House Blend

Set aside this summer's mass-marketed pop offerings and broaden your playlist with a zine that sounds as good as it looks: The Journal of Popular Noise, founded by graphic designer Byron Kalet, is an “audio magazine inspired by the traditions of pop music, printed periodicals, and the delight of a finely crafted artifact.” Translation: a twice-yearly, limited-edition trio of 7” vinyl records tucked inside a letterpress printed holder that folds out to reveal a poster containing information about the journal, the musicians, and the compositional process. The new spring/summer 2009 edition, featuring spoken-word works by Andrew W.K., Ian Svenonius, and Walker & Cantrell, ships next week, just in time to bring some old-school sparkle to your Fourth of July celebration.

Graphic design legend Milton Glaser alerts us to the launch of his new Web site, MiltonGlaserWorks.com. An e-commerce-enabled companion to the designer's online home base, MiltonGlaser.com, the new site offers signed editions of Glaser's books and other works, including posters and a new range of giclée prints of assorted musicians…and William Shakespeare. Whether or not your budget allows for acquisition of a signed "Beethoven with Eggplants" silkscreen, Glaser fans should look out for screenings of the documentary Milton Glaser: To Inform and Delight. Directed by Wendy Keys, the film has been making festival rounds and, after a successful New York City run, opens today in Chicago and Denver before moving to other cities this summer.

Need to hide from a client? Or your boss? Now you can do it in true designer style with a jacket sporting camouflage created from hand-drawn type. At first glance, this garment resembles regular camo gear, but when you look closely, you'll notice that all those organic shapes are actually letters. Cody Hudson created this clever pattern for Stussy, and it even spells out key phrases associated with the brand. Take one home in women's or men's sizes—prices range from $81 to $132.

by Michelle Taute

What exactly is a chaboo? It's a sweet little table from designer Ken Tomita named after the Japanese word for low table (chabudai) and what it's made from (bamboo). Even sweeter is that Tomita didn't keep this minimalist creation all to himself. He invited other artists and designers to put their touches on these tables or reinterpret the design from scratch. The results show just how much variation creative folks can produce on a single simple theme. And the online gallery might inspire a custom remix of your own.

by Michelle Taute

When you finally take up subvertising, this is what you should tell your cameraman sidekick: "If I do get caught, please keep filming." This wisdom comes from Jordan Seiler, who substitutes subversive art for ads on phone booths and subway stations. Seiler kindly let NYC Interactive tag along on a middle-of-the-day mission, and you can see the results here. Right now this online magazine has an entire section dedicated to people who take back public space in the real world and online. Head over to find out if Seiler gets busted and meet a few of his fellow renegades along the way.

by Michelle Taute

Here's a lofty design task that doesn't require a big agency project: Help pick a flag to represent global citizenship. The activists over at Adbusters have narrowed their One Flag competition down to 32 finalists, and you can vote for the winner until March 17. You'll find complex, multilayered efforts—such as a flag woven with one strip from the flag of every country in the world—and simple solutions that elicit an immediate, emotional response: Two human fingerprints overlapping to form a heart.

by Michelle Taute