Stuck Up Piece of Crap: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art

Memorably title, "Stickers: Stuck Up Piece of Crap: from Punk Rock to Contemporary Art" is a new art-book by DB Burkeman with a little help from street art icon Shepard Fairey (as well as Monica LoCascio and Carlo McCormick). Together, the authors tackle the history of stickers in a variety of musical sub-cultures, including punk rock, raves and hip-hop.



Says one Amazaon reviewer: "To be brief, if you have even a passing interest in Punk Rock, Graffiti Art, Rave Culture, Club Culture, Sub Culture or just Graphic Design, this book is an absolute must have. Essays by the Authors and Shepard Fairey beautifully connect the dots from the sub culture of sticker design, production and broadcast to its influence on our every day lives. The book is wonderfully, curated, and the design on the pages is beautifully laid out."

MTV.com chimes in with:
"For DB Burkeman, stickers are those little markers that document our culture. Whether it's the first 'Watch out! Punk is coming!' sticker slapped up on the Lower East Side in late 1970s or a 1930s R. Stanton Avery silk-screened political bumper sticker, they capture a point in time that somehow defined American culture. So it only makes sense that Burkeman, along with his partner, Monica LoCascio, got to researching the art of stickers and churned out Stickers: From Punk Rock to Contemporary Art. The 300-page book traces the visual and social history of the medium, and explores the relationship artists have with their pieces and how they communicate with viewers." ~MTV.com


Jeff over at the Websticker blog also has good things to say, so we know, as far as stickers go, this book has got the goods.


At $23.10, this book seems like a good deal for a coffee-table book--but here at Custom Sticker Makers, we're interested in the deluxe hardcover $175.00 version, complete with vintage stickers. 

Making Tracks with Kids: Cheeky's Security Blanket

Lindsay N. Lewchuck had always dreamed of being an author, but it wasn't until she brought home a little black puppy with oversized paws that she found the inspiration to write. The precocious antics, wonky ear and unique personality of her Great Dane, Cheeky, proved to be the natural subject for a series of children's stories.

Lindsay's first book about Cheeky--Cheeky's Security Blanket--is out this year from Castle Keep Press (an imprint of James A. Rock & Co.). Featuring illustrations by Isaac Klunk, the tale follows Cheeky as she learns that while her security blanket makes her feel happy and secure, there really are some things in life that are more important. The book is intended for 2-100 year olds and is mostly aimed at 3-6 year olds.

In order to promote her book to her pint-sized target market, Lindsay hands out lime green and purple "Cheeky Approved" stickers after all of her readings. These stickers have proven a big hit with kids, and they leave a Great Dane "paw-print" impression with their parents, too--not unlike the paw-prints hidden by the illustrator on every page of Cheeky's Security Blanket. 


Why Custom Sticker Makers? "CSM had very competitive prices," Lindsay told us. "That is what brought me to the site. But the low-VOC ink is what made me choose them over the competition. Whenever there is a choice available, I go with the healthiest."

Bumperstickers, Plato and You: If You Can Read This...The Philosophy of Bumper Stickers

There are those who may think political bumperstickers, philosophical or just plain funny bumperstickers are a less than serious form of discourse. But at least one thinker with real academic credentials seems to take them seriously: Jack Bowen, author of If You Can Read This: the Philosophy of Bumper Stickers, (which comes to us via Websticker's Marketing and Custom Sticker Blog).

Mr. Bowen--a graduate from Stanford University and holds a Masters Degree in Philosophy from California State University--has dedicated his big brain to dissecting the deep thoughts behind such common sentiments as:

• If Ignorance Is Bliss, Why Aren't More People Happy?
• At Least The War On The Environment Is Going Well
• Less Bark: More Wag
• Don't Believe Everything You Think

From the website:
"Long before blogs, tweets, and sound-bites, people were telling the world how they felt in brief, blunt bursts of information plastered on the backs of their cars. Whether they're political or religious, passionate or proud, controversial or corny, these brightly-colored, boldly-lettered mini manifestoes are declarations of who we are, where we stand, and what we'd rather be doing. But as bestselling author and noted philosopher Jack Bowen reveals, there's much more to this pop-culture phenomenon than rolling one-liners and drive-by propaganda--no less, in fact, than a wise, funny, poignant, contentious, and truthful discourse on the human condition."

This book has received some great reviews and we're looking forward to reading it here at Custom Sticker Makers.

Curious? The book is available at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Indie Bound, and elsewhere.