On May 21st, 2014, while riding my bicycle to work, I was stuck by a car who crossed an intersection without seeing me in time. Needless to say, this had left me with some considerable downtime (as of this post, I still haven't returned to work) while healing a fractured collarbone.
I started playing with the idea of selling T-shirts online as a means to generate some income. A friend (Angee Jackson, owner of New Orleans boutique Miette) put the idea into my ear of something involving animals and occult, so far as to specify a Jackalope.
I started playing with the idea of selling T-shirts online as a means to generate some income. A friend (Angee Jackson, owner of New Orleans boutique Miette) put the idea into my ear of something involving animals and occult, so far as to specify a Jackalope.
Playing with a few failed concepts, I settled on developing the concept of "black metal" album art incorporating the aforementioned imagery. "Rekanize" is my longtime DJ name (almost 20 years, that...) so I also had the "merch angle" in mind.
All work is done in Photoshop CC with a Wacom tablet.
The "REKA•NIZE" seal was made in Illustrator CC.
The "Eye of Providence" is a detail taken from a stock photo.
All work is done in Photoshop CC with a Wacom tablet.
The "REKA•NIZE" seal was made in Illustrator CC.
The "Eye of Providence" is a detail taken from a stock photo.
I decided to give the Jackalope horizontal pupils to evoke not just the antelope quality of a Jackalope, but also to hint at a more sinister connection to Baphomet.
The "M" lightning around the eyes was an homage to a friend named Maryella, who helped me immensely during my challenging times of recovery and relocation. She's interested in Magickal thinking, so it felt appropriate to add some hidden symbol for her in the design.
The "M" lightning around the eyes was an homage to a friend named Maryella, who helped me immensely during my challenging times of recovery and relocation. She's interested in Magickal thinking, so it felt appropriate to add some hidden symbol for her in the design.
The REKA•NIZE seal is a take on the old New Orleans water meter covers found all over the city. If you live here or have visited, you will see the water meter cover all over in the form of art, jewelry, etc.
Final product #1: Shirts screenprinted by hand by Justin Walters III of Audubon Imprint of New Orleans.
One color print with glow-in-the-dark ink on black Gildan Softstyle shirts.
I opted for a halftoned image due to some of the gray that I had in the logotype and also in the "ornaments" and "hanging strap" accents.
A variant is in the works to sell at the aforementioned Miette boutique with a non-halftoned version of the Jackalope itself, sans logotype and ornaments.
The Rekanize version of the shirt can be purchased (made to order) from http://defunctphenomenon.com
One color print with glow-in-the-dark ink on black Gildan Softstyle shirts.
I opted for a halftoned image due to some of the gray that I had in the logotype and also in the "ornaments" and "hanging strap" accents.
A variant is in the works to sell at the aforementioned Miette boutique with a non-halftoned version of the Jackalope itself, sans logotype and ornaments.
The Rekanize version of the shirt can be purchased (made to order) from http://defunctphenomenon.com
