Butterfly Knife
Art for a Filipino Rapper
It’s finally Fall. Portland has been drenched in golden sunlight and the DHS military choppers have, for now at least, stopped blaring over our peaceful city.
The children have been back in school for a few months now, and I’m grateful for the commissions that have been coming my way despite minimal efforts at promoting my “for hire” sign. My most recent project took me by surprise.
I opened my Insta dm’s late Sept to discover a message from Filipino hiphop artist Bambu DePistola. Turns out he was about to mix a new record in the studio at Beatrock Music and wanted me to do the art for it. Friends: I about died. As a longtime fan of Bambu’s music, I was ecstatic.
me when I’ve got an exciting project I can’t talk about
When Bambu reached out I had just finished re-reading one of my all time favorites - not just manga, but, BOOK, of all time: Taiyo Matusmoto’s Tekkonkinkreet. It’s the story of two tough street boys, Black + White, who must defend their city from a new menace, while they (mostly Black) battle the demons within themselves.
Matsumoto’s art remains fresh and brilliant alongside his masterful storytelling. It was a huge influence on my work when I first read it in 2007 and is still one of my biggest inspirations.
Bambu shared the concept of his new album They’re Burning the Boats, inspired by the story of Cortes burning his own ships before colonizing the Aztecs. Then, like all my favorite clients, he gave me absolutely no direction and let me get to work. And there was no time to dither - the deadline was less than a week.
The character design was loosely based on Bambu’s own daughter, but she is also a depiction of how I (many of us?) are feeling these days (and have been for a long time?). Like, shit is fucked, I’m pissed, my knife is unsheathed and I’m ready to fight.
They’re Burning the Boats was released on Bandcamp last week and went #1 for best-selling hip hip albums and is still holding at the second position. I am deeply honored to have been a part of this project. Still a little flabbergasted. If you haven’t listened to Bambu yet, give him a listen. His music is an agitating antidote to despair in these trying times.
In other news, we are hurtling towards the holiday season, and for us that includes a lot of birthdays and trying to cram in all the Littles-Friendly Fall activities we can. Apple picking near Hood River. Halloween decorations. House projects to wrap up before Winter sets in - this month, it’s dipping our entire kitchen in paint. I’m also trying to keep my hands too busy to doom scroll, so when I’m not drawing or Mom’ing, I read or knit. I just finished my second ever sweater. No small feat by a self-referenced “Failed Knitter”.
A chocolate-y version of Petite Knit’s Olga Sweater.
Finally, I’m working on getting my print shop up and running again. A lot of folks are inquiring about prints for the Bambu art among other things. Keep your eyes peeled for that announcement here or on (sigh) Instagram.
Stay mad, friends.
