“Human salvation lies in the hands of the creatively maladjusted.” —MLK

In honor of his historic induction into the Smithsonian Museum’s National Portrait Gallery on Saturday, today’s MARTIN LUTHER KING DAY homage comes from Supertouch’s own SHEPARD FAIREY. Being the global art phenomenon that he is, Shepard was also asked by the search engine gangsters at GOOGLE to design their MLK banner for today. Have a LOOK.

Shepard Fairey’s criminal record has been officially wiped clean…

As momentous an occasion in the world of underground art—albeit on a much smaller scale—as BARACK OBAMA’s victory on the national stage was the induction of presidential propagandist SHEPARD FAIREY’s portrait of our new leader into the NATIONAL PORTRAIT GALLERY at the SMITHSONIAN MUSEUM on Saturday. The first official portrait of the president-to-be recognized in an American cultural institution, Shepard’s image shatters the barriers of acceptability of the so-called worlds of “underground” and “street” art to catapult one of its foremost talents to the hallowed halls of history, and forever brightening the school field trips of young museum goers in the process. It’s a brave new world out there people, art world 2.0 begins now. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Shepard Fairey (with his new Obama art) addresses the crowd. Tim Biskup’s cubist Obama…

Just in time to celebrate President-Elect BARACK OBAMA’s upcoming inauguration on January 20th, the SHEPARD FAIREY-organized MANIFEST HOPE DC art show (in collaboration with MoveOn.org) has opened its doors to the public in the nation’s capitol. An extension of the original “Manifest Hope” show last year at the Democratic National Convention, this year’s installment enjoys the distinction of celebrating a hard-won change instead of stating the case for it. Featuring original artwork by a diverse array of artists including Shepard Fairey, Tim Biskup, Tristan Eaton, Ron English, David Choe, Maya Hayuk, Andy Howell, Chris Pastras, HAZE, Travis Millard, House Industries, HVW8, Zoltron, JK5, Justin Hampton, Robbie Conal, and Sam Flores, the inclusive show is intended to reflect the grassroots movement that helped propel Obama to unheard of stratospheric heights. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Ron and his McBuddy rule Hong Kong with an iron fist and an army of undead Charlie Browns…

Making the rounds in old Hong Kong this week was Supertouch’s own RON ENGLISH who hit up the island for the official debut of two of his new toy projects: his ABRAHAM OBAMA bust and SMILE figure. First up was his “Smile” reception at GARAGEWORKS GALLERY, where faithful HK hipsters turned up in droves to get a close-up glimpse at the New Jersey bad boy’s brand-new vinyl reworking of old Charlie Brown’s familiar grille. Moving along, it was off to the MINDSTYLE TOYS world HQ for the debut of Ronnie’s timely Abraham Obama bust, a figure that must surely have HK residents scratching their heads in bewilderment. Dropping worldwide just in time for inauguration day, American fans can get ahold of the very elusive silver colorway exclusively at LA’s hipster hotspot BARRACUDA, while supplies last. HAVE A LOOK: Read the rest of this entry »

Our boy, Supertouch’s own SHEPARD FAIREY made it…

“If you only wear one T-shirt this inauguration season…”

Simultaneously paying homage to the unforgettable “Black Bart” bootleg tees of the early ’90s and the historical moment of President-Elect BARACK OBAMA’s impending inauguration, NYC streetwear label MISHKA has produced this must-have celebratory T-shirt in time for proud display on January 20th. Finish it off with a pair of Cross Color overalls (only one strap fastened, of course) a Kanai jean jacket, and a Gumby fade, and you’re a made man…

The REAL Boyz-n-the-hood…

Over the years much has been said in the media about the burgeoning problem of gang violence in America, with particular emphasis on the legacy of LA’s notorious Crips & Bloods factions. Now, Skate industry legend and Bones Brigade mastermind-turned filmmaker STACY PERALTA, hopes to have created the definitive documentary on the phenomenon with his new film “Crips and Bloods: Made in America.” Known as the director of the excellent “Dogtown and Z-Boys” and porno-rifically named “Riding Giants,” Peralta leveraged his underground status to penetrate some of the most dangerous neighborhoods and situations in Los Angeles in his quest to obtain footage of the rival sets’ most violent leaders and “soldiers.” Narrated by actor FOREST WHITAKER, the film traces the origins of LA’s gang culture to the shocking, war-zone reality of daily life in inner-city Los Angeles as members of the Crips and Bloods perpetuate their bloody four-decades long feud. Contemporary and former gang members offer their street-level testimony that provides the film with a stark portrait of modern-day gang life: the turf wars and territorialism, the inter-gang hierarchy and family structure, the rules of behavior, the culture of guns, death and dishonor. Peralta also shines light on the overarching social causes of gang culture and a political system seemingly disinterested in bringing about its demise through effective outreach in favor of mass incarceration. Set to debut with a one week run later this month at NYC’s IFC Theater (January 23–29), before moving to LA’s Laemmle’s Sunset 5 (February 6–12), the film will continue on with arthouse showings in Chicago, San Francisco, Portland, and Seattle before seeing mass release. Don’t miss it…

Survivor photo from the scene…

In case you’ve been living under a rock today, a US AIRWAYS plane crashed into the Hudson River in NYC today after a bird flew into the engine. Luckily, everyone survived after what’s been described as a “masterful landing” in the frigid waters. Of course, they managed to pull the surviving “dude” out of the crowd for the commentary: