Setting up
constantly making faces behind the signings so kids had some weird dude who ruined their pics of the bands. I know, very awesome of me. Adam snuck a shot of me doing so.
plotting….
realizing Adam was taking pics and making the stupid typical Kyle face. I may or maynot be holding a little secret. Who knows?
Before Their Eyes Signing
Silverstein Signing
Line for the A Day To Remember Signing
A Day To Remember Signing
So I guess I have some, somewhat eventful news to share.
It’s starting to get warm here in NY, so I am going to be starting a new feature in my blog soon. Probably after I get back from wrestlemania.
I am going to be wearing a new shirt a day, stating what kind of shirt, the kind of fit, brand, colors etc etc.
Should be pretty interesting.
I recently broke down and got a twitter. Lots of crap happened today so I figured why not.
Today I my car got its first car wash. I have never washed my scion in the 2 years I’ve had it. Smell like cherry goodness now.
I’ve started buying stuff for bamboozle. Buttons came today, I’ll be posting a weekly maybe even daily blog with updates and everything. Every time something new comes in or any cool little prizes or goodies, you’ll see it here first.
Speaking of getting clean, tuffy got a hair cut, YESSS!
I’ve started a new organization technique, ok maybe its not really a technique. Sticky notes of my projects will surround my screen until I finish and get it knocked out and approved. I had been using the Ical for my projects, but I’d forget to look at it every day, so hopefully this works.
My work load is slowly decreasing. Which is good, cuz like I said I’m getting ready for boozle. So many cool surprises in store!
I’ve also been figuring out colors and garments for the new summer line. I’ve got almost all of them finished. I have to finish 4 more designs and boom done. I can’t believe it goes to print in less than 2 months!
here’s some cool shirts that I bought or came in the mail recently.
bad ass madballs shirt I found making my monthly rounds at hot topic
I sold this design by humans halloweek design to my friend adam, came out awesome
My friend ben at fright rags and I trade tees occasionally. He did this awesome Friday the 13th collection that came in an awesome box and came with real water from crystal lake
I got these awesome prints from geek freeks
http://www.flickr.com/photos/geekfreek/
of some wrestlers and robocop, I’m tempted to buy the TMNT ones he has up now. MUSTTTT RESIST!
as you can see by my office, i literally have no room
I guess to end this blog I’ll end it with some quick notes
-Buy “Not without a fight” NFG, shit grew on me, rules. I bought the camo vinyl
-Wrestlemania in less than 2 weeks!
-EZ on MTV? TWICE EVEN?!whattttt?!
toxic tee with a static lullaby and Santa Claws with a day to remember. WOW!
- Favorite shirt I’ve done lately!?!!!!!
until next time!
So I took an un-needed vacation. I kind of wish I moved it, just because I have a butt-ton of work to do. I think for the rest of the month I have (in no apparent order, just from the top of my head)
-Blink 182
-Limp Bizkit
-Music as a weapon tour
-Silverstein Ad Matte / Tour Art
-Oceana CD art
-New Found Glory
like I said it’s off the top of my head, I can’t really recall as I am doing this on the airplane flying back home.
Here’s a quick day to day synapse of what my trip was like.
slept on the plane.
landed at o’hare, now let me just tell you. This place needs it’s own “I survived” shirt. It’s fucking hell. Quite possibly the most stressful and yet ignorant places I have ever been to in my life. No one was helpful at all. Ughhhh
so after probably 30 mins of walking around and getting our bags, we discover where to go to get our rental car.
so we go to pick up our car, although it’s not the car I ordered online, the man assured me that I had rented a chevy cobalt. Yea no thanks. He tried talking me into a hummer and some other car, I did take him up on his dodge nitro 10 bucks a day upgrade. The car was super nice. But I am spoiled with my XB’s Large windshield to which I could see the universe out of. It was like looking out of an airplanes window on the nitro.
I don’t know if any of you have ever driven through New York City and Chicago, but let me just say. Chicago’s drivers are fucking terrible, I have never been more stressed driving anywhere in my life. In NYC, it’s like ok, I have to drive like an asshole. But here, I have to think and act like a retard. Forget using your gps after getting out of a parking garage, it takes like 10 mins for it to come back on.
Traffic is also a bitch, it’s stop and go the entire time. We landed at 6:30 and we didn’t even make it to the hotel until 8:30. I don’t even think we ate dinner. The Hotel , is amazing. Easily the nicest hotel I have ever stayed at. We walk in to soft music playing, an aquarium screen saver and our bed turned down. The view was amazing. We had a kitchen and everything. The bathroom had a shower with a tub right next to it. The mirror had a tv in it. Which I did use while taking a shower and taking my daily poo poos.
The Next day was a nightmare. We woke up and walked to the pier. Which was dead. Also, cold as hell. Even though it said it was 35 degrees, it felt like 11. It was way colder than new york. We ate breakfast at fox and obel which is like whole foods meets panera. The breakfast was all natural and really good, eggs benedict and garlic potatoes with one of the most natural tasting hot chocolates I had ever drank. Really good. Shitty thing is, there’s only one of these in existence.
We walked back to the hotel and put on more layers. Then headed out to the Photography museum, which was another let down. It was a small room with pictures of hotel furniture arranged all weird and upstairs exhibited pictures of contorted old men with their wangs out. AWESOME.
We left after maybe 5 mins. Headed over to the famous bean and hung out there for a few minutes and watched people ice skating. There was no way I was going to attempt it and fail miserably at life. I’m one of those people who gives up and goes ape shit when I cant get something done. There was this guy there who was weaving in and out of little kids and skid stopping like he was an NHL player. Way to spend your afternoons “BRO”…
We walked back to the hotel, warmed up and figured out where we were going to eat, We checked out big bowl, which was extremely good. Fast service and it was one of the best dishes I had had. I have no idea why my girlfriend or anyone for that matter likes PF changs. I’d rather have the cheap shit, tastes better and isn’t raping my wallet. This place was way better.
After dinner we went to MORE cupcakes. Which was super awesome. They just have a little space and has their cupcakes on clear shelves for the picking. Lots of options. Luckily the owner was there to help us choose. She even gave us mini cupcakes of red velvet and margarita, which ruled.
We went with the black and white and chocolate hazelnut. Super good.
afterwards we went to see the new friday film in the trashiest most ghetto theatres ever. I mean EVER. as far as the movie. Meh, i’ll go ahead and warn you of spoilers now. Hey guys, remember all those murders, but dude, they have some killer weed growing that apparently if cops had explored and investigated these murders they would have found this so called amazing pot.
The death scenes to follow were awesome, but I think the sleeping bag one was a little too smart for someone who is deformed and retarded. I guess while at camp he learned how to tie the perfect knot and shoot the perfect arrow. How the fuck did he get her on the tree? There is physically no way 1 man can do so, throw the rope over the branch and hold her in the bag with the other hand? there’s just no way, but it was an awesome scene none the less. Now back to this weed, the guy who was in charge of this operation had heard these stories, but still decides to continue the quest? 6 week later a new group of kids staying in a rich boy’s house. Now, let me ask you, tons of incidents, missing people and yet a snobby rich family is going to continue to keep this house, let alone let their son use it for the weekend? Are you kidding me? After all these incidences, why haven’t the authorities done something, blocked off the roads, warned people, signs, something? Especially that there’s an old lady who knows Clay’s sister is missing, sorry dead. Why fucking live there? Makes no sense!
Let’s get to another local who jason decides to kill for no reason and he’s just now getting to it? Oh and here’s the mask! forget that 30 minutes later in a tool shed that just so happens to have sporting equipment in which holds a death scene as the origin of the mask, I mean you’ve gone this long without making sense, let’s just keep going.
The movie had it’s moments, I’ll probably even buy it. But believe me, it’s not all that great. You can’t give me this well all the other movies were bad bullshit, it was the 70’s and 80’s. I don’t think they’re were any films that really had any thought put into it. This was a reinventing a rebirth, and it ended up being a joke and not scary at all.
The next day was vday, and we went and had breakfast at handlebar, a suggestion from my friend horsebites. The place had a great environment, and just as he suggested I ordered the biscuits and gravy, to which he said it would do something to my dick, I cant remember what he said, it might have been, murder my dick or something, ha. It did however murder my stomach. I’m a good ol’ fashioned southern white sausage gravy kind of guy, this looked more like an old biscuit covered up with baby’s peas and carrots vomit topped with scallions. I ate it, and it wasnt that bad. But the place rules for the atmosphere
We then headed to the Lincoln Park Zoo, which was surprisingly free.
Then walked to Clark st where we went to a puppy store, got coffee and checked out their Urban Outfitters, which was one of the nicest I had been to. Me being the cupcake fanatic we went to Molly’s Cupcakes which line was out the door.
For dinner we went to su casa, and it was amazing. No complaints.
Now there’s something I forgot to mention about the day before VDAY. As my girlfriend and I were watching tv, I heard weird ass noises. I was like, “Is that a fucking baby crying?” I muted the TV and it was a dude moaning. Now I was shocked and my GF felt sick. I went to listen by the door. To hear 2 if not more sets of dudes moaning. Followed by a chic who had a smoker’s voice cheering on ” yeaaaa fuck that ass” Why do I think they’re was 2 guys in that room? “I’m going to fuck his fucking ass and shoot in his mouth” were the next verifying words to come out of their mouths. I immediately got my camera and recorded the nastiness, not for my sick reasons, but who the hell was going to believe me?
I ran over and rang their doorbell and they still kept going. It was the loudest shit ever. I mean seriously.
The next morning we were woken up at 8am, so sounds of what sounded like a gorilla being furiously beaten by a wiffle bat.
That night we thought we were in the clear, and it was only some 1 time bang fest. WRONG. 2am rolls around and guess who back? Primate Pussy and His Gorilla cock.
then again at 6am, and again at 8am. It was awful. The next morning we were woken up again I was so pissed I recorded it again, cuz the man sounded like a fucking bitch. I swore I heard chains and leather. I was then proven right when I heard and yes recorded ” I FUCKING WORSHIP YOU MY MISTRESSSSSS, AHHHHH AHHHHHHHHH AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH”
some disturbing ass shit. You would think for staying at the trump tower king suite they would have some decent walls. Mr. Trump You’re Fired. Good news is, if someone wanted to murder me, the neighbors could hear.
The next day was complete shit, We went to The original pancake house, which we visited when we were in buffalo. We waited 30 mins in the most jam packed cluster fuck known to man. I felt violated 90% of the time. We then went to the Museum of Science and Industry, which was complete garbage as well. It was if the city of Chicago cleaned out their attics and basements and threw together exhibits
I wanted to try out another place that Horsebites suggested, Kuma’s Corner which had burgers named after metal bands. Once we arrived, it was worse jam packed than the pancake house. Finally someone came and asked us how many, “2” ok it’s going to be an hour and 55 min wait, I was like “SERIOUSLY, what if we got it to go?” that will be an hour , I was like fuck this, fuck this city.
I then ordered a pizza to the room, gino’s 2 toppings, and 2 cans of soda, 40 fucking dollars. JESUS CHRIST.
as if the 92 bucks for 15 hours of parking at the hotel (200+ dollars over the span of the entire stay)
this place fucking SUCKS. I never wish going to that city for a vacation to anyone. If you really want to get back at your best friend for fucking your sister, send him to Chicago and teach that fucker a lesson, because it’s terrible.
The best thing about the passed week was the release of my new line. Which I am completely stoked on. It’s easily the strongest of all my lines. I worked with some new people and took some great shots with my friend Adam Elmakias. I am very proud of this line and I thought it was going to set me apart from a few lines out there, But in comes American Slasher. A new brand ready to emerge and guess what, it’s identical to what direction I was taking my company. Not to sound like a bitch or anything. But what now? What is someone like me going to do? It’s bad enough that a lot of lines use the same people. Doing the same things. I feel like now I have to constantly check up on brands and designers because I don’t want to be like anyone else. It’s a case of hey said designer can you show me what you’re doing for this brand? Well fuck I was going to ask you to do something like that but nevermind. The point of having a brand in my opinion is to do something different. Doing something someone else is already doing make’s you look like a wannabe or a rip off. When someone innovates a certain theme or style and someone is familiar with my stuff, you’re going to get associated with that kind of vibe, at least I think so.
Now I have to figure out what I’m going to do to stand out. I shouldn’t have to, but with clothing line’s being created by the minute I guess I have to, I even thought about stopping Electric Zombie and either starting something new, or just worry about work and freelance and say screw it.
It’s a pretty big let down, sure I sound like a cry baby, but I’ve worked so hard to get a certain look and theme going, just to be duplicated. These other brands have help and 90% of them don’t even design them themselves. They just browse who’s hot, who’s getting the attention and bam, you all of a sudden have a line. The future of my company is really going to depend on the next few months. So look out bands and brands! I might be bugging you for way more work soon!
Expect pics and video in the next few days!
WOW, long time no talk…
anyway, heres whats been going on…
Finally finished my freelance for the year, did some senses fail and 2 new taste of chaos designs. Pretty awesome. I’ve been prepping a lot for the new line which was sent in today…
Lots of cool things in store.
15 brand new things coming out, maybe even 16, wowie!
I’ve also decided to get rid of a bunchhhh of old items
-ripsaw
-feast
-party animal tank
-ez stripes
-mcnasty
-mcnasty belt
-dome splitter tee (keeping the vneck)
-decay
-dead bolt
-roid rage
-stay tuff
will be gone once theyre gone. I currently have a christmas sale going on right now. which I am going to extend until december 31st because I know a lot of you get money or just completely awful presents like turtle necks and crap…
so I’m dragging it out until then, and keeping the stuff I’m getting rid of on sale until theyre gone…
get your gear here
http://new.merchnow.com/catalogs/electric-zombie
so what have I been doing?
Relaxing and vacationing of course!
I went to fairfield (where I was born) for a few days and watched 12 movies and almost a full season of the new spiderman cartoon.
I love my parents house, they did such a good job fixing it up.
This weekend I took a little vacation with my girlfriend and my pup tuffy. We went to niagra falls and canada and hung out in buffalo and went to a wrestling pay per view armageddon!
so awesome… heres some pics!
waiting for the loud noises to start.
right before they went live with the pyro.
armageddon is on the air! we had amazing seats, we were in row 9 and at the very end of the row and near the rampway, we were way close to the wrestlers and the loud booms….
batistas entrance, if you look at the lower right, he’s kneeling down…
edge’s pyro
edge walking out
triple H
john cena walking out
jericho’s entrance
after jeff hardy won the title…
I am so excited for wrestlemania, I bought my dad and I ringside seats to wrestlemania in houston and floor seats to raw the next night, it’s gonna be awesome!
heres more pics from the mini vaca…
canada! ( which is the worst friggin place to drive, slowest damn traffic ever!)
watching the roadddd
attempting to get her to poop in the snow, not happening
snowwwwww!!!!
while in buffalo, we ate at mighty taco, TWICE!
so damn good…
big burrito filled with 3 kinds of nacho cheese and queso, nacho chips, beef, salsa and sour cream! with chips and more nacho cheese. They had the best green tea ever, calorie free peach green tea…
yummmm
andddd we ate at the original pancake house ( 2 times as well)
we saw this couple have this amazing breakfast they were well known for, needless to say, we devoured the dutch baby the next morning, a baked pancake with strawberries!
booyahhh!
I’ve been sending out packages like crazy, at least 75, no lie! xmas presents, and sponsorship shirts and contest stuff, so much, I spent over 2 grand in shipping, ridiculous!
I’m just glad this weekend I’m making a shitload of cookies, watching xmas movies, drinking lots of hot cocoa, and not sharing my milk! and getting ready for christmas!
speaking of which, heres our awesome xmas tree… eyeball lights and awesome spacy led ornaments we got in florida.
I was way too late to make xmas cards, but heres what it was going to be!
see you after xmas, where I’ll post a buttload of pics and presents! and maybe an electric zombie surprise!
wowowwwwwww!
I have just been told that tomorrow will be the cut off date for the contest shirt because the contest winner is being drawn on halloween. Generally merch now’d orders over the weekend is so massive they usually don’t finish pulling them until tues/wed. That being said, you wouldnt get the shirt on time and I wouldnt have your ticket.
I would hate for someone to buy a ticket on wed and loose out on the contest…
the shirts will be put back up on monday after halloween! without the contest and any left over tees will still come in the coffin box. There’s mainly only smalls left. theres a few med and XS left…
so those of you who wanted to be part of it, better act fast!
thanks!
Lot’s of pooooopp has gone on since the last blog mess..
I finally got the halloween line up and running and so far so good. Some of my favorite shirts have come out this time around and I couldn’t be any happier.
I spent countless night packing everything. folding shirts and putting them in 100 coffin boxes with tissue paper. Putting together 500+ goodie bags filled with candy and cards and other goodies. Packing 50 poster packs, folding 300 custom boxes and tagging 300 shirts. Just a massive pile of craziness.
but finally all the hard work paid off.
So theres a couple of contests going on with Electric Zombie…
The First one is for those of you who ordered or plan to order new ez stuff. When you get your package, take a picture of the goods and then a picture of you wearing the goods, can be as retarded and as fun as you want…the top 3 pics will receive 2 ez shirts in the custom box! winners will be picked live during the video chat Halloween night 8pm EST!
please email me your pictures to kyleisez@gmail.com
Second contest is the massive halloween contest where you get 1 of 100 tickets, and on halloween I will be drawing the winner live in the video chat…
How do you get a ticket? Easy, order this shirt
right here
http://new.merchnow.com/products/93441
right now I’ve sold over half, so you still have your chance, or it betters the chances for the ones who have bought tickets…
I will be making a few special announcements during the video chat. should be fun.
so now that all the ez stuff is out of the way, I’ve been taking fewer freelance jobs. Trying to take it easy. I hate having to turn stuff down, but I have to, my head is going to pop!
I’ve been watching movies and eating handfuls of candy and preparing for another Electric Zombie line. Trying to get ahead of the game. New stuff looks amazing, seriously can’t wait for that.
I did a few interviews last week as well.. you can check them out here
http://www.cotygonzales.com/2008/10/01/indie-tee-spotlight-electric-zombie/
http://www.freshnesstoday.com/?p=80
It’s been getting a little bit colder here in NY which is amazing, I absolutely hate the florida weather, this is such a great change. Tuffy isn’t liking it too much since she just got her hair cut a few days ago, she runs back in and runs back out…
It’s going to be nice to have a cold holiday for once, even though I had one last year when i went to fairfield…
speaking of which, 69 days until xmas. So insane. I have 15 more days of buying myself things before I get cut off. I tend to buy things I ask for xmas and really pisses people off. So I stop at halloween.
This year I’m flying home to florida, not sure when yet, keep checking for the prices to go down. Then going to Fairfield for thanksgiving.
should be great, I can’t wait to see my brother and my dad and family and the house that they improved drastically.
I hope they’re ready for us!
The office tonight! yeaaaaa…
watch out for another update, sunday or monday suckas!
I dunno I am having this massive fucking meltdown in my head basically, some to which I know you all wont care about, or probably even read this and truly understand.
I really am not a shitty, asshole fuckwad that a lot of you guys think or feel I am.
All I ever really want and have ever wanted is to be truly appreciated and admired. I just want recognition…
I just dont get it, theres so many things floating in my head and it confuses the friggin crap out of me.
theres so many things that bum me out about this whole thing, people tell me I should take a break, In a way I feel like I should.
I work so damn hard, like literally non stop. I wake up and go to work from 9-6 and do about 2-3 shirts a day, some of my worst work to be honest. I hate the work I do at equal vision, every once in a while I’ll do something awesome and then it just goes to shit ville.
then I go home and I freelance all night (usually) until 12, getting anywhere from another design or 2 done. Then theres EZ stuff thats been friggin mega stressing me. Deadlines and getting those little extras in… wondering if Im going to make it on time, and I have to show some sort of sneak peek, for people to get excited to motivate me to keep going…
and seeing all these other companies that kids are freaking out about, who charge ungodly amounts. I know how much a shirt costs, I know how it works and people still pay it. I just dont believe in it. There’s no way I could charge 30-40 bucks for a shirt, but guess what it comes with (insert random goodie)
It’s like going to chuck e. cheese for fucks sake. You spend all this money on tokens to win tickets to cash it in for a stupid boomerang, a foam airplane and a couple neon bracelets from 5th grade but in reality, you paid way more for it, but its okay it’s a goodie
I look at everything as how would I want to be treated. Ok heres a shirt for 18 bucks, I made more than my money back and someone got a cool shirt and some pins and stickers with their order. There was even a point where I was selling a shirt that cost me 7-8 bucks for 5 bucks because I wanted people to go, electric zombie is awesome.
I don’t get how companies charge what they do…
Thats one form of recognition I hope to achieve, and I hope that kids who buy my shirts feel and think what I do.
I know people must think that I walk around all high and mighty and think im this hot shot. But I really dont, seriously I dont. In an aspect of me working so hard and being able to pull off different styles and go this long (until now) of having some kind of creative and mental fizz.
It sucks to not have any friends. Its true I dont, maybe I deserve it. But the common every day things dont really make me happy, designing does. I feel like if I keep working hard,I’ll making some sort of difference or hoping to inspire someone, to work as hard or to try as hard or just to look at one of my pieces and go wow thats fucking great.
Theres just so many things that make me just want to give up. From people talking about charging or getting 300, 500, 600 bucks for designs. Seriously, I MEAN seriously?!
I’ll be straight up, I get anywhere from 150-400 on shirt designs, I take what I get, I either sell you the design or I dont, someone will buy it. But just knowing that if it were true that people are paying that. That makes me want to give up. The merch world is so fucked I feel like thats what I (or we designers) should be getting but in reality, we dont or at least I wont…
theres such a double edged sword with this. On one hand you can take the whatever amount, or you can work a shitty job and make at the lowest (for me) 150 in the span of 2 days if not more.
But on the other hand, these jobs I get paid 150 for, are flying off the fucking shelves at merch now. I mean outrageous. I look at the site at the best sellers and 90% of them are my designs. I go to hot topic and I see that 60% of the wall is my designs…
Sure its cool to see that, but no one knows I’m the person behind all of that. Every body banks, from the bands, to the managers, to hot topics and all of that, and then here’s my check (insert amount) that i’ll probably be emailing you about after 47 days of looking in my mail box to find nothing
Theres a difference between be appreciated and being taken advantage of… me being a machine, and working so hard and seeing all these designers saying they are getting that much. Always having to babysit bands for money, always wondering when im gonna get paid, or when theyre gonna get back to me with approval, changes, rejections, My heads gonna pop…
and when it really comes down to it all I really want is a good job or a thanks… and lately I feel like I’m not really getting anything from money, to a pat on the back, its just massive stress day in and day out and all this hard work really isnt worth it, and its seemingly not really paying off….
/endddd rannttt
COUNT THE DAYS!
So it begins, 4 weeks of executing plans, and getting everything in order… for what you ask? Patience. Although I will be slipping some hints every now and again. So will others. You know how to find them. The question is do you know who they are?
soooo stoked for tuesday.
The new A Static Lullaby is sooooo good. I got a listen of this when the guys came to town in July. I was too busy trying to analyze it to fully enjoy it. I listened to it no lie, 8 times in a row today. Its so damn good, Its seriously the best thing they’ve put out. I’m super stoked to hold this cd in my hands tuesday. Those of you who bought the bundle with the EZ/ASL shirt, you will not be disappointed. It’s the most comfy shirt and the design rules. I couldn’t be more excited
heres how it turned out
im not sure if the offer is still available, best bet is to check merch now. I think the orders might have already gone out. The shirt was only available for the preorder.
This is going to be the most intense month ever. Next week I have a lot on my plate and I’ll tell you its not a plate of tacos (more on that later)
I have mega freelancing going on…
anberlin, the human abstract, underoath, saosin, and norma jean.
ughhhh
Also going to see reggie on friday in jersey, should be a blasty.
Plus any freetime I have I’ll have to slip in some EZ work.
My office is a mess. Utter destruction…
you might ask yourself, what is all that crap kyle?
more importantly, what are these?
whooo knows?
all I know is I’m going to go watch the hills (yepppp I’m gay) do some couch cuddlin and finish off the rest of this bad boy and my new best friend. I think I’m gonna eat a few of these over the next few weeks, so awesome!
until next week!
