event poster for the Winnipeg Roller Derby League
India ink, Windsor & Newton coloured ink
on paper; digital typography
4" x 6½" • 2010
Late in 2009, word came that the Winnipeg Roller Derby League was going to have its first public bout in the early months of the following year. Despite the fact that I had created their league and team logos, mascots for both, and a number of promotional materials already, the new Board of Directors made the decision that there should be no official league artist. The Board decided, therefore, to hold a contest to find the poster artist for the League's first public bout. Since I don't work without a contract, I respectfully bowed out. Among the membership, however, dissent was brewing. I had created an aesthetic they identified with, and they vehemently wished to keep me on board. So the skaters, meeting at their customary post-drill watering hole, pooled their funds and came up with what used to be my standard fee for that sort of work. Their plan was to hire me outright to produce the poster they wanted, which they would submit to the Board on behalf of the Membership—leaving me out of the contest altogether. I accepted their proposal, and got right to work—it was only three days before the deadline, after all—electing to render the image at miniature scale to save on time. Skater Ethyl Trash had connections at Winnipeg's celebrated community drop-in centre Art City, so we made our way down to lay out the typography as I didn't have either a scanner or Photoshop at that time. The presentation art was printed and mounted the following day, and submitted shortly thereafter. I am happy to report that it won by a landslide.
