the competition in the city of Vancouver. There are hot dog vendors on every corner, these new food trucks everywhere and the guys with actual shops in Granville or in the malls etc. Pretty heavy when you think about it?

So how does one take on all those guys with something better marketed, better tasting and more fun than a barrel of monkeys?! Let me show you - The following images are property of Dinky Dawgs Enterprises Ltd Copyright 2012 All Rights Reserved...

Imagine jumping on the Dinky Dawgs Dine & Dash! The bus has a trackabel App on your smart phone, you can see the fixed route and the ride is free! Enjoy your lunch, see the beautiful city of Vancouver as we take you by all the hot spots and the ride is one us. The bus is also very environmentally conscious - It's Propane powered, it's also Solar powered, our Kitchen is totally Electrical and we have nothing frozen and nothing fried - No deep fryers means no oil. There's more - You can charge your phones at each of the tables upstairs in the Dining Lounge, there's cool lighting, music and it's heated for the winter! I created this image for the bus 6 months ago - feels great to finally share it here on my blog. Let the Dawg Wars begin!

Tick Tock, Tick Tock...

2012-01-11T12:45:00.000-08:00

Getting Hungry Yet?! Me too, I couldn't wait so I steamed up a little variety to show you all the beautiful cross section shots of these incredibly tasting Dinky Dawgs. Introducing from left to right...The Beef Dawg, The Turkey Dawg, The Spicy Dawg & The Original Dawg - We will also have the Exclusive - Whistler Bratwurst - Custom made!

As we wait for our FINAL HEALTH INSPECTION, I thought I'd try and take my mind off a few things by sharing some shots of the Dawgs! Big props to the crew at BFM who have customized some incredibly tasting Dinky Dawgs just for us.

2012-01-05T20:57:00.000-08:00

Time to back to drawing and making some fun stuff for Dinky!

Happy New Years - So Far So Good!

2012-01-05T13:36:00.001-08:00

Happy New Years, another year gone by - thank God I have my shit together - seriously. Drove back to the city to throw a little party for the gang at the loft, 40+ rocked it till 4am - then I got a $200 noise complaint fine from idiot my sublet neighbors who have been renting for 3 months - WHO MAKES NOISE COMPLAINTS ON NYE?! Anyways.....

Bruce and the family dropped by the shop this week to say hi and have a peek at the shop ;)

Today we were fortunate enough to be blessed with out PLUMBING PERMIT! So awesome, check out our Facebook Page for all the nonsense and 3 plumbers drilling for two days straight. Now a little drywall and some minor electrical and our Health Lady can walk though and hopefully be impressed with everything we have done, and we can finally open -PHEW!

Lesson#2389 - Be patient and you can achieve anything you put solid energy into. Get crazy and lose your mind and nothing gets done. Surround yourself with articulate people who understand your vision and respect their suggestions and insight. I am still learning and having fun. ;)

Designing Dinky Dawgs_11

2011-12-19T12:45:00.001-08:00

If you've ever seen the fridge in my house you all know full well - REAL MEN SOMETIMES NEED HELP. This is the part of the story when I get a little mental and my entire world huddles together in a brave effort to get the doors open and start selling some Dinky Dawgs. Timing, timing, timing - It's Christmas, the Village is packed with great people and a solid vibe, all the ducks are in a row - it's all about execution and following the guidelines. Pass the inspection, follow all the rules, load the shop up with food and turn on the music. Next Stop - OPENING DAY.

Designing Dinky Dawgs_10

2011-12-19T12:43:00.000-08:00

Designing Dinky Dawgs_09

2011-12-07T14:57:00.000-08:00

Let's be honest here - it's the home stretch, we did it. The build is rolling and we are on the last of 5 permits - Vancouver Coastal Health. JJ and I slammed the last of the structural additions with our crew up there - big shouts to David B & Jesse, Ryan the Plumber and all the wicked folks in Whistler who have introduced themselves, Valentino, Bob, Mike, Angela, Edwin & all my dope new neighbors, so cool. Should be open next week right on time, the girls are ready and I'm sprung to start cooking!

Designing Dinky Dawgs_08

2011-11-29T14:17:00.000-08:00

I've been through the whole permits, municipality, bureaucracy process of opening a restaurant in the city of Vancouver twice in my day - it's insane. Takes weeks to process and the entire fiasco is nuts. In Whistler all I had to do was EXACTLY what I was told to do and EVERYONE & EVERYTHING fell into place just like that in a few days! Super helpful & cooperative folks that are there to support your venture and welcome you into the community. It's amazing actually. I feel so humbled to be able to enjoy the ultimate lifestyle in the such an incredible place like Whistler. I want to grow with our business and take my time in grooming it to be the best fast food option in town. I hired some staff, met a ton of people and connected with my old stomping grounds - again. The vibe is so sweet, everyone has dough, everyone is happy and everyone is there to enjoy themselves and live a great life - that now includes me! Wheeeeeee!

Designing Dinky Dawgs 07

2011-11-26T18:38:00.000-08:00

People were walking by non stop - Everyone wants a Dinky Dawg!

Here's Joel and Steve packing up the gear to take up to Whistler, hope the roads are ok, it's getting late and we are in Langley, Hmmmmmmm we'll see. ; /

Man - How about driving up to Whistler in a massive cube truck with 3000 lbs of Fridges in the back in a fricken snow storm?! Crazy roads - It was quite the trip - I really felt like Han Solo! lol

Designing Dinky Dawgs_06

2011-11-23T13:42:00.001-08:00

Man I love to draw fun shit all day. Dinky Dawgs has an entire legion of these little bastards that we will be featuring in all kinds of applications as we grow and market the brand in all kinds of mediums. The idea here is to connect with different dawg fans - pretty simple actually. Still having fun, what can I say ;P

Designing Dinky Dawgs_05

2011-11-21T09:21:00.000-08:00

We are officially live online. Our new Website is up and running, still tuning a few kinks - Big props to our boy Joel Kinman for throwing down some sick code and making it fun to explore and visit over and over.

Designing Dinky Dawgs_04

2011-11-21T09:15:00.001-08:00

Francois and I are still having a blast banging all of these animations out. They are all ready to go, I will reveal them all in their glory once when we have a final render done this week. Awesome.

Designing Dinky Dawgs_03

2011-11-18T10:13:00.001-08:00

Finally I can let loose with some wild nonsense and have some fun making silly ads to sell hot dawgs. I have been dreaming about making some viral spots hoping 1 or 2 might stick and get people laughing - here's a few to get the ball rolling ;)

Dinky Dawgs - Making Animated Menus

2011-11-12T20:59:00.000-08:00

The process continues with Francois co-founder of EXILE VFX in Gastown. We are so fortunate to have some serious talent aboard this project. I am well up for creating all the art and working the visual direction for DD, but - let's be honest, I can only do so much and that's when my bro Francois jumps in and throw down with some slick animated billboards and effects. Merci Beucoupe Mon Ami! C'est Fantastique!

Building a Brand...

2011-11-09T15:18:00.000-08:00

There are so many awesome elements to creating the brand, vibe & all the images for Dinky Dawgs. This all came very naturally to me - I saw it all as clear as I do now. I wanted something that reminded me of when I was a kid in the 70's. Like the way DQ used to market themselves with Dennis the Menace, the Ronald McDonald Gang, Peanuts, Family Circus with a little modern Marvel edge to it. It's taking shape fast and I'm sprung on some sick artwork. Shouts out to JJ for the cartoon jam!

DINKY DAWGS WHISTLER BC...

2011-11-06T13:04:00.000-08:00

I moved to Whistler when I was a kid in 1991. Young and driven by the beauty of the mountains and the people on the West Coast, I worked in a few bars, hit the mountain as much as possible and lived the life of a Whistler local to the core. I then moved to Vancouver and built my career as a Commercial Artist/ Designer over the last 20 years. 90% of what I know I learned in the past 10 years. I have invented some crazy things in the past and taken some serious shots at some wild business ideas, some of them worked, most didn't. But the thing that stayed with me the whole time, outside of my addiction to create - was simple. Always see your ideas through fruition no matter what. Get it all down on paper and wait for no one. Everyone will say you are crazy, no one will help, no one has money and your ideas are far fetched and too risky. If you discover these truths on your own in the process of chasing your dreams, YOU ARE ON THE RIGHT TRACK.

This month I move back to Whistler and open Dinky Dawgs - The first Gourmet Hot Dawg Boutique of it's kind. Using every talent I ever had, I have designed an incredible product for the Locals and Tourists of Whistler to enjoy for years to come. I want to give a shout out to my partner Bruce Wayne, and thank him for believing in me and taking a chance on a kid from Whistler. Much love and respect to my friends and family worldwide. I hope to see you all in beautiful Whistler this season. I'll be the happiest brown guy in the village, serving Dinky Dawgs. ;)

Seattle Rocks, again....

2011-10-31T14:19:00.001-07:00

Latest Stuff: Steel Guys and Display Guys...

2011-10-25T14:09:00.000-07:00

HAPPY DIWALI TO ALL MY FRIENDS & FAMILY!

2011-10-25T12:07:00.000-07:00

Diwali, is one of the biggest festival of Hindus, celebrated with great enthusiasm and happiness in India. The festival is celebrated for five continuous days, where the third days is celebrated as the main Diwali festival or 'Festival of lights'. Different colorful varieties of fireworks are always associated with this festival. On this auspicious day, people light up diyas and candles all around their house. They perform Laxmi Puja in the evening and seek divine blessings of Goddess of Wealth. The festival of Diwali is never complete without exchange of gifts. People present Diwali gifts to all near and dear ones. Make room in Your Life for Faith of any kind and take a moment to be grateful for this wonderful world we all call home.

Namaste from the entire Bodasing, Maharaj & Moodliar clan everywhere.

Latest Stuff: Fukken Beer / Danny Boy Brewing Co.

2011-10-09T09:54:00.001-07:00

Latest Gigs: Taking Shape Daycare & E-PORT Systems

2011-09-27T13:39:00.000-07:00

Latest Stuff: West Side Pest Control

2011-09-18T15:29:00.001-07:00

Yummy French Toast, Spanish Chicken & a Chili Dawg

2011-09-18T15:03:00.000-07:00

Some gems found while gutting my machine...

2011-09-18T14:53:00.001-07:00

Lamb, Lasagna, Pork Chops & Chicken

2011-09-18T14:48:00.000-07:00

Outdoor Set Designs - Acafest / Acapulco Mexico

2011-08-30T11:12:00.000-07:00

Moms, Dads, Kids, Mates...Sounds like a Picnic!

2011-08-27T13:17:00.000-07:00

Make Men Squeeze their Nuts: Testicular Cancer Awareness

2011-08-27T13:04:00.000-07:00

Latest Stuff: Mining & Horny Breakfast?

2011-08-04T12:12:00.000-07:00

Lululemon Pitch Packs

2011-07-16T19:01:00.001-07:00

Bunch of New Stuff - Sites and Branding

2011-07-14T13:36:00.000-07:00

Waiting on a Prototype - TOSH VS MARLEY

2011-06-25T22:25:00.001-07:00

My First (of many to come) Rootbeer Bottle

2011-06-25T17:14:00.000-07:00

La Casita is Cheeky...

2011-06-25T17:13:00.001-07:00

The new bathroom signs at LaCasita

Seattle, Cooking, Mah Jong & Whistler...

2011-06-25T14:32:00.000-07:00

Latest Stuff: BIGG MON STUDIOS

2011-06-25T14:18:00.000-07:00

Latest Stuff: The Reel Deal Concepts

2011-06-20T11:15:00.000-07:00

FINALLY THE AVENGERS ARRIVE...

2011-06-13T19:56:00.000-07:00

A promo poster for Marvel's The Avengers was spotted at the Licensing International Expo in Las Vegas and photographed by ESQ.. It features all the heroes together and the movie hits theaters on May 4, 2012. My Birthday Movie!

Latest Stuff: Guy Roland Photographer

2011-06-13T16:50:00.001-07:00

Spa Treatment: Laser Trim Spa Concepts

2011-06-13T12:52:00.000-07:00

Makin Some Lasanga...

2011-06-09T22:36:00.000-07:00

Totally into the Lasagna today, I pressed down harsh on the layers (dry pasta only) - huge difference. I like oven ready pasta, then the usual fare, zucchini, spinach, cottage cheese, a simple but spicy sauce, three kinds of cheese, fresh basil, baked at 375 nice and hot, then let is stand for 20min. Caesar salad and some soda. So awesome...

Latest Stuff: Real Estate Flyers

2011-06-06T16:39:00.001-07:00

Some new stuff on the plate: Web Design Faceplates

2011-05-28T17:04:00.001-07:00

Photography 102 - Learn Your Gear!

2011-05-28T16:50:00.000-07:00

My buddy Joel let me use his Nikon Digital camera - I've been having a blast learning about it all, so fun. Have a peek at some of my first shots - kinda funny ;P

More PSC Ads: Viral Campaign

2011-05-04T23:05:00.000-07:00

Another round of viral ads for Pardon Services Canada. This time reaching all kinds of clients.

Classic Ads I've worked on: PSC

2011-04-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

Pardon Services Canada is owned by a very respected friend of mine. They specialize in getting people pardons and helping lives everyday. I worked on these ads a few years ago and we also shot 6 ad spots and a national media buy campaign. I think they turned out great and just thought I should put them all here for some laughs.

Great clients with Awesome ideas: StarOneTickets

2011-03-10T11:15:00.000-08:00

Grant Harasyn from Star One Tickets in Toronto, gave us an awesome opportunity to create the most technical site we have ever made so far. I'm so please with the product and as a huge concert ticket fan, I love the interface design, mechanics and marketing stuff Grant has been coming up with, some real stellar ideas! Here is the working link.

Goes live this weekend...

Lego my Logo!

2011-01-23T23:54:00.001-08:00

Great clients with Awesome ideas: Corporate Ladies

2011-01-22T17:51:00.000-08:00

Here we go again, just pumping out the sites like no body's business! I am the fasted designer alive and I am taking my ONE MAN SHOW on the road anytime now! Some great clients, all woman this time? Did you know that the number one consumer is a 26 year old woman? They make more money and have more opportunities than ever! They shop more, live better, travel more and eat better than us guys that's for sure!

Tales from the Graphic Mafia - Part 1

2011-01-12T10:48:00.000-08:00

I've been working on this book for while now. It's a large scale coffee table book, full of my art, games, puzzles, stickers an iron on and filled with some pretty awesome stories and adventures from the past 20 years of my oh so young career. Putting out a book is no joke, I had to get a Ghost Writer to help me along the way, someone who actually knows English grammar. After all I kant schpell.

Great clients with Awesome ideas: Kings Sin

2011-01-05T16:35:00.000-08:00

It was called Kings Sin, a brand created by an acquaintance of mine who came up with a tattoo art style based on the Lore of The King's Sins around the world over time. What kind of stuff were those cheeky Kings all about anyway? Filthy swines. I created these a few years ago for him. Perfect example of great clients with awesome ideas. I'd love to see these in stores soon.

Draw, Draw, Draw!

2011-01-05T15:05:00.000-08:00

I have been drawing some funny stuff lately, Illustrations, all kinds of things, also - a classic page attached of some of my favorite ones from years ago too. I would like to draw all day if I had it my way.

What I do for a Living....

2011-01-05T11:28:00.000-08:00

Since I pump out an obtuse amount of design for illustration concepts, websites, print campaigns, branding ideas etc. I thought why not just have a good old hotpot spot to dump it all as they get polished up. Some of the stuff is pretty standard, my clients are quite varied and come from all walks of life. I especially look for people with unique products and ideas with a twist. After doing this for almost 20 years - One gets a bit bored with the same old shit. I hope that mt continued travels help influence my design. Once in while - I find some real diamond clients, here are a few....

It's so awesome to return from such a long trip and have a ton of freelance ready to go! It's the new mobile job - honestly, anyone can take a laptop on the road, design stuff on the fly, get great clients along the way and build a sick portfolio!?

Happy New Years 2011

2011-01-05T10:45:00.000-08:00

I woke up today and said to myself "I need to use my fricken BLOG as an SEO tool for my Design Work and my new hopeful budding Photography Career?!" I've got a new book in the works - Tales from the Graphic Mafia - gonna have to push that soon too, a tour for Design & Technical Schools teaching kids how to get the gigs etc - PLUS - I'm still slugging my shirt concept (2.5 years of work - time to sell some shit!). It's all good, January is a great time to get one's Ducks in a Row! 22 Days in the Mayan Riviera really inspires a lad like me!

WTF DMAN _ GET TO WORK DAMMIT!! LOL

Back in the Saddle!

2010-01-10T17:19:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEARS!

Well after a very busy Fall & Winter 2009 was a bloody success. The team was stronger than ever and we pumped out some awesome projects. Tons of fun sites for some amazing clients.

Awesome.

On the T-Shirt tip, Merder is blazing away with more designs and some clever creations sure to blow people away. We have teamed up with local Photographer Kris Krug. His gory photo shoot became the inspiration for our latest website as we prepare for M agic in Las Vegas next month.

Check them out...

Summer Tour 2009...

2009-05-31T18:46:00.001-07:00

Just got back from 3.5 weeks of showing the line all over London, NYC & San Francisco. Some well deserved R&R and me batteries are bloody charged. Rocked it with Q-Tip in NYC, wicked show. Hit Metric at the Electric Ballroom in London! Merder Tees is available for orders next week. Every single person I showed it to, wanted at least 1 of them right away in hand. I showed it to a shitload of people including retailers, wholesalers, fashion designers, footballers, lol and a ton of really drunk English blokes - dammit! Bottom line is we have a brand people want. I built several UK relations and the team is solid. We are touring the entire province introducing it to buyers up close with a forth coming gallery exhibit featured in selected hot spots this summer. BOSH.

Merder Partners Love Their Canucks!!!

2009-04-17T14:09:00.000-07:00

This is way too weird to ignore. Today BOTH my partners are in the media supporting our Vancouver Canucks in Game 2 of the 2009 Playoffs?! How cool is that! Landon showed up in this mornings 24 Rag Mag with a wide mouth shot from Game 1 the other day, and Justin popped up on the Canucks homepage after entering a contest and winning tickets. Nuts. I gotta say it's pretty awesome. I guess I better pick up the slack and get published wearing nothing but a Canucks thong fast. Probably not. ;(

March Press for Merder Tees...

2009-03-23T12:20:00.000-07:00

We've had a few new articles this month from Amber Turnau & our upcoming New Business profile from the guys at Vancity Buzz. Look for the actual article later this month. We're also giving away a limited shirt in a promo campaign with them. Thanks for the press guys, cheers for that. ;)

The Watchmen Watches Merder?!

2009-03-10T11:47:00.001-07:00

I saw it last Wednesday (March 4th), full sneak peek at Colossus in Langley 2 full days before the public! (Thanks Tony Gold) It was INSANE!!! The best Superhero movie I have ever seen. All the filth, gore and drama I needed - opening credits were amazing. I could watch it over and over again. By the way, that top pic is a shot I made of, you guessed it - Dr. Manhattan himself, Joel Kinman. On another note - we are in full swing sample stage again - producing new stuff. Then, off to London with Diesel this month. Then back to do our SHOWOFF show April 17th at the Roundhouse in Yaletown. Then we were just invited to Toronto Fashion Week April 21st. Tickets for SHOWOFF are on sale now at DIPT on Hornby & Clubzone & Imogen.

Extra! Extra! Extra!

2009-01-26T19:03:00.001-08:00

Our second ad to date officially. We did a small spot in the back of a Lester's Army issue last year, that was it - this one is found on the back page of our new newspaper catalog. Pretty eerie eh? What's going on in this classic uk illustration? Turn of the century I estimate, and that little boy bleeding in the corner, what's happening there? Smells like a murder mystery to me...

Extra! Extra!

2009-01-18T17:48:00.000-08:00

A lot of thought went into this concept. I took my time and tried to make it fun to read and still promote the brand in a new way. The retro vibe is funny to me. Making it on newspaper will be cool. Can't wait to show it off. ;)

How to Plan a Merder...

2009-01-17T16:43:00.000-08:00

Recently I've made some design tweaks with regards to the next 10 of the 35 shirts that are going to print. I met my best friend Diesel who owns Triluxe Fashion from Toronto while we were in Maui. He gave me some sound advice on how to sell this brand right and keep it going for a while. After some careful direction on what needed to be done, I've selected the next shirts, designed the new catalog, (large scale, & looks like a newspaper), worked on our marketing plans for this year & managed to do a few interviews (I'll post them as they are published). So - after a quick buying trip to nail the exact fabrics we're after, it's time to let the reps start selling shirts.

WE HAVE SHIRTS!

2008-11-10T11:23:00.000-08:00

Wow - It was a long road, but I am totally stoked on the way the shirts came out, we are almost open for orders. Not only are they really fun to look at, but after last night's runway show (which we killed like no one else btw) we got to see the crowd's reaction to the first 10 pieces and blew everyone away. People went nuts, but not everyone 'got it'. Example - Here's a link to this crazy lady who attacks me on her blog. She goes off, everyone gets so into it, some pretty funny shit. I'm just glad we put it out there and sent our message across loud and clear. So what now? Well, we keep moving forward - that's what. We are a 3rd of the way there and we still have a ton of work ahead of us. Congratulations - Now back to work!

Salvation Army Contracts Merder Tees - Part 2

2008-10-14T14:58:00.000-07:00

In an earlier post about a month ago I was approached buy the Salvation Army to design a shirt which had Jesus Christ on it & the theme of Blood & Fire, iconic for the Salvation Army. After weeks of going back and forth, we nailed it. It looks awesome. Few minor tweaks and we'll take it to vector and send them the file! Awesome hook up up for us - thanks Father Jon!

Merder 2.0 continues...

2008-10-08T20:09:00.001-07:00

So there have been a few new developments. First off the new site is rolling along, All the pages are designed and we're coding/ animating it right now. Looks great! News - The team from Vancouver Fashion Week recently approached us to be a part of their 8 year gig. Pretty cool opportunity it'll be full of buyers, designers & retailers. They loved the line and are stoked to show it off in the annual show this November 4th 2008. VFW has a massive following and they sell out every year. All that great press coverage & the who's who's of west coast fashion. They were very cooperative too - in fact they gave me everything I asked for including the last spot to close the entire week! It's the bomb time slot at a show. Don't ask - don't get. So we're hitting the runway. Look for footage from that gig after the show. Crazy eh?

Our Slick new site is almost ready!

2008-09-25T15:44:00.000-07:00

Time to go back to basics and re-design our site from scratch. My buddy Mark & I built the 1st one together. At this point we're pushing ourselves in a new direction and with the shirts already in full swing production, we need to be ready to accomodate both customers and all kinds of new people researching us etc. It's still edgy with a corporate side boasting some great new technology that will allow for our customers to manage their orders, sell online and promote our brand. Stoked to get this all built and launch it.

Wanted: Dread or Alive...

2008-09-21T22:04:00.000-07:00

Who doesn't like Reggae music?! I have never met anyone who didn't like it- seriously? In August, 1983: Peter Tosh was the most popular reggae singer in the world (Bob Marley was dead). His credentials were myriad and impeccable. After all, he was a founding member of The Wailers with Bob Marley and Bunny Wailer in 1964, in the Trenchtown slum of Kingston, Jamaica. He taught Bob Marley to play guitar!! He left the Wailers in 1975 to pursue a successful solo career which was peaking with the Mama Africa Tour of 82-84, which played every continent of the world except Antarctica. The circumstances surrounding his death were chilling. He once said in an interview, "Jah flows through me. We are responsible. I live music. It rises spontaneously from me. Compositions appear, mon. In the beginning there was the word. The word was Jah. The word is in I, Jah is in I. I make what is good, better, and what is better, best. I follow this in every aspect of life." [During the conversation, Tosh carefully cleaned, pruned and rolled a spliff the size of a banana. He lit it, blew a volcanic stream of smoke at the ceiling and smiled.] RIP PT.

J.F.K. = M.E.R.D.E.R.

2008-09-20T18:30:00.000-07:00

Down to the last 2 shirts! YEAH! Second last is my version of the murder of J.F.K. It was tricky to design, after all we're talking Kennedy here. Not just any president, but the last respected president the USA has seen in along time. He often spoke of the truth about government secrecy & influence on the people of America. JFK had a lot on his plate. I wanted to portray the Cuban Missile Crisis, Jackie O, Lee Harvey Oswald (who was later murdered himself), The procession in the limousine & some good old Americana. Hard to believe there was once a time when people would listen to an articulate & intelligent President. Maybe that's why Barak Obama is such a refreshing alternative for America. On the other hand, wtf do I know?!...I live in Vancouver...meh.

Mighty Murdered Marvin...

2008-09-18T19:29:00.001-07:00

I grew up a house that listened to Marvin Gaye pumping though our 2 speaker JVC 8 Track. In March of 1983, he gave his final performance in front of his old mentor and label for Motown 25, performing "What's Going On". He then embarked on a U.S. tour to support his album. The tour, ending in August 1983, was plagued by health problems and Gaye's bouts with depression, and fear over an attempt on his life. Then the tour ended, he isolated himself by moving into his parents' house. Marvin said he wished being famous had some useful function—such as preventing constipation. Gaye didn’t like being a celebrity. He thought it would destroy him. It eventually did. He threatened to commit suicide several times after bitter arguments with his father. On April 1, 1984, one day before his 45th birthday, Gaye's father shot him after an argument that started after his parents argued over misplaced business documents. Gaye was killed by a gun he had offered to his father as a gift. (Whoa! That part was creepy) Marvin Sr. was sentenced to six years of probation after pleading guilty to manslaughter. Charges of first-degree murder were dropped after doctors discovered Marvin Sr. had a brain tumor. Spending his final years in a retirement home, he died of pneumonia in 1998.

Lady Di part deux...

2008-09-18T19:29:00.000-07:00

After I finished this design I realized it was easily my favorite. Maybe that's why it took the longest? Because the first one posted here was done for a black t-shirt, this one was made for white. I have decided to release 2 shirts for her. Diana, Princess of Wales, was the first wife of Charles, Prince of Wales. Their sons, Princes William and Henry (Harry), are second and third in line to the thrones of the United Kingdom and fifteen other Commonwealth Realms. Starting in the mid- to late 1980s, the Princess of Wales became well known for her support of several charity projects. Diana was noted for her sense of compassion, style, charisma, humour and high-profile charity work, yet her philanthropic endeavours were overshadowed by her difficult marriage to Prince Charles. The circumstances surrounding the death of Diana have been the subject of numerous conspiracy theories. A jury recently decided on April 7th 2008 that Diana had been unlawfully killed by the grossly negligent driving of chauffeur Henri Paul & the relentless parazzi photographers.

Juice there it is...

2008-09-14T13:46:00.001-07:00

The Story of O.J.Simpson hit the world in the summer of 1994. Ex NFL Superstar & movie film star, is accused of not only killing his wife, but her lover as well. There were the bloody gloves found, blood stains in the car & the chase itself. Actually, nobody was chasing anybody: it was a more of a parade, not a pursuit. A squadron of police cars 'delicately' followed O.J. and his friend Al Cowlings around the L.A. freeway system while O.J. (Who was obviously innocent hiding in the backseat!) past the airport, and finally to O.J.'s Brentwood house, where everyone sat still for hours, except some of us tv watchers who occasionally went to the kitchen or the toilet to take a piss. During the 'vehicular parade', the cameras occasionally cut to the people bunched up along the freeways and at exits cheering O.J. on. WTF?! Even more insane - was the trial itself? Johnnie Cochran was a maniac in that courtroom. At the end of it all - he got O.J. off all charges and he was free as a bird. In retrospect, the verdict in the O.J. case seems inevitable. The bottom line was that the police were clumsy with the evidence. Finally he had the 'juice' to release a book titled: 'If I did it'. Holy shit! Well all I gotta say is this "It's good to see you in the courtroom again Juice, looks like Kharma got the best of you after all? This time, you're going to the Big House for sure & there will be some big ass ni**ers waiting for you."

411 on 911...

2008-09-11T18:18:00.000-07:00

Well today was a very appropriate day to show off the mass murder of 911. Not one of my favorite topics, but definately one that had to be drawn. I have been to NYC several times & had some of the best times of my life there. Actually, I have been up the Twin Towers 3 times. I don't want to get in a whole debate about this, trust me, don't get me started. It hurts and I STILL LOVE NEW YORK. If you haven't been - go. New Yorker's are the some of the most resilient people in America. The power of the human spirit lives stronger than ever in NYC. This shirt commemorates that spirit and that fateful day.

Lady Di part one...

2008-09-10T21:28:00.000-07:00

Princess Dianna was my friend Francois idea. It was a really hard shirt for me to design. This is the front in it's final vector form. The relentless paparazzi with her crown to be screened on the shoulder. I'm re-doing the back print now, it wasn't good enough for me to release. The hard part for me about this one, was that her tragedy was insane, really. How do you illustrate it? I mean it went on for 10 years in the courts - powerful. I remember being in total shock for days about it. She was an amazing woman, that's for sure.

Merder is watching the WATCHMEN...

2008-09-08T19:46:00.000-07:00

Man, this is one of those crazy opportunities I couldn't believe was happening. Uncle Landon hooked us up to design the MPC VFX Team shirt for the Watchmen crew, they are working on the film as we speak. This happened today actually, I just finished the mock ups tonight & sent it off to him. If they approve, I'll make the order and hopefully, Land-O gets one signed by the man himself Zack Snyde r!

Ku Ku Katchoo...

2008-09-06T21:07:00.000-07:00

Weird past few weeks. I gotta say, creating a dream job is never easy. Life is overwhelming and full of surprises - at least mine is! Oh - Hung out with my new partner in slime, Landon at the Zack Snyder dream factory! Saw some top secret crazy shit that blew my mind, The Watchmen will deliver the next way directors will aspire to make movies about Super Heroes like The Dark Knight just did recently. Hold on, actually, now that I think about it, I'm quite relaxed and focused. I guess we're 90% done with all 48 screens (nice work Jacob), I guess it's time to print some damn t-shirts! Yeah!! Got some great feedback " The Ts are unlike anything I've seen - disturbing and powerful yet stylish, or in other words... f**king siiiiiiiick! I especially liked the Marvin Gaye, The John Lennon, and the 911 presses." - Jay D. Dude, I just totally re-designed all 3 of those shirts for vectoring (that's the NEW Lennon up top) and let me tell you my son, they are f**king siiiiiiiick!

Tag You're It...

2008-08-31T15:18:00.000-07:00

So it's time to commit to some ideas about tags and print materials to accompany the shirts. They come in plastic 'Forensic Evidence Bags', they're awesome and fit the shirts perfect and are transparent on the back to you can see the designs. In addition to that - you get a little 'Merder Case File Folder'. In there is the mission statement - "Congratulations on the purchase of your Merder T-Shirt. Be aware you have just sent a CHARITABLE donation to a very deserving organization that WE SUPPORT. Merder is dedicated to educating people about the POWER OF MURDER in our society. Change Your World, Wear More Merder...People will talk, but you won’t listen." You also get a cool sticker & big piece of street art chalk. In the shirt is instructions on how to trace your own crime scene and post it online to win any shirt we make. Not bad for a T-Shirt?

How to Piss Someone off...

2008-08-23T14:06:00.000-07:00

Well I was quite relieved when this email made it's way into my in box recently. Our first true hater spoke his mind, and then some. You can click on the shot to read it in it's entirety, basically this guy has no idea what we're about and really doesn't care. He is offended and I don't think he'll be at the launch party, just a hunch. We knew there would be some friction with how people interpreted our designs. We are not trying to exploit anyone, just educate and entertain. This guy popped our cherry! I am glad we caught his attention and moreover, that he was so pissed that he took the time to write it down (from his girlfriends address btw) and speak his mind - sort of. As far as us considering designing 'genocide' themed shirts, I don't think so pal. My response - "Awesome feedback John, you made it to our fridge in the kitchen! Everyone is entitled to their opinions sir - we appreciate your views and DO RESPECT them."

Bloody regards,

Duran

X Factor

2008-08-14T20:18:00.000-07:00

"History must repeat itself!" Malcolm X was born in Omaha, Nebraska. By the time he was 13, his father had died and his mother had been committed to a mental hospital. After living in a series of foster homes, Malcolm X became involved in the criminal underworld in Boston and New York. In 1945, Malcolm X was sentenced to eight to ten years in prison. After leaving the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X made the pilgrimage, the Hajj, to Mecca and became a Sunni Muslim. He traveled extensively throughout Africa and the Middle East. He founded Muslim Mosque, Inc., a religious organization, and the secular, black nationalist Organization of Afro-American Unity. Less than a year after he left the Nation of Islam, Malcolm X was assassinated while giving a speech in New York.

Respect...Jam Master Jay

2008-08-14T18:27:00.000-07:00

Jason William Mizell , also known as Jam-Master Jay or Jay Gambulos, was a founder and the DJ of Run-D.M.C., a hip hop group based in the Queens borough of New York City. Mizell was born in Brooklyn, New York and moved to Queens at the age of 10 with his family. He played bass and drums in several garage bands prior to joining Run-D.M.C.; on all of their albums from Raising Hell on, he played keyboards, bass, and live drums in addition to his turntable work. Mizell remained in his childhood neighborhood his entire life. He founded the 'Scratch DJ Academy' in Manhattan for children interested in DJing. In the 1990s, Mizell survived a bad car accident and a gunshot wound. On October 30, 2002, he was shot and killed in a Merrick Boulevard recording studio in Queens, New York. The other person in the room, twenty-three-year-old Urieco Rincon, was shot in the ankle and survived. What can we say about such an iconic figure of Hip Hop and Rap music. No body rocked the decks like JMJ.

Salvation Army contracts Merder T's...

2008-08-09T15:59:00.000-07:00

My good buddy John Evans from the Salvation Army, has contracted us to design a shirt. The Salvation Army is the second largest brand in the planet next to Coca Cola! Wow, just found that tidbit of info out myself. The theme of the shirt is 'Fire & Blood' and will include a Hastings Street scene with our signature blood splatters and illustrated style. "I want it to be edgy and a bit over the top..." says John Evans. The Sally Anne is moving a in a brand new marketing direction and the launch of this particular piece will be the start of their new campaign."We are looking forward to working alongside Merder T's and continuing the strength & integrity of the Salvation Army brand."

The Salvation Army operates in 111 countries and provides services in 175 different languages. The Salvation Army is an international Christian organization that began its work in Canada in 1882 and has grown to become the largest non-governmental direct provider of social services in the country. The Salvation Army gives hope and support to vulnerable people today and everyday in 400 communities across Canada. The Salvation Army offers practical assistance for children and families, often tending to the basic necessities of life, provides shelter for homeless people and rehabilitation for people who have lost control of their lives to an addiction. When you give to The Salvation Army, you are investing in the future of marginalized and overlooked people in your community. Sounds great to us - thanks John!

Recognize...Honest Abe in soft cotton

2008-08-07T23:54:00.000-07:00

We love his story, the myths, the drama in the theater, all of it. Abe was dope. He represented a proud America in all it's glory. The Assassination of Abraham Lincoln, one of the last major events in the American Civil War, took place on Good Friday, April 14, 1865, when President Abraham Lincoln was shot while attending a performance of Our American Cousin at Ford's Theatre with his wife and two guests.

Lincoln's assassin, actor and Confederate sympathizer John Wilkes Booth, had also ordered a fellow conspirator, Lewis Powell, to kill William H. Seward (then Secretary of State). Booth hoped to create chaos and overthrow the Federal government by assassinating Lincoln, Seward, and Vice President Andrew Johnson. Although Booth succeeded in killing Lincoln, the larger plot failed. Seward was attacked, but recovered from his wounds, and Johnson's would-be assassin, George Atzerodt, fled Washington, D.C. upon losing his nerve.

Someone save the Pitbulls!

2008-08-02T23:53:00.000-07:00

Our official mascot at Merder Headquarters is non other than Odin Buckaroo Banzai Bodasing. Or as we like to call him 'Odie-Bodie'. He's 5 years old and weighs in at 75lbs, shiny black coat & likes long walkies, raw steak and kissing babies. MY POINT - Ahem, remember when famed NFL star Micheal Vick got busted for holding illegal pit bull fights? That pissed off a ton of pit bull & animal activists world wide including us. What kind of fucked up millionaire overpaid shit head who has everything, needs to hold gambling dog fights where animals are treated in such an inhumane fashion?! Anyways, we at Merder Tee's decided that this was out right murder & fits perfect with our message. So naturally we decided to make a shirt to diss that asshole and send some charity to the SPCA in Odin's home Vancouver BC. By the way, you don't have to have a Pit Bull to get one for your special pup. Available in doggy sizes only!

Hard to Kill...

2008-08-01T15:07:00.000-07:00

Mahatma Gandhi was assassinated on January 30, 1948, shot at point-blank range by Nathuram Godse, an activist of the Hindu Mahasabha. Since 1934, there had been five unsuccessful attempts to kill Gandhi. As a Hindu this shirt had to be done right. The Blue Blood represents his Royalty in Indian culture, the Hindu Deity is symbolic of our religion and the Vishnu God on the sleeve is perfect.

Make a Blog about my life?! Hmmmmm?

2008-08-01T14:02:00.001-07:00

Welcome to my first ever blog. Never thought this kind of thing would appeal to me, a digital diary I guess. Better get with the times old boy! As we begin our new business venture together (Merder Tee's) with my team and partners, I wanted to create a way of 'blogging' my adventures online for all to see. I have a pretty fun life & I hope to be a source of entertainment for all who visit for years to come. Gentlemen - Start Your Blogging!