soulbrotherv2:

Slaves to Fashion: Black Dandyism and the Styling of Black Diasporic Identity by Monica L. Miller

Slaves to Fashion is a pioneering cultural history of the black dandy, from his emergence in Enlightenment England to his contemporary incarnations in the cosmopolitan art worlds of London and New York. It is populated by sartorial impresarios such as Julius Soubise, a freed slave who sometimes wore diamond-buckled, red-heeled shoes as he circulated through the social scene of eighteenth-century London, and Yinka Shonibare, a prominent Afro-British artist who not only styles himself as a fop but also creates ironic commentaries on black dandyism in his work. Interpreting performances and representations of black dandyism in particular cultural settings and literary and visual texts, Monica L. Miller emphasizes the importance of sartorial style to black identity formation in the Atlantic diaspora.

Dandyism was initially imposed on black men in eighteenth-century England, as the Atlantic slave trade and an emerging culture of conspicuous consumption generated a vogue in dandified black servants. “Luxury slaves” tweaked and reworked their uniforms, and were soon known for their sartorial novelty and sometimes flamboyant personalities. Tracing the history of the black dandy forward to contemporary celebrity incarnations such as Andre 3000 and Sean Combs, Miller explains how black people became arbiters of style and how they have historically used the dandy’s signature tools—clothing, gesture, and wit—to break down limiting identity markers and propose new ways of fashioning political and social possibility in the black Atlantic world. With an aplomb worthy of her iconographic subject, she considers the black dandy in relation to nineteenth-century American literature and drama, W. E. B. Du Bois’s reflections on black masculinity and cultural nationalism, the modernist aesthetics of the Harlem Renaissance, and representations of black cosmopolitanism in contemporary visual art.

(via knowledgeequalsblackpower)

mauricecherry:

Kotobukiya Mega Man (Rockman) Action Figure

I’m a huge Mega Man fan, and I will definitely try to cop this when it comes out.

Today is my Tumblrversary! (If there’s not such a thing as that, then I just coined it.) This was my first post three years ago.

blackfolksmakingcomics:

itswalky:

Johnny Storm

*snickers*

(via eatcakey)

collegehumor:

The Best TIME ‘Millennials’ Cover Parodies [Click for more]

TIME Magazine’s latest cover story, in which Millennials are labeled as “lazy, entitled narcissists who still live with their parents,” is merely the latest attempt by a publication to sell more copies by fanning the old generational warfare flame. The good thing is, we’re not going to let this piece fester in our minds until our blood boils (shudder). Instead, we can enjoy something else they gave us: a cover that’s pretty easy to Photoshop. While a couple of these fight back, the majority degenerate into what we do best: get silly.

Honestly though, it seems like they read our guide to Millennials before they wrote their piece.

(via abagond)

typeworship:

Book Review: The Geometry of Type

There are many things I like about Stephen Coles’ recent book; the bright, clean design and the accessible structure allowing you to dip in and out; but most of all, it’s the lack of fluff or filler. The content has been carefully honed to focus on the important details, which is in fact what the book is all about: the details of each typeface.

In highlighting and comparing the features that give each typeface its character, anyone exploring this subject can begin to make informed choices between similar typeface options.

The pithy descriptions describe each typeface’s origin and advise what makes each appropriate for certain scenarios and where it might fail. These are occasionally laced with a subtle humour that keeps the tone of the book warm.

The great balance of written and visual explanation means the book works well as a quick reference but has a seductive way of drawing you in to read more and examine further.

The 100 “essential” typefaces chosen covers a decent range and they have been categorised in the most straight-forward way. Historically it stretches from Gill Sans 1928-32) right up to Heron Serif (2012), but also acknowledges original creation dates for revivals such as Bembo (1495).

I’ve already found it useful in my work and I know I’ll enjoy repeatedly picking it up in the future to compare other typefaces in my collection and those I’ve spotted in the wild.

We’ll worth picking up a copy. Take a look the book’s online companion on tumblr: The Anatomy of Type

Ooooh…I want it.

clientsfromhell:

Rules for Freelancers

I just signed up for early access to Go Media’s new book about building a successful design agency. It should be a great resource!

Fredric Mitchell

“Fredric Mitchell is no stranger to the Drupal community. As a long-time developer, he has contributed to the software’s development and growth over the years by writing documentation, submitting patches and modules, and reviewing Drupal applications. Fredric talks more about his work and gives great understanding into modern web development and much more.”

(This week’s interview on Revision Path!)