“Andre The Giant – Has a Posse”

“You can do this Shields,” he said to me. I wasn’t sure what he meant at the time, but I stuck that sticker on the foot of my bed post and stared at
it night after night after night. Finally it clicked – “Yes, I can do this!”

I began making stickers, then coresponding with Shepard to learn more (via mail – no email then). Then moving on to cut Andre Stencils in exchange for giant boxes of T-shirts, stickers and posters, which I would then sell and post (Mostly between DC and Richmond, VA in and around 94 – 96).

(((Shields – Post Pics of Journal Mocks  You  Made Here)))

Early 2001 I sent Shepard a letter proposing an idea for some Obey Giant Journals. I was running my own greeting card and journal design business so was in heavy production of my own work in this format.  I hadn’t heard back from him, so wasn’t exactly sure what he was thinking until a 6-8 huge boxes arrived on my door step.

In total I think we must have made around 2000 limitted edition journals which were then sold online via ObeyGiant.com

Journals were 70 unlined pages with heavy duty cardboard cover and double top wire binding.

Four different covers
Included Obey stickers, signed by Shepard Fairey

$18 / Large Journal (10″ x 7.5″)
$13 / Small Journal (7.5″ x 4.75″)

We also did a series of small pocket sized journals in addition.
Here are some of the designs below of the larger journals.

Front:

Back:

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FOR SALE on PoshMark

The creation of the pocket journals was probably one of my favorite projects in the time frame of my journal and greeting card business. I was always saving and collecting scrap paper from all the products I was making.

My standard  sized journals were cut in a certain way that they left enough scrap paper that I eventually decided to do something with it by creating these little pocket journals. I also had boxes full of leftover pieces of binding wire. Specifically a 3 inch piece left over from each of the large journals. I  had probably 300- 400 sets so that is a lot of journals which got made.

This became the spine to the pocket Journal. I practically never wasted any paper or binding wire at all and I was always making efforts to make new and interesting products with whatever materials I could find and of course make money.

Once I decided to make the pocket journals, I needed to find a way to market them. So I took a trip up to West Coast Paper in Medford, Oregon and found a great packaging box which you can see here displayed an illustration. The box contained the journals and then popped open to be the display as well.

Lastly I needed some images. I’ve always loved stencils and the image of human silhouettes so I quickly designed a series of about 30 different silhouettes which were then used on these pocket journals. You can see and buy the original silhouette images from my archived site. http://www.vectorsilhouette.com

I think it was these original pocket journals that sparked the idea inside me of doing an Obey Giant Journal. I actually had created a pretty cool little Obey Giant scene which I had e-mail to shepherd at the time. I saw a copy of it recently, so once I find it I’ll post appear in this category.

(((Shields Post Obey Giant Mock Sample)))

The pocket journals were a great seller and because everything was made out of scrap material which I was buying anyways it was a real winner once they had been invented.