A Quick & Dirty Look at the SFCB Holiday Fair

SFCB Program Director Colleen Stockman sells
her wares for her press, Analogue Anatomy.

BBH scammed a last minute table at the San Francisco Center for the Book's annual Holiday Fair, a 2 day event. We did well, and as per usual, we got some laughs.

But damn if it ain't hard going somewhere to hock your wares without blowing your hard earned cash on stuff from other artists. Lets have a look.

The PCBA Table

So nice, I bought it twice.

This one caught my eye-- Just days ago I had explained what a blue moon was to my six year old son, this poster depicts the moons of 2009, featuring a blue moon which in 2009 happens on the last day of the year, my birthday. Had to have it.

It was sold at the fundraising table for the PCBA (Pacific Center for the Book Arts) and despite some digging around on the internet I've got nothing on the artist other than her name is Susan Vilmain of Counting Coop Press. I went through a stack of this print-- no two were alike, they were printed in various ink colors on spreads pulled from a gazeteer (the one above being on Nevada/Kentucky/Tenessee) as well as some printed on spreads from an old school coffee table book on the moon landings.


Two Fine Chaps


This diorama book comes from a duo of illustrators and fine art comic book makers called Two Fine Chaps. I met these kids at the Alternative Press Expo two years ago, who caught my attention with their letterpressed illustrations. Check out their latest- The Chase an illustrated accordian book which excerpts from Melville's Moby Dick.

Pod Post!


Pod Post has been a long time favorite of mine-- and I can't wait for them to get crazy enough to go wholesale so we can carry them in our store. They have an amazing shtick, mostly comprised of their podscout uniforms, unique and kitchy correspondence paraphernalia, and merit badges for bookmaking and letterpress nerds, including this smoking letterpress merit badge set:



Another product of theirs that sums them up to a T is their Mail Art Bento box, a schmorgesborg of Japanese mail goodies, "painstakingly chosen by the PodPost Troop Leaders while on their recent trip to Tokyo:"




Bettina Pauly
My favorite find of the fair, were the carousel books made by artist Bettina Pauly.


If you were to let the two covers touch they snap together
with hidden magnets, and the book forms a dioramic star.

She had several of these books on display. They images are individually hand stamped from rubber stamps she has collected from around the world, the paper is cut by hand with an exacto blade. No two books are alike, but I was intrigued most by the one on display, featuring a number of images from the original illustrations for Alice in Wonderland, images which BBH has been having fun with since day one of our greeting card design launch.



The books retail for $185. Out of my range, but worth every penny. I overheard her talking about a trade with somebody else though... when I get the courage up I may see if she would be interested in a trade some day down the line.

Crashing on a tiny island.

I'm staying at my girlfriend's parents home this weekend while I hock my wares at the Holiday Gift Fair at the San Francisco Center for the Book. Their home is on the San Francisco Bay-- across the bay from San Quentin Prison.


This notorious photo of Johnny Cash was taken on stage during
his performance at San Quentin Maximum Security Prison

When the prisoners are out in the yard you can hear the guards hollering at them on their megaphones. Here is the view out of the back of the house:


The backyard is looking pretty wet in this photo,
which is not the view I'm accustomed to-- usually
the ground is a bit damp but puddle free.

The view should be inspiring. I should like to be able to sit and read or design or write in the sunroom and look at the hills, the sea birds, the water, the passing ferries. However, everytime I'm here its so friggin cold in the house that usually a chance for inspiration is quickly killed by a strong desire to sit in a running car with the heat on. The cold is due to lots of windows, consitently chilly weather on the bay, the heat ain't on all too often, and when it is, it doesn't seem to make much of a difference. I have a hoodie, thermal underwear, a tshirt, a winter cap covered by the hood and am currently freezing my ass off.

Anyhow, I've heard that high tide will bring the water up into the yard, but usually it happens before dawn and it doesn't get very close to the house-- however, this time of year the water is at its highest, and yesterday I was amazed to see the water come all the way up to and around the house. Ankle high waves came towards me on the porch, remnants of a ferry that long had passed the house.


Truly, a house on the San Francisco Bay

Unfortunately, all I have is my camera phone so these pics aren't too hot, but you get the idea. Depending on atmospheric pressure, wind, etc, the water can sometimes go all the way past the house and into the street (this only happens under very limited circumstances.) All the houses on this side of the street are built with this in mind, so the water doesn't actually get into the house, but each house along the bay has the potential to become a tiny island unto itself, if only for a few hours, which is pretty cool.

I'm pretty much killing time with this blog until the holiday fair gets underway, and now its about that time and I should get on the road. I'll holler back I find anything worth reporting.