We Have Been Busy...Really.

Hello and Happy New Year, sorry for the lack of updates here at the blog. We have spent the fall knee deep in book projects from toy artist Huck Gee and poster / hot-rod / pop artist Jeral Tidwell, as well as many new projects for 2012. It can sometimes be a challenge to both work on books and report on the progress here on the blog, but we will make a run at doing a better blog job in 2012. We do promise that 2012 is going to be packed with amazing titles from Presto Art. That is also guaranteed by our mascot Quincy the wonder dog. Thanks for sticking around.

Jime Litwalk's Sketchbook 4 is Here!

 Fresh off the truck and ready for Summer reading @ the beach, is the brand new sketchbook from Jime Litwalk. This 4th and final installment of the series features "Hot Rodz & Tiki Gods". Jime's specialty is showcased and packed with cars, hula girls, tiki heads, sleds, rock-a-billys, finks and more.
This entires series of sketchbooks has been a blast to put together and we thank Jime for entrusting us with his project. It's great to finally see them all together as a set on the old bookshelf, it's been a minute. Sketchbook 4 is available now from all the usual suspects and you can pick it up from us direct right here- Jime Litwalk Sketchbook 4 "Hot Rodz & Tiki Gods"

New Craola Show & Interviews

Artist and Presto author Greg "Craola" Simkins has some new interviews available online. Mike Miller interviewed Greg on this cool split screen video interview show along with artist Lola Gil. It is very cool so check into it right here.

Greg also did a great  interview over at LOP Radio, where they talked about everything from Greg's book with Presto Art, to the toys he has designed and his thought process. It's great to see artists getting interviewed and online press. Good stuff.

LOP Radio -Craola Interview Here

Greg also has a brand new show entitled, "Escape With Me" that will be showing at yves laroche in Montreal Canada opening June 8th. The new stuff is amazing as always - so tune in to that at 

Craola "Escape With Me" @ yves laroche

P.S. If you haven't had enough of Greg he did a sick in-store mural and they shot a time lapse. See the process in fast forward.

HOW Magazine International Design Award for Three Sixty Five

It's always nice to be recognized for your work, but when your work is rewarded by a magazine that you have read for years, well, that is awesome. Presto Art's "Three Sixty Five" by Martin LaCasse was recognized with an Editorial Merit from HOW magazine. HOW is a magazine for designers and graphic professionals that features the best and brightest in everything from advertising to video game design. It also feels good because the work judged was from all over the world. So thanks to HOW and thanks to everyone who bought the book.

A Novel Idea? The Art of Dave Fox - Available Now

Dave Fox's new book has hit the warehouse...and filled it up. Dave's new book is by far the most color packed book we have ever seen. I wonder if the print house thought they were going to use so much ink. I am talking about a serious saturation and a varnish flood to hold it all together. I think it's fair to say the book is over stimulating to say the least. When was the last time a book printed on paper made that claim? We are psyched with the final product and know that fan's of Dave are going to be thrilled and non-fans will become fast subscribers to the unique stylings. Available now from Presto Art -A Novel Idea? The Art of Dave Fox.

Greg "Craola" Simkins/Gallery 1988 INLE Show

Artist Greg Simkins was the host of an amazing event on Friday that packed in over 100 of the countries best artists working today. The theme was the black rabbit of INLE, a character from Richard Adams book "Watership Down", and a theme that Greg has mined in much of his art. Good stuff check it.

Drawn From The Well - The Film

This Thanksgiving allow me to be thankful for my Family, my Friends and for the bad ass mini film that Stephen Reedy made for Greg Craola Simkin's book "Drawn From the Well". Stephen is the guy behind all those great Zero Friends commercials, his stuff is very cool and you can check it all out on his reel. Both Greg and I are super psyched to have a mini film / commercial for the book. Take a look and pass it on to those you know.  Enjoy.

A Novel Idea ?

The long wait is almost over for Dave Fox's brand new art book titled "A Novel Idea?".  The book weighs in at two hundred and twenty five pages, packed into a huge 9" x 12" hardcover deluxe format. The art is a full color, end to end blow out with Dave's entire cast of unusual characters on parade through every inch of it. We are anticipating a street date of January 2011 and that will become more clear as we move through the final steps of the printing process. 

This book has been a lot of fun to put together and if you are a fan of Dave's art you will be psyched with the final product. Dave painted  25 new paintings in the last six weeks that all made the book, and the story behind the title is also a very cool one. This book will  be the first Presto book to feature 6 fold out setups, so we could showcase some of Dave's art in an awesome 12" x 18" format. We will keep you in the loop....

Coming January  2011  www.prestoart.com   Coming January  2011

Greg Craola Simkins "Story Teller" Opens Nov 5th

Presto Art artist Greg Simkins brand new show " Story Teller" opens Nov 5th at Gallery 1988. Greg has created some really remarkable new paintings for this show as well as many new sketches. 

Along with the originals being available for sale Greg will be a presenting a brand new print that looks amazing and will be available that night. 

 Greg has also released a new print with Alex Pardee entitled "The Orange Lantern" that is available now at the imscared.com store. This continues their Scared Friends collab stuff that needs to be made in Saturday morning cartoon. 

 In addition to all the new art. Friday night at Gallery 1988 will be the last chance to pick up the Presto special edition of Greg's new book "Drawn From the Well". Greg has hand made a super special boxed set of the book that comes in hand painted box along with a special edition bandana from To Die For, and a couple other goodies. He will be also have signing hours at Gallery 1988, check the site for details and times.

Craola Book On Sale Saturday Sept. 25th!

                          
Get ready because the wait is over. After months and months of work on our end and waiting on yours, we proudly present Drawn From the Well, the all new Greg Simkins sketch archive. THREE HUNDRED PAGES. Yes, 300 pages of Greg's drawings & sketches line this book from front to back. It really has everything, from character studies, painting ideas, toy blueprints, graffiti ideas, commercial stuff, T-shirt designs, loose drawings, tight sketches, and amazing landscapes.

Please be careful with this brick of a book, it contains so much creative energy that it could get your imagination going at an unsafe speed. This book was an absolute joy to put together, it really was a text book case of the "the journey being the reward". Greg is a great guy and working with him was such a positive experience and we couldn't be happier with the final product.

Case in point -here is Greg at this years Dragon Con, isn't it nice he takes the time to help out the older folks in the crowd. Actually that is Marvel creator Stan Lee signing prints with Greg, but it's still nice Greg took time out of his busy schedule for Stan.

Also this month to co-incide with the release of his first book, Greg's art appears on the cover of Juxtapoz. So he's a good guy, talented, imaginative, kindly,  he hangs with the elderly, and if that is not enough, each and every book has an extra special secret suprise. Get the mag this week, get your book on Saturday and settle in to see what all the buzz is about.

We shall now be know as "The Award Winning Publisher" Presto Art!

I would like to thank the academy, and all the little people....ha ha, but seriously in May this year Martin LaCasse's "Three Sixty Five" was awarded a Judges gold metal for "Most Original Concept" book at the Book Expo held in New York City. The award was presented to us by the Independent Publishers Assoc. and we couldn't be more shocked and excited. We poured a lot of work into the project and to garner an award like this was just humbling. Furthermore we were shocked to find out that we actually got  gold metals!! It is pretty awesome. We also got some of these great award winning stickers for the books, so thanks to the Indepent Publishers Awards and to everyone who has picked up the title, we hope you have been enjoying it. Now where do Martin and I go to have our photos taken for the Wheaties box?

Drawn From The Well Special Edition Release at DragonCon

Greg Craola Simkins new book "Drawn From the Well" is set to drop on September 25th, but if you can't wait that long there is a very special edition that will be available on September 3rd from 2-4pm at Dragon Con. The new book is amazing, we packed three hundred pages into this 9 x7 hardcover sketchbook. The art is inspiring, amazing and full of creative energy, furthermore if this isn't the best sketchbook on your bookshelf I will personally refund your money! Greg is one of the special guests at this years Dragon Con and will be selling and signing his new books as well as some special edition prints. Only 150 special editions will be available at the show, the other 100 will be released at a later date, at a secret location...but for now check out all the details here Im Scared.

http://www.dragoncon.org/

Also set up across from Greg will be Presto Art Artist Joe Capobianco and the crew from Hope Gallery Tattoo. Joe's also going to have a special limited edition pin-up ash can he designed just for this event. I got a sneak peak a few backs and you are going to want to get one of these!!

Presto...It's our new logo.

Presto it's our new logo! I wanted something logo like and since we have been working with Greg Simkins, I asked a favor and he obliged. I love it! It is just what was needed, it's clean, simple and says "you don't know what we are going to pull out of our hat next". Thanks Greg, now I need to make some gear...

I also got some lettering treatments for special projects.

The Craola proof is in.

The "Drawn from the Well" proof has hit my desk and it looks incredible. This book is so packed with inspiring art you are not going to believe it. Greg Craola Simkin's first book is an archive of his sketches and drawings. This all new hardcover is now at the printers and has a street date for September. We have some special release details we are working out now with Greg and we should be able to leak some info about the release next week. Big things, big things. Presto is very proud to be the publisher of this premier project, we are huge fans so this project has been an absolute dream. Check back on this one.

Now In Stock

Back in stock earlier than expected is the new softcover reprint of Martin LaCasse's "Take What You Can...Give Nothing Back". If you don't own this book, you must get it. A certified classic in the Tattoo world, it's loaded with paintings, drawings and flash from Martin. Available Now from Presto Art.