ALEX DAKOULAS NEWS/RANTS

Uuuuuuuuuggggghhhh.






I need to take a step back.

So I don't think I like where this is all heading...

It's been over a year!
My portfolio is back up.

Going through some older stuff too.
May be printing up some old tee designs again.
Going through some older work and reorging.

http://www.AlexDakoulas.com

I'm working on getting my portfolio website back up.
It hasn't been online in over a year and I feel like my life has been consumed by DPM and Converse.

I need to do other work, and that portal will be my own site again.
I am working on putting a blog there too.



We recently shot a promo video for the new Dance Party Massacre stuff.
You can watch it above.
I was in China the month of November for Converse.

I feel like I should be more successful and fruitful with all this stuff I've been doing.

http://www.dancepartymassacre.com/shop.htm

CHECK IT.

I still really hate stupid myspace clothing companies with their name spread across the front and latching onto every trend possible.


I think I'm gonna sell out.
I have bills to pay.
Money not to lose.

Dying. Dying. Dying.

Things are dying.



I feel like a loser.

I recently started thinking again about the difference between an artist and a designer. I came to the conclusion fairly far back that an artist created for themselves, a designer created for others.

But...
I just wonder.
If that's true.

Or why, if someone is an artist, they would create something, but then share it with the world?
You still make it for others.
But I suppose, it's not really about whether others like it or not.

I feel like designers need others acceptance to be satisfied.

(But what about artists who are hired by companies to create murals? Or ads? Did they make the switch to a designer in that project?)

And then I think about New vs. Old.
Design is like the new art?
Art to me is very raw, emotional, while design to me is very calculated and thought out.
It's like evolution.

But can designers be artists? And vice-versa?
Who's to say designers can't use their "new world" skills to create something artistic?

Old hand-carved, hand-set type is probably considered design, since it is meant to be used for others to see and understand, but with that much detail and care put into it how can it not be art?

I suppose it's just not that B&W.
Nothing is.

I always try to fit things into categories and blocks and stereotypes.
(It makes things easier for me to understand.)

I still think artists make for themselves and designers for others, but all good work is art.
If a design is something so rich and powerful it becomes art.
I would even venture to say if a piece of art is uninteresting, unprofound, and ugly, then it's not art.

But can art become design?
I suppose so.
When it becomes carefully planned out? Eh, maybe.

SO IS ART BETTER THAN DESIGN?!
Oh no, wrong life choice.

Oh man, things should not be this way.

Such a mundane existence.
I think there will be one day when my life will be calm and the sound of silence, and even loneliness, will be comfort to me.

But right now life doesn't seem like it should be like this.
In a strange way time is flying by, but when I stop for a moment I find myself bored, alone.

Something needs to break.

I have dreams.
I want memories.


I wish I never had to sleep.

I just wish things were interesting, entertaining, inspiring, surprising.
I've gotten older and heavier—and I feel like boring as well.

What's that saying? Burn things just to see what happens?
I need something to happen just for something to happen.




I think a lot of times bad things happen just because people are bored.
Maybe it's easier to be bad, than to be good.

Do you ever realize how little people care about things?
Did you not even notice because you don't care?

What makes you interested?
What causes your eyes to widen and your face to smile in excitement?
What do you wish you were doing?

Are we all just too busy?
Are all too busy trying to make money?
Can we all be too busy trying to live life?
Busy trying to do something productive that we care about?

The older I get the more jaded I become, and I say that is definitely fact. The older I get the further away I get from feeling connected to the rest of the people around me. The older I get the harder it becomes to try.

Maybe things were just easier in a small world.

But I hope that it all comes down to the fact we get busy. That we get sucked into this "real world". Because I see it happening to myself. You have bills, you go to work, you come home, you eat something, fall asleep and do it all over.

When I get these bills paid off and I have the freedom to not have to deal with the crap anymore that's it. I swear I'll try my hardest not to be around people that suck, or become involved in things that don't matter to me. I'll try and find people that care about each other, about anything, and if it all comes down to only being happy with myself then I'll continue trying to prepare for that.

I think I'm disappointed in the system we get stuck in more than the people in it.

I am going to EXPLODE.

You try to make something unique and your own and I, yet again, see it just being the latest trend.

Either I am an idiot robot doing as they say, or coincidences happen all the time.

I really don't use this that much anymore, except to repost things I post on DPM myspace. It started as soon as I began working at Converse.

I think I'm gonna shut it down, or just close it off soon. Once I redo my portfolio site, I'll probably just post updates on what I'm working on there. And I doubt anyone will REALLY miss me posting about random things I had in my head. If you will, add me on myspace and read my bulletins.


Just letting you know!

Website is now UP!
Prices are DOWN!
S&H is FREE!

http://www.dancepartymassacre.com

If you're thinking about getting any of the Dance Party Massacre shirts now is the best time! Not only are the on sale, but until Sunday I'll send you them for free!

Holiday shopping??



I hope this all works out...

Dance Party Massacre is going full speed ahead! Check out pictures of the actual shirts under the cut. Working on getting up an online store, and getting them into places.

If you're interested in a shirt RIGHT NOW we're still in a release phase so they're only $20 each. They retail for $28. All colors are what is shown—same for men and women. Men sizes SM-LG and women sizes SM-XL. If you're inbetween sizes get the larger size. All shirts are super-soft 100% cotton, tagless, screenprinted logo inside, and come with a promo-pack. $5 S&H for every 2 shirts.

Just Paypal money to alexdakoulasATgmailDOTcom.

UPDATE: Made a way to order them through Paypal.

( THE SHIRTS )

For anybody interested in reading more about Dance Party Massacre, the ideas behind it, and checking out the designs, go ahead over to the latest blog I posted on DPM's myspace!

Aarrr... I want every day to be Halloween!

Thanks to everyone who came out to the release party. Video projections, a fog machine, dancing, blood, special drinks, Nightmare on Elm St playing cards, free shirts, and a whole lot more went down. You can check out the photos on Dance Party Massacre's myspace!

DPM RELEASE PHOTOS PART 1
DPM RELEASE PHOTOS PART 2

I am now contacting specialty stores about selling DPM to their customers, as well as working on getting the website up to sell them online directly through myself.

FUN!

I hope this all works out. Word of mouth has been good, but your friends always tell you good things. Now it's time for the public to decide.

PS-If you can't view the photos on myspace, try these here and here.

The Dance Party Massacre Release Weekend was a success! My skin is still dyed red from the blood!

Thanks to everyone who bought a shirt, came to the party to have some fun, or just stopped by my table at Mass Market to check out my stuff.

I'll try to post up pictures soon!

How to Make Mountain Dew glow in the dark!



I always thought Mountain Dew seemed to glow.

NOW IT REALLY CAN.


EDIT: THIS THING IS WICKED NOT TRUE. We tried it and it sucked and just fizzed a little, and then I was just shaking a bottle around.

Lately I've been very unmotivated and just kind of sit around, but it feels kind of good so whatever. I had a lot of stuff go on the past few weeks so I think it's just the settling period.

While sitting around today and perusing the net, I found this website off my cousins facebook. I know Urban Outfitters has a book like this (they're so in the know), but you can read them right on the web.