CollyLogic: Illustration for the Nation

Illustration for the Nation

28th May 2004

You Are Here is currently in the process of selecting an illustrator to help promote this year’s visual arts festival. Last year it was Nottingham’s number one idiosyncratic illustration machine Jon Burgerman who produced some joyful little characters for the publicity material.

Here’s something from a recent Diesel campaign that was lingering on my hard drive, begging for daylight, and a few pics from the YAH commission.

Here's a couple of Jon's characters that imprinted themselves on last year's festival. I particularly love the vest girl. Indeed, shortly after last year's YAH Festival, the very characters Jon penned for us appeared in a couple of magazines, though this is not the sole reason for his success. More likely that's due to his dogged tenacity and the fact that he does good work for good clients (ahem).

Jon's drawings were based loosely on some ideas for gallery-goers we'd discussed, and he also sat in with us during brochure design meetings and did a bit of general steering - threw a few influences in, that sort of thing. Jon's characters became recognisable as mascots for last year's festival, and several blow-ups were nicked from our opening party. Commissioning Jon was a success because he was keen to get involved, open to ideas, hit deadlines, was sympathetic to the festival and understood the brief.

Simon Collison published this on 28/05/04, at 12:51 AM

Comments

Burgerman is excellent. I have a Charles Webster LP with his stuff on the cover. I’ve also got some Burgerman stickers - you can get ‘em from his site folks. You are Here looks kind of interesting. When is your next festival happening?

28/05 at 11:18 from Harry ViDerci

Burgerman can’t draw for toffee…
Thanks for all the kind words - but you forgot the animated idents I also produced for the showreels… tut tut
It was fun creating work for YAH - I heartily recommend it to any young doodler out there.

29/05 at 08:33 from jon

Ah yes, those animations were smashing Jon. It’s a shame I don’t have a copy of them…

29/05 at 08:40 from Simon Collison

Can we see the animations? I really like these drawings, and I like Jons website too, but it expands to fill my screen - nooo!

Please put more on your site…

31/05 at 12:01 from Spike

I admit it, it was me what nicked the big posters from last year’s YAH. And you’re not having them back, Collison, not on your life. They cover up the damp patches on my wall so nicely… And they are very good to look at while stoned on the sofa.

If only some members of popular Nottingham beat combo Reactor hadn’t attempted to destroy them when they came to a party at my house. In their jealous rage, they bent the corner of my second favourite, rendering it quite useless as a back plate for our dart board. Shame on them, the nameless individuals.

01/06 at 02:08 from Lapin

You are bad Lapin, very bad indeed…

02/06 at 06:49 from jon

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