Before the internet, even before desktop publishing, gang members who wanted calling cards headed to a printer with their idea. The results are collected in Brandon Johnson's Thee Almighty & Insane: Chicago Gang Business Cards from the 1970s & 1980s.
Via Lucy Bourton:
These small cards display nuggets of historical artefacts, both in their design and context. Created years before the ease of mass-produced business cards, Brandon recognised their aesthetically cultural worth. “The hand-drawn graphics, the ‘Old English’ typefaces, the outlandish names and clever slogans,” he explains are elements that time stamp the activity and attitude of Chicago’s gang culture. “For example, an upside-down symbol or name is a sign of disrespect. Acronyms ending with the letter ‘K’ mean ‘killer’ – so ’S.D.K’ is short for ‘Satan’s Disciples Killer’.
These guys loved grocer's apostrophes and Chicago's own Playboy logo. The one below has a deceased member's name crossed out:
One of my fave names is the Almighty Gaylords, a hardcore southside gang that used a lot of racist prison gang iconography.
All in all, a fascinating design artifact of a subculture.
• Graphic design gems: Chicago gang business cards from the 1970s and 80s (It's Nice That)
Photographer Drew Gardner created a photo series depicting descendants of historical figures, each posed as their ancestors. Isambard Kingdom Brunel, Napoleon Bonaparte, Charles Dickens… It’s surprising how uncanny the resemblances often are. But none are so fascinating as his portrait of Shannon LaNier, the great^6-grandson of Thomas Jefferson. The recreation was based on the famous […]
Julian Baumgartner has been sharing wonderful videos of his amazing art restorations, including one of his most ambitious projects ever, the restoration of a copy of Guido Reni’s masterpiece L’Aurora. Spend an hour watching a master of his craft transform this work.
Video artist Nam June Paik’s “Zen for Film” (1964) is a projection of clear film leader. The image changes over time as dust and imperfections become visible. From the Bard Graduate Center gallery: Inherent in the work’s material and conceptual aspects are notions of chance, trace, changeability, boredom, silence, and nothingness. With Zen for Film, […]
With all due respect to our vegetarian friends, there might be nothing more intrinsically linked to the 4th of July holiday than a big ole cookout. Sure, fireworks and celebrating the birth of a constitutional republic are great too, but showing off your cooking prowess with a brilliantly seared, mouth-watering slab of grade-A American beef […]
We’re at the midway point of 2020. So…how’s the year going for you so far? Yeah…we can guess. But while there’s a lot about 2020 we can’t directly control, maybe a little retail therapy can help make you feel better. Sure, the 39 items we gathered together can absolutely bring a smile to your face. […]
When revved-up kids used to dribble a basketball through the kitchen or practice their footwork with a soccer ball in front of the television, exasperated parents would often just send ‘em outside to play. But these days, sending kids out might not be the best course of action. Despite all the changes, many budding young […]
