Saturday, February 27, 2010

LOST Room 23 - Cartoon LOST

While this isn't something we would normally post as it doesn't come direct from ABC or the LOST stable, it is something that in my view looks excellent and fits in with the ART theme we have been dealing with.

Paul Burrows from the LOSTRoom23 Blog has been busy and created charicatures of most of the regular cast, as well as some other very interesting items :


There is even a set of trading cards for sale, some of which are below -


See the very nice original image this island set is based on by clicking here




Find out more information about the images and the process of creating them at the Room 23 Muses page.

There is also a Room 23 Online store to purchase trading cards and sketches.

Thursday, February 25, 2010

Lost University 108 Graduate Email

The first 108 LU graduates have started receiving their emails about the hand signed diplomas. A copy of the email sent to Tostie14 is below.







Congratulations!

You have completed the required course load on the Dean's List and qualified as one of the first 108 graduates of LOST University. Your prompt completion of studies has earned you the privilege of receiving a special hand-signed diploma from University Presidents Damon Lindelof and Carlton Cuse. In order to provide you with your personalized diploma, the Office of the Registrar will need to collect your mailing address. Please provide this information in a reply to this email or in a separate email addressed to: LostUDiploma@xxxxxxxxx.

We would also like to list the full names of the first 108 Lost University graduates in the Lamp Post on the website and Blu-ray application. If you want your full name included in these lists, please cut and paste or type the following language in a reply to this email:

"I AGREE TO HAVE MY FULL NAME LISTED AS ONE OF THE FIRST 108 LOST UNIVERSITY GRADUATES ON THE LOST UNIVERSITY WEBSITE AND BLU-RAY APPLICATION."

Your degree and graduation from LOST University is truly a triumph and memory you will cherish for the rest of time. Once again we congratulate you.

Namaste and good luck,

LOST University

Office Of The Registrar

Wednesday, February 24, 2010

Competition 9 - Winners 196

Of course we know the real winner is the Haiti Relief fund that so many of you generously donated to. Thankyou for sticking with us and re-donating to the second charity fund, the money raised is going to be well used by Partners in Health. You can still donate to the fund even though the competition has closed by clicking on the PiH logo to the left.

Although the amound that we received in re-donations was slightly lower than the first time we collected, we have had a very generous offer to top up this amount to match what was originally promised.

So that just leaves the matter of the winners and the prizes, we did have a few more prizes donated so there are more than just the original 4 winners. The names were randomly drawn from a list of just under 925 chances to win from the 174 people who entered the competition.

Top 5 Winners

The Kharma Initiative

ObFuSc8

mrlocke8

Trial Attorneys

Mandazoid

Bonus prize winners

ObFuSc8

KDP84

Patrick

Prizes - The reason that we haven't said who won what yet is because we have offered the prize winners a chance to choose which prize they wish to win, and if there is more than one person that wants a prize another random draw for that prize will take place.

The final list of prizes (which will be updated later with their respective winners) is -

Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear Giclee print, number 27 of 30

The Kharma Initiative

A McFarlane Jack figure plus as a bonus an Olly Moss Locke's secret t-shirt.

mrlocke8
#10 of 10 Limited Edition Signed Prints, Size: 2.5" x 3.5", Artist: Geri Centonze.

Trial Attorneys
An Olly Moss Locke's Secret poster, this is one of the additional 50 posters that were sold by Olly and has a number in the range 50 - 100

Mandazoid
Because we got back up to our original total a 5th main prize was added, a Daniel Danger Jacob's Cabin poster.

ObFuSc8
Bonus Prizes
A copy of The Exit poster by Justin Sena, this is part of Justin's own mini LOST inspired poster series and can be viewed and purchased at imgoingsomewherecold.com

KDP84
Two more Olly Moss Locke's Secret T-Shirts go to two winners.

ObFuSc8 and Patrick

Monday, February 22, 2010

In Your Own Words 116

So we now have a fantastic amount of donations sent in, but it still isn't the complete amount that was sent in before. I have sent emails to the people that we can't identify from the original answer sheet and there is a small window of opportunity to still re-donate if you want to.

If we don't receive the re-donations then we will reduce your entry to a single free entry as per the original rules. Remember to check your email account spam filter just in case the email message did not get through.

You can still go to Partners In Health donation page for LOSTARGs and donate the amount you had originally said you were going to donate or add anything extra to the charity if you can spare some extra cash for this great 4 star rated charity.

The draw will take place on Wednesday this week, but while you wait for the winners to be announced have a look at some of the comments and facts we received when people submitted their entries for the competitions :-


"I suggested to Kevin Tong to check out DCAAPB, but he was already in it."

"Met awesome people - that is the most interesting part of my experience."

"Apparently I was the only one to vote for my favourite poster from Belgium...or was it from the Netherlands? I don't know anymore, I live in the Netherlands and study in Belgium. Either way, I was the only one."

"The Polar bear understands Yiddish."

"I'm just still in awe at how a show and an Underground Art Project can bring strangers from all over the world together. Politicians and world leaders should take note."

"I've learned a little bit more about different cultures in different countries because of meeting some of the wonderful people at the LostARGs community! I've been able to add new British words to my vocabulary... like "gutted" (learned when I, like so many others, clicked on the last link, only to find out a poster was sold out). :-)"

"It was my destiny to snag "The Hatch". Been away from computers when DCAAPB started & held off on Posters 3 & 4. #5 "The Hatch" coincidentally showed up when I went to Lost ARG site. The colors spoke to me & I ordered it since it was near my birthday. Was unable to order any other prints, altho I tried like the Ben (devil)!!! Love LostARG & its population of amazing sleuths, artists, poets & philanthropists!"

"Hmmmm... I jumped on board at the beginning, but only was able to get the 4 toed statue poster until I was able to get to the art show opening to get the 16th poster. I also plan to get the numbers tattooed on my toes."

"I had never visited lostargs.com before I started looking for answers to the puzzles in this ARG, I have to say it was awesome to spend some time talking to fellow Lost fans about the show a bit, hope to meet some of them in person someday! Thanks for this contest Zort, it's a great extra way to keep us on our toes until February 2, just one month away now!!"

"I learned about the power of the LOST community, the necessity of the F5 button, and the need to improve the speed of my internet connection."

"As a LONG time Lost ARG follower, (Since TLE Clues :) ) I thought that this "Arg" was great. Sure it wasn't full of mysteries or wild goose chases or binary code, but it was most certainly fun. I think the DCAAPB mission was right on target, giving back to the fans. We stayed up late and got up early for moments of our favorite show in art form. (Which was perfect cause i wanted art for my room). Now i have 4 beautiful prints, and a community of losties that i wouldn't trade for the world."

"I love following all the action of the poster reveals and the sense of community that they fostered. I never commented, but read almost every single word."

"I went to the NYC Spin reveal 15 minutes after it started. Everything was done at that time already and I did not get a ping pong ball or a poster, but Judah Freidlander from 30 Rock was there randomly!"

"I was at the Glasgow reveal!! I knew about DCAAPB before via the Jay and Jack podcast and watching the comic con Lost Panel but had no idea that living in Scotland that I would actually get involved. Have loved every minute since and have received lots of cool stuff from all the great Lost fans in exchange for the swag I picked up at Forbidden Planet. "

"Got fake snow from Lisa because I told her I wanted snow as I never get any decent snow."

"I actually walked out of my graduate class halfway through a lecture so I could run home and bid on one of the posters! I didn't get it though :( and I got a good talking to the next class!"

"At the 1988 event , Kevin Tong assured me that I was not alone in my perceptions of LOST."

"I made several new friends through this experience, and to me it is more valuable than anything else. Thank you, Zort, for making this possible for the fans. :)"

"My interesting fact is that these questions were HARD!"

"Well it's pretty much consumed my life :)"

"DCAAPB has turned me on to the world of screen print posters and I made my first non-dcaapb related print purchase in December when I bought Mike Klay's "Dusk Hollow" print."

"Was extremely late to a delayed thanksgiving dinner all because of the Polar bear print!"

"I can't remember anything that gives me as much of an adrenaline rush as trying to get DCAAPB posters!"

"It's been an absolute pleasure to be involved through my father. It's been fantastic hearing his stories about everyone. The level of commitment and passion by people like you, Zort has had a profound rekindling effect on my relationship with my father, which is very much appreciated. All best and can't wait to share season 6 with you guys!"

"I was wearing my Dharma jumpsuit (motor pool blue) at the G88 opening and realized there was something red on my hand, and dark and wet on the jumpsuit chest. I was pretty horrified for a split second before I figured out that it wasn't blood - I'd just leaned over my fries. So . . . actually, it IS ketchup."

"i "attended" every URL launch live online ... and bought no posters. i'm a 17 year old student with no money :p"

"It's a tough sell to get your girlfriend to go along with the fact that you're using all of the wall space in the living room for Lost prints! (Wait til I break out the action figures for our premiere party!)"

"I found out about LostArgs when I met a bunch of awesome members at the Lost Gallery 1988 event. Love the cool giveaways you guys have been running. I'm really impressed by all the generosity I see on here. Here's hoping we raise a lot of money in this giveaway. Kudos to the organizers. :) "

"Also, as for a fun fact, I have met great people through this ARG and now have people all over the world to email about questions. Just recently, Amy Lynn was able to point me in the direction of a bakery in NYC that would deliver cupcakes to my brother as a get well present!"

"I learned about dry mounting and how it's bad for your health!"

"Interesting fact: Everyone already knows all my interesting facts about this whole series. So I'll just plead once more for the Olly Moss poster. Seriously, there's a space already made for it, and the frame's already planned and...and...sigh."

"I have been so blessed in meeting so many great people thru this ARG. The generosity and kindness of this community makes me very proud to be a part of it! :)"

"Met some wonderful people and made the months go by in a flash. Thanks!"

"Quote from Zort (August 17, 2009 6:05 AM):

"I hope there is more, not just the posters, although if it is just the posters then I hope they find innovative ways to launch them."

I felt the same way when it started. But then I met everyone here... and shared in the excitement of solving the clues... and attending the events... and getting to know people from all over the world, all sharing a common interest. I now consider many of the people here to be friends... even though I've never met most of them (something I hope to be able to correct in the future :-) ). I truly hope that you ended getting as much out of this entire experience as I, and so many others did.

I hope to see you and everyone lurking about in the forums as we all get to experience the final season together!

All the best to you my friend,

-Pat McKinley (Patmc)

P.S. Great puzzle on this last one! My wife and I had a great time solving it! :-)"

Wednesday, February 17, 2010

Announcement - Haiti Donations - A Wrinkle in Time 152

As Ben would tell you the best laid plans Of Mice and Men often go awry.

Many of you may have already noticed that Paypal has begun refunding donations made through the LostARGs Haiti Relief donate button. All the donations will be refunded and no money has been transferred out of people's accounts.

Due to various regulations governing donations, we were unable to process any of the donations that were made though our Paypal account. Dennis worked closely with the acting director of Save The Children to try to resolve the various legal issues involved with transferring the money, but in the end, we were not able to complete everything before Paypal's 30 day limit.

So now, also like Ben, we have a plan. We want to try and get the money donated and the prizes won.

So we are going to ask you to re-donate using a different charity.

Partners in health are another 4 star rated charity by Charity Navigator

We already have your original entry forms but what we need you to do is go to the Partners In Health donation page for LOSTARGs and donate the amount you had originally said you were going to donate.

We will give you until Sunday 21st of Feb to do this.

As an added incentive we do have some extra small prizes promised to us from various sources, and if we do get all of the money that was pledged previously then an extra genuine LOST Underground Fan Art Project poster will be added to the main prize list.

We are not going to open up entries again as we feel this would further complicate things. However if you wish to donate more money (without extra chances to win) to the Haiti appeal then please feel free to do so.

Dennis and I can only apologize for all the hassle this has caused, we know you are all a fantastic group of people and we are privileged to know you all.

Click here for the original prize 9 post details with the Terms and Conditions.


Please note that these are the original competition details, also read the updated information above. The main difference is that the charity and donation mechanism being used has changed. There is no need to use the entry form again as we already have your details

The vote to find out if we could turn this this 9th prize, in our series of 10 competitions, into a way of getting donations for the Haiti disaster appeal was not 100% unanimous but a large percentage did say yes. So to try and keep a happy medium we will be doing things differently for the 9th prize.

The entry questions are below, you can use the same entry sheet as in all the other competitions - The entry form is no longer in use.

The first question asks for a PayPal reference number, if you donate $5 then you will get two chances to win the prize, for every additional $5 donated you will get another chance to win. However if you do not wish to donate then we will allow a free entry for each person, the free entry will only count as one chance to win, leave the reference number field blank. Donate using the button below.

The closing date for this competition will be 22nd of January 2010.

All this talk and no mention of the prizes, well here they are and we are doing this a little differently again. The prize package will accumulate the more donations we get. The first and guaranteed prize is a Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear Giclee print, number 27 of 30. This was given to us by Gallery 1988 as they recognised what special people LOST fans are.



If we get at least $500 in donations then this prize will be added (click here)


A McFarlane Jack figure

If we get at least $750 in donations then this prize will be added (click here)


#10 of 10 Limited Edition Signed Prints, Size: 2.5" x 3.5", Artist: Geri Centonze.

If we get at least $1000 in donations then this prize will be added (click here)


An Olly Moss Locke's Secret poster, this is one of the additional 50 posters that were sold by Olly and has a number in the range 50 - 100


Clarification - There will be one winner per prize, i.e. if we reach the $1000 target then there will be 4 winners, if we get below $750 then there will be two winners.


Terms and Conditions

- Entry is open to anyone that visits this site.
- The number of chances to win and entries accepted is described above.
- You can donate / enter as many times as you want, however for the 2 chances for $5 entry only your first donation or free entry will count for that offer.
- Only entries submitted with the correct answers will be eligible.
- Correct entries will be entered into a random draw after the end date displayed on the prize announcement post.
- Entries will only be accepted via the entry form that will be linked in each prize announcement post.
- Winners will be contacted by email at the address submitted for the prize draw entered, a postal address will be required for the prize to be posted.
- Prizes will be sent out as soon as possible after the draw date, but we cannot guarantee a timescale for this.
- The only person excluded from any draw is Zort70 who will be administering the draw proceedings.
- Any information recorded as part of a competition entry will be kept private and not used for any other purpose.
- The decision of the LostARGs admins is final.
- If there are any questions about the draws please contact the admins email address displayed at the top of the blog.
- As there is money being collected as part of this draw there are two Administrators with full access to the PaylPal account receiving the donations.



As always if there are any questions just email us at the admins email address.

Monday, February 15, 2010

Leia Bell Talks 134

One of our regular contributors theotherben has sent us this interview that he conducted with Leia Bell.

A big thanks go to theotherben and Leia Bell for their time and effort doing this for us.


Lost Art

Mr. Jensen Karp has now been revealed to us at the master-mind behind DCaaPB. Was he the person that contacted you regarding The Lost Underground Art Project? Have you previously shown your art at Gallery 1988 LA? We are told that this project was two years in the making. How much advance notice/working time did you have?
Yes, Jensen is who called me to join in this project. At first I dismissed it, because my employee wrote down the message in away that it sounded like a solicitation for television installation, but luckily he called again! I hadn't shown my work at Gallery 1988 before, but I will be in an upcoming "Sports"-themed show there very soon. Jensen contacted me in early spring of 2009, but the project had been underway quite awhile already by then I think. I finished my piece by the end of summer 2009.

Did you choose the "water-cooler" moment or was it assigned? And if you had the chance to create another print in this series what moment would you have chosen?
My moment was assigned, as the other moments had already been chosen, but I was happy with the moment I got. If I could do another moment, I'd probably choose something with the Swan station, or the bunnies.

Some artist had alternative names for their prints. Did you personally title your print or was that a given?
My original title was "Jack's Revelation"

Were you familiar with LOST and this particular moment in the show? And did you re-watch episodes for inspiration?
Oh yes, I remember feeling Jack's pain when he saw Kate and Sawyer together, I felt terrible for him! I did re-watch the episode though, which was mid-way through season 3, the episode "I Do".

There is some question about the choice of images in monitor 2. From what we know in LOST Jack did not see the moment which you depicted in monitor No. 2, but Ben did. Sorry, LOST fans are a bit fussy about details. Is there a reason, or just artistic license to communicate Ben's manipulation of Jack?
I totally get that criticism, but yeah, it was artistic license and for dramatic effect. We as the audience know what was going on, and I'm sure Jack could only imagine-- and the point was to portray the emotion of the moment without seeing Jack's face.

Were you restricted/instructed in anyway. Like "We want this to feature the number 4 of the fourth monitor in a darker color then the rest of the numbers" or anything else like that. We have discovered since the end of the campaign that certain clues were to be found in the posters. Was yours one of these?
My only restriction was to illustrate that particular moment of the show.

Are there sketches or preliminary drawings that we might see?
naaahh...not really

How do you feel about having your work be at the center of people's lives for (at least) a week? What did it feel like to watch the reveal and your print drop? Did Jensen let you know just before your print was revealed, so you could witness the reveal?
I wasn't told that the print was up on the site-- a friend of mine informed me on Facebook. It was cool to be a part of the whole experience alongside so many artists I admire.

Art

What is your favorite theme or color motif that you like to use in your art?
Animals, or more specifically BIRDS are my favorite subjects to draw. I normally use a lot of color in my work, but I like to muddy up the colors a bit-- no neon!

Do you pull your own screens or use outside source?
99% of my work is hand-pulled by me in my little home studio. The LOST series was printed by the incredible dudes at D&L. They have printed a few of my other prints, and I totally trust their work. I'd have them print all of my stuff if I weren't such a control freak. I also just LOVE the whole process of printing from start to finish, and when I print my own work, I can change my mind halfway through (change colors, or add/take out colors) if I feel like it.


Has the LOST DCaaPB experience opened any doors, career wise, that weren't open to you before?
Not that I've noticed (yet anyway). I generally stay very busy with design work, commissions, plus I run a gallery/frame shop and have three kids under 8 years old... I'm not sure how I would handle MORE work.

For those who are just getting into collecting art prints, what advice would you give to them regarding storage and upkeep that you wish you knew when you started?
This probably goes against what many other collectors do, but I have gotten rid of all of my flat files-- they drive my crazy! I can never find anything in them, and prints get damaged easily. Instead, I keep my prints and my personal collection of other art, upright in specially designed bins my husband built. Prints are divided by sheets of acid-free foam core. At my gallery we mount each print on foam core using clear mounting corners (the prints slide in and out of those easily), then we put them in clear sleeves. Again they are displayed in the cool hand-built 'poster bins'.

Out of your catalog of art, what is the one piece of art that you are the most proud of?
That's a tough one, but I still love my poster for the Pixies. They were my all-time favorite band, and getting to design a poster for their 2004 reunion tour was a huge dream fulfilled for me.

How did you get into print making?
I learned the basics of screenprinting in high school, and spent a lot of time printing t-shirts for friends' bands in my parents' driveway. I majored in Printmaking in college- starting at the University of TN, then finishing my degree at the University of Utah. After graduating, I started making screenprinted posters for shows at the music venue my boyfriend Phil owned in Salt Lake called Kilby Court. We lived across the street from the venue and my studio was there too. This was around 2001. We stayed there until 2008 (adding three awesome boys to our family in the process), and then sold the venue and opened up a poster gallery and custom frame shop called Signed & Numbered. That's what I'm doing now.


LOST Questions

Are you a LOST fan? If so, how do you like to watch the show?
1) Lockdown -- no interruptions.
2) With a few select LOST fans.
3) With a bunch of people.
4) It doesn't matter.
5) I don't really watch...

1)- I watch an entire season in a few sittings when it comes out on DVD, and after my kids have gone to bed.

Favorite LOST character(s)?
Hurley is my favorite character. I also like Miles... and Hurley and Miles together-- I could hang out with them.

Any favorite LOST quotes?
Basically anything Hurley says is golden.

If you could turn a frozen donkey wheel and end up anywhere/anytime, where/when would it be?
I suppose anywhere in the future would be cool, as long as I could get back.

Who do you identify with most -- the LOST bunnies, the polar bear or Vincent?
Probably Vincent- he's happy-go-lucky

Do you follow any LOST blogs or post at any LOST forums?
I don't-- and this is only because I don't watch the show in real-time. With three kids I never have a chance to watch TV while they're awake, (and I don't have a DVR), so I wait until the season comes out on DVD. I have to stop people talking about the show and stick my fingers in my ears a lot. It's painful waiting, but awesome to watch an entire season in a few days.

How do you think LOST will end?
oooh, I don't want to speculate... I am just along for the ride.

What is the one mystery from LOST that you are dying to find out? Would you be content with never finding out the answer to that particular mystery?
The numbers... I think I'd live with not knowing though

What is your favorite moment of LOST?
Not a particular moment, but I have always loved anything to do with time travel... I eat that up, it's fascinating.

Friday, February 12, 2010

Lost University Graduation Day 115

Lost University has reached Graduation Day, there was a brief countdown clock video at midnight and then the countdown reset to show the end of the series.

The two videos from last night are below, one is the graduation address from Damon and Carlton and the second is the small video from when the countdown reached zero. Both were recorded by Patmc





There were also a few new news articles posted including a list of the 108 graduates, there are a few familiar names there.

Thursday, February 11, 2010

Lost University - The Class of 108

108 lucky Lost University users have been sent messages in their LU email system to say that they are in the first 108 graduates from the University.

The message says a further email will be sent to ask for details in order to personalise their diploma's. (Thanks to Martyn for this screenshot of his message)

Don't forget that for everyone the graduation day is tomorrow (February 12th).

(No comments on this post as the Eric Tan sale post is bound to be where all the crash sale action will take place)

Wednesday, February 10, 2010

A Random Crash 466

Eric Tan has updated his blog to say that the extra copies of The Crash will be on sale Thursday Feb 11th at a random time.

Click Here to go to Eric's web site


In other news LOSTBlog have produced another in their series of interviews, this time with Rob Jones, the artist for The Swan poster.

Saturday, February 6, 2010

Podcast - Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear Revealed 192

Spend just over an hour with us and in this completely exclusive interview. Find out who Tyson Givens is, how the poster series was created, what Tyson thought of us at LOSTARGs, whether there will be a second poster series, and much much more.

After initially wanting to base my questioning style on the Frost / Nixon interviews I decided to just relax and ask the questions I, and I hope many of you, wanted to know the answers to. Apologies for the poor sound on most of my questions, the string on the tin can between UK and USA was not quite tight enough, but the answers really speak for themselves.

Listen now:






Alternatively click here to go to the TalkShoe web site to listen or download.

Friday, February 5, 2010

Dan McCarthy Interview 71







Our friends at LOSTBlog.com have published another artist interview this time with Dan McCarthy.

Also stay tuned for a special podcast which we will publish within the next couple of days, it has a lot of the answers you were looking for, and maybe some you weren't.

Tuesday, February 2, 2010

Happy LOST Day 283

The day is finally here, the new and final season is about to start. LOSTARGs is proud to have been your host for the last few months and we are nearly at the end of the journey.

If there is any more poster series news (see below), or LOST University news we will try and bring it to you and of course we will sort out the Competition 9 prizes as soon as possible.

In the meantime, while we are waiting for the next LOST ARG / Marketing campaign, then head on over to The LOST Community where you will find a friendly place to engage in spolier free "watercooler" discussions about our favourite TV show.


Remember that Methane Studios have said that there will be a few more Dharma Van posters available today, so keep an eye on their website.


Also neatly dovetailing with the release is an interview with Mark McDevitt of Methane at LOSTBlog.com

Monday, February 1, 2010

Nate Duval Talks 80



Rob Perrin
has been in touch with Nate Duval, the artist for The Barracks poster and has kindly sent this interview for us to publish.

Nate did visit us a couple of times around the reveal of the poster, but I'm impressed that in the interview he is quoting comments from one of our regular contributors.



RobPerrin:  Nate Duval, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview with lostargs.com.  The Lost Underground Art Project delivered weekly shots of adrenaline into the hearts of thousands of Lost fans in 2009, and they are eager to learn more about each of the artists who took part.  Let's dive directly into your involvement with LUAP, then talk a little about Lost, and end with a set of more general questions about you and your art.

Lost Underground Art Project

RobPerrin:  Who approached you to participate in this project?  Was it something you had already heard about "on the grapevine", or did it come as a surprise?

Nate Duval:  I was approached, "out of the blue", as they say, by Jensen Karp, owner and Head Hancho of Gallery 1988 (nineteeneightyeight.com).  I was familiar with Jensen, his clothing line (clandestineindustries.com) and his two wonderful galleries in LA and SF, respectfully. He gave me a call on a summer afternoon, told me about the project, asked me if I was interested (of course, I was!) and gave me a quick brief of the project.

RP:  Were you assigned the subject matter (i.e. the Barracks) or were you provided with a list of subjects from which to choose?

ND:  I cannot speak for anyone else, but I personally was assigned a "moment" and it was up to me to depict that moment in any way I deemed fit.   My moment was described to me as "the moment where we all find out that the others lived on the island in their own community and had homes!"

RP:  Aside from the subject matter, did you have carte blanche?  Or were there any restrictions on what you could depict? Or requests to specifically include something?

ND:  The entire process was painless, professional and exciting. From start to finish, artists were given their moment and the rest was left up to us.  The only restrictions were production specs (had to be prepared for 18" x 24" screenprint for consistency and be less than 8 ink colors.)

RP:  At the risk of being a tad open-ended, can you walk us through some of the highlights of creating The Barracks, from its initial conception to the physical production of the 300 prints.  Were there any major hiccups?  Funny anecdotes?

ND:  Unlike most of my other work that I hand-print myself (process pics of which can be seen here) all of these posters were printed by the ultra skilled D&L Screenprinting (dlscreenprinting.com) based in beautiful Ballard, WA.  I have worked with the guys at D&L several times in the past on the printing of some of my own work, and their work, attention to detail and overall skill level are second to none.  Once I knew that D&L would be printing this and that it would print exactly as I envisioned it, I simply had to focus on creating the art and color separations on this print.  All the "fun" of hand-printing art was left to them, so unfortunately, I don't have much to offer in this answer :)

RP:  The hills and sky seems to be depicted in a very naturalistic style, whereas the dwelling and the grass around it are not. Was this intentional, and if so what feeling or message did you intend to convey?  (For me, it speaks to the superficiality of the Dharma Initiative and the futility of its attempts to understand and harness the Island's power.)

ND:  You are very close in your assumption!  I did use a slightly "mixed-media" approach to my illustration, indeed.  To me, in all of the craziness that happens on the show, (physical phenomena's, scientific "impossibilities", human emotion/reaction etc.) the island is the one, constant, "real" character.  It's funny, I was reading through some of the comments on your site and charter321 was shockingly close to describing the thought process behind the print when he/she said "see how 'real' the island is compared to how 'fake' Ben's little world he set up? The Barracks were suppose to be a second home to the Others. The Barracks in fact were a fake little world set up by Ben to try and keep the people he recruited there for good. He lulled them into a sense of false security. That whole world was built upon lies and the DHARMA folk that built the place were killed by Ben. It is suppose to look fake."

RP:  To my eye, the object in the upper left is a cloud, whereas the upper right features smoke from the 815 crash as it drifts above the hilltop.  Have I got that right?

ND:  The long trail of smoke on the left side is supposed to be the subtle, billowing cloud of the recently crashed Flight 815.  Throughout the piece I tried to casually depict things (like the plane crash, to the laundry on the line, etc.) to match the casual, "lazy afternoon" style/ feeling that (to me) the intro of Season 3 was so brilliantly shot in.

RP:  Did you deliberately include any "hidden messages" in your poster (that you are willing to divulge)?

ND:  Aside from the subtle reference to the crash in the distance, I didn't add any "hidden" gems.  Instead, I took a more scholarly approach to this piece, knowing the MASSIVE, detail-oriented following that the show has. I knew it would be important to me (and many others) to make all of my images "official and accurate.”  I used an actual photo of the island for the mountains, as well as referencing various photos of the barracks in my illustration.

RP:  I read that you use house paint for your screen prints.  Was this the case for The Barracks, and if so what brand and colours of paint were used?  (Yes, this is the obligatory obsessive detail question!)

ND:  I did not print this, but all of my work that my friend Journe and I print ourselves is printed with Sherwin Williams Interior House paint.

RP:  Did you have any alternate concepts for the poster?  If so, how were they different from the version that we see today?

ND: To me, there was really only one way to go with this moment (some of the other moments were a bit more "open to interpretation", in my opinion) and I essentially ended up making the image I thought that I would make all along.

RP:  Other than those already covered in the 16 LUAP posters, are there other "water cooler" moment from Lost that you would love to capture in a screen print.

ND:  Great question!  Not really a water-cooler moment at all, but considering my background in band merchandise/gigposter creating, I always thought it would have been fun to make a "faux" tour poster or other merchandise for DriveShaft's spring tour or something like that.  :)   

RP:  Did you have a chance to visit Gallery 1988 and/or see some of the other art online?

ND:  I watched and played along throughout the entire project.  Although it was very hard to keep the "secret" alive behind the entire project and my participation in it, it was very exciting to see many of my poster making friends' prints be revealed and all of the conversation they created online.  I do plan on stopping into the LA shop in May on my West coast "tour" of both LA and SF Renegade shows. (renegadecraft.com)

RP:  How did your experience with this project compare with other commissions you've had in the past, particularly in terms of the scope of fan interest?

ND:  I was honored, pleased beyond belief and still am excited to have been a part of this project.  It was a surreal experience working with this fine folks behind this project for one of my favorite shows ever.  I am especially thankful to the many folks who have connected with me because of this project and our common love of the show, as well as having my work introduced to a new set of folks who may have never discovered me otherwise.  I have done work for a number of very popular music acts and have almost gotten used to that, but when I found out I would be working for LOST, it was a bit intimidating for sure.

LOST

RP:  On a scale of 1 to 10, how big of a Lost fan were you before becoming involved in LUAP?

ND:  7.  I wouldn't feel right giving myself a higher number than that, as I am SURE my LOST knowledge is pretty weak compared to some folks out there, especially since I didn't start watching the show until a little over a year and a half ago. If LOST were a professional baseball team, I would say that I would be the shortstop on its Single A farm team.

RP:  Why do you like Lost?

ND:


  • It is visually beautiful & stimulating.

  • Fast-paced, well-written, constantly shifting, layered and detail driven storylines

  • I also think the sound production is incredible.  Especially how the "sounds of the island/storyline" are a character on the show.

  • To me, there isn't really a more exciting and intense 44 minutes on TV, than "the next episode" of LOST while you are watching it.


RP:  Let's play Lost favourites, speed round!


  • Favourite character?  ND:  Jin or Ben.  It's a toss up.  Two complete opposites, I know.

  • Favourite season?  ND:  Too tough to say, although I guess Season 2 would be my least favorite maybe?  Probably due to the speed of the story telling and number of "big events" that happened in comparison to where the story lies on the eve of the Season 6 premiere.   

  • Favourite episode?  ND:  The Constant   

  • Favourite scene?  ND:  The opening sequence of the first episode.  IT really set the tone for everything to come and was extremely well shot/directed.  

  • Favourite visual image?  ND:  When Juliet detonated the bomb at the end of Season 5, causing the screen to go white and having the LOST logo knocked out in black type.  That subtle change in the way an episode ended, to me was brilliant and said so much while saying so little.

  • Favourite Dharma station?  ND:  The Orchid

  • Favourite catchphrase?  ND:  Any one of Sawyer's wise-ass comments/"nicknames."  

  • Favourite Dharma foodstuff?  ND:  Either the mysterious Apollo Bar, or the mind-boggling shelf-life of the Dharma Ranch Dressing.


RP:  You posted on lostargs.com when The Barracks was released.  Do you frequent any other Lost sites?

ND:  Nope, not really.  I try to stay away from the Lostpedia type sites as well, as I know once I get digging around, I will never stop. :)

RP:  What are you most looking forward to in season 6?

ND:  Seeing how this amazing journey will be tied together and come to a conclusion. So many shows on television have an "obvious" ending that you see from three seasons in advance, with LOST, I just love how I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what will happen and that is very exciting.

General

RP:  Where did you grow up?  Are there geographical aspects of your youth that influence your art?

ND:  I have lived most of my life in Massachusetts.  Seeing the many styles of architecture and homes that this area is home to, has definitely influenced me and my work, especially when drawing buildings/imaginary cityscapes/lands.  (which I often do.)

RP:  When did you create your first screen print?  How were you introduced to this form of art?

ND:  I have been making screen-printed art for 4.5 years.  I have always had a huge interest in art, design and music. Once I figured out a way to combine all three of my loves into a career, the rest was history. My desire combined with my friend Journe's background in apparel printing drive to try new things, we got together, did some research and built the very vacuum table that we print with to this day.  

RP:  Which artists (any media, any time period) do you most admire?

ND:  Klimt, Vaserely, Cuban and Polish poster art,  Jay Ryan, Tyler Stout,  all things letterpress, psychedelic rock art and a slew of other folks and styles.

RP:  Describe your typical work environment.  For example, do you often play music while creating your art?  Do you usually work at night?

ND:  I would say the ideas often come at night, but as far as the production or illustration goes, I find I work more efficiently during the daytime hours.   And yes, Music is a must for all projects.  Sometimes out loud, sometimes through headphones, but always present!

RP:  Many of your works are bright, colourful, whimsical.  Is this a fair statement?  Do you think your art reflects your own personality?

ND:  Very fair, indeed.  I wouldn't say I am a "bright, colorful, whimsical person" per se, but I certainly enjoy surrounding myself with colorful, happy things, as it helps keep me in that type of mood.  You won't find too many skulls, or dark imagery hanging in my home so to some degree, I guess it does match my personality/interests.  

RP:  Out of your entire catalogue of art, is there one which you are most happy with or proud of?  (I particularly like sausalito and birdhouse.)

ND:  I am most proud of my Phish at Fenway Park poster.  It was a high point in my career for sure.  Working with a giant band, who I  have listened to for years, for a historic show at Fenway Park. (especially being a life-long red sox fan.) There have been prints that I have made that I liked the art for, or broke new ground conceptually or technique wise, but the feeling of being hired for that one particular gig (along with the LOST ARG series) were the best "feelings I have gotten from opening an email in my inbox" for sure.

RP:  Do you also collect art?  If so, what kind of art do you collect?

ND:  I do, I have hundreds of prints/pieces that I have collected or traded with talented friends along the way.  Screenprints by Jay Ryan, Tyler Stout, Jesse LeDoux, Dan McCarthy, Eduardo Munoz Bachs  and many others.  An Amy Ruppel original, a bunch of Tiny Showcase Letterpress Prints

RP:  Aside from art & music, what else turns you on?

ND:  I like traveling, cooking, eating at highly rated places I find on Yelp and have never been to before, photography, and getting the chance to work with my fiancĂ© everyday who is also an illustrator and very talented -- JenSkelley.etsy.com. I also SOMETIMES like our cat, Mugatu, who is mostly annoying, but extremely good looking and sweet once in a great while. :)

RP:  What is it about the number 8 that you find appealing?

ND:  It's geometric form, its "infinite" shaping its roundness and the fact it rhymes with my name.

RP:  You have a comprehensive Internet presence (Twitter -- @nateduval, Facebook --, nateduval.com, etc.) and actively promote your work (e.g. your recent deal-of-the-day and free shipping promotions).  Do you also enjoy this commercial aspect of the art biz?

ND:  Very much so.  I am just as much focused on the marketing of and selling of my work/brand as I am the creation of it.  The internet has made the world so much smaller, and I am thankful I live in a time where I market myself all over the world and sell my work to people all over the globe.

The drive behind my "comprehensive Internet Presence" probably leads back to my Advertising Degree that I earned from Syracuse University.  Immediately after graduating , I knew that I was not going to like working at an Advertising or Design firm.  Something about it always felt a bit odd, working so hard to help someone ELSE sell their product.  So it was a natural progression to make and sell my own work/art and the internet (combined with a pretty heavy, summer travel schedule showing and selling works at various shows/events) made all of this possible.  

RP:  What are you most looking forward to in 2010 (other than Lost season 6, natch)?

ND:  To continue to do what I love for a living while constantly pushing to take it to the next level (both artistically and business-wise.)

 

RP:  Once again, thank you for dedicating some of your valuable time to this interview.  Speaking as the proud owner of The Barracks 219/300, thank you for your wonderful contribution to the Lost Underground Art Project.

ND:  Thank YOU!