DDC vs. MIZZOU

So I packed it in hauled 3 hours up to Columbia, Missouri to go see Aaron Draplin and hear the Tall Tales for myself, first person. He didn’t disappoint. Go see him. Go. I mean it. Two kids from St. Louis were there to see him for the second time; the first was when they drove 6 hours each way to catch The Man in Detroit.

I could do my best to paraphrase and share pieces of all that wisdom but that would be a waste of both our time. However, as I was flying down the highway, one thing rang in my ears pretty loud:

Focus on making cool shit, without worrying about how many zeros are on the check (or even if there is a check at all). The man made 3 logos for his dog, the late great Gary. And they were great marks. Just terrific. He had marks for all kinds of Small Time shops in Portland, logos for his friend’s wedding, just a library of little logos standing strong.

Anyway I left with a new outlook and for a guy who has been making shit for 12 years, that’s a pretty good feeling. For a tiny taste of what the shindig was like, enjoy this touching bit chalked full of wisdom and colorful languages.

America Is F*cked…….(Graphically at least) from Jess Gibson on Vimeo.

Proof that the man’s work is bigger than the man (no small feat in that, btw), here is an excerpt from a little chat a couple Mizzou students were having before the lights dimmed:

Gent: So who is this guy?
Lady: Aaron Draplin. He uses a lot of Futura Bold.
Gent: What is his famous for?
Lady-pointing to the Field Notes the dude was carrying: Those.
Gent: Oh! I love Field Notes!