Veeptopus at Politicon 2016

So a couple of weeks ago, I had the opportunity to set up shop at Politicon, a Comic-Con of sorts for political junkies. Sarah Palin, James Carville, Ann Coulter, Rosario Dawson and bunch of other pundits and political figures were there hosting panels and participating in debates. Not that I saw any of that. I, along with my friend Ted Mills, spent both days parked in the Democracy Village – a marketplace, forum and art gallery for folks to peruse between presentations.

I had no idea what to expect what it would be like. I feared that I would be crammed in the corner, next to the anti-circumcision stall, getting snarled at by stark raving Trump supporters. But I was pleasantly surprised.

There was some surprisingly good political art there. From prints of that famous nude of Trump to the original Shepard Fairey Obama “Hope” poster. One genius made a Trump University vending machine where diplomas can be had for a mere 15k. Trump was a frequent punch line here. Along side my usual spread of art prints, I also sold Trump toilet paper, designed by my friend Dan Levin. Those sold like hotcakes.

I got a great location, right on a corner of two aisles almost spitting distance from the book-signing table. It helped that one of the coordinators was a big Veeptopus fan.

And the crowd was generally speaking open and good-humored, filled with socially-minded college kids, aging hippies, Bernie Bros, and one sweaty guy in a cowboy who tried to sell me the bumper stickers he had balled up in his fist. But hands down my favorite person I saw there was a budding politician – maybe fifteen, accompanied by his mother – who was dressed in a brown suit, a bowtie and a bouquet of Ted Cruz buttons on his lapel. With the same of studied polish of a pro, he shook my hand and called my art “positively joy sparking.” I wish I caught his name. I’ll probably be voting again him in a couple decades. In spite of sharp, intolerant divisions we can see on cable news and social media, Politicon left me with a sense that we aren’t quite so divided after all and that there is still general faith in the American idea.

I also left with a pile of cash in my pocket. That was nice too.

Veeptopus Will Be at Politicon Next Week

Next week on June 25-26, I will be hawking wares at Politicon at the Pasadena Convention Center.  Stop by and say hi.

What is Politicon? A fair question. I hadn't heard of it before they contacted me. This is how they describe themselves on their website:

“This June, Politicon will be toasting to a second term as the quintessential non-partisan event of the year. In honor of the impending presidential election, we’re upping the ante with some of the biggest names in politics and the wittiest voices in comedy and entertainment, representing all sides of the political spectrum.”

They do have an impressive line-up of politicians and pundits - like Sen. Barbara Boxer, Chuck Todd, James Carville, Nate Silver, Ann Coulter (gag) and even Sarah Palin (gag, cough, gag). Even former Mexican president Vicente Fox will be there, for some reason. Think of it like Comic-Con for people who obsessively watch cable news. I'm not sure whether or not anyone will dress up like, say, Donald Rumsfeld or John Maynard Keynes but I sincerely hope that someone does. 

Anyway, I'll be at the Democracy Village area and I'll be selling a few new prints (naked Trump anyone) and, if they get here in time, a handful of Veeptopus T-shirts. Hope to see you there. 

Naked Donald Trump or the Single Most Unclean Thing I've Ever Drawn

It was GOP Frontrunner/ gaseous Cheetos fart's birthday yesterday, so I decided to draw a portrait of him. This was the result. I'm so sorry. 

New Hamilton / Burr Duel Print on Veeptopus

Check out the latest print on Veeptopus. Our best sellers are all things connected to Hamilton, so I thought I'd add another one - an action shot of the actual, fateful duel. It was an encounter that if both parties had known the outcome would have no doubt avoided. 

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were friends who became political rivals and then bitter enemies. Their feud boiled over in Weehawken, New Jersey, on July 11, 1804, when they met for a duel. Hamilton shot first and missed. Burr shot and fatally wounded Hamilton. The bloody event changed American history and still has historians talking. 

Get this art print commemorating this fateful duel between Burr and Hamilton. Makes a great gift for the history nerd, musical aficionado and general weirdo in your life.

New Series on Veeptopus: Directors' Portraits

It's been an eventful couple of months here at Veeptopus. Not only did we move to our gleaming new international headquarters here in the heart of Silicon Valley but we're busily working on a new series of art prints. I'm really excited about them.

So I've got a confession to make. I'm a film nerd. A movie geek. One of those guys who wears horn-rimmed glasses and has opinions about things like aspect ratio. I went to film school. I spent much of my adult life writing about movies. And I've even taught film history on occasion. So I suppose, it is natural that I would end up basing some of my art around cinema. 

For my latest series, I'm doing portraits of film directors. I still haven't come up with a title as pithy as Veeptopus but I'm working on it. (Directopus? Auteur Art? Projectorhead? Email me if you think of something better.)

Each portrait is fun and light-hearted yet it stills says something about each director's work. The picture of Hitchcock above, for instance, is both a knowing riff on his 1954 film Rear Window and also a take on the creepy voyeurism that runs throughout his movies like Notorious, Psycho and Vertigo.

There's also Luis Bunuel, Jim Jarmusch, Lars Von Trier, Sergei Eisenstein, Ingmar Bergman, Jean-Luc Godard and more. Check them out.

So if you find yourself dropping phrases like "mies-en-scene" into your conversations, if you drool over the latest Criterion Collection release, or if you just want some cool stuff on your wall check out my Etsy site.

More Press For Veeptopus!

There's been a surprising amount of press for Veeptopus the past couple of weeks. First, BuzzFeed did a completely amazing write up on me and then, a week later, I was featured on the Funkzone Podcast, run by the estimable Ted Mills. Not only is Mills a skilled interviewer for one of the few podcasts dedicated solely to the Arts but he's also one of my closest friends. The interview, conducted over a couple lethally strong Gin and Tonics, focuses not only on my work but also on some of the sillier things we did two decades ago. Check it out here.

Almost a year ago, photographer Ian Spanier did a lovely write up/pictorial on me for the Huffington Post. He videotaped the interview and edited the footage in the piece below. 

Check it out below:

There's a World Record holder living three houses down your street. Next door, there's a carpenter from HBO's The Sopranos television show living in blissful suburban obscurity. Two blocks over lives the air traffic controller who guided Capt. Chesley "Sully" Sullenberger's airliner to a miraculous landing in the Hudson River.

Veeptopus on Buzzfeed!

So Veeptopus got a shoutout by the amazing Sally Kaplan over at Buzzfeed. Read the article here.

Make this Christmas a Veeptopus Christmas!

Only one more week left to guarantee delivery by Christmas!

So make that history nerd or that policy wonk in your life happy with a print of Aaron Burr, Harry S Truman and/or Theodore Roosevelt. Make your favorite obsessive completist leap with joy with the Full Veeptopus - all 47 vice presidents with octopuses on their heads.

Consider a Ruth Bader Ginsburg card set.  

Or consider Veeptopus's reigning best-seller, a print that commemorates the notorious Burr-Hamilton duel in 1804. It was so famous, I hear they even made a musical about it.

Remember, nothing says holiday cheer like tentacles. 

Ham Shot First! The Latest, and Nerdiest, Thing on Veeptopus

You love Hamilton The Musical? Are you a Star Wars fanatic? Celebrate both your loves with this amazing print.

Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr were friends who became political rivals and then bitter enemies. Their feud boiled over in Weehawken, New Jersey, on July 11, 1804, when they met for a duel. Hamilton shot first and missed. Burr shot and fatally wounded Hamilton. The bloody event changed American history and still has historians talking. 

Han Solo and Greedo faced off in a tavern on Mos Eisley. Like Hamilton, Han shot first. I don't care what George Lucas thinks. Han freakin' shot first. 

Get this art print mash up commemorating both events. Makes a great gift for the history nerd, musical nerd and/or general nerd in your life.

New on Veeptopus: Badgers for Bernie

Bernie Sanders might be 74 years old. He might have a haircut the is reminiscent of a mad scientist. And he might be a Democratic Socialist, but he is the by far the coolest person running for president. And he's has locked up the critical woodland creature vote.

Commemorate Bernie locking up the pivotal woodland creature vote with this totally sweet campaign poster. 

Proceeds of this print will go Bernie's campaign.

Behold! Alexander Hamilton Prints Are Now At Veeptopus!

How cool was Alexander Hamilton? He wrote much of the Federalist Papers, he has his face on the ten dollar bill and he died in a duel with Aaron Burr. More to the point, he's the only Founding Father I can think of who has a hip hop Broadway musical based his life.

So to celebrate the world's coolest Secretary of the Treasury, I've made two prints. One, which you can see above, is a single portrait of Hamilton. Great for anyone who wants to raise a glass to American monetary policy. The other commemorates Hamilton's fateful duel with Burr. 

Get one or both prints this holiday season for the history nerd, economics enthusiast or Broadway musical maven in your life.

Hot Off the Presses: Veeptopus Holiday Cards

It's the holiday season. This year, celebrate them with badgers. Badgers sporting Santa hats. Badgers clutching deadly weapons. 

That's right. The Veeptopus Holiday Cards are here! Send that loved one this Christmas / Hanukkah / Festivus a token of esteem and mild threat.  Perfect for that uncle who holds a political view that is violently different from yours or that aunt who keeps asking about your personal life.

Remember, nothing says "Happy Holidays" like murderous badgers. It's a Veeptopus tradition.    

By the way, follow Veeptopus on Instagram.

Veeptopus is the Featured Artist for Brooklyn Grooming for October/November

Get a load of this. Veeptopus is the featured artist for Brooklyn Grooming this month and next. Get razors, beard wax or other grooming product from them and get a Veeptopus post card free!

Happy Octopus Day!

It's October 8th so naturally, it's Octopus Day. Celebrate it by placing one on your head, drinking heavily or in whatever way you feel appropriate.

Veeptopus is One Year Old - Check out the Sales and Giveaways

The Veeptopus Store has been open for one whole year. It's been a pretty amazing time where I learned a lot about running an online business and a fair amount about octopuses. To thank everyone for all the positive vibes and the kind words, I'm having a giveaway. That's right, you will have a shot at winning any Veeptopus print of your very own. There will be three lucky winners.

Here's what you do: Follow me on Instagram, like this photo and write your favorite VP in the comments. 

But get this, if you tag someone else in the comments then you get two chances to win. Tag more people, you get more chances. You see how it works. The lucky winners will be drawn at random September 9. 

But wait, there's more!

I'm having a sale. That's right, 20% off everything in the shop.  never have sales, but I'm doing one this week.

So if you've been thinking about decorating your house or cubicle with a lovingly created portrait of a US vice president with an octopus on his head, now's the time to buy.

Just use the check out code ONEYEAR at checkout. But act soon. This sale ends next Tuesday.

Donald Trump w/ Tentacles On His Head: The Most Luxurious, Most High-Class Product On Veeptopus

This is the classiest, most high-quality print we have on our site. A beautifully hand-drawn, hand-painted portrait of the Donald, printed on the highest-quality paper out there. I wanted to put this on rose marble, but for some reason, they don't make ink-jet printers for sheet rock. 

So if you are looking for that perfect, unique, luxurious piece of art to decorate the wall at your villa in the Hamptons or perhaps a bathroom in the White House, look no further. Trumptopus is here. He's never going away. And you can't stop looking at him.

And remember, Halloween is coming soon. 

Sketchbook: Donald Trump with Tentacles on His Head

So the thing about drawing Donald Trump is that you really don't need to worry about realism when it comes to color. I painted him almost entirely using orange straight from the paint set and it still looks more natural that the Donald's actual skin color. 

So should I call this Chtrumplhu? Trumpusa? Or just the Trumpster?

Tentacles, Badgers and Ruth Bader Ginsburg: Brand New Products at Veeptopus

On July 11th and 12th, I had the opportunity to ply my wares at the Renegade Craft Fair in scenic Downtown Los Angeles, right in the shadow of city hall. Thanks to everyone who stopped by.

It was fascinating watching people come into my tent. 

Every minute or two, people would come in, squinting at my work as if figuring out a puzzle. Then I'd say, "Every single vice president with an octopus on his head." Inevitably, there would be a beat as they processed the info and then they'd burst out laughing and say something along the lines of "That's great," "This is the best thing I've seen at the fair," or "You're insane." (I'm assuming that last one was a compliment.)

This happened at least 100 times throughout the weekend. There's some kind of strange alchemy that happens when you combine vice presidents with cephalopods. 

At the fair, we broadened and expanded our line by debuted a few new products: note cards, folded card sets and art prints. 

For example, let's say that you are someone who prefers your octopuses without vice presidents (I personally don't understand this). In the past, you would be out of luck here at Veeptopus. But now, we have something for you. 

That's right! Tentacle note cards! Great for writing a note to your mom or to that marine biologist in your life. Four different prints, each with its own envelope. Only $10.

And we have more notecards. Ones with octopuses splayed out on typewriters. Great for writing notes to your mom or that tortured novelist in your life. Four in one pack each with its own envelope. Also $10. 

Many of you know that I've been doing this ridiculous series involving President William Howard Taft and a badger.

Well, I've turned some of my favorites into folded card sets. There's the one set above, which shows Taft riding a badger, the badger riding Taft and a couple weirder permutations of that same theme. 

And here is the second series, Taft in a badger suit, a badger in a Taft suit and then two more weirdly existential complications of that general theme. Both Taft/Badger card sets come with envelopes. $15. 

And lastly, we have Ruth Bader Ginsburg (AKA Notorious R.B.G.) with a robot arm. Why? Because she's a badass, that's why. 

We have this lovely print of an original ink/watercolor painting. Great for your law office or dorm room. 

And we have this folded card set. Great for wedding announcements!

Check out all of these new products (and take a gander at a few of our classic ones too) over at the Veeptopus Etsy site.

Vice Presidents and July 4th

On this July 4th weekend while you are firing off Roman candles and drinking that third beer, spare a thought for this nation's vice presidents. While their job might not be worth "a warm bucket of piss" as FDR's first veep John Nance Garner famously described it, they seem constitutionally prone to die on Independence Day. America's first and second vice presidents - John Adams and Thomas Jefferson - both died on the same day, July 4, 1826. That's precisely 50 years to the day both signed the Declaration of Independence.

Adams and Jefferson were, of course, rivals during their long political careers. When they squared off in the election of 1796, the rules were that the guy who got second place wound up the veep. Jefferson lost and thus became America's number two. This process might seem fair on paper but in practice pairing up with a political competitor became a recipe for intrigue and ill-will. By the election of 1800, they amended the laws to the current party system. The heated rivalry between Adams and Jefferson, by the way, turned to a lifelong friendship after they left public service.

The other vice president to die on July 4 was Hannibal Hamlin, the first veep of Abraham Lincoln. While he undoubtedly had the most awesome name of any VP this side of Spiro Agnew, he was overall a pretty undistinguished number two. Lincoln dumped him during the election of 1864 for Andrew Johnson.

Calvin Coolidge didn't die on the fourth of July

Calvin Coolidge didn't die on this day but July 4 is his birthday. So that's something.

Interested in learning more about vice presidents? Get all of these portraits and more in the Veeptopus Book.

One last chance to get a Veeptopus Book!

A couple of copies of the Veeptopus book - which sold out in under 24 hours last month - are on sale at Nucleus Gallery now. The store is filled with all sorts of amazing things for sale there so go ahead and poke around.