
Sometime in my early 20s, I realized that growing up I wasn’t your typical 80’s child. Unlike all my friends, who spent their post bedtime hours hiding under their sheets reading X-Men, I never owned a single comic book. I also never really liked any of the Star Wars movies. Sci-Fi in general has never done much for me and I’m honestly still at a loss to what the big obsession with zombies is.
With all that said, the work of Ray Frenden amazes me. Even if the subject matter doesn’t hit my core the way it does others my age, the sheer amount of creativity and craftsmanship behind his illustrations is mind blowing. As someone who stopped drawing once I got my hands on a computer, its nice to see folks out there still kicking ass with paper and pen.

This week we’ve been hosting a couple visitors from the UK who are staying with Will Bryant. Gemma Correll of “Pugs Not Drugs“ fame and her boyfriend, artist Anthony Zinonos have come to our great state to hang around with us PUBLIC SCHOOLers and try out some local fare. Last night Gemma drew the above illustration while myself and Cody taught her and Anthony about country music. Specifically we were teaching them that Randy Travis is amazing and Kenny Chesney, not so much.

It’s time for another episode of A Face With The Name and this week we’ve got the lovable creative duo known as the Butler Bros. Adam and Marty Butler are some of my favorite creatives in town. I interned with them while I was in college and they have stayed great mentors of mine ever since. I’m particularly fond of their mantra “We tell the stories of those that inspire us” which I feel is very fitting of their mission.
They have had a slew of clients both nationally and locally, but their most recent clients and mission have been geared towards helping people choose healthier lifestyles. From helping Jason’s Deli rid the world of MSG and High Fructose Corn Syrup to teaching people that a plant based diet is a great diet and assisting LIVESTRONG Foundation get cancer on the national agenda, they’re funny guys with big ideas. They want to help reverse the KFC and McDonald’s laden course food consumption is on. In a post-Super Size Me world its a good thing that companies are realizing that people will eat healthy food if its offered. Thankfully the Butler Bros are there to help said companies achieve that goal.
All in all they’re a positive change kind of agency. They taught me that its important to do good work for good companies. That if you’re going to spend most of your life working on something it might as well be for the better good. They’ve helped launch the careers of many of the creatives who have worked for them or with them including mine. Big ups to this creative duo from all of us at PUBLIC SCHOOL.
See more of their work here or see the full size images after the jump.
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Danish photographer Jacob Holdt captures America well. You can read his story and check out a few of his images here, but there are plenty more images out there.

Good friend Matt Rainwaters recently purchased a limited edition David Rathman print, and yesterday I went by his studio to check it out. I’m not sure I’ve ever been more jealous. See more of Rathman’s work at the Mary Goldman Gallery.

I met a cowboy named Blue and his brother Tom in Terlingua, Texas this year while I was out there for the Tolbert Chili Cookoff. They invited me to partake in their big cowboy camp Turns out Tom has a company called Republic Tequila based here in Austin. I’m not a tequila fan, but the bottle of Reposado Republic Tequila we passed around one afternoon had me hooked on this stuff.
Anyway, they’re having a mustache growing contest in which you can win a trip to any place in Texas. I’ve seen some of the folks that read this blog and know we’ve got at least a few folks with some good staches so thought I’d throw it out there for you to enter.
More information is here.

Our pal Ben just put together a new portfolio site for his moniker General Projects. We suggest checking it out. Chances are, you’re already familiar with his creations, which include The Book Cover Archive, Readymech (done while at Fwis) and Public School’s biggest web addiction, Svpply.

I wish I was in Portland so I could check out this opening at Land gallery! My collaborator and friend, Nicole Lavelle, has teamed up with schoolmate Sarah Bough to “to wrangle an understanding of the pioneering spirit and the natural beauty of the northwest.”
Also note, they have a new zine available!
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