Desmond 0

Hot on the heels of Jin and Sun, Desmond by Jeff Boyes is the next poster to start arriving.

This one seems to have been a bit more trouble than the rest as we have had reports of posters arriving with scratches, ripped corners and some arriving unsigned.

As you can see to the right, the poster tubes look the same, although the space invaders tape is an interesting addition.

As with several of the posters it is currently still for sale at DamonCarltonandaPolarBear.com

The pictures below were kindly sent in by Weinbeeezy and RamHatter


There was mention by Jeff Boyes of hidden images in the poster, but so far the only thing we can thin this refers to is the numbers on each of the seats.




So to the signatures, or in one case below, the lack of signature -

Mug 0

No, not a reaction to the final episode but a chance to create your own LOSTARGs memorabilia. All you need to do is send the template below to your friendly personalised mug seller and I'm sure they will be happy to send you your mug in exchange for a small donation to their coffers. Alternatively print it on whichever personalised item you wish to, or even use it as a background.

Click here for a Photoshop PSD file

Click here for a PNG file

Click here for a JPG file

Entering The Candidate Cave 0

Amazingly this poster has not yet sold out and can still be purchased at DamonCarltonandaPolarBear.com

Meanwhile here are some close up views courtesy of RamHatter and JPL who have now received their posters.

I am reliably informed that the gold ink used to print the posters is very striking and that the detail is superbly crisp and clear.

One of the numbers circles from the cave and after Jacob's campfire chat it isn't surprising that one of the other circles contains number 51

Finally a signature, number 337 out of 550, and to clear up some confusion the DCaaPB website says this is an edition of 500 however the small print at the bottom of the purchase page says there are 550, with only 500 for sale to the general public.

Comments 0

Last night Weinbeeezy mentioned this update from Jeff Boyes that there may be a few hidden extras in the Desmond print. See the original comment at visualtechnicians.com/ and you can still purchase the print at DamonCarlton andaPolarBear.com

Then we have this small update from Daniel Danger via his facebook page that Ray told us about, and it does hint that, as before, the artists may have a few extra copies for sale at a later date.

Daniel Danger's website is http://tinymediaempire.com and if you go and have a look at that site you will see a slightly different update -

Leia Bell Talks 0

One of our regular contributors theotherben has sent us this interview that he conducted with Leia Bell.

A big thanks go to theotherben and Leia Bell for their time and effort doing this for us.

Lost Art

Mr. Jensen Karp has now been revealed to us at the master-mind behind DCaaPB. Was he the person that contacted you regarding The Lost Underground Art Project? Have you previously shown your art at Gallery 1988 LA? We are told that this project was two years in the making. How much advance notice/working time did you have?
Yes, Jensen is who called me to join in this project. At first I dismissed it, because my employee wrote down the message in away that it sounded like a solicitation for television installation, but luckily he called again! I hadn't shown my work at Gallery 1988 before, but I will be in an upcoming "Sports"-themed show there very soon. Jensen contacted me in early spring of 2009, but the project had been underway quite awhile already by then I think. I finished my piece by the end of summer 2009.

Did you choose the "water-cooler" moment or was it assigned? And if you had the chance to create another print in this series what moment would you have chosen?
My moment was assigned, as the other moments had already been chosen, but I was happy with the moment I got. If I could do another moment, I'd probably choose something with the Swan station, or the bunnies.

Some artist had alternative names for their prints. Did you personally title your print or was that a given?
My original title was "Jack's Revelation"

Were you familiar with LOST and this particular moment in the show? And did you re-watch episodes for inspiration?
Oh yes, I remember feeling Jack's pain when he saw Kate and Sawyer together, I felt terrible for him! I did re-watch the episode though, which was mid-way through season 3, the episode "I Do".

There is some question about the choice of images in monitor 2. From what we know in LOST Jack did not see the moment which you depicted in monitor No. 2, but Ben did. Sorry, LOST fans are a bit fussy about details. Is there a reason, or just artistic license to communicate Ben's manipulation of Jack?
I totally get that criticism, but yeah, it was artistic license and for dramatic effect. We as the audience know what was going on, and I'm sure Jack could only imagine-- and the point was to portray the emotion of the moment without seeing Jack's face.

Were you restricted/instructed in anyway. Like "We want this to feature the number 4 of the fourth monitor in a darker color then the rest of the numbers" or anything else like that. We have discovered since the end of the campaign that certain clues were to be found in the posters. Was yours one of these?
My only restriction was to illustrate that particular moment of the show.

Are there sketches or preliminary drawings that we might see?
naaahh...not really

How do you feel about having your work be at the center of people's lives for (at least) a week? What did it feel like to watch the reveal and your print drop? Did Jensen let you know just before your print was revealed, so you could witness the reveal?
I wasn't told that the print was up on the site-- a friend of mine informed me on Facebook. It was cool to be a part of the whole experience alongside so many artists I admire.

Art

What is your favorite theme or color motif that you like to use in your art?
Animals, or more specifically BIRDS are my favorite subjects to draw. I normally use a lot of color in my work, but I like to muddy up the colors a bit-- no neon!

Do you pull your own screens or use outside source?
99% of my work is hand-pulled by me in my little home studio. The LOST series was printed by the incredible dudes at D&L. They have printed a few of my other prints, and I totally trust their work. I'd have them print all of my stuff if I weren't such a control freak. I also just LOVE the whole process of printing from start to finish, and when I print my own work, I can change my mind halfway through (change colors, or add/take out colors) if I feel like it.


Has the LOST DCaaPB experience opened any doors, career wise, that weren't open to you before?
Not that I've noticed (yet anyway). I generally stay very busy with design work, commissions, plus I run a gallery/frame shop and have three kids under 8 years old... I'm not sure how I would handle MORE work.

For those who are just getting into collecting art prints, what advice would you give to them regarding storage and upkeep that you wish you knew when you started?
This probably goes against what many other collectors do, but I have gotten rid of all of my flat files-- they drive my crazy! I can never find anything in them, and prints get damaged easily. Instead, I keep my prints and my personal collection of other art, upright in specially designed bins my husband built. Prints are divided by sheets of acid-free foam core. At my gallery we mount each print on foam core using clear mounting corners (the prints slide in and out of those easily), then we put them in clear sleeves. Again they are displayed in the cool hand-built 'poster bins'.

Out of your catalog of art, what is the one piece of art that you are the most proud of?
That's a tough one, but I still love my poster for the Pixies. They were my all-time favorite band, and getting to design a poster for their 2004 reunion tour was a huge dream fulfilled for me.

How did you get into print making?
I learned the basics of screenprinting in high school, and spent a lot of time printing t-shirts for friends' bands in my parents' driveway. I majored in Printmaking in college- starting at the University of TN, then finishing my degree at the University of Utah. After graduating, I started making screenprinted posters for shows at the music venue my boyfriend Phil owned in Salt Lake called Kilby Court. We lived across the street from the venue and my studio was there too. This was around 2001. We stayed there until 2008 (adding three awesome boys to our family in the process), and then sold the venue and opened up a poster gallery and custom frame shop called Signed & Numbered. That's what I'm doing now.


LOST Questions

Are you a LOST fan? If so, how do you like to watch the show?
1) Lockdown -- no interruptions.
2) With a few select LOST fans.
3) With a bunch of people.
4) It doesn't matter.
5) I don't really watch...

1)- I watch an entire season in a few sittings when it comes out on DVD, and after my kids have gone to bed.

Favorite LOST character(s)?
Hurley is my favorite character. I also like Miles... and Hurley and Miles together-- I could hang out with them.

Any favorite LOST quotes?
Basically anything Hurley says is golden.

If you could turn a frozen donkey wheel and end up anywhere/anytime, where/when would it be?
I suppose anywhere in the future would be cool, as long as I could get back.

Who do you identify with most -- the LOST bunnies, the polar bear or Vincent?
Probably Vincent- he's happy-go-lucky

Do you follow any LOST blogs or post at any LOST forums?
I don't-- and this is only because I don't watch the show in real-time. With three kids I never have a chance to watch TV while they're awake, (and I don't have a DVR), so I wait until the season comes out on DVD. I have to stop people talking about the show and stick my fingers in my ears a lot. It's painful waiting, but awesome to watch an entire season in a few days.


How do you think LOST will end?
oooh, I don't want to speculate... I am just along for the ride.

What is the one mystery from LOST that you are dying to find out? Would you be content with never finding out the answer to that particular mystery?
The numbers... I think I'd live with not knowing though

What is your favorite moment of LOST?
Not a particular moment, but I have always loved anything to do with time travel... I eat that up, it's fascinating.

Nate Duval 0

Rob Perrin has been in touch with Nate Duval, the artist for The Barracks poster and has kindly sent us this interview for us to publish.

Nate did visit us a couple of times around the reveal of the poster, but I'm impressed that in the interview he is quoting comments from one of our regular contributors.

RobPerrin:  Nate Duval, thank you very much for agreeing to this interview with lostargs.com.  The Lost Underground Art Project delivered weekly shots of adrenaline into the hearts of thousands of Lost fans in 2009, and they are eager to learn more about each of the artists who took part.  Let's dive directly into your involvement with LUAP, then talk a little about Lost, and end with a set of more general questions about you and your art.

Lost Underground Art Project

RobPerrin:  Who approached you to participate in this project?  Was it something you had already heard about "on the grapevine", or did it come as a surprise?

Nate Duval:  I was approached, "out of the blue", as they say, by Jensen Karp, owner and Head Hancho of Gallery 1988 (nineteeneightyeight.com).  I was familiar with Jensen, his clothing line (clandestineindustries.com) and his two wonderful galleries in LA and SF, respectfully. He gave me a call on a summer afternoon, told me about the project, asked me if I was interested (of course, I was!) and gave me a quick brief of the project.

RP:  Were you assigned the subject matter (i.e. the Barracks) or were you provided with a list of subjects from which to choose?

ND:  I cannot speak for anyone else, but I personally was assigned a "moment" and it was up to me to depict that moment in any way I deemed fit.   My moment was described to me as "the moment where we all find out that the others lived on the island in their own community and had homes!"

RP:  Aside from the subject matter, did you have carte blanche?  Or were there any restrictions on what you could depict? Or requests to specifically include something?

ND:  The entire process was painless, professional and exciting. From start to finish, artists were given their moment and the rest was left up to us.  The only restrictions were production specs (had to be prepared for 18" x 24" screenprint for consistency and be less than 8 ink colors.)

RP:  At the risk of being a tad open-ended, can you walk us through some of the highlights of creating The Barracks, from its initial conception to the physical production of the 300 prints.  Were there any major hiccups?  Funny anecdotes?

ND:  Unlike most of my other work that I hand-print myself (process pics of which can be seen here) all of these posters were printed by the ultra skilled D&L Screenprinting (dlscreenprinting.com) based in beautiful Ballard, WA.  I have worked with the guys at D&L several times in the past on the printing of some of my own work, and their work, attention to detail and overall skill level are second to none.  Once I knew that D&L would be printing this and that it would print exactly as I envisioned it, I simply had to focus on creating the art and color separations on this print.  All the "fun" of hand-printing art was left to them, so unfortunately, I don't have much to offer in this answer :)

RP:  The hills and sky seems to be depicted in a very naturalistic style, whereas the dwelling and the grass around it are not. Was this intentional, and if so what feeling or message did you intend to convey?  (For me, it speaks to the superficiality of the Dharma Initiative and the futility of its attempts to understand and harness the Island's power.)

ND:  You are very close in your assumption!  I did use a slightly "mixed-media" approach to my illustration, indeed.  To me, in all of the craziness that happens on the show, (physical phenomena's, scientific "impossibilities", human emotion/reaction etc.) the island is the one, constant, "real" character.  It's funny, I was reading through some of the comments on your site and charter321 was shockingly close to describing the thought process behind the print when he/she said "see how 'real' the island is compared to how 'fake' Ben's little world he set up? The Barracks were suppose to be a second home to the Others. The Barracks in fact were a fake little world set up by Ben to try and keep the people he recruited there for good. He lulled them into a sense of false security. That whole world was built upon lies and the DHARMA folk that built the place were killed by Ben. It is suppose to look fake."

RP:  To my eye, the object in the upper left is a cloud, whereas the upper right features smoke from the 815 crash as it drifts above the hilltop.  Have I got that right?

ND:  The long trail of smoke on the left side is supposed to be the subtle, billowing cloud of the recently crashed Flight 815.  Throughout the piece I tried to casually depict things (like the plane crash, to the laundry on the line, etc.) to match the casual, "lazy afternoon" style/ feeling that (to me) the intro of Season 3 was so brilliantly shot in.

RP:  Did you deliberately include any "hidden messages" in your poster (that you are willing to divulge)?

ND:  Aside from the subtle reference to the crash in the distance, I didn't add any "hidden" gems.  Instead, I took a more scholarly approach to this piece, knowing the MASSIVE, detail-oriented following that the show has. I knew it would be important to me (and many others) to make all of my images "official and accurate.”  I used an actual photo of the island for the mountains, as well as referencing various photos of the barracks in my illustration.

RP:  I read that you use house paint for your screen prints.  Was this the case for The Barracks, and if so what brand and colours of paint were used?  (Yes, this is the obligatory obsessive detail question!)

ND:  I did not print this, but all of my work that my friend Journe and I print ourselves is printed with Sherwin Williams Interior House paint.

RP:  Did you have any alternate concepts for the poster?  If so, how were they different from the version that we see today?

ND: To me, there was really only one way to go with this moment (some of the other moments were a bit more "open to interpretation", in my opinion) and I essentially ended up making the image I thought that I would make all along.

RP:  Other than those already covered in the 16 LUAP posters, are there other "water cooler" moment from Lost that you would love to capture in a screen print.

ND:  Great question!  Not really a water-cooler moment at all, but considering my background in band merchandise/gigposter creating, I always thought it would have been fun to make a "faux" tour poster or other merchandise for DriveShaft's spring tour or something like that.  :)   

RP:  Did you have a chance to visit Gallery 1988 and/or see some of the other art online?

ND:  I watched and played along throughout the entire project.  Although it was very hard to keep the "secret" alive behind the entire project and my participation in it, it was very exciting to see many of my poster making friends' prints be revealed and all of the conversation they created online.  I do plan on stopping into the LA shop in May on my West coast "tour" of both LA and SF Renegade shows. (renegadecraft.com)

RP:  How did your experience with this project compare with other commissions you've had in the past, particularly in terms of the scope of fan interest?

ND:  I was honored, pleased beyond belief and still am excited to have been a part of this project.  It was a surreal experience working with this fine folks behind this project for one of my favorite shows ever.  I am especially thankful to the many folks who have connected with me because of this project and our common love of the show, as well as having my work introduced to a new set of folks who may have never discovered me otherwise.  I have done work for a number of very popular music acts and have almost gotten used to that, but when I found out I would be working for LOST, it was a bit intimidating for sure.

LOST

RP:  On a scale of 1 to 10, how big of a Lost fan were you before becoming involved in LUAP?

ND:  7.  I wouldn't feel right giving myself a higher number than that, as I am SURE my LOST knowledge is pretty weak compared to some folks out there, especially since I didn't start watching the show until a little over a year and a half ago. If LOST were a professional baseball team, I would say that I would be the shortstop on its Single A farm team.

RP:  Why do you like Lost?

ND:

• It is visually beautiful & stimulating.


• Fast-paced, well-written, constantly shifting, layered and detail driven storylines


• I also think the sound production is incredible.  Especially how the "sounds of the island/storyline" are a character on the show.


• To me, there isn't really a more exciting and intense 44 minutes on TV, than "the next episode" of LOST while you are watching it.

RP:  Let's play Lost favourites, speed round!

• Favourite character?  ND:  Jin or Ben.  It's a toss up.  Two complete opposites, I know.


• Favourite season?  ND:  Too tough to say, although I guess Season 2 would be my least favorite maybe?  Probably due to the speed of the story telling and number of "big events" that happened in comparison to where the story lies on the eve of the Season 6 premiere.   


• Favourite episode?  ND:  The Constant   


• Favourite scene?  ND:  The opening sequence of the first episode.  IT really set the tone for everything to come and was extremely well shot/directed.  


• Favourite visual image?  ND:  When Juliet detonated the bomb at the end of Season 5, causing the screen to go white and having the LOST logo knocked out in black type.  That subtle change in the way an episode ended, to me was brilliant and said so much while saying so little.


• Favourite Dharma station?  ND:  The Orchid


• Favourite catchphrase?  ND:  Any one of Sawyer's wise-ass comments/"nicknames."  


• Favourite Dharma foodstuff?  ND:  Either the mysterious Apollo Bar, or the mind-boggling shelf-life of the Dharma Ranch Dressing.

RP:  You posted on lostargs.com when The Barracks was released.  Do you frequent any other Lost sites?

ND:  Nope, not really.  I try to stay away from the Lostpedia type sites as well, as I know once I get digging around, I will never stop. :)

RP:  What are you most looking forward to in season 6?

ND:  Seeing how this amazing journey will be tied together and come to a conclusion. So many shows on television have an "obvious" ending that you see from three seasons in advance, with LOST, I just love how I have ABSOLUTELY no idea what will happen and that is very exciting.

General

RP:  Where did you grow up?  Are there geographical aspects of your youth that influence your art?

ND:  I have lived most of my life in Massachusetts.  Seeing the many styles of architecture and homes that this area is home to, has definitely influenced me and my work, especially when drawing buildings/imaginary cityscapes/lands.  (which I often do.)

RP:  When did you create your first screen print?  How were you introduced to this form of art?

ND:  I have been making screen-printed art for 4.5 years.  I have always had a huge interest in art, design and music. Once I figured out a way to combine all three of my loves into a career, the rest was history. My desire combined with my friend Journe's background in apparel printing drive to try new things, we got together, did some research and built the very vacuum table that we print with to this day.  

RP:  Which artists (any media, any time period) do you most admire?

ND:  Klimt, Vaserely, Cuban and Polish poster art,  Jay Ryan, Tyler Stout,  all things letterpress, psychedelic rock art and a slew of other folks and styles.

RP:  Describe your typical work environment.  For example, do you often play music while creating your art?  Do you usually work at night?

ND:  I would say the ideas often come at night, but as far as the production or illustration goes, I find I work more efficiently during the daytime hours.   And yes, Music is a must for all projects.  Sometimes out loud, sometimes through headphones, but always present!

RP:  Many of your works are bright, colourful, whimsical.  Is this a fair statement?  Do you think your art reflects your own personality?

ND:  Very fair, indeed.  I wouldn't say I am a "bright, colorful, whimsical person" per se, but I certainly enjoy surrounding myself with colorful, happy things, as it helps keep me in that type of mood.  You won't find too many skulls, or dark imagery hanging in my home so to some degree, I guess it does match my personality/interests.  

RP:  Out of your entire catalogue of art, is there one which you are most happy with or proud of?  (I particularly like sausalito and birdhouse.)

ND:  I am most proud of my Phish at Fenway Park poster.  It was a high point in my career for sure.  Working with a giant band, who I  have listened to for years, for a historic show at Fenway Park. (especially being a life-long red sox fan.) There have been prints that I have made that I liked the art for, or broke new ground conceptually or technique wise, but the feeling of being hired for that one particular gig (along with the LOST ARG series) were the best "feelings I have gotten from opening an email in my inbox" for sure.

RP:  Do you also collect art?  If so, what kind of art do you collect?

ND:  I do, I have hundreds of prints/pieces that I have collected or traded with talented friends along the way.  Screenprints by Jay Ryan, Tyler Stout, Jesse LeDoux, Dan McCarthy, Eduardo Munoz Bachs  and many others.  An Amy Ruppel original, a bunch of Tiny Showcase Letterpress Prints

RP:  Aside from art & music, what else turns you on?

ND:  I like traveling, cooking, eating at highly rated places I find on Yelp and have never been to before, photography, and getting the chance to work with my fiancé everyday who is also an illustrator and very talented -- JenSkelley.etsy.com. I also SOMETIMES like our cat, Mugatu, who is mostly annoying, but extremely good looking and sweet once in a great while. :)

RP:  What is it about the number 8 that you find appealing?

ND:  It's geometric form, its "infinite" shaping its roundness and the fact it rhymes with my name.

RP:  You have a comprehensive Internet presence (Twitter -- @nateduval, Facebook --, nateduval.com, etc.) and actively promote your work (e.g. your recent deal-of-the-day and free shipping promotions).  Do you also enjoy this commercial aspect of the art biz?

ND:  Very much so.  I am just as much focused on the marketing of and selling of my work/brand as I am the creation of it.  The internet has made the world so much smaller, and I am thankful I live in a time where I market myself all over the world and sell my work to people all over the globe.

The drive behind my "comprehensive Internet Presence" probably leads back to my Advertising Degree that I earned from Syracuse University.  Immediately after graduating , I knew that I was not going to like working at an Advertising or Design firm.  Something about it always felt a bit odd, working so hard to help someone ELSE sell their product.  So it was a natural progression to make and sell my own work/art and the internet (combined with a pretty heavy, summer travel schedule showing and selling works at various shows/events) made all of this possible.  

RP:  What are you most looking forward to in 2010 (other than Lost season 6, natch)?

ND:  To continue to do what I love for a living while constantly pushing to take it to the next level (both artistically and business-wise.)

 

RP:  Once again, thank you for dedicating some of your valuable time to this interview.  Speaking as the proud owner of The Barracks 219/300, thank you for your wonderful contribution to the Lost Underground Art Project.

ND:  Thank YOU!

Competition 0

Well I'm almost a little tearful, that the 10th and last competition is here. As you can see from the picture to the left, this prize is a xxxx from the Gallery 1988 art show. (Note does not include a miniature Zort !) This is another prize donated to us by Gallery 1988 in recognition of the LOSTARGs site and community as being one of the best places on the web to discuss LOST art. This draw will again be free to enter but as with the other competitions, apart from number 9, there will only be one entry per person allowed. Like prize 8 this one will be a little different.

Question

1. What is the title of the LOSTARGs blog post ?

(You will only be able to find this once you have found clue 2. We need the exact title, so if you think you have it and it does not match a blog post title, you don't have it)

2. What is the location of the second clue ?

(Hint - the 2nd clue cannot be found on LOSTARGs.com

Clue 1



Submit your answers by clicking here and entering the information into the entry form. This same form will be used for each prize. Make sure you choose PRIZE 10 from the selection drop down.

Entries for this prize must be submitted by 28th January 2010

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This draw is again free for all to enter, but if you can spare some money then either the logo to the right of the main blog can be used to donate to the Red Cross or as with previous draws UNICEF is charity that does good work in over 150 contries. The link takes you to a site to donate specifically to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal. Click here or the logo if you wish to donate.

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Click Here to view the Terms and Conditions on the first prize draw post

This one proved to be a tough one for most as we had just 31 entries with only 15 eligible for the draw.

The correct answer was HUMANITY

The winners are :-

Season 5 DVD DHARMA Initiation Kit - EmmaJ

Season 5 Blu-Ray Set - Lawncare


The explanation of the answer is :

- Three in 1st Poster fruit - A The 1st Poster had the word Banana on it.

- There are two in the further instructions for Glasgow - T

When the Glasgow reveal was first published there was a mistake with the date, this was soon rectified with the statement "No Time Travelling Needed"

- The first of who sent us to Johnny Cupcakes - H

The flyer for this reveal said :

- The first of Shannon's final word in French - M On the 9th poster the Shannon figure is saying - "Je suis seul sur cette ile ..ils sont tous morts"

- The second of the second of Tom Sawyers Friend's artist - U

The 6th poster was at URL HuckFinnWasTaken.com, the artist for this poster was Jason Munn.

- A white blade of grass - Y The Jay Ryan Polar Bear poster had the artists name in the blades of grass (yes A was also there see below).

- There are two in this monstrous location - I

The location of the 8th reveal, which was a mural of cartoon monsters, was :


- The fourth of the crash reveal - N

The URL for the fourth reveal was :


That leaves us with the letters ATHMUYIN - which is an anagram of HUMANITY

There were some possible alternate letters in a couple of clues which could have led to different words, but nobody entered with those potential words.


Finally to explain the additional clue for the whole word - "TWM last word at the end of the third", plus the extra clue of TLE.

TLE stands for "The Lost Experience" (The first LOST ARG), TWM stands for "Thomas Werner Mittelwerk" who was one of the main characters in that ARG. At the end of the ARG a message from Alvar Hanso was posted (which can still be seen at thehansofoundation.org. Clicking on the word "Humanity" at the end of the third paragraph, gave a hidden message from Mittelwerk.

The vote to find out if we could turn this this 9th prize, in our series of 10competitions, into a way of getting donations for the Haiti disaster appeal was not 100% unanimous but a large percentage did say yes. So to try and keep a happy medium we will be doing things differently for the 9th prize.

The entry questions are below, you can use the same entry sheet as in all the other competitions - Submit your answers by clicking here.

1. Enter the PayPal reference number.

2. What is Jack and Claire's father called

3. What alias did Ben use when he was caught in a net by Rousseau.

The first question asks for a PayPal reference number, if you donate $5 then you will get two chances to win the prize, for every additional $5 donated you will get another chance to win. However if you do not wish to donate then we will allow a free entry for each person, the free entry will only count as one chance to win, leave the reference number field blank. Donate using the button below.

All this talk and no mention of the prizes, well here they are and we are doing this a little differently again. The prize package will accumulate the more donations we get. The first and guaranteed prize is a Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear Giclee print, number 27 of 30. This was given to us by Gallery 1988 as they recognised what special people LOST fans are.



If we get at least $500 in donations then this prize will be added (click to find out what it is)

A McFarlane Jack figure

If we get at least $750 in donations then this prize will be added (click to find out what it is)

#10 of 10 Limited Edition Signed Prints, Size: 2.5" x 3.5", Artist: Geri Centonze.

If we get at least $1000 in donations then this prize will be added (click to find out what it is)

An Olly Moss Locke's Secret poster, this is one of the additional 50 posters that were sold by Olly and has a number in the range 50 - 100

Would you be happy if LostARGs changed one of the two remaining competition prizes into a paid entry raffle with proceeds in aid of the Haiti disaster appeal ?

Tim Doyle Talks Art 0

As mentioned before a team of intrepid reporters are on the case and are starting to interview artists involved in the art project.

MilkcanRocks has kicked things off with this excellent interview with Tim Doyle.

Like a juggernaut robot rocketing down from outer space, Nakatomi Inc. is posed to take over the world. Based in Austin, TX, Nakatomi Inc. is a company that specializes in art prints, clothing and other accesories. Nakatomi is a blend of pop culture and awesome, and sitting square in the captain seat of Nakatomi is Tim Doyle. Tim Doyle is the artist responsible for Hurley's Curse, the first poster of sixteen in the recent LOST poster series. I recently caught up with Tim where we discussed movies, action figures and a poster series about LOST. Enjoy!

MilkcanRocks: So Tim, lets talk a little about yourself first...

Tim Doyle: Okey dokey - anything specific?

MC: I know that a lot of the LOST ARG'ers are interested in what got artists involved with doing prints in the first place...what got you into doing art, specifically art prints?

TD: Well, I was the art director of the Alamo Drafthouse's poster series for a few years (left them back in January to start Nakatomi), and I worked with Rob Jones on arranging the posters for them. So I got to know almost all the artists that worked on the Lost series back before it was a glimmer in ABC's eye. I think 10 of the artists on the series actually did prints for me when I was at the Alamo.

MC: I noticed that a lot of the artists also have done some prints for Nakatomi as well, too (Jay Ryan, Kevin Tong, Daniel Danger and Tyler Stout have all contributed to the Nakatomi Invitational Series)

TD: Right- I made a lot of great contacts working there, and, I, of course, used them with my new company.

MC: What was your favorite poster that you did when you were art director at the Alamo?

TD: Wow - that's tough as there were so many great ones that I got to oversee there. I think one of the totally underrated ones was Lil' Tuffy's 'The Gate' print. It was very clean and simple, but really captured the film. Just about anything by Jeff Kleinsmith blew me away as well. His Shining print is spooky as all get out, but you really can't argue with Tyler Stout's draftmanship and composition. (visit postercabaret.com to see some of the posters we discussed)

MC: 'The Gate'...isn't that the film that has the kid defeat that demon in the end with a home-made rocket?

TD: RIGHT! It was a childhood favorite. The poster barely sold, cause the movie was so obscure.

MC: Aw man! That was an awesome film. Loved it when I was a kid, too.

TD: But the print killed. Just watched Flight of the Navigator today, actually. Man, I'd love to do a print for that one.

MC: I have a lot of fond memories of that movie, too -can't listen to the Beach Boys anymore without thinking of that movie...

TD: Ha! Yeah, that part is so over the top. The little alien dancing and stuff.... So, after working with those artists for so long, I had to get my hands in the game. The first screen print I did was for 'The Wizard' and I just moved on from there. Doing screenprints were so much more fun than doing the gallery shows I had been in up to that point, and it paid much better than indie comics. And when I say 'paid better' I mean, people bought them -the Alamo didn't pay me to do posters

MC: Didn't you do a few other posters for The Alamo as well?

TD: Yeah, I mean, it was a chance to be a part of this juggernaut of a poster series Rob and I built up, so throwing my name in there really helped people see what I could do. I did a Robocop, Godfather, Phantom of the Paradise, Troll 2, Big Trouble In Little China

MC: Yeah! Your Troll 2 kills!

TD: Thanks man- I actually got a call from the kid in Troll 2 to do some art for them after that print. He didn't know that he had met me before at an Alamo function. Nice guy. Totally Mormon - the entire cast of the film was.

MC: Really? Didn't know that.

TD: Filmed in Utah!

MC: Cool! So, what made you decide to start Nakatomi Inc. ? ( www.nakatomiinc.com )

TD: I realized people were responding so well to my screenprints along with the fact I didn't want to work for anyone else anymore. I knew everything I needed to do it on my own, so I started getting it all together with one of my friends who at the time also worked at the Alamo. We launched in January of 2009 while we were still working at the Alamo. They got very, very unhappy at us. I decided to leave (which was the whole point of starting the company) and my friend decided to stay there. He actually got my old job at Mondo. Well, 1/3 of my old job. They replaced me with 3 people.

MC: I'm used to seeing that DIY attitude with record labels - it's awesome to see those ethics spill into other fields such as art prints. Tell me a little more about Nakatomi.

TD: Well, I wish I could say we had this grand mission statement, but it's really just 'Stuff I Want To Do' with artists I know and friends. We built our own print shop over the summer, and doing the screen printing by hand instead of farming it out is completely liberating. It really refined my technique, having to do my own prints. I'm obviously very pop-culture inspired (read - I'm a huge nerd), and so most the stuff we put out tends to fall under that.

MC: So you brought up something that a lot of people have been wondering - who does your art prints? And do other artists do the printing themselves or do they send them out to outside printers to do them?

TD: WELL - about that - I started out working with one of the best printers in the world, D & L out of Seattle ( www.dlscreenprinting.com). They handled the majority of the printing for the Alamo gigs. I can only assume most artists start out printing their own stuff, but having a shop that can put out quality product is a huge investment in time and money. So I guess a lot of artists grow into using outside printers. But I kinda reversed that. I started out having D & L print mine, and once I realized that A -I could really have fun doing my own printing and B- it would save me a ton of cash on production, I got my friend Clint Wilson to help me build a shop in my garage, and we both print out of there. As I've gotten busier I've been doing less and less of my own printing, and have had Clint do more and more. I think all the LOST print were done out of D and L except for Jay Ryans'. He's got The Bird Machine, his own shop, to do most of his printing ( www.thebirdmachine.com )

MC: Jay is awesome - I knew of his band, Dianogah, before his prints. Cool guy. I also understand that you are printing other people's prints, too. Didn't you do some prints for

TD: So Nick Derington, Jacob Borshard and I all grew up in Plano, Texas, and they were friends with Robert Ashley, who does ALWWasted. So when Robert started putting out prints, Jacob and Nick talked him into doing screen prints as opposed to Giclee's. So Jacob and Clint are doing most of the printing of the ALWWasted prints in my shop. I'm really too busy with comics and my own prints to get to involved in all that. But I really want Robert to push the podcasts' merch really hard - it's an awesome product, and it's totally free to the listeners. So, he needs to keep it going, and that means selling stuff. I'm really glad I'm at least partially involved in that

MC: Yeah, the podcast is awesome. It recently got a huge push from Kotaku, and it's nice to see that Nakatomi is supporting that! I understand that the LOST poster series wasn't the first time you worked with Gallery 1988 - tell me a little about what you've done with them in the past?

TD: Gallery 1988 - I can't remember what came first -me doing the print for their Crazy 4 Cult 3 show, or this.

MC: When were you contacted about the LOST series?

TD: I think back in April. Jensen Karp emailed or called about it. Back then, I don't think all the artists were lined up yet.

MC: Back in April? Didn't realize it when back that far.

TD: I hadn't actually seen an episode yet at that point.

MC: SWEET!

TD: I knew it was a show that I WANTED to get into, but like a lot of my media, I like to wait until it's all done and THEN jump on board. I read something like 20 comic books a week, so I don't have a whole lot of room in my head for juggling more storylines. Like Harry Potter - I jumped on right when that was almost all over. And man, I totally feel for the people who had to just wait years for that series.

MC: That is exactly how I got into LOST, too - something I always wanted, but never had the chance. Got really into it during the Season 3 break.

TD: So I called Rob Jones and told him about this 'LOST thing' and asked what image I should do. He said 'Ask for the Polar Bear or the Hatch'. But, eventually, Jensen got back to me and said I had gotten 'Hurley Winning The Lottery' and then he sent me that episode. I did a quick concept sketch, and worked it from there.

MC: What did your original sketch look like? Was it similiar to the final poster?

TD: Oh yeah, I'll have to dig it up sometime. Jensen told me the producers really liked my King Hippo print ( store.nakatomiinc.com), so they gave me Hurley, cause I can draw fat people! (Being fat myself helps...) And, it was my sense of humor that got me that moment - Hurley's a pretty funny dude all around, so it fits, I guess. I just kinda cherry picked images from that episode, and sent in the poster

MC: So the producers picked which moments everyone got then?

TD: I THINK so...I'm guessing Jensen had more to do with that. He probably walked in to a meeting with a list of artists and a proposal, I'd imagine.

MC: I gotta say - love the print that you did, and while I see the humor, there is kinda a dark, menacing edge to it. Love the skull eyes. Is there anything about your print that you specifically think is cool and fun that you want to share?

TD: The first version of the poster I did had Hurley's face on it really big at the bottom right above the TV, and the ABC guys said it could only be on there once. I guess it had something to do with SAG contracts or something. Like if you have a print ad, an actor can't be on there more than another actor. Not quite sure. But I watched the episode with Jin in the Cluck suit and filled in more choice images like the car, and it is a much better poster all around. There's not anything really secret in the print -it's all pretty much right there. The varnish layer of the numbers was a fun thing. Working on it was a bit of a terrifying experience, as I really didn't know what was going on with the show at all. Of course, after seeing those 2 episodes, I KNEW I had to start watching.

MC: How many inks went into the print (including the varnish)?

TD: I think there's like 4 colors, plus the glow, plus the varnish. 2 blues, a red, a black, varnish, and the glow.

MC: D&L did the printing?

TD: D&L, yes.

MC: Gotta ask...what do you think about the series?

TD: I started to get caught up with the show on ABC.com and then HULU. Then I got a new TV and borrowed seasons 3-4, and then I HAD to buy them all when Amazon had that killer deal when season 5 came out. Suffice to say, I got hooked big-time. It's totally engaging. I got a bit of a man-crush on Sayid.

MC: Yeah, it hooked me big time. The episode that did it for me was the Season 2 episode with Ben eating cereal talking about how he would set a trap for them. Awesome! Now having watched all the series, what moment would you pick to do a LOST poster on now?

TD: Man, that's a tough one - all the really great visuals have pretty much been done. I would say the Submarine. Like a really cool, creepy underwater drawing of the Dharma sub. Maybe with the docks and light from top.

MC: That would be cool. Lots of varnish on the water.

TD: Completely. Man, I know if they do another print series, they'll probably want new artists, but I'd love to be back now that I'm an official fan. Or maybe another Locke print -I LOVE Olly's, but I love Locke's story so much I'd like a crack at it.

MC: Did you collect any of the other prints?

TD: Nah - I don't have time to sit in front of the computer all day doing that.

MC: HAHAHA!

TD: The length some of the fans went to to get the prints once they got 'hot' is amazing. I wonder if anyone lost their job f5'ing all day.

MC: Yeah, a good chunk of my time was spent in front of the computer. No jobs lost, but

TD: I probably lost hours and hours of time reading the threads on EB and LostArgs...I can't imagine if I actually tried to get the posters.

MC: It was an epic battle there for some time.

TD: It was really hard not spilling the beans on some of the details. Everyone thought Shepard was going to do the last one, but I already knew the whole line-up. Man, that was tough.

MC: How strict was the contract for discussion?

TD: Oh, it was strict. And, for a guy like me who always does his own promotions and tries to make sure everyone knows what I'm working on, it was especially hard. I wish I could be like Jay or Tyler and just NOT TALK.

MC: Did you know when you poster was going to be released?

TD: Oh, I knew mine was going to be the 1st or second from Jensen, I think. Kevin Tong is a good friend of mine and he lives not far from the Gallery, so we talked about it a bit. He was really good at keeping quiet, and artists talk amongst themselves.

MC: You all did really good at keeping quiet. There was some pretty heated discussions from the fans as to who was going to be involved. I heard Shepard and a few others for the last print. Even Banksy.

TD: HA! that would've been nuts. Now, that would've been selling out for him (Banksy).

MC: Yeah, I had a friend travel to the UK just to photograph his stencils.

TD: But a guy like me is always looking for an excuse to draw superheroes or whatever. I love me some corporate toys.

MC: There is nothing wrong with superheroes dude! Just went toy shopping today with the boy and picked up some action figures.

TD: Ha! What'd you get?

MC: This Imaginex Mr. Freeze toy that has this snap-on ice casing for figures. He was also pricing Legos, too.

TD: Mr. Freeze is one of the figures I need for my Super-Powers collection. I'm trying to finish my set of Super Powers figures from the 80's. I used to be an insane toy collector.

MC: Cool man! I'll be on the lookout for it! I'm sure that others want to know what you've got coming out soon, both at Nakatomi in general and for your prints. Can you give us a little preview of what's coming down the pipeline?

TD: Well, I'm working on this huge comic-book project right now - The Intergalactic Nemesis ( www.theintergalacticnemesis.com ) It'll premier soonish -the first 2 issues are in the can, with 7 issues total. It's a play/motion-comic/ meta-contextual thing. I got 3 (!!!) prints in the He-Man show coming up at Gallery 1988, with the opening reception on January 6th. One print I'm finishing up is for a superhero show in Mexico, and 'The Sea Also Rises' is an ongoing series. There's like 2 more prints planned out for that as well. That, and more stuff from my usual band of artists at Nakatomi. I'm roping in more and more people every day. Sleep is for the weak. I

MC: You've got a lot on you plate! It's going to be a great year for you and Nakatomi! And lastly, just to emphasize a point, people should sign up for the Nakatomi Mailing List, right?

TD: Oh yeah - if you want that LOST print (you, meaning the public), then people need to be on the mailing list. We're going to handle these sales through email, as it might get nuts on-line. I want to avoid any server crashes.

MC: And you do some pretty great stuff for the mailing list folk, too. This isn't the only exclusive print that you have offered for the mailing list.

TD: Oh yeah! I did a commission for a dude in the RAF a few months back, who wanted a 'Change into a JET' print for his squadron ( Click here to see it ). To keep his costs lower, I sold it to my mailing list as well, which let me offset the discounts I gave him. I really was excited to get that drawing into the hands of some real Airforce pilots. And I gave my email list a chance on a <Nakatomi Mailing List Exclusive Print That Cannot Be Mentioned Until A Future Date> print as well.

MC: It's a beauty! I got my <Nakatomi Mailing List Exclusive Print That Cannot Be Mentioned Until A Future Date> print storing flat and safe as we speak.

TD: Ha! Hang it up, ese! Printz is meant to be seen!

MC: I'm learning how to make frames as we speak!

TD: Oh yeah - do your own framing, totally! It'll save you a bundle. I use the metal framepaks from my local art shop. Cut the glass at home depot. I used to work in a framing shop when I was a kid, and I know it's a total racket.

MC: A bunch of people reading this just wound up saving hundreds from going to Michaels to have them framed. Thank you.

TD: Yeah, buy your supplies there, and do it yourself. I don't even fudge around with matting. Just an 18x24 frame, plus glass, plus foam core backing will run you no more than 40 bucks. If you have them do it for you with a mat, you'll spend $100+ easy.

MC: Sweet, man. Again, I cannot thank you enough for your time with this interview. Anthing else you want to add for the folks that may be reading this?

TD: Yeah, tell those guys over at the LOST site that they have a crazy thing going on over there - it's great to go through it. I feel like a late-comer to the show, but man, it's golden.

MC: Don't be a stranger. Seriously. I'm rarely there, but even when I poke my head in it's always a warm welcome.

TD: Thank you very much!

MC: Alright! Thanks for the chat here - take care!

The first competition is here, this first prize is a selection of Lost Magazines and a brand new Lost Puzzle. These were donated by Ramhatter.



Think of this first competition as a shakedown to prove the method works before we move on to other Damon Carlton and a Polar Bear related items.

Questions

1. What business did Boone work in and who owned it ?

2. Which other LOST actress auditioned for the Kate roll ?

3. How many days had Nikki and Paulo been on the island when they died ?

Thanks to JustThinking and Sayid'sgirl for the questions.

Submit your answers by clicking here and entering the information into the entry form. This same form will be used for each prize. Make sure you choose PRIZE 1 from the selection drop down.

Entries for this prize must be submitted by 2nd January 2010

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These draws are free for all to enter, but if you can spare some money then UNICEF is charity that does good work in over 150 contries. Click here or the logo if you wish to donate.

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