This is a journey to the best designs in the world of Zazzle.com. Handpicked and presented (along with my own artwork) by yours truly, the driving force behindSurreality designs. We'll discover great artists and special products -mostly with a taste for the eccentric. But let us not confine ourselves in specific genres: the possibilities are endless and so is the great art one can find at Zazzle.
Nothing like a trip down memory lane to think about good times, llamas and this crazy bunch that changed comedy -and the way we view the world- forevah! Yeah, I know, there are people who think that Monty Python is the used-to-be-geek-but-is-so-mainstream-now kind of thing but I think that's silly. The true Masters of their Art remain Masters -that's the reason they were not a passing fad in the first place.
I had totally forgotten about this sketch until I saw it again recently. And I remembered the outrageous talent and the unparalleled inventiveness of these guys. True paradigm shifters. So, I had to share.
This one has been circulating since summer but I couldn't resist the temptation of putting it here. You see, it concerns Ray Bradbury, one of my favorite writers of all times, the science fiction legend that created astounding books such as Fahrenheit 451, The Martian Chronicles (this one has a special place in my heart) and Something Wicked This Way Comes.
In this video clip, the actress and comedian Rachel Bloom dedicates a sexy teenage rocker (in the tradition of countless lolita-esque pop songs) to her lust for ole man Ray.
I do hope that Bradbury -who is 90 years old- appreciates the gesture!
Nomint is a motion-design studio from Athens, Greece, known for the hilarious The Greek Crisis Explained trilogy. They created an exquisite video, sprinkled with surrealistic fairy-dust, where the hero is a double-headed chicken. Well, not your average double-headed chicken (hmmm...) but the Holy Chicken of Life and Music itself! This fine short animation caught the eyes of countless Vimeo users and of a high profile committee (including David Lynch and Roman Coppola) that came together to decide the winners of the Vimeo Festival Awards.
The Holy Chicken was a Top 5 Finalist and deservedly so. Enjoy it and take the trip to Nomint's site or visit the Holy Chicken web page to learn more about the film.
Being interested in the '60s underground culture and music, I couldn't resist fiddling with the distinctive style, fashion and symbolism of the Mods. Blame it on The Who, The Yardbirds or the Small Faces, but there's something about that era I find irresistible.
So, I played around with Union Jack's colours, thought of the trilby hat (much loved by the Mods and the Rude Boys before them) and I came up with Mod Trilby, a design that encompasses the retro pop imagery of the time and captures the mod spirit.
If you are interested in old-school London scene, one of these products may be right for you. Or you may fancy this classic RAF roundel, whose iconic glory lived on through Punk, the neo-Mods and Brit Pop and stands as a landmark in pop symbolism:
This is quite interesting. These guys perform Black Sabbath's Iron Man, using Tesla coils as guitar amp. The result gives a whole new -crazy- meaning to electric guitar. You've got to love the metal suits and gloves!
All you Tesla minded could also check out this old gem -while waiting for a brand new post concerning your beloved magnificent Serb.
You just have to see this to believe it. Hurra Torpedo is a Norwegian band, dressed in ill-fitting jogging suits, that uses kitchen appliances in the role of percussion (well, they probably have the best deep freeze player in the world!).
When you're surreal enough, fame will come your way. Hurra Torpedo's crazy cover of Bonnie Tyler's Total eclipse of the heart spread as a meme on fire and came to show the world that weird, underground humor and applied surrealism can get you far. Provided you find people like yours truly to appreciate all this madness, of course!
I didn't know what to expect when I started watching this video. Nothing much, really. But as I kept watching this man (he's all smiles, btw, and he looks happy indeed!) and listening to him unfold his area of expertise, I got enchanted.
Not because I love soda pops -I'm not a big fan- but because I saw a man that loves his job and takes pride in doing it right and learning firsthand all the details and information that make him an expert in his niche.
Someone who decided to take the less-traveled path, to avoid the trends and the big brands, and to give people the best quality products he could find. He doesn't want us to consume more (on the contrary, he advises against it), he wants us to be satisfied. And to have a choice.
By doing so, he opens a world of opportunity to many small businesses that operate outside the realm of mass-produced mediocrity. People whose existence make a difference financially and -yes!- culturally in their neighborhoods, communities or, even, countries.
Most of all, I enjoyed hearing about someone who knows what he's talking about, isn't afraid to speak his mind and has a fine time doing what he loves. I aspire to that.
[What do you mean "what's that have to do with Surreality Watch"? What did you expect, an essay about S.Dali or something? If what we experience everyday is the norm, then this video is certainly surreal -in the best way I can think of.]
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