Pen and Sword Political Pirates Blog

RIP Dilla & Pun

2011-02-07T09:59:00.000-08:00

RIP J Dilla and Big Pun. Political Pirates tribute wallpaper.

Community Screen printing Event

2011-01-11T09:49:00.000-08:00

Pen and Sword, Voices of Liberaiton and Scope Urban Apparel will be on the scene helping out with the screen printing portion.

Youth Regional Reportback from USSF on MLK Day

Last June, three buses packed with 150 youth activists and supporters rode to Detroit as part of the Northeast Freedom Rides delegation to the U.S. Social Forum (www.ussf2010.org). We were from the Boston-area, Worcester, Lowell, Springfield, Providence, and more. We built relationships, knowledge, movement, and power. And we want to share it with you and the beautiful youth that you work with!!!

Please mark your calendar for the Youth Regional Reportback from USSF!!! Youth from a handful of Boston organizations have been working on it. The event will include time to hear about the trip to Detroit, connect with people from across this youth movement we're all part of, a massive potluck, video & media from the trip, screening our own radical t-shirts, raffles, open mic & performances, HIV testing, sharing our current work, and building...building...building the next stage of the youth movement. Please come through!

Date: Monday, January 17th, Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day

Time: 4:30-8:00pm

Location: Spontaneous Celebrations community center at 45 Danforth Street, Boston, MA 02130 (near Stony Brook Orange Line Stop)

Contact: Cindy Printemps: printempscindy@gmail.com | 857-237-0201

Potluck: Bring whatever food you can!

Who: All the youth and orgs who were part of the Northeast Freedom Rides to Detroit and everyone else who's down with the youth movement!

The Helmsplitter EP

2010-12-20T11:21:00.000-08:00

We are proud to share The Helmsplitter EP with you - the latest homegrown media gem from our friend Rene Dongo. The Helmsplitter EP highlights unique voices in the Boston area through spoken word and music. Recorded / Produced by Daniel Fairclough and Rene Dongo. Featuring Seyonia Washington, Pause, O.T.O, Catch Wreck, and many more.

Download the whole EP for free here:
http://www.mediafire.com/?uwv7lixawbee2di

Track List:

1. Seyonia Washington - Imagine if the Beat Stopped
2. Pause - Where You Should Be
3. The Helmsplitter - Fight An Animal!
4. Zayde Buti - Hot n' Juicy
5. O.T.O. - Sail On Freestyle
6. Jasmine Mans - Nicki Minaj
7. Zeek - Hold To The Time
8. Anthony Febo - First Time
9. Catch Wreck - 1Tyme4UrMynd
10. Jack Kahn - Crisis
11. The Helmsplitter - Outro
12. Daniel Fairclough - Her Eyes (Bonus)

Spiritual Doom

2010-12-20T08:33:00.000-08:00

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom." ~ Dr. Martin Luther King Jr.

Found an interesting post comapring some stats about military spending on the Guardian Data Blog. Pretty mind boggling - if not surprising.

AeroSoul 2: Urban Hieroglyphics

2010-12-07T15:40:00.000-08:00

If you are in the Bay Area or can get there by February, be sure to check out AeroSoul 2. Find out more at aerosoulart.com. Below is an invitation from the events organizer with the details:

Greetings All, We are extremely excited about the February Black History month Show,"AeroSoul2". The response for participation has been overwhelmingly Good. This is to be a Historic event that community particularly the youth will grow from and a celebration of high caliber Art coming from a rich legacy of STYLE. Many Legends of this Spray Art Calligraphy genre are representing on this occasion with Art,History,Style and knowledge...a coming together of creative geniuses. Please Follow the Link to the AeroSoul Art site. There will be constant updates to the site and We will keep you posted on news pertaining to the Art and hanging dates. aerosoulart.com Thank you, ~ Refa 1 & the Bay Area Aerosol Heritage Society.

Catch Wreck - Concerto

2010-12-07T06:11:00.000-08:00

Last week, Catch Wreck released the first track off of the forthcoming ADHD mixtape: "Concerto" over the classic roots track. Its been floating around on the web and getting some good feedback so I figured it was about time we posted about the art. Actually, in all honesty school has been consuming my life, and this is the first free moment I've had to write about it. But never mind the details. Wreck has been ready to release this track for a while now but due to the aforementioned school consuming my life thing, it took us a while to find a time to sit down and shoot and design the cover.

Once we found time, the rest was pretty easy. Catch had a clear mood and concept he was going for, having sent a lot of reference photography in the style he wanted. Then it was just a matter of gathering some readily available props and getting the shot. We did some very minor post process stuff to the photo to make the colors have the right relationships and very simple typography.

Overall, I, and more importantly Wreck are very pleased with the results and I think they the track justice. So far, the new material he's been working on for this mixtape is of a new caliber and I can't wait for what's next.

Concerto by Catch Wreck

Binary Bombing

2010-12-06T08:10:00.000-08:00

Saw this a while back on Design Taxi - about an interesting new app called Scrawl. Not Sure I'll be trading in my cans anytime soon though.

Who's The Illegal Alien, Pilgrim?

2010-11-24T15:49:00.000-08:00

This is a poster I have seen at countless rallies, demonstrations, plastered on walls and held in hands above heads. It is one of Yolanda López's better known pieces and seasonally appropriate but she has a tremendous body of work addressing issues of indigenous and immigrant rights, family, heritage, labor and solidarity.

Who’s the Illegal Alien, Pilgrim? 1978

Offset lithograph - 22" x 17.5"

Homenaje a Dolores Huerta (from Women’s Work Is Never Done series) 1995

Silkscreen - 20" x 20"

Margaret F. Stewart: Our Lady of Guadalupe (from the Guadalupe series) 1978

Oil pastel on paper, 22" x 30"

Edan's Echo Party [preview]

2010-11-23T12:24:00.000-08:00

Jailbirds

2010-11-22T18:14:00.000-08:00

Video / Info Graphic by Frank Chimero for Good Magazine visualizing some of the horrifying stats about U.S. prisons.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hMXjmHXroEY

Blackstonian

2010-11-01T10:15:00.000-07:00

One of our latest projects has been transitioning the Blackstonian community news service website onto a blog platform, allowing the editors to make frequent updates and edits and giving readers more ways to engage with the site. People can now follow, comment and share on social media as well as subscribe via RSS and follow on twitter or facebook. Within weeks, the Blackstonian editors have added tons of content and information and are taking the site to another level. We are still working on structural and cosmetic changes, but both in terms of function and organization, the site has made tremendous leaps.

Stefan Jones Art Show at Howard Thurman Center

2010-10-26T09:46:00.000-07:00

Can't wait until Conscious Styles to see Stefan A. Jones' work? You're in luck. This week, until Friday October 29, his work will be on display at the Howard Thurman Center at Boston University. There will be a reception Thursday October 28 from 4-6:30 PM.

If you can't make it, Find Stefan and his work at Conscious Styles on November 5th at Amauris Boutique, 140 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130 from 7-10 PM.

Conscious Styles November 5

2010-10-19T11:21:00.000-07:00

Friday November 5th 7-10 PM
@ Amauri's Boutique
140 South Street, Jamaica Plain, MA, 02130
Forest Hills T on the Orange Line

RSVP via Facebook Here.

Join us for a netoworking night, film screening, art showcase and some drinks / refreshments. "Us" includes: Scope Urban Apparel, Voices of Liberation, Pen and Sword Political Pirates, Catch Wreck, Retrospek, Letia Larok, Pause, O.T.O, Dante Luna, Rene Dongo, AR Classics, Amauri's, Jacob Leidolf, Eric Gulliver, Stefan Jones and anyone else who comes through.

A Signing

2010-10-04T11:57:00.000-07:00

This Saturday Pen and Sword Political Pirates and Scope Urban Apparel were in the building at Rob Stull's Signing at The Million Year Picnic, celebrating the release of the groundbreaking new book Black Comix.

Pen and Sword is proud to have Rob Stull as a client and made the flyers for the event.

Critical Views 5

2010-09-23T06:51:00.000-07:00

Critical Views 5: A New Generation
Red Sun Press is hosting a political art show as part of Jamaica Plain Open Studios. This show highlights emerging artists illustrating contemporary struggles for social justice, the environment, and economic and political change. Please join us!

During Jamaica Plain Open Studios
September 25-26
11 AM – 6 PM

Red Sun Press
94 Green Street
Jamaica Plain, MA 02130

Featured artists:
Anonymous
Santiago Armengod
Tyrone Boucher
Ramiro Davaro-Comas
Design Action Collective
Shanthony Exum
Lisa Factora-Borchers
Eric Gulliver
Nancy Haver
Elliot Higger
Anh Ðào Kolbe
Jacob Leidolf
Angela Mark
Bernal Murillo
Erin Murray
Favianna Rodriguez
Skip Schiel
Michele Vavonese

Know Hope

2010-09-20T08:06:00.000-07:00

Caught this on the BBC the other day - interesting piece on the artist Know Hope.

More work here: flickr.com/thisislimbo

Report: Civil Rights Photog an FBI Informant

2010-09-16T20:25:00.000-07:00

Multisource political news, world news, and entertainment news analysis by Newsy.com

Revolutionary Portraits - Prints by Jacob Leidolf at Critical Views 5 - JP Open Studios at Red Sun Press

2010-09-16T10:24:00.000-07:00

Pen and Sword Political Pirates' own Jacob Leidolf will be participating in Red Sun Press's annual "Critical Views" show, part of JP Open Studios. Come through and check it out, there will be a ton of great political art, all by local artists - the show will be open from 11AM to 6PM on Saturday and Sunday September 24th and 25th.

Flyer

Critical Views is a juried show in conjunction with Jamaica Plain Open Studios, September 25-26, 2010. This show will highlight emerging artists illustrating contemporary struggles for social justice, the environment, and economic & political change.

RSVP via Facebook.

Get Directions to Red Sun Press

94 Green Street, Boston, MA 02130

View Larger Map

Know Your Enemy: Famed civil rights photographer doubled as FBI informant

2010-09-16T10:05:00.000-07:00

Famed civil rights photographer doubled as FBI informant
By Michael Calderone

Ernest Withers, a revered civil rights photographer who captured iconic images of Martin Luther King Jr. on the night King was shot in Memphis, actually played a different role the day before: FBI informant.

The Commercial Appeal, a newspaper in Memphis, just completed a two-year investigation that reveals how Withers provided the FBI with details about where King was staying and information on his meeting with black militants on April 3, 1968 — the day before the assassination.

Withers' spying, however, extends far beyond the slain civil rights leader.

The Commercial Appeal found FBI reports indicating that Withers collaborated for years with FBI agents monitoring the civil rights movement. Those FBI reports, the paper's Marc Perrusquia writes, "reveal a covert, previously unknown side of the beloved photographer."

Withers is certainly beloved in Memphis, where a namesake museum is scheduled to open next month. It remains to be seen how these new revelations may affect Withers' legacy.

The Memphis paper reports how Withers' spying assisted J. Edgar Hoover, the controversial FBI director who long covertly monitored King and others considered radicals. Withers, the paper notes, gave the bureau a "front-row seat to the civil rights and anti-war movements in Memphis." In the 1960s, he provided information on everyone from the Invaders — a militant black power group — to church leaders, politicians and business owners. Experts believe the FBI paid Withers for spying.

D'Army Bailey, a retired Memphis judge and former activist once watched by the FBI, told the paper that such covert tactics are "something you would expect in the most ruthless, totalitarian regimes."

Casa Verde

2010-09-14T10:58:00.000-07:00

This week marked the culmination of a print and identity project we have been doing for Casa Verde - a youth education program based in Nicaragua.

We were hit up to design a logo / mark, business cards and a bookmark / brochure of info about the program. This was one of the first projects we've done entirely online for a client so far away and it actually went pretty smoothly.

Logo

Biz Cards

Bookmark

Das Racist - Who's That? Brooown!

2010-09-07T13:23:00.000-07:00

Bansky responds to BP Oil Spill

2010-09-02T01:51:00.001-07:00

Pause - Stuck on 100

2010-08-18T11:44:00.000-07:00

This week local hip-hop artist Pause released his new album "Stuck on 100" with cover design and photography by the Pen and Sword Political Pirates. Pause did his own scripts (for the names) and directed the cover production. Gotta love it when the client has a vision. Download "Stuck on 100" FOR FREE here.

Scope Urban Apparel - New Site and Shirts

2010-08-12T08:54:00.000-07:00

This week Pen and Sword released the new design for scopeurbanapparel.com along with several new tee designs including the newest: Steal Art Make Money. #DISSOBEY.

Live!: Afterhours

2010-08-03T09:24:00.000-07:00

Live!: Afterhours
@ Artists For Humanity
every Tuesday and Thursday during the summer
from 6-9PM

Please join us every Tuesday and Thursday nights, this summer for a creative journey through music, performing arts and lifestyle!!

Open to the public! All ages welcome.
Dinner Served!

Please join us every Tuesday and Thursday at the Artists for Humanity EpiCenter in Boston's South Boston from 6:00pm to 9:00pm for "Live: After Hours", an exciting, enriching, and FREE series of workshops and performances. Watch and take part in wellness and dance workshops, figure and still life drawing, live graffiti-style painting,and turntablism instruction, dance and much more!

Go on www.facebook.com/artistsforhumanity or www.facebook.com/liveafterhours for more info!

Check out whats going on at the next Live! :

Tuesday, August 3rd
EpiCenter Gallery: 7:30-9:00pm
Poppin' and B-boy Funk Styles
Instructor- Ivan "Heat Rock One" Cofield, Dancer, Choreographer, Artist

Poppin' - Learn the wave and the twist-o- flex! Remember the movies, Breakin' and Breakin 2: Electric Boogaloo? Poppin was one of the street dance styles seen in movies, commercials, and music videos back in the 80's. Movies such as “Breakin,” “Breakin 2,” and “Beat Street” became popular in 1984 amongst households representing all the streetdance styles-breaking and the funk styles: popping, locking, and electric boogaloo. The Fresno born "poppin" is a style of dancing that incorporates the rhythmic contraction of the dancer's muscles and pantomimed movements, usually to funk or hip-hop music. Popping is a funk dance and street dance style based on the technique of quickly contracting and relaxing muscles to cause a jerk in the dancer's body, referred to as a pop or a hit. This is done continuously to the rhythm of a song in combination with various movements and poses. A popping dancer is commonly referred to as a popper.

Originally from Georgia, Ivan Cofield self taught himself and practiced many street dances at a young age. Later in his early teenage years he was introduced to an unorthodox form of Popping. He self taught himself the basic steps of b-boying as well.

In September of 2002 Ivan then moved to Boston Massachusetts, to attend Wentworth where he studied architecture. That same fall he was introduced to the Floorlords urban dance group. Since 1983 Floorlords procured word wide status for themselves in the hip-hop community. In the summer of 2003 Ivan was an official member of the Floorlords. He traveled and taught in many parts of the US and Japan. Later Ivan’s skills as a dancer became more polished and refined.

In spring of 2004 Ivan resigned from Wentworth and in the fall of 2004 he attended Mass College of Art and Design. There he studied several medias including: print making, photography, painting, drawing, water color, video editing, digital video, sculpting and mold making, video installation, 2D and 3D art, wood shop, beat research, kinetic art, and cold glass working. Shortly after graduation in 2008 Ivan decided to focus all his attention on honing his b-boying skills. Due to creative differences, in May of 2009 Ivan left the Floorlords. Ivan continued to dance and compete all over the US, even auditioning and making it to the top 30 state finals of “So You Think You Can Dance.” He also began to train with several crews in New York and in the greater Boston area. Ivan now travels, teaches, and continues to compete and create all over the world.

**** Back by Popular Demand! ****
Hip Hop through Contemporary Dance
Instructor- Elyssa Fontes, dancer and former choreographer for Pandemonium Hip Hop Dance
EpiCenter Gallery: 6:00-7:15pm

Hip Hop and Contemporary Dance - Through this modern art form, participants learn the freedom of movement and expression and what drives passion for the two art forms. Hip Hop contemporary dance allows one demonstrate one’s emotion and express it through sharp Hip Hop movements while allowing the body to maintain the grace and class of contemporary dance.

Elyssa Fontes is a Sociology and Africana Studies student at UMass Boston. She has performed for the Shirley Matter Dance Company (Brockton) since the age of 4 until graduating from high school at age 18. She has danced for multiple dance companies and was a principal dancer for Pandemonium Hip Hop Dance team and Brockton High’s Half Time Dancers Team.

**** Back by Popular Demand! ****
Outdoor Courtyard: 6:15-8:30pm
Education in a Spray Can: Introduction to Graffiti
Instructor- Lee Beard, renowned graff artist and AFH alum

Graffiti - Come learn the basics of "graff" and what it means to "Tag"!!
Want to try an engaging and team building activity?The Latin word Graffiti is plural for graffito, stemming from the Greek graphien - to write. Today, graffiti is associated with the New York Hip Hop style which evolved from rap music in the late 1960s/early 1970s, when a new style of art was born.

Lee Beard is a graduate of the Boston Arts Academy in 2006, and proud alum of Artists For Humanity. Lee is an urban artist who has kept up his skills by continuing to be creative with the use of his paint brushes, as well as spray paint. He has a number of murals painted in the city, and has always incorporated his graffiti and fine art talents on all of his productions. He has won awards for his accomplishments, and has even aquired his share of respect by being on the graffiti web site(www.artcrimes.com). Lee continues to keep up his creativity by having input, and helping out at the Fourth Wall gallery, as well as assisting in the wall murals at Bodega's main wall , where he is currently employed.

Artist Interview: Alfie Numeric

2010-07-19T06:21:00.000-07:00

(photo by Mia Villanueva)

Back in the ancient days of primitive social networking and myspace, I once came across an artist with visually stunning work and a very unique and memorable name.. Alfie Numeric, the beautiful and multi-talented artist from Los Angeles, California describes herself as a "modern day urban warrior." At 17, while trying to achieve stardom by posting videos and music on my page, I think I thought I was in love.. Fast-forward to the future world of blogs and tweets and I (grown now of course..) found Ms. Numeric once again.. To my extreme delight she agreed to do an interview for the blog. She has not agreed to go on a date with me yet, but I am working on it...

Catch Wreck: So, for those unfamiliar, what is it that you do?

Alfie Numeric: I have two equal jobs ... my career is artist/graphic designer/curator/event producer..that's my spirit. My day job is working at the Writers Guild of America, the union for Hollywood writers.

CW: So you're an artist of many talents..When did you find your calling and what medium did you start out with? Do you have a preference when it comes to the different types of art you do?

AN: I think it’s safe to say that my calling found me! I’ve been drawing since I can pick up a pencil. I used to get in trouble as a child drawing in my mom’s medical books, on the walls, on the sidewalk. I’ve always wanted to be an artist but as a kid, I didn’t think I could make money from it. But art chased me down in my college years and tackled me by the time I graduated.

My first medium was graphite. There is no mixing involved. No storing paints. No crazy clean up. Just you and the pencil, pushing and pulling on the paper. From there exploration is needed in growth so eventually I started toying with other mediums. Right now, I am playing with acrylic paints, glitter, wood, some clay. My exploration has not stopped.

I don’t have a solitary preference. I believe it all depends on the project and what is the best way to convey that project in the best light possible. I am learning that I am a better drawer than painter. Often time my sketches get lost in translation when I put paint on it. Because of that, I prefer working on natural pine canvases. The paint behaves more like a pencil and is more fluid.

CW: I know exactly what you mean. I gave up on painting years ago..I hope this next question isn't too cliche.. But where do you draw from for inspiration?

AN: I believe it is safe to say that I draw inspiration directly from life. Every piece is auto-biographical. You can say that each piece is like a page out of my mental diary. People have their own ways on how to process life. Mine happens to be visual at the moment. It is even brought to my attention that the women I paint look like me. I can only paint what I know so subconsciously, I do paint women that look more like me.

CW: So its not intentional?

AN: Nope, I don’t feel that it is. I just draw and paint. I don’t use models unless I need someone to strike a pose for reference. I have been thinking of using models to diversify the subjects but when I paint, I don’t plan it out. I just dive in.

CW: Well if you'd like, I'd be more than happy to model for you..

AN: Very funny..

CW: So do you have anything in the works that people should know about?

AN: Aaah, yes.. Well, we have the closing of “Portraits of the Proletariat” on July 24th. That was a group art show with my crew, the Beatrock Artist Kollective. Special musical guests are Bambu and Rhythm Natives. That’s in Long Beach CA at Dream Jungle Tattoos.

Then on the 31st of July, I am double-booked… Earlier in the day, I will be in Chinatown LA for the Make it Funky Music and Art Fest. Then in the evening I will be live painting at the JACCC for the TN Party in Little Tokyo. Outdoor concert, live art, vendors, and gourmet food trucks.

In September, I will be part of the 19th annual Festival of Philippine Arts and Culture, the largest Pilipino arts festival in Southern California. I will be painting a mural there with the Beatrock Artists Kollective.

CW: I will be sure to pass that info on to our readers. Its been more than a pleasure building with you..

For more on Alfie Numeric be sure to check out her website featuring the Beatrock Artist Collective as well as her Profile on Artslant.

Scope Urban Apparel Updates

2010-07-13T22:21:00.000-07:00

Apologies for the lack of upkeep on the blog, we've been so busy working we've been neglecting the documentation. Scope Urban Apparel, a Political Pirates sister company has been needing everything from tee desgins to websites, social networking accounts to business cards. We have been more than happy to provide.

PR Machete Tee

Peace Equals Tee

Know Power Tee

scopeurbanapparel.com

scopeurbanapparel.blogspot.com

Immigration Speak Out at Statehouse

2010-06-18T09:54:00.000-07:00

Today, Voices of Liberation and the Student Immigrant Movement have organized an Immigration Speak Out at the Statehouse in protest of recent laws and amendments passed limiting immigrant rights within the Commonwealth and across the nation.

Pen and Sword is proud to provide flyers for this action. Please support these efforts and SIM's 24/7 Vigil and encourage your elected officials to pass the DREAM Act and immigration reform.

Voices Of Liberation Update

2010-06-12T20:33:00.000-07:00

Today we went live with the new scheme for Voices of Liberation. This was mostly a long overdue cleanup of what we had already done. The VOL Blog was completely redesigned from the template up. Then the MySpace and Twitter profiles were updated to coordinate.

voicesofliberation.org
voicesofliberation.blogspot.com
myspace.com/voicesofliberation
twitter.com/upriseanduplift

Coming to a Hood Near You

2010-06-11T17:03:00.000-07:00

Today was phase 1 of the guerrilla marketing campaign for 10,000 Strong Boston.

3rd Annual 10,000 Strong Boston

2010-06-04T09:28:00.000-07:00

On June 20th, the Third Annual 10,000 Strong Boston will take place at the Franklin Park Playstead - this community gathering and call to action seeks to unite people around stopping the violence, making our communities safer, healthier and more prosperous, providing resources and opportunities where they are lacking, and addressing the root problems of guns, drugs, inadequate infrastructure, unemployment, CORI, etc. Please come and show your support, bring your family - leave the drama. Enjoy a day of food, community building speakers and information.

For more info check out 10000strongboston.com.
RSVP now via facebook.

This is one of the community initiatives Pen and Sword is proud to support with our print and web design services.

El Movimiento

2010-06-02T10:34:00.000-07:00

El Movimiento Estudiantes Latin@s recently formed to advocate for Latin@ studies in the public school curriculum. Pen & Sword is proud to support them with some print and web materials. Find out more about what they do on the blog we just built: movimiento-estudiantes.blogspot.com and support their first event on June 18th.

Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture

2010-05-19T11:22:00.000-07:00

Set to be released on June 8, 2010, Black Comix: African American Independent Comics, Art and Culture is on our wishlist. Big up Rob Stull who not only shared this link but is one of the many contributors to be featured in this book. Here's what they say about it on amazon:

The immense popularity of comics and graphic novels cannot be ignored. But in light of the comics boom that has taken place over the past 10 years, the artists, writers and publishers that make up the vibrant African American independent comics community have remained relatively unknown – until now. Black Comix brings together an unprecedented collection of largely unheard of, and undeniably masterful, comics art while also framing the work of these men and women in a broader historical and cultural context.

With a foreword by Keith Knight and over 50 contributors, including Phonzie Davis, Jan-Michael Franklin, Frances Liddell, Kenjji Marshall, Lance Tooks, Rob Stull, Ashley A. Woods and many, more, the cross section of comics genres represented includes manga, superheroes, humor, history, science fiction and fantasy. This book is a must-have for comics readers.

Malcolm X Stickers

2010-05-19T10:54:00.000-07:00

In honor of El-Hajj Malik El-Shabazz's (better known as Malcolm X) birthday (May 19, 1925 – February 21, 1965), we have 8 new sticker designs available for free download. This is the latest in our series of stickers commorating the lives and work of civil rights activists and revolutionaries. Please enjoy these tribute stickers responsibly.

Sticker 1 | Sticker 2

Sticker 3 | Sticker 4

Banksy in the Bean

2010-05-13T06:32:00.000-07:00

According to the Bostonist, the London based Banksy - stencil and street artist estrordinaire - has made his mark in our fair city. some speculate this is the latest stop on what appears to be a North American tour.

Banksy Hits Boston - Highsnobiety
Banksy in Boston - Bostonist

Free SB 1070 Stickers

2010-05-09T21:36:00.000-07:00

Presente.org is offering free stickers to help you express your disappointment and spread the word about Arizona's new discriminatory law with our new sticker. They'll ship you one for free or you can pay to get more than one. Get your sticker here http://presente.org/sticker/az/?im=mo.

Stencil: How About Now?

2010-05-03T18:04:00.000-07:00

So, in our last stencil demo, we promised a future one showing how to do lettering with contained white spaces. After watching my people's video for First Wave Panama - We got the perfect example to do a follow up demo. So, we'll do the "How About Now?" stencil with the centers of the letters NOT cut out. As always, please use the following information responsibly.

So, how to do a better stencil:

1) Starts out the same way as before. With a simple image and a simple print out.

Stencil 1 - Prints Tiled Across 2 8.5x11 Pages

2) The main difference is that when you get to letters that have enclosed white space or "counters" (Q, R, O, P, A, D, B, 4, 6, 8, 9, 0 etc...) you need to leave the middle space attacjed with a small strip to the rest of the stencil. You can do this any number of ways but the most traditional is a thin vertical line.

Note the way the triangle of the "A" or the middle of the "B" or "O" are connected to the outside of the letter. Also not the copious tape - proof that you can mess up and cut too much and fix it with tape and cutting again.

3) When you have everything cut ouy it should look like this. With all the totally enclosed white connected with little struts to the rest of the stencil. Then paint and on to the next one.

Stencil: Do I Look Illegal?

2010-05-03T05:09:00.000-07:00

In honor of May Day and in light of Arizona's recent racist ass Immigration Law, We wanted to show you how to make your own "Do I Look Illegal?" stencil - a slogan some of the many activists working around this issue have put forward as a rallying call. Stencils are a great way to put a message on just about anything. Please use the following resources responsibly.

So, How to make a Stencil:

1) Make a design. You can draw it or print it or both. This one's real simple. Some big words typed on a computer, printed on two sheets of scrap paper. You could print it on acetate or cardstock for a more durable stencil, or affix it to a stronger backing. But for us, plain old paper works fine.

Stencil 1 - Prints Tiled Across 2 8.5x11 Pages

2) Cut the stencil out. Now this is where it gets tricky. The most important thing to consider is enclossed white spoace (like in the middle of an "o"). You can either disregard them (as we do here) resulting in a blocky font with no counters or leave small strips attaching them to the rest of the stencil. (check for an example of that in a later post).

3) When you have everything cut out the way you want it, its ready for deployment. We like to tape ours down with masking tape since its flimsy paper. But if you did it on oak tag or cardboard (or even if you didn't) you can just hold it up in front of whatever surface.

4) Ummm Paint it. Duh. If you are using spray paint, use thin even coats, not one heavy slow one. If you don't have a can you can use any kind of liquid paint with a roller or sponge or wide brush.

5) Pull your stencil back and go do the next one. If you took the time to make a really nice stencil (on a durable surface) you can use it almost indefinitely.

Also, check out what other folks, like my girl Sofia Snow with First Wave Panama, are doing around this:

Police ask community for patience

2010-04-21T06:37:00.000-07:00

Officials promise full disclosure in DaVeiga shooting

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/13/police_investigating_killing_ask_residents_to_be_patient/

Flanked by ministers and priests, activists in the Cape Verdean community, and political leaders, Boston police officials called on residents yesterday to be patient with them as they investigate the death of Manuel "Junior" DaVeiga, who authorities say shot himself in the head.

Dozens of city leaders gathered outside St. Peter Church in Dorchester, where DaVeiga’s funeral was held Friday, to say they support the police and need them to help keep peace in the city as the summer approaches.

"We have to pray for the Police Department," said the Rev. Jeffrey Brown, who runs the Boston TenPoint Coalition. "Pray for their safety. Pray that they’ll be able to make the right decisions at those critical times."

Some Boston residents have expressed anger and allegedly threatened police, following DaVeiga’s death April 3.

DaVeiga was struck in the hand, hip, and chest by police gunfire, and then shot himself in the head, according to law enforcement officials. Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley has said DaVeiga started firing at officers in the department’s gang unit after they approached him at a makeshift memorial for his slain friend, Andrew Tavares, who was shot on Maywood Street last month.

Since the shooting, law enforcement officials have been trying to reach out to the city’s Cape Verdeans, a community hit hard by DaVeiga’s death. His family is from Cape Verde. On Sunday, representatives of the police and the prosecutor’s office met with up to 200 people for a three-hour-long meeting.

Conley and Commissioner Edward F. Davis, who spoke at yesterday’s press conference, promised a full account of what happened that night. On Sunday, police officials said the investigation could take up to two months to complete, according to those who were there.

"I ask for your forbearance," Conley said yesterday. "We’re going to conduct a thorough and complete and detailed investigation that will stand up, that will be done with integrity and fairness."

John Barros, a member of Cape Verdean Community UNIDO who went to the Sunday meeting, said yesterday that he was heartened to hear police say they are committed to transparency.

"We walked out of that meeting yesterday like we were more united, like there was hope," said Barros, who is also head of the Dudley Street Neighborhood Initiative.

The weekend meeting and yesterday’s gathering are among many steps community leaders said they are taking to reduce the tensions. Yesterday, friends and relatives of DaVeiga were scheduled to come to the church in the afternoon to talk about their grief, said the Rev. Jack Ahern, who heads three parishes in Dorchester, including St. Peter.

Tonight, there will be a peace vigil during which teenagers from the neighborhoods will walk from the church to Hancock Street, close to the area where DaVeiga was shot, Ahern said.

Police, anxious to prevent retaliation, remained aggressive on the streets. Over the weekend, gang unit officers arrested two men, one on charges of gun possession and the other accused of failing to stop for a police officer. Both are purported members of DaVeiga’s gang, according to two law enforcement officials with knowledge of the arrests.

Davis said his department’s relationship with the community is key to preventing violence.

"We want to have a safe summer," he said. "We want to work closely with the community . . . That’s exactly what we’ll deliver to the people of the city."

Nilda Amado, a 17-year-old junior at Boston Latin Academy who spoke yesterday, said many people her age feel unsafe.

A friend of Tavares, she wore a pin with his picture on it. But she said she is weary of wearing such symbols.

"I’m fed up," she said. “I’m tired of waking up on a beautiful day and finding out someone close to me died by gunshots."

By Maria Cramer
Globe Staff / April 13, 2010

R.I.P. Guru Stickers

2010-04-20T12:55:00.000-07:00

Today brought the tragic news that Hip-Hop Legend and Boston native Keith Elam aka Guru of Gang Starr died yesterday after battling cancer for over a year. The Hip-Hop icon will most certainly be remembered and missed.

Please use the following tribute stickers responsibly.

Sticker 1

Sticker 2

Sticker 3

Sticker 4

4Up Sheet (Prints on 8.5x11)

The Young & The Restless - Available Everywhere May 18th

2010-04-18T07:18:00.000-07:00

Today we converted catchwreckmusic.com to a new splash page that showcases the upcoming mixtape "The Young and the Restless." Mostly this was based off of a promotional graphic we worked on the other day, but with the addition of some links and key info as well as the three videos he has so far for this project, we had a nice way to get people excited and looking for the mixtape, coming a month from tomorrow.

RIP Manuel "Junior" Da Veiga Stickers

2010-04-10T14:32:00.000-07:00

Following the murder of Sean Bell by th NYPD, this poster surfaced to memorialize not only the young life which was taken but remind people of the filthy pigs who did it.

In response to the recent shooting death of Manuel "Junior" Da Veiga, age 19, by the Boston Police who have a history of killing Black, Latino and Cape Verdean citizens, we developed a Boston version of the same image. Please use the following tribute stickers responsibly.

Sticker 1

4Up Sheet (Prints on 8.5x11)

Threats of revenge put police on guard

2010-04-10T08:18:00.001-07:00

A guard has been posted at gang unit headquarters since a fatal shooting. (Pat Greenhouse/Globe Staff)

City police have been on high alert and taking unusual safety precautions since Saturday, when the death of a 19-year-old in a shootout with gang unit officers sparked threats of retaliation.

Since Sunday, an armored truck from the department’s SWAT team has been parked outside the gang unit headquarters in Dorchester, with an officer in protective gear standing sentry.

Officers who patrol the city’s toughest neighborhoods have been ordered to ride tandem until further notice, barred from driving alone because that practice is now viewed as too risky.

Gang unit officers have been advised to put untraceable license plates on their personal cars and are being told by supervisors to be vigilant as they go in and out of their headquarters, according to law enforcement officials with knowledge of the precautions.

The tension arises from a fatal shooting Saturday night, in which three Boston officers and a state trooper chased Manuel DaVeiga on a Dorchester street after approaching him at a makeshift memorial to a slain teenager. The teenagers and the police officers fired on one another, and DaVeiga was killed.

Prosecutors say DaVeiga fired first, with a .45-caliber handgun, and then shot himself in the head after being wounded in the hand, hip, and chest by police. But some community activists say many residents are skeptical and are urging a complete investigation that will describe what happened that night.

Anger over the shooting began almost immediately and has apparently not been assuaged by Suffolk District Attorney Daniel F. Conley’s assertion that DaVeiga shot himself.

Immediately after the shooting, an angry crowd gathered at the scene and yelled threats at officers, police said. Since then, the department has received more threats of retaliation, though police declined to be specific.

“We are taking those threats very seriously,’’ Elaine Driscoll, spokeswoman for the Boston Police Department, said yesterday. “Unfortunately, such threats are not an unusual occurrence after a traumatic incident . . . Officer safety is paramount, and the department will take any precautions necessary to ensure the protection of officers.’’

The Rev. Eugene F. Rivers III, who runs the Ella J. Baker House in Dorchester, said he plans to hold a press conference this morning urging those concerned by the shooting, particularly teenagers, to tone down their rhetoric and remain calm. As the summer approaches, he said, it is imperative that city police and neighborhood leaders work together to keep down tensions on the street.

“The community must stand with the police and communicate that one does not shoot at cops, and one should not talk about or threaten, in whatever idle fashion, about shooting’’ police, Rivers said.

Rivers said he has grown concerned about the threats after speaking with young people on the street.

“Certain young people have been toying with the rhetoric of shooting at cops,’’ Rivers said. “Some feel that the shooting incident was unjustified, that the young man had mental illness so he should not have been shot.’’

DaVeiga, who according to court records was associated with a gang, had been diagnosed with several psychological conditions, including bipolar disorder, psychotic disorder, and post-traumatic stress syndrome, according to court records. He had often dealt with depression and anger, according to the records, but his family has said he would not kill himself.

Driscoll said that witnesses at the scene saw DaVeiga shoot himself.

“Several community member witness accounts, autopsy findings, and specific physical evidence all indicate that Mr. DaVeiga shot himself in the head,’’ she said. “Unfortunately, I’m unable to get more specific at this time.

“But we are committed to a transparent investigation, and when appropriate we will provide more details.’’

Jake Wark, spokesman for Conley, whose office is conducting the investigation along with city homicide detectives, said it is difficult to say when the investigation will be finished.

“We can’t promise a timetable with so much evidence from so many sources,’’ he said. “The family, the community, and the officers involved deserve a full, meticulous investigation.’’

Many people are eager to learn more details about what exactly happened in the moments before DaVeiga’s death, said the Rev. William E. Dickerson II, pastor of Greater Love Tabernacle in Dorchester.

“They’re waiting to hear full disclosure of what took place on that particular day,’’ he said. “It is important that there is this transparency, because it only strengthens the police and community relations.’’

Driscoll said Police Commissioner Edward F. Davis, who met with neighborhood leaders earlier this week, has encouraged members of his command staff to find ways to ease tensions.

“The vast majority in the affected neighborhoods are good people,’’ she said. “Officers are aware of that, and we’re keeping that uppermost in our minds.’’

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/09/threats_of_revenge_put_police_on_guard/

By Maria Cramer
Globe Staff / April 9, 2010

Community Meeting w/ Police re: shooting of Manuel "Junior" Daveiga - Age 19

2010-04-09T10:38:00.000-07:00

Time: April 11, 2010 from 12:30pm to 2pm
Location: "St. Peter's Teen Center"
Organized By: Community

Event Description:
Sunday at 12:30, there will be a community meeting with the Police at Saint Peter's Teen Center on the issue of the death of Manuel "Junior" Da Veiga. The location is on Bowdoin Street, Dorchester, MA

See more details and RSVP on Blackstonian:
http://blackstonian.ning.com/events/event/show?id=2761975%3AEvent%3A7123&xgi=1mXOkLqBar6iMI&xg_source=msg_invite_event

Lil' Bobby Hutton Stickers

2010-04-07T13:35:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Lil' Bobby Hutton (1951-April 6th 1968). Lil' Bobby Hutton was the first and youngest member of the Black Panther Party. He was murdered by the Oakland Police on April 6th, 1968 - just two days after the assassination of MLK - ambushing a carload of Panthers on a side street. Hutton was shot over a dozen times after stripping down to his underwear to prove he was unarmed.

Please enjoy these tribute stickers responsibly. They are the latest in our series of stickers featuring Civl Rights Activists and Revolutionaries.

4Up Sheet (Prints on 8.5 x 11)

MLK Stickers

2010-04-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

R.I.P. Martin Luther King Jr. (January 15, 1929 – April 4, 1968). Please enjoy these tribute stickers responsibly. They are the latest in our series of stickers featuring Civl Rights Movement Leaders. Available in two styles with two quotations:

"Law and order exist for the purpose of establishing justice and when they fail in this purpose they become the Dangerously structured dams that block the flow of social progress."

"A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom."

4Up Sheet (Prints on 8.5 x11)

Armed teen shot to death

2010-04-04T10:42:00.000-07:00

By John M. Guilfoil
Globe Staff / April 4, 2010

A teenager was shot to death in Dorchester last night after exchanging gunfire with police who were investigating gang activity.

Members of the Youth Violence Strike Force were near 11 Navillus Terrace investigating a recent spate of gun violence in the area, said Boston Police Superintendent Daniel Linskey. Several people have been shot and injured or killed on Dorchester streets in the past week.

Officers approached a man at about 9:30 p.m., and he drew a firearm and began shooting at officers, Linskey said. “The officers returned fire,” Linskey said at a press briefing last night.

The suspect’s name was not released. Linskey said he was 18 or 19 years old and was “involved with individuals involved with gang violence.”

The suspect died at the scene, Linskey said, but his body was still there late last night. Police are investigating whether the man was shot by police or by own weapon, Linskey said. He would not say how many officers fired or how many shots were fired.

Several bystanders near the press conference wailed “my son” and “my brother.”

Eddy Chrispin, a Boston Police spokesman, said no officers were struck.

The Suffolk District Attorney’s office is investigating.

http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/04/armed_teen_shot_to_death/

Bang for Change - Version 1.2

2010-03-26T10:14:00.000-07:00

Today we went live with a sereis of small changes to bangforchange.com - a conscious music video blog project we're doing for BRWN BFLO and Big Dan from the Bay. Tweeks we messed with included color changes, some edits to content and pages - customizing the blogger "pages" navigation we set up and setting up a better contact form. Stay tuned for more as more content and info is gathered for us to work with.

Biggie Stickers

2010-03-09T17:30:00.000-08:00

R.I.P. Notorious BIG - Christopher George Latore Wallace (May 21, 1972 – March 9, 1997). Please enjoy these tribute stickers responsibly - they are the latest in our series of stickers featuring hip-hop artists.

Sticker 1

Sticker 2

4Up Sheet (Prints on 8.5 x 11)

Stay tuned for more stickers from the music set and our other series featuring revolutionaries, scholars, political prisoners, social justice topics, artists, activists, historical figures... you get the idea

Hell Yeah

2010-03-07T18:00:00.001-08:00

Bang for Change

2010-03-07T17:29:00.000-08:00

Today we put up the start of the conscious hip-hop blog Bang for Change - a project being organized by Big Dan and BRWN BFLO whom we had the pleasure of meeting two years ago when he came out to be featured at the first Fight the Power Conference. The Oakland based emcee came to us to create this video blog site for Bang for Change in order to showcase the music videos, events and shows by BRWN BFLO as well as conscious videos by other artists (Including some Boston cats like Catch Wreck and UNO the Prophet. This site is one of several new projects we have recently received and started on so stay tuned for updates throughout development. View the live site at http://bangforchange.com

Political Pirates 4.1

2010-02-21T18:05:00.000-08:00

After a lot of back and forth we decided to go ahead and launch politicalpirates.com version 4.1 - a cleaned up, slimmed down revamp of what we had up there. The old site suffered from cool, flashy yet useless elements on the intro and home page, unneeded ads and internal links in the top, a sidebar that in some browsers made the entire body content shift out of proper alignment (an issue previously resolved) and too many pages with not enough content. This revamp not only addressed these problems but updated several key parts of the website and reorganized information to be more easily found, with less clicks from the user. It also worked to incorporate the blog and twitter schemes. We are still in the process of fixing and cleaning things up but here are some things to look for:

Twitter and Blog feeds on the homepage, new work in the galleries which have been remade with the new Pirobox V1.2 behind it, a new contact form with customized captcha security image using a font matching the site graphics, a better structure where most of the information is broken into tabs on the 5 main pages.

As usual this site serves as a testing ground for new ideas, new tricks, new layouts and is constantly going to be edited, updated, changed and tweaked. Be on the lookout for modifications to the gallery system, new pieces in the portfolio, a reprogrammed version of the project request form and much much more!

Political Art Slideshow

2010-02-17T04:50:00.000-08:00

Some classic examples of recent Political/Protest Art.

Artists at work - FTP

2010-02-10T16:58:00.000-08:00

While on youtube we came across these two videos of someone working on a Fuck the Police mural/drawing. Its fascinating to watch artists in action and this young woman has a really clean and graphic comic style.

A twittering we go

2010-02-09T22:07:00.000-08:00

Pen and Sword has a new twitter account: http://twitter.com/pspirates

Call Us Pirates

2010-02-07T08:47:00.000-08:00

Political Pirates Blog - Up and Running

2010-02-07T08:28:00.000-08:00

After a furious night of HTML tweeks, graphic edits and splicing and slicing of the blogger theme we have a working version of the PS blog. The blog is now accessible from our website and ready to serve as a home for news, articles, updates on our work and projects, art, downloads and freebies, links and thoughts. Keep an eye open as we revisit the Political Pirates Site design and update the blog to match. At least for now however we are up and ready to rock.

Political Pirates Blog...Finally

2010-02-06T12:14:00.000-08:00

With the advent of blogger pages and the coming redesign (and possible migration to blog form) of the political pirates website we finally got around to setting up a blog. Stay tuned for lots of design changes and some actual art, ideas etc as we get this thing off the ground.