" title="BCSblog"> BCSblog

Up above is top billing: Another home run from the highly esteemed STICKER ROBOT. AKA ZOLTRON.  AKA Sticker Ass-kickerery. The 44 Shop gets power and things start to ramp up on the BCS front from just a pure service provider to a fully operational battlestation where I can actually take concept through to finished prototype… among other things it also means I can start making bike frames right from my humble abode.

I am of course in need of a fun way to get the word out regarding the frame shop.  I really like the way the BCS sticker/business card combo turned out so I naturally turned to Sticker Robot as it is THE place to get stickers.  Die-Cuts, kiss-cuts, hole punches, back printing, full color printing.  Man-he does it all and then some.  So what shows up today at the front door to the BCS Studio?  Mr. FedEx carrying a whole box o’whomp ass 44 Sticker/Business card combo’s.  To say I am tickled by the jet black, clear stickers is an understatement.  I’m full on stoked.  Johnny Cash would approve.  And I have to add this one last note to all those color specialists and trendsters… you know who you are: You wanna know the new black? IT’S BLACK.  Like Clubber Lang would say: CAN’T BE BEAT. WON’T BE BEAT.  All that nonsense about pink being the new black, brown being the new black bla bla bla.  BLACK IS BLACK.  Greasers, Rockabilly’s and bully’s agree: Black never goes out of style.  AND that’s a fact Jack.

A fist full of 44 Bikes right in your pocket.  Digits. Website. And a good slogan to boot.  MADE TO SHRED.  More on this soon-in the meantime.  Check out the progress on the Frame Jig right HERE. Or head on over to the preliminary website: WWW.44BIKES.COM.

Raging through a list to beat the band today-too many projects to list on these modest blog post.

One link today then it’s back to the grind stone for me:

Vintage Motorcycle Ad’s via Flickr.  GET IN AND GET DOWN TO WASTING SOME TIME.

This is the kind of spirit that we need more of.  Watch this and prepared to be blown away:

That’s just about it for a Monday.  Get out there and throttle it up.

Check it out.  I’m in the process of putting together the shop over here at BCS World HQ, and building all the necessary tools to make some bike frames.  So naturally I’m planning the first build for myself to come out of the shop and was spec’in some parts and received my go to grips choice: ODI Lock-on Yeti Speed grips. I’m installing the socket head cap screws in the lock caps and what do I see but a “MADE IN THE USA” debossed in the grip molding… Man I was bowled over.  Some serious business this is.  You know, ODI could have made these anywhere but they chose to stick with good ol’USA.  Man am I proud of that-and a big HELL YES ODI goes out right now.  The proof of that is what you’re eyes are seein’ right below:

So if you’re a rider, and need some grips-get lock up with some ODI lock-on’s and make your hands feel twice as nice knowing that these bad larry’s were made right here in the USA.

Joseph’s latest post over at NCZ got me thinking and the gears turning.  I’ve been thinking about this for some time: LET’S MAKE IT HERE. The economy and job debate here in the states seems pretty cut-n-dry.  Wanna save money?  Give it to a bank.  Wanna grow the economy?  Put the people back to work.  How do you put U.S. back to work?  MAKE IT HERE.  Overly simplified yes.  But fundamentally, we’ve gotta make things here.  Here’s a little poster love to get your wheels and gears turnin’.

And a detail of that little icon down on the bottom.  BCS Dept. of Raw Power Approved.

All this hard work makes a man hungry with a manly appetite. That’s why we’ve got 11 beds (yep-count ‘em, 11 raised beds.  Our garden goes to 11), 2 peach trees, 2 cherry trees, 3 apple trees, two pear trees, blueberry bushes, raspberry bushes and enough black raspberry bushes in our field to beat the band.  I’m here to tell you that today-the harvest is officially coming in at full force.  RAW GREEN THUMB POWER kids.  I’ll be doing something that generations before in my family have always done this weekend: Canning.  I’ve got peaches coming out of my eyeballs.

On the roster for this weekend is:

-Peach Jam and hot jam
-Spiced Peach Jam
-Tomato Sauce
-Pickles
-Puree the hell out of all those cucumbers so I can make my Mom’s world famous Cucumber soup

Can’t wait.  Then go for a bike ride.  Not a bad plan.  But first-let’s hack through the rest of this week and mow down projects like it’s out of style.

One link: One butt load of a haul in Vintage Advertising. That should keep you busy…

Image above snapped from and old favorite: RACE NUMBERS.

Our very own Lynn Robinson leaves for her trip to California to do the John Muir Trail with her twin for their 40th.  Gonna miss my sweetheart.  12 days solo.  I’ve got lots of projects planned and looking to bite off more than I can chew.

In other news – busy.  OHBS posters are going to print. Phoenix Multisport Kit’s are at Verge Sport and ready for patterning. First Flight Bikes very own MOMBAT Jersey’s are proofed and I have to say: THEY LOOK HOT.  Still waiting for some proof in the pudding when it comes to those WFM Coffee Cups. USASJ website is up and running.  TM is officially placed next to their logo mark: official business. And the BCS Machine Shop get’s wired up in two weeks.  Can I get a HELL YES?

One link today… Ok maybe just two.  Gotta a list longer than your right leg to take care of.  Strictly Business.

Flickr set that’s everything except Bicycles and Planes… GET IN UNDER THE RADAR. Dig this photo kids. Uh oh.. Guess Who?

This one just deserves a place all for itself.  DIG THIS SHOT.

Last and not least, a small set of Sheffield Wednesday Football Programme Covers.

FOR IMMEDIATE RE-RELEASE:  We’ve got the pins you need.  4 in total.  Pick from the BCS Namesake, the Skull Cap -n- Shield, Design or Die and the coveted BCS ELEVENATOR.  Sure to make anything go to 11.  Sturdy steel construction, laminated to keep the message straight and narrow, and we throw in the pin back free of charge.  Wood grain backdrop not included. Just send us a self addressed and stamped envelope, feel free to throw in a few greenbacks for the cause, and we’ll send them out right away.  That’s guaranteed.

Busy with some errands this morning then right back at the grinding stone slaving away.  We’ve got some new schnizzle up on the BCS FLICKR Page so get on over there.  Lyndeborough 275th Anniversary posters and much, much more.

One link then it’s back to work people: CAPTAIN PANDA PANTS AND HIS MATCHBOOK COLLECTION. You saw it here first folks.  Not to be messed with.   GET IN UNDER THE RADAR.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #01: Woodstock Farmers’ Market, Woodstock, VT.’s premier farmers’ market and BLACKCAP Studio recently teamed up for a project the beat the band: Create the new WFM Coffee Cups!  I love me some coffee.  Preferably anything as a dark french roast, free range – eco friendability kind of stuff kids.  You know the stuff.  So it was a heck of a project creating the graphics for these cups.  A 10oz and 16oz were the result.  They’re currently in production and samples should be arriving at the studio in the near future.  I’ll be able to show you the before..AFTER shots at that time.  In the meantime, up above is just one of the many graphics we created for these kick-butt cups.  And if you are in Woodstock, be sure to raise the cup and toast the Chairman of Fun, Mr. Crowl owner and captain of that battleship of a market.  Great coffee, fresh produce, amazing sandwiches, and a ton of fun.  So get on up there kids!

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE #02: I’ve always attempted to make BLACKCAP Studio be the best and most well rounded design service provider I can.  That goes for product design and graphic design.  Up to this point, I’ve really only been able to provide service based design.  However, the master plan has been to move more towards a design and build type shop where I no longer rely on consulting and service based design work but actually create product from the ground up.  You know: ACTUALLY MAKE SOMETHING.  So it’s with great pleasure I’d like to share with you my strategery and plans.  I’m currently working towards outfitting the shop with adequate power and doing a full build out.  So we’ll have the studio here where all the fancy pants computers and printers will be housed, but alongside I’m working towards having a shop that I can physically create product from.  Mills, lathes, welders… MANLY TOOLS.  It’s gonna happen.  IT HAS TO HAPPEN.  Kind of MADE TO BUILD sort of mentality.  Fabrication and creation with my hands is in my blood as my grandfather was a welder by trade and a builder of product, bridges, hell even aircraft structures I’ve learned.  So what does this mean for the studio?  Well the studio stays in place providing top notch Product, Graphic, Apparel, and Packaging Design Services.  But with this expansion into a shop space, we’ll also have the added firepower of taking an idea from start to finish.  So midnight oil can be burnt, more coffee can be consumed and the design process can be more fluid and natural.  Getting back to the roots.  So there you have it-I’ll keep you posted as we move forward.  Phase 1 is POWER.  That should be completed within the next two months.  Stay tuned kids.  Shits gonna get REAL HECTIC.

One link after that shit, then it’s back to ass-kicking: Flickr set via WAMPA-ONE. POSTCARDS FROM THE GREAT STATES AND BEYOND. Gotta love it.  You’re not in Kansas anymore kid.

Ok. NOW BACK TO WORK!

Duck Dodgers that is.  One of my favorite all time Looney Toons EPI-sodes.  I mean traveling through space to find “Illudium Phosdex”, the shaving cream atom?  1953 wackiness.  Good stuff.  All that and maybe a hamburger.  GET IN UNDER THE RADAR.

Busy as all hell today with errands, making sense of all this Facebook, Twitter, WordPress linkery nonsense and making this the fully operational battlestation that is should be.  Finished up that sleeve rollin’ making chips fly logo down below for USASJ.  We’re working on a bunch of other stuff too so stay tuned in and tuned up.   In other news-WOODSTOCK FARMERS MARKET’S friggin’ coffee cups FINALLY went to print.  HOLE-E-SH@T.  That’s all I have to say.  The good people at SOLO Cup finally got their act together and the Heidelburg’s or whatever they use are eating paper faster than you can kiss a duck.  Or so they say.  Giddy up.

One link today: JAPANESE RELIGIOUS SHRINES. VIA FLICKR. SOME BIGGER THAN LIFE BAD-ASSERY in that set folks.  Hand carved lotus flowers, dragons, joinery that will make your head spin and more.  GET IN UNDER THE RADAR.

Now back at it for me.  The chips are flyin’ folks.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: Up above is some proof of hard labor and sleepless nights.  The 2010 USA Ski Jumping Logo.  I had the honor to throw my hat into the ring for a great group of individuals getting a brand together for the U.S. Ski Jumping team and promotion of the sport here in the states.  The nordic ski event “ski jumping” is kind of seen as the original extreme sport and needs some differentiation as well as funding for Olympic hopes.  The team has been assembled, and its a group of ass-kickers no doubt. Color picks were pretty simple… Red White and blue ( Pantone 282 C and Pantone 193 C to be exact ) but we added the black in there since well: IT’S A TEAM OF ASS-KICKERS.   Some inside info of the whole THANG is the focal point being the Ski Jumper in a field of red. The ski’s actually flip right into the bars to the Jumper’s right and a trio of star’s are to the jumpers left.  Well-those 3 stars represent the 3 podium spots: Bronze, Silver and Gold respectively.  That whole thang is encased within a Shield which of course is a protective / defensive symbol.  The wings convey flight and are slightly outstretched to give it that “soaring” feel.  USA / Ski Jumping is Trade Gothic. A good strong typeface that takes time on face to face and you guessed it: KICK’S IT’S ASS.  The shape as a whole I wanted to have a heart type shape so in there is some “love for the sport/wear my heart on my sleeve” sort of hidden image/meaning.  Wrap it all up with the TM and we mean business.  Trademark that is.

The team is made up of:

ANDERS JOHNSON
PETER FRENETTE
NICK ALEXANDER
NICK FAIRALL
CHRIS LAMB
MIKE GLASNER

I’ve also been charged with basically leading the design direction for the brand from here forward so look for BCS to be providing the fire power behind this venture.  So far website, branding and some apparel have begun and are in full swing.  We hope to start rolling that out further down the road.  Presently I’m finalizing the branding platform that lays out all the do’s and don’t of the new logo mark, word mark and associated branding.  OH YEAH-there’s a wordmark too kids. GIDDY UP.  Preliminary site is up so check back frequently to find out the latest and greatest from these ass-kickers.

www.usaskijumping.org