It’s over half-way through August. Not exactly sure how it happened, but it did. Summer is coming to a close and so is 160over90′s “Summer Internship Extravaganza!” (or whatever the official title is).

Way back in May, Mr. James Snyder and myself wandered into 160over90 as the creative interns for the summer. We were like toddlers lost in the grocery store, crying for our mothers and occasionally wetting our pants. Safe to say it made our receptionist uncomfortable.

Three months later, much as changed. “Accidents” are few and far between, we’ve learned that there is no crying in branding, and James moved from humble intern to humble junior designer. Those who know him will tell you, James is a very humble guy.

As for me? I will say that I couldn’t have imagined what was coming my way over the next three months when I first walked through the doors of 160over90. I didn’t really have any expectations coming in, but even if I had, they would have been far exceeded. To put it in words without getting all sentimental and whatnot, I’ve learned so much in my summer at 160. As if just being around the staff here wasn’t enough, I was given the opportunity to get my hands dirty, do some real work, and get loads of valuable experience. It’s been incredible.

The knowledge and relationships I’m going to take away from these short few months promise to be invaluable and I’m extremely grateful for it.

As a side note, apart from doing work for the company, I was also working on a weekly visual journal under the watchful eye of Senior Designer, Dan Blackman. It’s pictured below and can be seen in detail over at my website.
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Thanks again to the entire 160 crew. It’s been amazing.

-Ryan

Summer is here, and so are 160over90′s creative interns. For the next few months, James Alex Snyder and Ryan Hubbard will call One South Broad Street home. And call home only to speak to their mothers.

Ryan was born and raised in central Iowa, sharing a hometown with Cleveland Indians great, Bob Feller. Ryan is entering his senior year at Iowa State University, studying graphic design. He enjoys baseball, music, High Life, food (though you wouldn’t know it looking at him), and good company.  One day he plans on growing a gnarly beard.

Check out his work here.

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James Alex is a graphic designer who lives in Philadelphia. He lives in a one-room apartment with the girl he loves. They play in a band together. When he’s not thinking of things, he’s making them. He is smitten with the books of Charles Bukowski, the music of The Pixies, and the challenge of keeping his shoes tied. He has a wonderful habit of hugging strangers.

He lives online at printsandtheresolution.co.

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We asked James and Ryan a few questions about life and design. They gave us answers about Ray Romano and Marvin Gaye.

1. The biography of your life, what would it be titled?
Ryan: The Art of Being Awkward

James: I Saved Latin. What Did You Ever Do?

2. If you could trade places with any other person (real or fiction, living or dead, past or present, etc.) who would it be and why?
R: Frodo Baggins, Post-Mt Doom. Being a hobbit and living in middle earth would be
awesome, I just wouldn’t want to deal with orcs & giant flaming eyes.

J: Whoever Francoise Hardy was kissing in 1966.

3. If you could have any one superpower, what would it be?
R: The ability to stop time.

J: To sing like Stephin Merritt or Marvin Gaye.

4. What is the best advice you’ve ever gotten?
R: Don’t sweat the small things, and always do what makes you happy.

J: You really only need to know three chords.

5. If you could put together your dream rock and roll band, who would you pick to play what?
R: Ray Romano would play everything. At once.

J: The Pixies. Without revision. Well, maybe with Keith Moon sometimes.

6. What art movement(s) are you most influenced by?
R: Post-Modernism and Art Deco probably influence my work the most. But they
don’t dictate my work by any means.
I try to pull from a variety of sources pending on the needs of the project.

J: International Typographic Style, Pop Art, and Dada.

7. If you’re house is on fire, what is the very first non-living thing you’d save?
R: If my computer were in better shape, I’d take it. Since it’s gonna need replaced in
less than a year, I choose my bass.

J: My sketchbooks/love letters (really, they’re the same thing).

8. Last movie you watched?
R: I watch Roadhouse before bed every night.
(but in actuality, I took my girlfriend to see Water for Elephants. That was probably the
last movie I’ve seen.)

J: Exit Through the Gift Shop and Fast Times at Ridgemont High double feature.

9. Last book you read?
R: Design as Art by Bruno Munari

J: Over The Anvil We Stretch by Anis Mojgani

10. A quote that best describes you?

R: “If I were a real werewolf I’d wear baggy clothes so my nice clothes
wouldn’t get all torn up.” – Tracy Jordan of 30 Rock

J: “We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars” – Oscar Wilde

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Assuming they don’t run off together to start their own agency in the Caribbean, James and Ryan will be contributing to the blog as well as posting a final project later this summer. Stay tuned!

Travel junkies have mountaintop temples in Nepal.

Elvis impersonators have Graceland.

Comic book nerds — as well as a lucky few from 160over90 — have Comic Con.

Comic Con, a mecca for anyone who’s ever picked up a comic book, figurine, or video game console, attracts tens of thousands of fans and fanatics every year. Naturally, with the influx of zombies and monsters and vampires in the media these days, a few of us from 160over90 attended the conference in the name of (ahem) research.

Our time at New York’s Javitz Center (filled to the brim with the curious hordes) was a remarkably analog-meets-digital experience: one that simultaneously honored where comic books have been, and where they’re going. On the one hand, there are the old school comic books set up on tables covered in vintage superman sheets, sketching artists with their portfolios on display, and the dueling monstrosities: Marvel vs. DC Comics. On the other hand, there’s the audio-visual overload: Michael Jackson-themed video games, multi-player garage band competitions, lectures on gaming techniques, a fake bog where you can perform a black light search for a lost yeti, a seven-foot tall transformer who stalks his way across the convention floor.

Among other things, comic books have taught us that sometimes pictures get the job done when words aren’t necessary. So rather than listening to us ramble on, check out our photos instead. (courtesy of Justin “Aqualad” LaFontaine)

THE OLD SCHOOL:

THE NEW SCHOOL:

All good things must come to an end:

If you had to make a movie about the last 10 years, what would it be about? I think David Fincher, director of Fight Club, and Billy Idol’s Cradle of Love music video, along with Aaron Sorkin, writer and executive producer of The West Wing, have figured out the perfect movie to sum up the last decade.

The Social Network, a movie based on the creators of Facebook, adapted from the novel, The Accidental Billionaires: The Founding Of Facebook, A Tale of Sex, Money, Genius, and Betrayal, will be released in October. The movie poster alone makes me want to see this movie, it’s incredibly simple, but packs a big punch, and Jesse Eisenberg is spot on for casting of Mark Zuckerberg. The trailer is great, with amazing dialogue written by Sorkin.

Here’s my favorite real-life quote by Zuckerberg, as a sophomore at Harvard, when he had just put up Facemash, the early predecessor to Facebook.

“Perhaps Harvard will squelch it for legal reasons without realizing its value as a venture that could possibly be expanded to other schools (maybe even ones with good-looking people…), But one thing is certain, and it’s that I’m a jerk for making this site. Oh well. Someone had to do it eventually…” -Mark Zuckerberg

One of my favorite parts of living in Philadelphia is the odd mash-up of bougie-international-nerdy-hipster-eccentric characters that you can find in one place, at any given moment.

I was reminded of this particular urban charm on Sunday, when a few of us decided to bike up to the Cherry Blossom Festival in Fairmount Park.  It was a perfect day for a bike ride, a picnic—and everything else that ensued. Among the attractions:

1. Japanese tea gardens, and group demonstrations of traditional Japanese weaponry.

2. Kimonos, Gothic Lolitas, kites, face paint, platform shoes and adorable children holding paper parasols.

3. Feathered nunchucks (no kidding!)

4. Cherry blossoms, and a series of cat-embroidered flags.

5. A Japanese punk rock/rap group that kept the jams pumping (whether this was a good or bad thing is debatable)

6. A “Pretty in Pink” dog costume competition. Soukie took home the prize, with Pickles in a close second.

7. A quick zip by the Plateau, known to pop-culture enthusiasts as the place where The Fresh Prince & DJ Jazzy Jeff have their fly picnic in the Summertime music video.

Needless to say, it was an awesome day. Check out the photos below, (courtesy of Ro & Kelly). Feel free to go Sartorialist on this blog and comment on your favorite look. I suggest you listen to this song while perusing the photos.

THE SCENE

this flag can be purchased at shepelavy.com:

THE LOLITAS

Gothic Lolitas checking out the Sweet Lolita picnic:

Sweet Lolita picnic:

the girl in the sunglasses is awesome:

Michael Jackson-inspired menswear:

THE YOUNG’NS

THE CULTURE

THE RANDOS

The Mad Hatter:

Look close. It’s a goat! In a tutu!:

I call her Socks:

For all the Philadelphians out there who are sad they missed the spectacle, have no fear. You still have this to look forward to.

]]> http://www.160over90.com/blog/2010/04/14/america-is-weird/feed/ 1 http://www.160over90.com/blog/2009/12/28/a-show-about-sexiness-or-great-moments-in-cut-off-jean-shorts/ http://www.160over90.com/blog/2009/12/28/a-show-about-sexiness-or-great-moments-in-cut-off-jean-shorts/#comments Mon, 28 Dec 2009 17:07:03 +0000 tim beitz http://72.10.33.187/blog/?p=4938 hell yeah, I'd like to introduce you to Frank & Erik. They're Internet Famous, and you can too!]]>

It’s the last week of December, and if you’re reading this, you’re probably at work. Looking for something to get you thru? If that’s a hell yeah, I’d like to introduce you to Frank & Erik. They’re Internet Famous, and you can too!

Meet Frank and Erik: two twenty-something man-children working and living in New York City. What starts as a pot of coffee and a case of over-priced beer turns into 30-80 minutes of ex-girlfriend stories, complaints of NYC tourism, observations in social awkwardness, and advice on the correct timing of how to hide in your girlfriend’s bathroom when you’re drunk/tired and her and her friends want to keep going out. This is their podcast. It’s authentic. It’s comedic. It’s sensitive. It’s the squat-thrust of podcast exercising.

Frank & Erik: Internet Famous

Their stories are brutally honest and as in-your-face as that dude’s crotch on your train ride to work. Erik used to live in Chinese prison and is pretty proportionate for a tall dude. Frank thinks pissing in public was much easier in his earlier years. They have special guests, they play stories from their listeners, and occasionally stream the show live live. They also both have huge biceps.

You can download or stream a show from their web site, or you can find them on iTunes. Try ‘em out… Your quality of life will probably improve.

 
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Frank & Erik: Internet Famous
On air since: Dec 20008
duration: 30-80 min
show frequency: almost bi-weekly
iTunes Link

Some episode favorites:
Episode 5 — Embarassing Moments
Episode 8 — More embarassing moments, this one with a listeners particularly wonderful rendition of Holy Night [jump to 36:45]
Episode 11 — Lili’s 1st guest appearance, and a great story of catching someone cheating
Episode 40 — Good times

Perhaps it was NBC that told the story best during their live interview with us this week:

Well our 15 minutes days (or so) of fame are nearing an end, as tomorrow (Friday, 10/30/09) is the last day of the who-wore-it-best competition. However, we will be posting photos on the site next week from the punishment that’s in store for the loser, so be sure to check back.

www.TieOrDie.com

Additional context and some fun interviews after the break.

The name “Tie or Die” proved to be the most worthy of the few options we considered when launching this site that was originally intended to be for our coworkers amusement. I suppose it’s an intriguing title, albeit a little bit creepy. We assure you there is nothing creepy about the site,  unless you are completely and utterly creeped out by young men wearing ties. I wish that everyone was creeped out by young men wearing ties, because then I would at least have a Halloween costume picked out.

But despite the quick-launch of this unplanned escapade, our quirky rivalry has garnered its fair share of attention. Check out the sites below that were kind and interested enough to feature our contest. The interviews were a real gas.

Man Over Board: “A collaboration of original content from a select few authors from around the world, delving in the male species.”

http://man-over-board.com/2009/10/17/mob-interview-the-cofounders-of-tieordie-com/

Shmitten Kitten: “We talk about dudes and dating in Philadelphia although our observations seem to be relevant to people in all time zones.”

http://www.shmittenkitten.com/2009/10/flippin-our-shades-boys-from.html

Philadelphia Weekly Style Blog:

http://www.160over90.com/blogs.philadelphiaweekly.com/style/2009/10/28/tie-or-die-who-wore-it-best/

She Knows Best: “Fashion and Style Tips for Men from a Female”

http://www.splendicity.com/sheknowsbest/vote-in-the-tie-or-die-contest/

“No one reads anymore.”

Copywriters hear some variation of that phrase at least thrice daily. And while we occasionally drift into the enticing pastures of overly garrulous, wildly pretentious prose–uh, I mean write too much–it should come as welcome relief to anyone who pecks the home row keys for a living that people, in fact, are reading and writing more than ever.

This new Wired article, citing a new Stanford University study, states “that young people today write far more than any generation before them. That’s because so much socializing takes place online, and it almost always involves text.” The author Clive Thompson makes a point that perhaps the good old days weren’t so good for people writing, because “before the Internet came along, most Americans never wrote anything, ever, that wasn’t a school assignment. Unless they got a job that required producing text (like in law, advertising, or media), they’d leave school and virtually never construct a paragraph again.”

Sure, old farts–myself included–have derided the lol-tastic world of text and IM speak, but at least people are organizing their thoughts in the written form–albeit an evolving form. And even the oldest codgers among us must concede that we now occupy a world where folks actively consume the majority of their information; discovering news and reading things online is far more involved than passively sitting in front of a TV screen or radio.

Of course, people have more options than ever, so they can quickly bail on any content.  So the good news is that people will read. They just won’t read crap.

Many of us know David Lynch—maybe not personally or through some weird Kevin Baconesque degrees of separation game—but by his visually eery and idiosyncratic movie direction. Since June, 01 2009 he has been doing: Interview Project. A collection of interviews that captures different people along a road trip taken throughout the USofA. Not much more to say here, other than they are pretty interesting. Enjoy!

So my Mom has finally confirmed what my coworkers have known for quite some time: I rank somewhere between Rush Limbaugh and Jeffrey Dahmer on the jerk scale.