Ryan Started a Blog

Ryan started a blog, and it is really well written. It deals with the esoteric stuff Ryan is into like obscure French illustrators and early cinema, perfect for someone who thinks they may have seen it all because I bet you haven't seen the stuff Ryan has found.

Ryan Standfest told me about a French Publisher

Ryan Standfest (click here, and here) told me about a French publisher called "Le Dernier Cri" (click here, and here), which translates as "The Last Cry."


Le Dernier Cri has produced over 160 silk screened books during its 13 year existence. Their publishing centers around graphism, obsessiveness, and artistic chaotic creativity. Their main publication seems to be an anthology type book called Hopital + Brut, they are on Hopital + Brut number 8.

Visited Ryan

After I finished working today as an intern for Diana Cooper I headed over to my old friend Ryan's side of town, and we ate dinner at a diner and bullshited. I had an "Italiano" panini with curly fries with a diet coke, and lemon merange pie for desert, and we talked about publishing a small book. The waitress was incredibly rude and funny, and started yelling at the cooks at one point that they could not TALK TO HER LIKE THAT, LIKE SHE IS SOME KIND ON AN ANIMAL! I had some ideas, but I think he has more but wasn't letting on to all of them, but we are meeting again in two weeks with drawings and I think the plot will thicken. He showed me a bunch of websites of really great small presses, and some french ones, which I think is interesting because I like to try and translate the words and the pictures at the same time and it makes it more of a fun game, like French small press sudoku.

It was good to see Ryan and bounce ideas off him. It reminded me of Iowa, but Brooklyn lends a certain gravity to the actions of artists. So I had fun just because I like being in Brooklyn and seeing all the interesting people.

Ryan and Zine Arcade, 2 unrelated but interesting things

This is a self portrait by Ryan Standfest as Rotwang Stumpholden, if you pay close attention it is very funny and worth the time.

Also, in an unrelated note, I'd like to point you to the page where you can purchase Zine Arcade, Andy Johnston is the editor, I am in it as the center article, the magazine is dedicated to self-publishers, comes from England, and I like it very much. You can buy Zine Arcade here. If you are someone who collects things, this is a perfect opportunity to get the first edition of Zine Arcade No 1, which in 10 years will probably be worth 500 dollars. Incidently I overheard the people at Printed Matter talking about the magazine (Vito Acconci was one of the people involved in producing the book) "0 to 9," and a original complete set is worth around 6,000 dollars. 0 to 9 is a cheaply produced photocopy, Zine Arcade is in color, and features some of the most prominent zinesters in the UK!

Ryan Standfest

My friend Ryan Standfest moved to Brooklyn recently after finishing grad school and a few teaching jobs in the center of the country.

He is a print maker who appears to be eccentric, and maybe more so than when I had daily contact with him. From the looks of his website his art and life may be blurring into a synthesis of thought and behavior where you can not tell where Ryan ends and his project begins!

When you visit the website, you need to click on the little red (polka?) dots, otherwise you wont get anywhere, they are the links.

Ryan, thank you.