Earlier this year I was asked by the Athens Downtown Development Authority to create four whimsical designs to celebrate the wild and weird side of Athens for their downtown banners. The idea is to encourage the community and beyond to visit downtown, grab some lunch at a local restaurant, pick up some new vinyl at the local record shops, grab a gift at the gift shops, or heck just walk around and explore the architecture! I based the designs off my merry band of misfits, a bat and donut, raccoon with an ice cream sandwich, a possum with a waffle, and a new Athens addition-Rock Lobster with a vinyl record. (The lobster is inspired by the song “Rock Lobster” by the B-52s and the new Rock Lobsters Ice Hockey team!) Well the banners I designed were an absolute hit. Phone calls came pouring in from people asking if they could buy the actual banners. The Athens Downtown Development Authority told me they didn’t have one complaint about the banners which apparently is a first. In fact they received multiple phone calls praising the banners. That the community embraced these weirdough banners has warmed my rock n roll heart and further seals my commitment to celebrating the misunderstood, the maligned, and the slightly mischievous. /|\^._.^/|\
The bummer news is that the banners have finally come down, buuuut the rad news is they are all here with me in my art studio. If you want to own a piece of strange Athens downtown history, you can go ahead and grab one of the banners right now: Athens Downtown Banners
